Paul Mitchell (Sporting Director)

[Menace]

I've reread the interview. Still seems odd to me to blame people that have barely left when you've barely been in the job a season.

 

Let's see what happens in January

[Coffee_Johnny]

2 hours ago, OCK said:

Just had a pint and chat with Paul Mitchell. He refused to drink Brown Ale. 

My ITK contribution is that he only likes the ‘Real Stuff’ Ribstones Ale. 

 

Spoiler

 

[STM]

4 minutes ago, Menace said:

I've reread the interview. Still seems odd to me to blame people that have barely left when you've barely been in the job a season.

 

Let's see what happens in January

 

Thing is though, you haven't read an interview, you've read extracts from an interview.

 

We haven't got the questions he was posed, which is quite important.

 

For example, if a journalist asks "who's responsible for the poor transfer window?" or "what things to do you need to improve with regards to recruitment?", you are likely to get some answers that sound critical of the previous people in that role.

 

Of course he could tow the party line or deflect from these questions but he didn't, he was honest. Perhaps too honest.

 

This is just my opinion, but I think people in these roles in football have to have an element of arrogance and ignorance to their mindset. He likely thinks he's the absolute best sporting director in the world and is almost certainly as stubborn as what people think Howe is. I just think it comes with the territory.

 

Again, I don't know the bloke, but I imagine whoever was before him was always going to have been doing the job wrong in his mind. I've no problem with him being this way either, provided he's good at his job.

[Whitley mag]

Sounds much more hands on in the scouting department than Ashworth, suspect he wouldn’t be here without boardroom changes mind.

 

Quite looking forward to a new transfer approach, the lack of substantive links to overseas targets in the summer tells the story.

 

I’m confident if he can provide Eddie with better data this will work out ok.

[KaKa]

13 minutes ago, Menace said:

I've reread the interview. Still seems odd to me to blame people that have barely left when you've barely been in the job a season.

 

Let's see what happens in January

 

Did you read the Athletic's coverage of this interview? Probably the most balanced one, so I'd recommend.

 

I think it's pretty embarrassing that our recruitment still isn't that data/analysis driven. Coming from the background Mitchell has, I'm not surprised he's not been impressed by it.

 

Most specifically, Mitchell — whose role is “90 per cent recruitment” according to Darren Eales, the CEO — intends to overhaul Newcastle’s scouting practices. Howe has pushed the club to modernise and become more scientific in their recruitment processes, which is part of the reason a sporting director with Mitchell’s profile was sought.

[Kid Icarus]

1 hour ago, Upthemags said:

I think you must have missed the Paul Mitchell interview mate. I think you must have also missed the fact that we... didn't buy him?

 

From the horses mouth regarding our pursuit of Guehi this summer:

'It’s about setting precedents to the market that we will pay fair value for the right profile.'

 

We felt, ultimately, that Guehi was overvalued by Palace, and so didn't pull the trigger, which I suppose you would have had us do. Yes - I will side with our top brass on that one.

 

 

Clubs bidding £65 million pounds for players they don't want. 

 

[The Prophet]

Perhaps he's just a bit of a dick? Doesn't mean that he isn't great at his job or is unable to get on with Howe.

[jack j]

40 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Sounds much more hands on in the scouting department than Ashworth, suspect he wouldn’t be here without boardroom changes mind.

 

Quite looking forward to a new transfer approach, the lack of substantive links to overseas targets in the summer tells the story.

 

I’m confident if he can provide Eddie with better data this will work out ok.

Seems like he stays in his jobs as long as Ashworth as well

[Weezertron]

39 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Did you read the Athletic's coverage of this interview? Probably the most balanced one, so I'd recommend.

 

I think it's pretty embarrassing that our recruitment still isn't that data/analysis driven. Coming from the background Mitchell has, I'm not surprised he's not been impressed by it.

 

Most specifically, Mitchell — whose role is “90 per cent recruitment” according to Darren Eales, the CEO — intends to overhaul Newcastle’s scouting practices. Howe has pushed the club to modernise and become more scientific in their recruitment processes, which is part of the reason a sporting director with Mitchell’s profile was sought.

Modernise our scouting? Shit, the clubs scouting department pioneered the use of youtube over a decade ago. What more do you people want?

[BermyToon]

Let's he how he does in January. We risk losing our top players if we're not in the CL next season and also don't strengthen significantly.

 

 

Edited September 5 by BermyToon

[Memphis]

This is an interesting situation. I have to say, I do give Mitchell credit for doing the interview - apparently he sat for 90 minutes with the Newcastle-based journalists and that's a step in the right direction. I didn't expect that he would do that, and I didn't expect that he would be as candid as he was. 

 

I think you have to look at everything through the lens of: Why? Why would he do the interview and what was his goal? I think he knows that to get fans back onside, he has to make it right. Certainly he wants to wash his hands of the mess that was this window, but I think he also wants to reset the perception of Newcastle in the market, both inside of football and outside. We have been seen as domestically-focused, willing to overpay, unable to sell, and behind the eight-ball when it comes to PSR. Some of that is just perception, some is true. But I think Mitchell wanted to assert that he is in control, that he is setting out his stall to change the way we operate in player trading, and that changes will be coming. That's important for fans but also for other teams, we have to reinvent our plans with the PSR nonsense now restricting us greatly.

 

I think he also wanted to underline that PIF are still investing, still involved, and still have huge ambition. That remains to be seen - the stadium will tell the tale on that - but it sounds good for now.

 

We've not had someone in this position who is this qualified, competent, and confident - and that's a little strange for us to see. There are interactions we've not really had to deal with before, and how Howe, Mitchell, PIF, and everyone else adjusts will be critical. But I was sort of impressed with his confidence and his plan. I'd rather have him be a bit arrogant than a bit demure. Maybe I'm overly optimistic but I feel better about the situation than I did a few days ago.

[KaKa]

This is his full explanation of what went on this summer. I don't think this is unreasonable or blame shifting. He will now get his chance to have more of an impact and so we'll soon see.

 

The Marc Guehi saga dominated Newcastle’s summer, with their month-long pursuit ending in failure. But Mitchell — who repeatedly stressed that because he arrived on July 4, he largely acted in “a supporting role” to a “pre-existing strategy” — insisted the approach was one that had been agreed collectively.

 

Mitchell admitted he “would have been far more comfortable” if he had joined sooner, “but my job was just to support so I didn’t actually disturb, rightly or wrongly, our direction of travel” in the window. It risks coming across as an excuse, but was his way of trying to explain exactly what happened.

 

“My learning is that coming in, in a pre-arranged strategy, is hard,” he said. “You ultimately then find yourself supporting, more than driving elements.”

 

Howe had signed off on all of the targets and did not merely want an alternative centre-back for the sake of it, he wanted one who would materially improve his XI. Without naming the player, Mitchell was clear Guehi was the centre-back that Howe felt could make a difference to his side, even if other targets were ratified by the head coach. Even so, Mitchell implied he wants Newcastle to widen their scope in the market in future.

 

“Eddie was very clear and it’s not up to me after seven weeks to say, ‘We’ll do this and that’, because I’m in a supporting role,” Mitchell said. “Were there options? Of course there were, as that’s the responsibility of the department and Newcastle.

 

“That’s why we ended up where we did. It was that player or he felt he was comfortable with the quality we have. You can be on multiple deals at any one time, the focus doesn’t have to be that narrow. We probably were too narrow but, coming in mid-July, it’s not my strategy to control, it’s my strategy to support.

 

“But there was no player that he (Howe) wasn’t part of deciding and saying, ‘That’s the guy I want’.”

 

 

Edited September 5 by KaKa

[Lotus]

14 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

 

Clubs bidding £65 million pounds for players they don't want. 

 

I’m not picking a fight with you but don’t you think that fee is perhaps wrong? 
 

Maybe a deal worth that inc. signing on fee, wages, potential bonus payments to CP if we won the league/qualified for the CL 3 years in a row, etc…

 

It just doesn’t add up to me that we had that kind of money lying around.

[KaKa]

12 minutes ago, Memphis said:

We've not had someone in this position who is this qualified, competent, and confident - and that's a little strange for us to see. There are interactions we've not really had to deal with before, and how Howe, Mitchell, PIF, and everyone else adjusts will be critical. But I was sort of impressed with his confidence and his plan. I'd rather have him be a bit arrogant than a bit demure. Maybe I'm overly optimistic but I feel better about the situation than I did a few days ago.

 

This is it for me too.

 

I want a top DOF overseeing things, and I'm quite optimistic that with his experience and background he'll sell his ideas and vision to Howe successfully.

 

We'll soon see how things play out.

 

 

Edited September 5 by KaKa

[Kid Icarus]

3 minutes ago, Lotus said:

I’m not picking a fight with you but don’t you think that fee is perhaps wrong? 
 

Maybe a deal worth that inc. signing on fee, wages, potential bonus payments to CP if we won the league/qualified for the CL 3 years in a row, etc…

 

It just doesn’t add up to me that we had that kind of money lying around.

 

It could be wrong, but no less wrong than any other reported fee. Even if it was wrong I'd be surprised if it was wrong to the extent that it wouldn't still fall into the bracket of big money. 

[The Prophet]

7 minutes ago, KaKa said:

This is his full explanation of what went on this summer. I don't think this is unreasonable or blame shifting. He will now get his chance to have more of an impact and so we'll soon see.

 

The Marc Guehi saga dominated Newcastle’s summer, with their month-long pursuit ending in failure. But Mitchell — who repeatedly stressed that because he arrived on July 4, he largely acted in “a supporting role” to a “pre-existing strategy” — insisted the approach was one that had been agreed collectively.

 

Mitchell admitted he “would have been far more comfortable” if he had joined sooner, “but my job was just to support so I didn’t actually disturb, rightly or wrongly, our direction of travel” in the window. It risks coming across as an excuse, but was his way of trying to explain exactly what happened.

 

“My learning is that coming in, in a pre-arranged strategy, is hard,” he said. “You ultimately then find yourself supporting, more than driving elements.”

 

Howe had signed off on all of the targets and did not merely want an alternative centre-back for the sake of it, he wanted one who would materially improve his XI. Without naming the player, Mitchell was clear Guehi was the centre-back that Howe felt could make a difference to his side, even if other targets were ratified by the head coach. Even so, Mitchell implied he wants Newcastle to widen their scope in the market in future.

 

“Eddie was very clear and it’s not up to me after seven weeks to say, ‘We’ll do this and that’, because I’m in a supporting role,” Mitchell said. “Were there options? Of course there were, as that’s the responsibility of the department and Newcastle.

 

“That’s why we ended up where we did. It was that player or he felt he was comfortable with the quality we have. You can be on multiple deals at any one time, the focus doesn’t have to be that narrow. We probably were too narrow but, coming in mid-July, it’s not my strategy to control, it’s my strategy to support.

 

“But there was no player that he (Howe) wasn’t part of deciding and saying, ‘That’s the guy I want’.”

 

 

 

 

It sounds like blame delegating to me:

 

1. He states multiple times he's new and was there to support rather than control.

2. He implies we could have worked on multiple deals, but Howe only wanted that one player (Guehi).injuries 

3. He implies that Howe had final say on all transfers.

 

[Ikon]

I want PM to have as much control as possible. Let him do what he does best. Not sure Howe will want to give away too much control. Time will tell. This is my gut feeling. 

 

 

Edited September 5 by Ikon

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

It sounds like blame delegating to me:

 

1. He states multiple times he's new and was there to support rather than control.

2. He implies we could have worked on multiple deals, but Howe only wanted that one player (Guehi).injuries 

3. He implies that Howe had final say on all transfers.

 

 

He says upfront that the agreed approach for the window was to go with the strategy that they already had in place, and they were all in agreement on this.

 

If anything he is coming in not looking to throw his weight around, but instead respect what was decided upon already.

 

He said that they were working on multiple deals and options but that they then determined that Howe preferred a CB he was certain would impact the first team, in Guehi, and if not, he was fine with the quality he had, and so he supported that view.

 

Struggling to see the negative slant being put on these quotes 

[Dr.Spaceman]

One thing's for sure, Mitchell appears confident in his ability to put together a better plan than the ones we've had in place over the last few windows. He's already backed himself into a bit of a corner and now has to work his way out. Bit of an odd direction to take this early on.

[The Prophet]

5 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

He says upfront that the agreed approach for the window was to go with the strategy that they already had in place, and they were all in agreement on this.

 

If anything he is coming in not looking to throw his weight around, but instead respect what was decided upon already.

 

He said that they were working on multiple deals and options but that they then determined that Howe preferred a CB he was certain would impact the first team, in Guehi, and if not, he was fine with the quality he had, and so he supported that view.

 

Struggling to see the negative slant being put on these quotes 

 

I think there's some good stuff and some iffy stuff in his interview, but there's definitely am element of delegating blame in the above. It might not be intentional, but the subtext is pretty evident.

 

As long as Howe, Mitchell and Eales get their shit in a pile, I don't care who's fault it was, it's water under the bridge.

[Lush Vlad]

Not had a full chance to read the full article. So can’t really give an analysis one way or the other. But I found his comments about us over-paying, a bit, well, odd? 
 

Apart from Chris Wood. Which was a needs must signing and a release clause. I guess you can also include Tonali, where the jury is still out for obvious reasons. I thought our business by and large has either been shrewd, big money buys that have been hits or young English talent that have shown plenty of potential and where you almost accept the premium. 
 

 

[Bimpy474]

48 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

 

Clubs bidding £65 million pounds for players they don't want. 

 

 

It wasn't that we were bidding £65m for someone we didn't want.

 

I read where Mitchell explained that we bid £65m two weeks before the window ended, and it was left on the table, that was as high as we were willing to go, probably higher than preferable obviously.

 

[Shearergol]

Maybe he agrees with TCD that we overpaid for Barnes.

[Upthemags]

2 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

Maybe he agrees with TCD that we overpaid for Barnes.

Basically said as much when he said we need to "diversify"

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

I think there's some good stuff and some iffy stuff in his interview, but there's definitely am element of delegating blame in the above. It might not be intentional, but the subtext is pretty evident.

 

As long as Howe, Mitchell and Eales get their shit in a pile, I don't care who's fault it was, it's water under the bridge.

 

Fair enough.

 

I think he's just trying to explain what the approach was, because of the negative reaction to the window.

 

From Howe and Mitchell's point of view it appears they were fine with sitting tight if they couldn't land Guehi, which was the manager's preference.

 

From their side they don't seem to have seen it as a window that went wrong in some way, which blame needed to be taken for.

 

Obviously, we don't all agree with that view, as we were expecting a different approach, but that's the strategy they felt was right at the time, rightly or wrongly.