An uncomfortable narrative was starting to unfold at Molineux in front of the full glare of Sky Sports’ Super Sunday cameras.
Newcastle United did not disappear during the international break and remained firmly in the headlines after sporting director Paul Mitchell’s critical comments on the performance of the club off the field during a 90-minute interview. In it, he labelled the club’s scouting network as “unfit for purpose” and refused to take accountability for the summer window that was after Newcastle failed to sign Marc Guehi.
Despite Mitchell’s name being above the door on transfers he claimed that he had only played a “supporting” role. Amid a power struggle and a series of contradictions from those down the corridors of power on Barrack Road, Howe was left with a clean up operation in his next press conference on Friday in which he defended his own record in terms of recruitment after helping lure Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon to the club.
But the interview with Mitchell did not sit well with all supporters and was the talk of the press room at Molineux before the game as journalists tucked into a Sunday roast laid on by Wanderers. Some of the key figures from the dangerous discourse were in the media room on Sunday including Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who had issued a “use him or lose him” warning on Howe to the Toon board, and the excellent 5 Live summariser Clinton Morrison.
Carragher had said pre-match: “There’s a lot of pressure from supporters on Darren Eales the CEO, on Paul Mitchell the sporting director as well. They’ve got to be very careful they don’t lose Eddie Howe.”
The former Republic of Ireland and Crystal Palace striker said: “I don’t think the hierarchy helped Eddie Howe. I think a club like Newcastle should be attracting big players. If you want to go and get Marc Guehi, Newcastle should have paid the money to Crystal Palace to get him.”
Before the game a Sunday lunchtime downpour had left fans soaked and pooped the party somewhat in the Wolves fanzone outside the ground. And those dark clouds in the Black Country threatened to ruin Newcastle’s day too.
As Newcastle slipped a goal behind was the political uncertainty in danger of slipping on to the pitch? We were made to feel like it when just after the hour mark the Sky cameras flicked into the director’s box and panned on to CEO Darren Eales and Mitchell with the game seemingly slipping away.
