Eddie Howe challenges PIF to fund transfers as Magpies labor to preseason win over 5th-tier side

Squad depth is going to be key for Eddie Howe and Newcastle. (AFP)
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GATESHEAD: Eddie Howe has revealed his transfer 鈥渇rustrations鈥� and admits Newcastle United might have to 鈥済et creative鈥� in order to deliver a squad capable of competing on four fronts.

So far this summer, the Magpies have signed just one senior, first-team-ready player, Sandro Tonali, and are looking to add at least another two or three to the ranks before the summer trading window slams shut on Sept. 1.

While Howe has previously admitted his delight at landing Champions League-ready Tonali from AC Milan, he has expressed his squad鈥檚 鈥渘eed鈥� for additions, rather than a managerial want. And Howe has challenged owners PIF to find a way of improving his black and white lot.

Speaking after the Magpies鈥� 3-2 friendly win over near neighbors Gateshead, Howe said: 鈥淚鈥檓 patient and understand the parameters we鈥檙e working in but I also know the needs we have. For me it鈥檚 not a case of we want to do it; we need to do it. And being a coach I want them on the grass available now, so all of those things together.

鈥淚 can share that we want to bring players into the football club but they have to be the right ones and they have to be at the right level. We鈥檙e working hard to do that. We鈥檝e been working hard all summer. It鈥檚 difficult to get good players, as it is with any club, but we鈥檒l keep going.鈥�

Squad depth is going to be key for Howe and Newcastle 鈥� and looking at the players at their disposal in Gateshead, it is easy to see why the head coach is keen to add. And for the first time as a United manager, he鈥檚 admitted to feeling frustrated with the transfer landscape, with no further deals close.

Howe said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 huge for us this year. With the competitions that we鈥檙e in, having three games a week we need to be able to rotate the team but to be able to bring in players who are of equal standard.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e looking to do but we know we have a lot of work to do to do that. Players are expensive these days. We鈥檙e working within FFP guidelines which is very difficult for us. We might need to be creative, but we鈥檙e trying to look at every avenue we can to make the club stronger.

鈥淲e have a very strict budget that we鈥檙e trying to work within. Always with FFP, there are certain things you can be creative on but we don鈥檛 have a huge budget to work with.

鈥淎t times there have been frustrations and difficult days. You want the end result and the best squad you can. We know the challenges that we face. Through the summer I鈥檝e been through all the emotions. I鈥檓 very pleased to get Sandro in but we know we need more.鈥�

While it feels like dark clouds are brewing for Howe and his transfer committee off the pitch, it was not that much better on it as the Magpies returned to action.

Thunder and lightning ripped through the Gateshead International Stadium on a stormy afternoon on Tyneside, but the Magpies narrowly avoided a shock to the system, as they overturned a two-goal, halftime deficit to win out 3-2.

Marcus Dinanga and Stephen Wearne fired Gateshead, colloquially known as Heed by their Geordie followers, into a 2-0 lead, before a second half salvo from Elliot Anderson, Allan Saint-Maximin and youngster Jay Turner-Cooke saw Howe鈥檚 Magpies claim victory.

Howe was without six first team players, excluding the Magpies鈥� international contingent, for the short trip across the River Tyne, with Nick Pope, Joe Willock, Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles, Jacob Murphy and Paul Dummett all left out.

It was the same old system 鈥� the fluid 4-3-3 鈥� for Howe but some unusual positions, with the likes of lesser-spotted Jamal Lewis playing left wing, youngster Remi Savage given a debut and skipper Kieran Trippier sent to midfield.

This one looked to be a walk in the park for Newcastle in the early stages against their National League, which is England鈥檚 fifth tier, opposition.

Sean Longstaff, Matt Ritchie and Lewis all had gilt-edged opportunities to open the scoring, but squandered opportunities to net. Twelve minutes of dominance was then broken when an error on the edge of the area opened the door for Dinanga to slot past Karl Darlow for 1-0.

After a flashy, fast-opening 15, the game quickly drained of intensity and snap, but that did not stop Gateshead pressing home their advantage moments before the break as Wearne jumped on a Dan Burn error to double the lead.

It was far from a smooth first 45 back after a truncated summer for Howe鈥檚 men.

A little second-half rejig saw Saint-Maximin put out to the left and Anderson dropped into a central striking role. It was a move that paid dividends within four minutes as the Frenchman teed up the Geordie to reduce the arrears.

And just before the hour mark, Anderson returned the favor by laying one on a plate for Saint-Maximin, who tucked the equalizer into an empty net after another defensive error in increasingly challenging conditions.

A raft of changes for both sides again saw the game lose its spark, with United鈥檚 XI, bar for Loris Karius and Burn, having a very under-21s feel.

And it was that youth that won through on the day as Lewis Miley鈥檚 smart feet opened up space in the middle and a deft ball into the area was volleyed home by Turner-Cooke for a 3-2 victory.

On the performance itself, Howe added: 鈥淚t was a really good preseason game. You want to win, of course, and play well, but that was a really good challenge for us. Gateshead were very good, which was no surprise. We were a bit rusty. The players had a really hard week so we were a bit leggy in that first half, but the character was good and it was important we came back and showed the real us.鈥�