Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth held a round table event at St James' Park this week with the local media.
Ashworth was open to any questions after taking up his position as the club's football supremo earlier this year after a long drawn out move from Brighton & Hove Albion. Former FA chief Ashworth spoke positively about the future and what the years ahead hold for Newcastle.
Here's a round-up of what was discussed.
What were your opening impressions when you arrived at Newcastle United?
Dan Ashworth: "What I found when I first came here was some incredibly loyal, passionate and long-serving staff. And the passion that the supporters have and the staff that have been here a long time is absolutely incredible. I think that everybody would admit that there are certain areas of the club that have been run on more of a skeleton framework and a survival basis, like 'If we can stay in the Premier League that's fine or enough'."
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The ambitions in the years ahead?
DA: "That (just staying up) is not enough anymore. So, consequently, you have to upscale the majority of departments and facilities in order to try to achieve our goals, which are to finish higher up the league, to compete for trophies and aspirational targets. The trajectory the club is going towards over the next few years. So, consequently, there is a building out of structures and capacity in order to be able to achieve that."
Updates on training ground, stadium and women's team?
DA: "Some things are probably stocked and fit for purpose - other areas need improvement in need of head count. Some, it's a facilities issue. So the training ground is going through a period of improving our capacity. That's not only to fit more people in there, it's to improve it for players on recovery, on diet and nutrition, a lot of money has gone into new training pitches for example.
"There's some short-term fixes you can have. But there's also some longer-terms purpose built training that can incorporate an Academy, women's and first-team that may or may not be coming down the track. That's more the long-term, those are processes that are harder to fix."
Work on the recruitment front so far?
DA: "Being pitched into a summer window without building relationships and understanding how the board works, how Eddie works, or how the recruitment works has been a challenge. Obviously you are stuck within a tight timeframe because the transfer window shuts on September 1. So it was getting players out and off the books.
"Getting some players on loan from a development pathway point of view. Adjusting contracts, ie Elliot Anderson, and the staff, Eddie Howe and some senior and youth recruits. So we brought in five senior players and obviously Loris Karius came in post-deadline and we signed five players for the younger players."
Selling Bruno Guimaraes
DA: "I absolutely do not want to sell Bruno. He is a top player and a really important part of the journey. But, at some stage, you have to trade as one of the things around Financial Fair Play.
"We have to be able to generate some money to reinvest and go again. You can never control when a club or an opportunity comes knocking for a player that maybe has an aspiration they have always wanted to do."
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