Simon Jordan has responded to talk of Eddie Howe being under pressure at Newcastle United by once again highlighting what he says is an increasingly difficult situation in how to grow the club beyond the current limitations. There has been some suggestion Newcastle manager Howe is under increased pressure at the club after an indifferent start to the season that has left the Mags 12th in the Premier League.
Ahead of an important Carabao Cup last-16 clash with Chelsea at St James' Park this evening, it has been pointed out by some that Howe needs to deliver a trophy for the club's owners and the supporters, with the league cup an obvious trophy to target having reached the final two seasons ago.
But while some of the talk is centred on Howe and why this Newcastle side needs to win a trophy, Jordon has pointed again to the uneven playing field which Newcastle and the club's Saudi owners find themselves on. Due to increased regulations, some brought in owing to the Newcastle takeover, the landscape look different these days to a club wishing to pump investment in, just like former Premier League winners Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Manchester City did in the past.
"They have been hampered and hamstrung by not having the runway and landscape that once upon a time Blackburn Rovers had, Chelsea clearly had and Manchester City had," said Jordan on talkSPORT.
"Legislation and the rules and the closing of certain clauses around APT, which was specifically brought in after the Newcastle purchase, have hampered the opportunity for Newcastle to do what Man City did and certainly what Chelsea did in 2003 with the arrival of Abramovich.
"They were able to spend them a decent amount of money as Ashley left them in a situation where they weren't financially compromised and could have a decent runway. Eddie Howe came in and turned them from a team that most people suggested would get relegated to a side everyone wanted to watch and got in the Champions League."
While Jordan highlighted the issue facing Newcastle and the perhaps unfair expectation given the money the likes of Man City and Chelsea continue to spend, the former Crystal Palace owner did admit that if Newcastle's league position is not improved upon then Howe will find it hard to remain in charge.
He added; "The challenge now is what does Eddie do? They are 12th in the league and if they finish 12th in the league at the end of this season then I would suggest Eddie Howe will not be in the job anymore.
"I really do like Eddie and my opinions of him have changed in recent years. The problem for Newcastle is how do they break the cycle so they can compete with other teams?
"Newcastle can't grown because they can't buy. How do Newcastle do what Manchester City did? Without an avalanche of cash Manchester City wouldn't dominate English football, but they were allowed to do it."
