Paul Mitchell is sitting in the departure lounge at Newcastle Airport after a year down the road in St James' Park where he completed not a solitary single major signing after declaring

the original transfer format "unfit for purpose". His predecessor Dan Ashworth made just as big an impact before shuffling off to Manchester United where he disappeared equally

quickly. The post of sporting director at Newcastle United seems to be more difficult to fill than centre-forward cover for Alexander Isak! The outcome on the eve of a new transfer window of

opportunity being flung open appears to be that Eddie Howe will be moving more centre stage working with support from trusted head of recruitment Steve Nickson. Howe is often compared to

almost a century. What both also had co-incidentally was a terrific eye for signing players. Managers were in charge of transfers in those days - there was no such thing as a sporting

director - and their list of successes was almost endless. Harvey unearthed SuperMac who had never kicked a ball in the top flight at 21 years of age but went on to become a legendary No 9

and England international. Terry Hibbitt from Leeds reserves. Terry McDermott buried at Bury. Tony Green on Blackpool's sea front. Tommy Cassidy in Northern Ireland. Keegan imported

David Ginola and Philippe Albert as unknowns in this country and turned them into superstars. Bought Andy Cole from Bristol City, Les Ferdinand and Darren Peacock from QPR, and brought back

an aging Peter Beardsley from Everton to spectacularly breathe fresh life into a huge talent. I'm not offering either of our top-rate managers brownie points for buying the obvious -

Wyn Davies was a shoo-in for stardom and Alan Shearer had already won a PL championship medal at Blackburn but the gems they unearthed scattered on football's beach were unbelievable

and many. Has Howe got the same successful signing trait as Harvey and Keegan? His input in helping us get the likes of Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak, Bruno, and Sandro Tonali suggests so

and we must hope he gets recruitment on the front foot this summer just as he has done with the team. The word on the grapevine is that Mitchell was always living on borrowed time after his

infamous speech criticising United's previous transfer policy. A sticking plaster was put upon his relationship with Howe but it was never fully repaired and with Darren Eales due to

step down for health reasons Mitchell was losing his main ally. The similarities between Joe, King Kev, and Eddie stretch to their first class man management - players loved playing for

Harvey and Keegan as they do Howe and responded positively. Where there is a huge difference is that neither Harvey nor Keegan coached whereas Howe is strong in that department. Harvey

managed and left the coaching to first Dave Smith and then Keith Burkinshaw. Keegan relied on Derek Fazackerley to try to bring some semblance of organisation to a wonderfully gung-ho team.

If United have been as smooth as silk on the pitch since the takeover they have had a revolving door behind the scenes . . . Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, Eales, Ashworth and

Mitchell. May the mini chaos off camera be sorted once and for all and may Eddie and Steve Nickson, with added back up from nephew Andy Howe, get the summer job done which is so crucial to

future growth. May Howe indeed be like Joe Harvey and Kevin Keegan. NEWCASTLE LEGENDS BACK IN TOWN Legends are to be treasured and as a momentous season drew to an end two of Newcastle

United's biggest were doing good deeds. Kevin Keegan, so beloved as player and manager, was back on home territory giving an inspirational talk to United's academy kids.

Yesterday's super hero talking to tomorrow's stars. Meanwhile United's greatest ever goalscoring machine Alan Shearer was on stage at the Live Theatre supporting his old mate

Paul Ferris who was launching a new book. I'm told that KK was asked by academy boss Steve Harper to pop in and impart some of his emotive wisdom to those who would dearly love to

emulate him. It went down a storm both with young players and seasoned coaches. Kev is more than happy to return to his spiritual home once again now that the Mike Ashley era is ended -

Ashley treated him abysmally as he did Shearer - and of course United boss Eddie Howe is a great admirer of the Entertainers. Shearer, who was the final piece of Keegan's empire

building bought in for a world record fee, went on stage with Harps to lend public support to Ferris, a guy he rated so highly when a physio during his playing days that upon Alan fleetingly

becoming manager he brought him back into the fold. I was privileged to be a guest of Paul at an intimate public gathering and, just as with King Kev, the main speaker captivated all those

listening. Mind, so did Ferris and Harper. Ultimate professionals all. It was also good to catch up with Bobby Robson's old assistant John Carver who was in the audience. Carver is

currently coupling the job of Scotland's assistant manager with being boss of Polish club Lechia Gdansk. I reviewed Paul's book Once Upon A Toon a couple of weeks back - it's

jam-packed full of fun stories - but I didn't say thanks to him for totally unexpectedly paying a small tribute to myself. Ta my old friend, it's typical of one of football's

genuinely nice guys.