Eddie Howe challenged Newcastle's owners in 'behind-the-scenes' talks before quitting

Eddie Howe challenged the Newcastle United owners over their plans for the future before resigning from his position as manager.

Crunch talks are believed to have been held with the board before the manager confirmed his decision, with it becoming clear they had different plans for the club.

This comes amid what has proved to be another frustrating transfer window for Newcastle, having lost key players, and with more expected to follow.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Howe voiced his concerns to the board, and their response may have played a role in his departure.

Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali have already left the club, and now Bruno Guimaraes is expected to join Arsenal, with their best players also unhappy with the direction.

Losing crucial players would have been a blow to any new manager, but failure to replace them so far has raised fresh concerns, and Howe was pushed out as a result.

Why did Eddie Howe become frustrated at Newcastle?

Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider that Howe's departure could spark a rethink among the Newcastle board after he grew frustrated with their decision-making.

Despite having led Newcastle to their first trophy in over 70 years and into the Champions League, they have made clear backwards steps over the last 12 months.

While Howe was initially expected to stay and help get the team back to the highest level, his decision to walk away came amid ongoing concerns about the club's direction.

"It didn't come as much of a surprise to me that Howe decided to walk away," Brown told Football Insider.

"Obviously the timing of it was a bit unexpected, mid-way through the summer, but it's become clear that he hasn't been happy with the way the club has been going.

"There's been a real downward trajectory for the last 12 months, maybe more than that, and we saw that with where they finished in the league last season.

"Now, they've got key players leaving the club and others making it clear that they want to leave, so I have no doubt Howe would have been concerned.

"I expect those frustrations were taken up with the board behind the scenes and the answer was not what he wanted to hear, from what I've heard that is the most likely situation.

"Howe would have gone to the board with his concerns and to make sure they were still on the same page, but it seems they have different plans for the future.

"So Howe has decided that instead of sticking around to take the flack for the mess that the board are responsible for, he will walk away and let them deal with it."

What was in store for Howe should he have stayed?

Newcastle's initial plans for the upcoming season were for Howe to remain in charge, despite growing frustrations from both sides towards the end of last season.

An eventual 12th-placed finish saw the Magpies miss out on European qualification, and that has been followed by losing major assets from their starting XI.

Brown told Football Insider on 30 July, shortly after Howe's resignation, that the boss had been "hamstrung" by the board and their poor decision-making in recent months.

Not only have they lost important players, but they have also struggled to land replacements, and the boss was bound to come under pressure at the start of the new season.

Their first-choice replacement, Matthias Jaissle, will now face similar concerns and frustrations following his appointment, with a nightmare 12 months in the transfer market likely to continue.