‘Be careful’ – Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe hits back at Jurgen Klopp’s ‘no ceiling’ rant

Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth claimed there was ‘no ceiling’ on the club's ambitions following last year’s £305million takeover. And Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp used Ashworth’s comment as an example while ranting about his own club.

Klopp said: “I heard now that at Newcastle somebody said ‘there is no ceiling for this club’. Yes, he is absolutely right. There is no ceiling for Newcastle. Congratulations. But some other clubs have ceilings.”

But Howe feels Klopp took the statement slightly out of context as the Newcastle head coach was keen to clarify the skewed outward perception of the club under its current owners.

"It's a difficult one because it's probably been used in the wrong way,” Howe said in his pre-match press conference. "What Dan meant with his comment was there's no ceiling to our ambition long-term – we have huge plans and want to go to places with huge ambitions.

"But the reality of what we are working towards and working with, there is a ceiling because of all the things I have sat here and explained every week: Financial Fair Play, we're still in a training ground that's been renovated.

"We're not living that life that is being discussed. We are living a very different reality. Our wage bill is very controlled.

"We're trying to do things in a very stable and controlled way. Although we have spent money on players, it has not been extravagant or out of sync with the rest of the Premier League.

"Everyone has to be careful with their comments and opinions."