YAS WE CAN...

...it's just going to take longer than expected

- SIMON BIRD

NEWCASTLE'S Saudi owners are still "super, super ambitious" and want to be No.1 despite their flop in the transfer window - but admit it could take more than five years to get there.

Sporting director Paul Mitchell has reassured Toon fans that a route map to the top has been delayed and "recalibrated" but still exists.

Mitchell, who has been in the job for two months, held talks on Sunday with Newcastle chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who runs the $1 trillion Public Investment Fund.

Al-Rumayyan sat between under-fire CEO Darren Eales and Mitchell (inset, right) during the win against Spurs, then headed to the boardroom to discuss some markers for the future.

Mitchell said of the meeting: "I have a few more grey hairs because of the level of ambition that we actually have. He (Al-Rumayyan) is as ambitious and enthused as ever.