Much has been made of the relationship between the club’s new sporting director and their much admired head coach.
While Howe and Mitchell are not best buddies, the latter has refuted claims they have a poor relationship.
He stated at a We Are United fan event: "I was enjoying Eddie and Paul watch in September. Day one: Have Eddie and Paul spoken to each other!
"I thought it was quite good commentary. I am not a big social media fan or a media fan in general. But we work closely. It is a natural collaboration; he is the head coach and manager of the club, and I am the sporting director.
"This notion that we are in each other's pockets and spend every working hour in each other's company is wrong. Eddie is an elite professional and it would be remiss of me or any sporting director to be looking over his shoulder, to be on the training pitch or to micromanage somebody that is extremely talented at what he does.
"My job is to support him. To collaborate, support, challenge, debate all for the benefit for the football club.
"But we have a very talented head coach/manager and our collaboration is as frequent or infrequent as it needs to be. I am fortunate to have been doing this a long time with some really good intelligent coaches as well and Eddie definitely falls into that bracket but I have other responsibilities as well.
"Long, mid and short-term. I have to support Steve at the Academy to grow our next wave of talent to help the first-team and as Darren Eales says also looking at growing and developing players to enhance our revenue streams as well.
"The trading model is an important element of the modern game. And support Becky in the women's game to help the growth of the upward trajectory.
"Unfortunately, not as the myth of the media would like, I can't hold hands with Eddie as much I'd like to! We had the luxury of being at the boxing together which was nice and we had a great time. But I have other responsibilities which are equally as important."
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