Howe was appointed as the new boss of the club.
As he finished his third interview for the managerial position at the club, he must have felt confident that he had got the job.
Some of the questions were not what he would have expected, such as one about his relationship with the media, and others were football-specific.
More than one person involved in chats with the club has said that the questions they were put to the managers were more similar to those fans might ask.
The process was far from over even after Fonseca's conversations were over.
Eddie Howe and Unai Emery were still in the running for his potential employers to interview.
The club was going in a different direction before those could happen. The job was not his and he was no longer needed after the weekend loss to Chelsea. The new owners had a man in mind, it was Emery.
Why is the Saudi Arabia-led takeover controversial?
Emery walked away from the chance to take over one of the world's richest clubs after the events of the following few days confused him.
It was one example of how the new owners of the club have gone through a rough patch since taking over from Mike Ashley.
In a club interview last week, the woman fronting the takeover and part owner described her first month in charge at St James' Park as "exhausting".
She said that every 24 hours of every day, except a few hours' sleep, was required.
It has been exhausting and exhilarating, but the welcome has been amazing. We don't want to let anyone down. If we make mistakes, we will quickly own up to them and put things right. It was very challenging but rewarding.
There have been mistakes.
The takeover of the club was completed in mid-November and Howe was announced as Steve Bruce's successor a month later.
Sources close to the new owners were briefed a year ago that a deal was imminent. The prospective owners backed away after that.
The delay meant that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, financier, and brothers had time to plan.
There was no immediate removal of the manager when he was in position. Bruce was allowed to continue for one match only, taking charge of his 1,000th game, a 3-2 defeat by Spurs, after telling journalists in a news conference that they deserved a slap for reporting he was set to be dismissed.
The briefings proved to be inaccurate again, but the stories had substance.
When Bruce left on October 20th, the manager search began. It would take a long time, though, and seemed to lack direction despite the fact that the owners had known a deal was possible.
As they attended the 3-2 home loss to Spurs on 17 October, the new owners were given a rapturous reception.
They landed on Howe via a circuitous route. The former Bournemouth manager is the perfect fit according to Staveley. He wasn't the first choice.
It was obvious that he would not leave.
Emery was high on the list of the couple's attentions.
Emery was interested in the job and they were convinced that he was the right man for the job. There were reports in the media that the deal was almost done and that Emery was going to be appointed.
The briefings had turned out to be unreliable again.
On 2 November, Emery was asked to be alone to focus on the match against Villarreal, since he had an important game to prepare for. As the kick-off approached, the reports became more certain that this would be his final game in charge of the Spanish side. There are more briefings.
Emery had to deal with those leaks. If this was the way business was to be conducted, did it make for a suitable working environment? Emery felt pressured.
The owner's son, Fernando Roig Nogueroles, told him to stay on the pitch after the win over Young Boys, and the players also told him to stay.
Just a few hours after the match ended, the decision was made and revealed.
It was an embarrassing turn of events for the new owners of the club, indicative of a lack of understanding of how these processes take place.
The role of Lee Charnley is causing some confusion. Why was he on video calls with candidates when his role was unclear? Why hasn't a new chief executive been appointed?
The answer to the first question is that Charnley is in a good position and hopes to stay.
That is an example of the problems the club are facing. At the same time as a new structure is implemented, an old structure needs to be reviewed and possibly dismantled.
January's transfer window looms as business continues.
The club made an approach for Trippier before Howe was selected. Who is making that call? Who has the vision of this football team at that time?
The new owners have been open about their mistakes. They have apologized privately for their mistakes. They know they have to improve, but it's early days. Last week, he said as much.
As attention shifted to Howe - the owners had previously held talks with, considered or been offered a number of players as part of their long search.
He took charge of the team against Brighton on November 6th and they recorded the longest winless start to a season in their history.
What was causing the delay in making a decision? Last week, Staveley mentioned that data was at the heart of the managerial decision-making process at Newcastle.
We are a process-driven organisation. She said in her club interview that things move quickly in football.
We spoke with Eddie a while ago. When Mike was running the club, we discussed his appointment. Eddie is the perfect fit because we had to do a full search of the marketplace. We couldn't have imagined a better manager.
When we do a lot of analysis of managers, we use data and analytic tools. He scored very well across all the different areas.
The perception that Howe's appointment had been delayed due to negotiations for his assistants was caused by the trust in data over and above other football criteria. In one case, it was less than a million dollars.
That has sent a mixed message to the market, isn't they the richest club in the world? It is thought to be indicative of what might happen if the club gets demoted, and others think it was a clever way to reduce expectations for those who are offered the players and managers.
The network of experts that the brothers have been offered the support of. The club is trying to improve.
It has been a challenge with several false starts. Have they found the right man? Does it matter if they can get the structure right in the short term?
Time will tell.
Additional reporting by Alistair Magowan.
