After the Reading defeat it was hard to know where Newcastle United could go.
Under the watchful eyes of Mike Ashley a promising Toon performance suddenly ended in total capitulation. Alan Pardew looked on his knees, the team looked like they were bracing themselves for impact and the fanbase was on the verge of collectively snapping. Some already had, with many calling for Pardew out.
Ashley's glimpse of a season's mess suddenly made him realise that his gamble not to spend in the summer of 2012 had failed and there was no point in arguing any longer that his attempts to play the same game as the year before were not going to end in similar glory.
Much as sacking the manager would have been a bold move, in hindsight it was never a likely option we were going to take. In the early days you suspect it would have been but instead, a mass recruitment drive was commissioned.
This move could well have saved the season. At a total cost of £2.7million, Yoann Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko have moved to St. James' Park, and have jumped straight into the first time. They had a positive impact against Aston Villa but against Chelsea they stole the show.
Our two more expensive signings of the crazy four players in four days spree - the £6.5million centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and the £3million full back Massadio Haidara - are yet to start, but you sense they will get opportunities, not least in the case of the former if Fabricio Coloccini, as expected, leaves in the summer.
The Villa game was surreal - a first half of dominance was followed by a second half of almost total submission, and if the Villains had shown some of the nous they showed at Everton, they might have stolen a point or more.
But the Chelsea game saw us get a vital and deserved three points. Six points in two games for the first time since breezing past Bolton and Stoke in April - then the last two in a six game winning streak - have suddenly changed our outlook from drop certainties to an outside bet for top half, especially if West Brom and Norwich continue their recent implosions.
Of course it's important not to get ahead of ourselves. Two games are two games and while we've begun to creep away we still remain within easy reach of the relegation zone.
However the signs are promising. The players look more composed in a 4-2-3-1 formation than they have done in every other formation, and the players bought in look better. As was probably to be expected, Steven Taylor has returned from injury and helped provide defensive solidity that Mike Williamson just didn't.
Further forward and James Perch has been a surprise choice ahead of the improving Vurnon Anita but he's justified his position by looking more assured than recently. It could even help give Cheick Tiote an incentive he has been lacking almost all season to perform closer to the standards he's managed.
Perch is forming a solid pairing with Yohan Cabaye, who has been a bright spark since returning from injury. In front of him Sissoko has proven to be a valuable presence in an attacking position with Gouffran providing a very handy and nifty option on the left flank. Even Jonas Gutierrez - frequently given a kicking by Toon fans, not least on here - has perked up and provided his best performances this season.
There are still question marks over Papiss Cisse, whose goal against Aston Villa was sandwiched by missing several easy chances against Reading and Chelsea. But the service is now finally coming in for the Senegalese international and he should be about to pick up soon enough.
A new striker in the summer is still a must. Whether it's Andy Carroll or not - likely the latter if Liverpool don't budge on their £17million - we could still use a replacement for Demba Ba, not least given our main back up is still Shola Ameobi.
But the midfield is chipping in, with Cabaye and Sissoko scoring goals and more odd-goals like Gutierrez's - his goal against Chelsea was his first in almost a year - will certainly help.
The promise of a better season from now have arrived. Now it's a question of maintaining this, starting with what is understandably a tough test against Spurs and then a big game against Southampton, who are at the bottom and have won many plaudits for their attacking football, if not quite for their defending. Obviously acting cocky that we're going to stay up is something to be avoided - after all, a home win against Middlesbrough in May 2009 was thought to be all that was required to keep us up only for the team to collapse.
The chances of that happening again are unlikely but the team needs to be vigilant to avoid this. But the signs are there that, after the bleakness against Reading, we look set to start a recovery that should at least get us clear of the dropzone and possibly even towards mid-table. It's now up to the players to see if they can fulfill this aspiration.
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