It feels curious to see Newcastle approaching the new season with something approaching confidence.
Relegation in May was an enormous disappointment, yet the club is approaching its return to the Championship after 7 years with something approaching anticipation. Season ticket sales are up on last year, while the club enjoys a favourites for promotion tag it did not enjoy last time.
Certainly, the decision by Rafa Benitez to stay at St. James' Park has proved to be a galvanising factor. Had Newcastle lost out on the highly-decorated Spaniard and settled for someone less glamorous - even if they could have easily been a Championship-winning manager - it would have lead to a negative streak.
But Benitez has chosen to gamble and keep the post he accepted in March. On top of that, he has also been given free reign to rebuild the squad the way he wants, not in hall to the Ashley-imposed buying strategy that hasn't been hep in the last few seasons.
The Championship will certainly not be an easy test. Great clubs and managers have struggled with it before, after all. But there's a certain aspiration that, for once, Newcastle are onto something good aren't about to mess it up.
Anyway, to business...
What Would Be A Great Season?: Winning the league, and with it the place back in the Premier League. Something that would be memorable would be something akin to the 100+ point tally of 2009/10, although the league is certainly now a tougher proposition.
What Would Be A Horrible Season?: A failure to win promotion. This is an all or nothing season, and it has to be taken into account promotion is not the surefire thing.
What's The Likelier Outcome?: With a big budget, a squad that is essentially Premier League, a highly regarded manager and all the rest, Newcastle have to be considered as real contenders for promotion.
Key Player: Matt Ritchie. A number of players could fit here, be it new captain Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey, Alexsandr Mitrovic, Mohammed Diame, Ayoze Perez, or new number 9 Dwight Gayle. But Ritchie is a player whose experience is key, having earned 2 promotions while at Bournemouth, and provided a strong wing presence.
Needs To Improve: Defensively, problems remain. The Magpies' 65 concessions last year was not enough to even make the Premier League's 3 leakiest defences, but a promotion-winning defence needs to be substantially tighter if its going to achieve its goals. The final pre-season friendly against Vitesse Arnhem opened questions after some ludicrious concessions, and work is still be to be done.
Will Be Missed: Andros Townsend. While he may have left under a cloud, the winger's cameo for the Magpies was impressive and showed a real desire to work from the flanks. Townsend had initially promised to stay, and it may well be his call-up to the Euro 2016 preliminary squad encouraged him to seek a Premier League return, but the campaign is harder with him out.
Good That He's Still Here: Ayoze Perez had been linked with moves away, including one with La Liga giants Barcelona, but for now remains and looks likely to be a key player. The Championship may well be a tough division, but Perez is a highly creative presence, and he will certainly be a good help to get Newcastle forward.
Why Is He Still Here: Plenty of reminders of the club's previous transfer failings remain. The hopeless Emmanuel Riviere may not have featured in pre-season, but is still drawing a wage. So too are Henri Saivet and Yoan Gouffran, although the latter may have a reprieve. Meanwhile, there should really be questions over Lee Charnley, but his presence has kept Benitez on board, which is a rare plus in his column.
Incoming: The biggest signing so far is Matt Ritchie, who signs from Bournemouth for £12million. The signing has the air of a shrewd one, given the Scot has won 2 promotions with the Cherries and was a mainstay of the side who stayed up last season. Championship fans have also praised the arrival of Dwight Gayle, who signs from Crystal Palace for £10million to take the famed number 9 shirt. The striker enjoyed a good record at this level with Peterborough, and has chipped in for Palace, so has potential. Newcastle's first signing was Belgian international goalkeeper Matz Sels, who joins from Gent for £5million - making him the club's most expensive goalkeeper. Further promotion experience joins in the form of Mohammed Diame, who signs from Hull 3 months after scoring a play-off final winner for the Tigers. The other signings are Arsenal youngster Isaac Hayden, who spent last season on loan with Hull City, Aston Villa's Irish international defender Ciaran Clark, and Scottish international Grant Hanley, who joins from Blackburn for £5.5million. More are expected.
Outgoing: The priciest outgoing is Gini Wijnaldum, one year and about as many decent away performances after signing. Liverpool make him theirs for a reported £25million. Another big money attacker leaving is Andros Townsend, who moves to Crystal Palace after the Londoners triggered a reported £13million release fee clause. Papiss Cisse leaves for China, while another mainstay of years past leaves in the form of Fabricio Coloccini, who cancelled his contract a year early and returns to Argentina. No new deals were offered to Steven Taylor, Gabriel Obertan or Sylvain Marveaux. Florian Thauvin has joined Marseille on loan, where he rejoins Remy Cabella after the latter's loan was made permanent. At the time of writing, Moussa Sissoko, Cheikh Tiote, Tim Krul, Siem de Jong, Henri Saivet, and Emmanuel Riviere are still at Newcastle, although at least one of them is most likely going to leave.
The Manager: To the surprise of many, Rafa Benitez chose to remain at St. James' Park after relegation to the second tier. Nevertheless, his presence has offered a high quality aura to Newcastle United, and it is now up to him to ensure delivery can be made.
Something To Keep From Last Year: The resilience around the club in the attempt to survive last season.
Something To Improve: The dispirited attitude after falling behind, or generally playing away from home.
Pre-Season:
Bohemian (A) 6-0 win
Doncaster Rovers (A) 2-2 draw
Sporting Lokeren (A) 4-0 win
Southend United (A) 2-0 win
Vitesse Arnhem (H) 3-2 win
A Word On The New Kits: The new home strip is a simple effort than last year's fussy blue-heavy design. Although it features broader stripes, it is arranged nicely, and has a neatly trimmed gold collar, and is comfortably one of the better Puma efforts since the company took over the club's kit making contract in 2010. The navy and orange away kit is also an improvement on last year's odd white diamond and broken pink/white sash kits. The white and purple away kit is also nicely simple, if a bit unnecessary given the amount of white on the home kit and no teams wearing all-black being in the Championship this season.
Personal Starting XI:
Darlow - Janmaat, Mbemba, Lascelles, Gamez - Perez, Diame, Anita, Ritchie - Gayle, Mitrovic
Likely Starting XI:
Sels - Janmaat, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett - Colback, Hayden - Perez, Diame, Ritchie - Gayle
So, the all important final question...
Where Will We Finish?
It has to be in a top 6 finish at the barest minimum, and top 2 at a reasonable one. The club has the squad, management and capability to manage it, and in all reality it should make good on its status as favourites. Now the team has to go out there and make it happen.
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