Starting the new season in a manner similar to several before it, Newcastle United are seeking to rise above off-field concerns and achieve another respectable Premier League finish.
After a late upturn saved their 2020-21 campaign, the proud Geordie fans will file back into the pews of their St James' Park cathedral, with controversial owner Mike Ashley's reign set to stir more animosity should a longed-for takeover not finally come to fruition.
Though ambitions of a top-half place and ending the club's recent history of cup woes may seem modest by a club of Newcastle's stature, here, Sports Mole assesses whether even that is possible for Steve Bruce's side.
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FIXTURES
After kicking off the new campaign with a fixture against West Ham United - in front of a home following back in full cry - two further games against clubs who could be described as Newcastle's mid-table colleagues - Aston Villa and Southampton - then follow.
A trip to Old Trafford will get September underway for the Toon, and that precedes a more favourable run of fixtures leading up to a clash with European champions Chelsea at the end of October.
The return game with Manchester United, plus encounters with Southampton and Everton, will fill diaries over the hectic Christmas and New Year period, just before the FA Cup gets going and the EFL Cup reaches its denouement - with Newcastle desperate to fare well in either one, or both.
Should the Magpies be embroiled in a battle against the drop, the final month of their season presents some challenging opposition, as they must face Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester City and final-day opponents Arsenal in four of their last five fixtures - though three of those games are, at least, at home.
> Click here to see all of Newcastle United's 2021-22 fixtures
SUMMER SIGNINGS
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In
Remi Savage (£250,000, Liverpool)
Out
Christian Atsu (free, Al-Raed)
Henri Saivet (released)
Andy Carroll (released)
Lewis Cass (loan, Port Vale)
Florian Lejeune (undisclosed, Alaves)
Yoshinori Muto (free, Vissel Kobe)
Ludwig Francillette (free, Crawley Town)
Jake Turner (loan, Colchester United)
Kelland Watts (loan, Wigan Athletic)
Newcastle United total spent to date: £0.25m
Newcastle United total received to date: £0m
Newcastle United net transfer balance: -£0.25m
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow, Mark Gillespie, Daniel Langley, Freddie Woodman
Defenders: Remi Savage, Ciaran Clark, Paul Dummett, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Jamal Lewis, Emil Krafth, Federico Fernandez, Javi Manquillo
Midfielders: Matthew Longstaff, Jonjo Shelvey, Matt Ritchie, Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, Ryan Fraser, Jacob Murphy, Miguel Almiron, Sean Longstaff, Jack Young, Elliot Anderson
Forwards: Joelinton, Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin, Dwight Gayle
> Click here for full details of Newcastle's 2021-22 squad
STRONGEST XI
STAR PLAYER - Allan Saint-Maximin
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While others may contribute more consistently to the Newcastle cause, the Geordie nation are enraptured by their dazzling wing wizard, Allan Saint-Maximin.
With his mazy dribbles and inimitable style, the former Nice star - a product of Saint Etienne's academy - has carved out a crucial role in Steve Bruce's attacking department since joining in 2019, and his absences were sorely felt last season.
Sucked into a relegation battle after Saint-Maximin contracted COVID-19 in November, his teammates looked lost in the final third while he was sidelined. The Frenchman's influence was highlighted all the more when he returned with a cameo at Burnley to inspire Newcastle to just a third win in 20 games, which took them six points ahead of Fulham - and they never looked back.
His talents in combination with Callum Wilson and loan star Joe Willock were then ultimately enough to lift the Magpies to a respectable 12th-placed finish on 45 points.
If the 24-year-old is not spirited away before the transfer window closes - and has now fully overcome injury and the debilitating after-effects of the virus - then he is once again set to have the St James' Park faithful off their seats in wonder and delight during the coming months.
MANAGER - Steve Bruce
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Often the recipient of supporters' frustrations, Steve Bruce is now a manager firmly in the veteran category, having celebrated his 60th birthday last year in charge of his boyhood club - two decades on from his managerial debut at Sheffield United.
However much he is maligned by those who accuse him of persistently negative and reactive tactics, the former Birmingham City and Wigan manager has had to work within the same restrictions as his predecessors at Newcastle, while keeping the club afloat in the Premier League.
Having apparently sneaked into St James' Park without paying as a youngster, the Corbridge-born boss is undoubtedly a lifelong fan of the Magpies, but his allegiance has been called into question given a spell at arch-rivals Sunderland, and his sometimes downbeat demeanour seems an awkward fit with a fanbase in search of inspiration.
Certainly, Bruce enjoyed more substantial success in the earlier part of his career - in fact, Wigan even agreed to pay Birmingham a then world record compensation fee of £3m for his services - but is now seen as a stabilising influence, having more recently helped turn a nosediving Aston Villa around and ensured that Newcastle at least retained their top-flight status.
Whether that will still be enough to appease both fans and paymasters this season remains to be seen.
LAST SEASON - 12th
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With much of the 2020-21 campaign spent looking over their shoulders at the bottom three, Newcastle endured another tortuous term of frustration and recrimination on and off the park. Only a late-season blossoming - once key players returned from injury and illness and unlikely saviour Joe Willock arrived on loan from Arsenal - could compensate for another 'lost' year under the current ownership.
Familiar complaints from fans included an apparent lack of identity and ambition, as several inexplicable surrenders - to Sheffield United, Brighton and Brentford in particular - caused furious demands for change.
While highly-rated coach Graeme Jones was drafted in to the setup, little else was done, as the North-East giants meekly slipped out of the cup competitions once again.
Identifiable signs of passion and a significant sprinkling of talent were definitely demonstrated, though, by their end-of-term rally, and Steve Bruce could justifiably claim he had outperformed the sainted Rafa Benitez by finishing 12th in the table come the final curtain.
PREDICTION
No matter their springtime flourishing, pessimism persists at St James' Park and Steve Bruce's men have it all to do if they are to avoid presenting their fans with another year of bitter bickering and crushed dreams - but, of course, change must start at the top.
Given the stasis in which Newcastle find themselves - with uncommitted and reviled owners apparently unable to sell and several suitors similarly unable to buy - it is hard to see how the current playing squad can match ambitions befitting a historic giant of the English game.
If they can avoid injuries and sufficiently augment their team with proven Premier League quality, then Bruce could well see out the season with the club drifting along comfortably in mid-table.
That is a big 'if' however, as choppy waters nearly always follow spells of smooth sailing at St James' Park, and a danger-filled second half of the season is in prospect should things turn sour once again.
VERDICT: 17th
