It's a new dawn all right. No wonder Nina Simone's hit 'Feeling Good' played over the public address system before Newcastle United's game against Nottingham Forest as Wor Flags unfurled another stunning banner in the Gallowgate End that read: 'It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for NUFC and we're feeling good'.
Newcastle supporters were feeling even better at full-time after witnessing a 2-0 win at St James' Park on Saturday. It is not an exaggeration to say it was the Magpies' most dominant display in the Premier League in years.
The stats told their own story: Newcastle had 62% possession, 23 shots and 11 corners. Forest, in contrast, did not even muster a shot on target as Newcastle's new number one, Nick Pope, enjoyed the most comfortable of debuts in goal.
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Newcastle, in truth, should have won this game by a greater margin and there were times in the first half where the continued need for attacking reinforcements was apparent when the hosts lacked a cutting edge or wasted decent chances. In a previous era, the players may have got frustrated and panicked in their search for a breakthrough after a scoreless first half, but not this incarnation. Eddie Howe urged his side to keep their discipline at the break and Fabian Schar soon opened the scoring in the second half with a screamer before the hour mark.
Rather than looking to protect what they had, as Newcastle had been programmed to do for so long, the hosts went in search for a killer second and Callum Wilson sealed all three points with a clever finish in the 78th minute. That was still not enough for Howe, though. Even in the closing stages of the game, the ruthless Newcastle boss was roaring: 'Go on Maxi - run him!' as Allan Saint-Maximin picked up the ball and sized up his tired opponent near the touchline. By that stage, Newcastle supporters were greeting every completed pass with shouts of 'olé!'
There will be sterner tests to come, but this 2-0 victory felt like an encouraging start - particularly when Newcastle failed to win a game until December last season. Most importantly, Newcastle have taken the first step in building on the momentum generated by a strong finish to the previous campaign, where only Liverpool, Man City and Spurs picked up more points in 2022, just as Howe demanded before the game.
"I'm very proud of the team for having such a brilliant run towards the end of the season but, in my mind, it's gone and we can't look back to that time," he told reporters. "We can try and harness the good things from it but we have to earn the right again and that's crucial for every team in the Premier League.
"You start afresh, you start level with everybody else and we have to earn everything that comes from now. We have to get the supporters on our side with our energy and our enthusiasm and our work-rate so we have to earn all that trust again and I back the players to do it."
Newcastle still need to add more players before the window shuts, but it is easy to forget just how much has changed at the club since even the opening day a year ago. In fact, there were only three survivors - Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson - from that starting line-up in the XI on Saturday. As captain Jamaal Lascelles put it in his pre-match programme notes: "I've never been part of such a talented squad."
Lascelles will have had fellow centre-back Sven Botman very much in mind with that comment, but Newcastle's most expensive ever summer signing was eased in from the bench against Forest and had to make do with a late cameo as a substitute. It brought back memories of how Howe handled Bruno Guimaraes, another import from the French league, back in January. Bruno was a senior Brazil international but Howe wanted to give the new arrival the chance to get used to the rigours of the Premier League before he eventually got his first start.
It also sent a positive message to the dressing room that a big-money signing would not just walk into the team. Just as Jonjo Shelvey, Joelinton and Joe Willock all raised their game further following Bruno's arrival, Burn and Schar have responded positively to Botman coming in.
Burn, who is under the most pressure as a left footed centre-back, was remarkably solid against Forest. At one point, with Botman watching on in close proximity from the bench, the defender merely stood up rapid winger Brennan Johnson and dispossessed him right by the touchline, earning a round of applause from supporters and Howe alike.
Just a few minutes later, Burn's partner, Schar, had the whole stadium on their feet after unleashing a 25-yard rocket past Henderson to give Newcastle the lead in the 58th minute. The campaign may have only just kicked off, but that stunning strike is already a goal of the season contender and it gave Newcastle lift off.
Knowing they had fitness to finish the game strongly, unlike the equivalent fixture a year ago, the players looked to double their advantage and that approach was soon rewarded. There were 78 minutes on the clock when Saint-Maximin slipped Joelinton in down the left and Wilson was there to get on the end of the Brazilian's cutback with a smart first-time finish under pressure from the sliding Moussa Niakhate.
It was Wilson's first goal of the season and Newcastle's first win at the earliest opportunity. Howe will hope there are plenty more to come yet.
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