There are still some pundits and rival supporters who put Newcastle's sudden surge up the Premier League down to transfer spending alone. On the face of it, you can make a small case for why some may still cling on to that defence.
A £200m outlay in 2022 and another £40m spent in January has certainly helped the Magpies disrupt the Premier League 'Big Six' at the first time of asking. Alexander Isak, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Bruno Guimaraes, among others, are proving shrewd acquisitions who have already won over hearts on Tyneside.
But a look at Newcastle's team on Sunday proves why Eddie Howe is a miracle worker - and why those lazy observations about the club's financial advantage are so wrong. The simple fact is nine out of the 16 Newcastle players who featured against Tottenham were players the Toon boss inherited from Steve Bruce.
