This may be uncharted territory for the majority of Newcastle United players and staff, but coach analyst Mark Leyland has been here before. Many times, in fact.
Leyland was part of Liverpool's backroom team when Jurgen Klopp's side not only qualified for the Champions League on a number of occasions, but, also, when his boyhood club lifted Old Big Ears itself in 2019. In fact, Leyland was Liverpool's head of post-match and elite player development analysis when the Reds won the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup before he got the call from Eddie Howe in 2021.
Newcastle were in a very different situation at the time, as the Magpies fought to stay up, but Howe's side are now flying in third place in Leyland's final season at the club before he starts work at the City Football Group. ChronicleLive understands Leyland will be 'managing the methodology' across Man City's global conglomerate to ensure 'consistency in systems and approaches'.