Newcastle United had just qualified for the Champions League following the Magpies' best league finish in two decades. It was a season where Eddie Howe's side reached a first cup final in 24 years. "Did we expect to do that?" chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan asked. "Yes."
In his first sit-down interview with NUFC TV, Al-Rumayyan said that he was 'quite happy' with the team's results after Newcastle went from fighting relegation to finishing in the top four in the space of little more than a year. Quite happy? These are now the standards at the club.
In fact, Al-Rumayyan went on to state that Newcastle should 'have an ambition and aspiration to be number one'. That statement felt like a warning to the rest of the Premier League. Newcastle, clearly, are not happy with just being in and amongst the elite.
