Newcastle United are currently on an enforced break due to the World Cup but reach the halfway stage of their campaign in fine fettle as they sit in third spot in the Premier League.
Eddie Howe's team are being spoken about as Champions League contenders but know there are still 23 matches left to play. Nevertheless, with a slight cushion over fifth-placed Man United, they are in the conversation on merit.
As we await the second part of this unprecedented split season, we assess the performances of Howe's men so far. The ratings are not an average score from the usual player ratings (those will come later) but more an overall opinion-based rating from the first half the campaign.
