In the space of a week, Newcastle United's mere presence on the Premier League's big six scene appears to have ruffled more than a few feathers.
Manchester United, the club that brag they've "won it all" with a huge banner at Old Trafford, turned to foul means to try to beat Newcastle on Sunday and their meltdown after Ronaldo's ridiculous attempt to score was chalked off. Like Liverpool in August, the Red Devils are now facing an FA charge because of their conduct on match day.
That was after they'd brought Fergie out to gee the fans up after presenting awards on a day in which you just sensed Man United - for once - genuinely feared defeat against Newcastle. It was a day that felt like a game changer for those who have observed the Magpies for a long time.
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For the second time this season Toon players were booed off by home fans at one of the most established clubs in the country. It wasn't so long ago they trudged off the big stages pretty much unnoticed.
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Indeed, just as they had at Anfield, despite losing 2-1, Newcastle players were subject to boos as they headed past the remaining fans in the Stretford End. Just a coupe of days later Eddie Howe found himself talking about Liverpool again after Jurgen Klopp had spoken about the potential of the Magpies under wealthy new owners.
Howe said: "We’re not living that life that is being discussed." And that much is true.
Unlike Man United and Liverpool, Newcastle have got to the top six by working their way around construction workers at a training ground that was left unloved by previous owner Mike Ashley. The old "manager" and "captain" signs that were painted in the car park spots outside Benton have long since faded away after some long hard winters on Tyneside.
The Academy is also still very much at the rebuilding stage with new staff set to arrive and the owners trying to find a formula that will save them cash in the years ahead to find another Elliot Anderson or Andy Carroll. And that's before the commercial revamp that is now under way with Peter Silverstone on board.
The future of course is good but the present moment sees Newcastle punching above their weight in some ways. Yes, they have spent £200million this year but that was after window after window of saving money under Ashley, if anything they are playing catch up to the big guns.
Newcastle could yet break into a European spot this season but for now Howe is wise to manage expectations. Realistically, had most supporters been offered 10th or ninth this campaign they'd have taken it. Throw in a cup run and it's happy days at St James' Park. There certainly won't be howls of discontent from the stands if Newcastle were to miss out on a place in Continental competition. And that's because what Howe is overseeing is not so much a project, it's a process.
The team is growing, and the coaching staff around them are growing too. Somebody like Sven Botman is an ideal example.
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At 22 he is still learning his trade and while he had some great days at Lille he started this season on the bench and there is nothing to suggest at some stage he may return there. Howe has a canny knack of knowing when to switch a player and where team sheets used to be easy to predict, you are only guaranteed a surprise or two these days.
Ruffling feathers of big clubs isn't something Newcastle fans of a certain generation haven't seen before. Sir Alex Ferguson was famously rattled by Newcastle in the 1990s under Kevin Keegan.
The story didn't have the dream ending of course but United established themselves in the higher order of the Premier League before tumbling down the division and eventually into the Championship. But now bigger sides are weary of Newcastle's potential. The rebuild though simply goes on and sporting director Dan Ashworth admitted last week that Newcastle couldn't just go on spending £200million a year on transfers. Their style in the transfer market will be measured and calculated.
But the future is exciting. The spine of the team is there for all to see with Botman (22), Bruno Guimaraes (24) and Alexander Isak (22) something that can be built upon as United find the players to go around them long-term.
Howe has made it clear he doesn't mind upsetting the big boys. He said earlier in the season: "My ideal is that we’re booed off every week when we go to away grounds because you don’t want to be popular, we’re here to win, we’re here to compete and we’ll do whatever it takes to try and win."
If Newcastle find themselves irritating a few more sides, the FA might just have more paperwork to get through.
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