When the £300m takeover of Newcastle United was finally given the green light, many believed the north east outfit would become a spending machine. Throwing money at top targets who would otherwise be pining for 'Big Six' teams, steamrolling their rivals to signings and buying their way to the top.
Instead, the Magpies' approach has been a tad more measured, with the club unwilling to pay over the odds and happy to walk away from any deals they aren't 100 per cent sure of. Of course, £200m has been spent since Eddie Howe's arrival, though the boss has tried to create a talented dressing room without superstars who believe they are bigger than the football club as a whole.
The club are benefitting from that approach, overachieving this term as they upset the Premier League apple cart at the first time of asking. With the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea all failing to find their rhythm, the Premier League behemoths of old are reaching for their chequebooks to try and stop the rot.
