Just think what Rafa Benitez could have done in that time to sort his Newcastle United squad, find out about the players he had inherited.

Warm weather training for Newcastle United should have been replaced with hiking in Norway or training in Russia.

Bobby Moncur says at least it is a positive that Newcastle United aren’t as bad as Aston Villa.

As a result, my last week was spent in relatively blissful ignorance, without the usual doom-mongering or PR spin from Newcastle United.

Some people would suggest that maybe Steve McClaren and his players would have been better off training on the beach at Whitley Bay and playing one of the local non-league sides instead….

Gini Wijnaldum thinks that yesterday’s victory over Lillestrom could give the players confidence ahead of the final dozen Premier League matches.

This trip to La Manga has already proved to be invaluable, as me and the coaching staff last night really got to the bottom of what has put Newcastle in a relegation fight all season.

Steven Taylor says that the team have to ‘believe in ourselves’, something which is indeed essential, because that most definitely needs to happen before the rest of us can do the same.

Jonjo Shelvey: “It’s lovely out here (La Manga), I have never been before but a lot of football pitches, a lot of sports things to do – tennis, golf…nice food”

Very hard to have any expectations but…if Siem de Jong could get properly fit and recreate his form at Ajax…