A general view of the Newcastle United brothers in arms display in the Gallowgate end.
A general view of the Newcastle United brothers in arms display in the Gallowgate end.
Newcastle United's lap of appreciation after Sunday's game against Everton could be telling at St James' Park.
As a big summer of recruitment has been mooted on Tyneside, could there be one or two clues on what happens next in the world of the black and whites? With the transfer window opening on June 1, and some teams already getting on with business, there may not be time to pause for breath after Premier League's dramatic finale.
Eddie Howe himself admitted on Friday: "Without a doubt, this could be the last time that the supporters see some of the players. I'd say the same every season - in life there's no guarantees and change is a natural process. The players that have represented the club and have been in the squad have been fantastic servants and we need to, in my opinion, pay tribute to what they have done."
Decisions are expected on players like Sean Longstaff, Callum Wilson, Martin Dubravka, Matt Targett and Odysseas Vlachodimos ahead of the summer window. The fact that the season is riding on Sunday's game and Champions League football lies in the balance means that Howe will not be able to afford any type of farewell appearances to certain players either.
But Howe has bigger concerns than giving anybody a sentimental cameo on Sunday against the Toffees. He goes into the game sweating on the fitness of Alexander Isak and Kieran Trippier while Joelinton is out.
The Newcastle head coach is backing whoever comes in to grab their opportunity in what could be a game that is talked about for years. Howe said: "I am confident because I don’t think we are ever truly reliant on one player. The team’s strength is the team.
"Yes, to have a good team, you need good individuals with it, but we pride ourselves on being very team-oriented and team-focused because we know every single member of it is so important to the delivery of what we do. If someone is missing, and we have missed some key players in our recent run – Kieran Trippier, Joelinton, Lewis Hall – players who have had huge impacts , [the aim is] to still be successful without them. And that will be the case if Alex doesn’t make it. Someone else has to step up and grab the mantle."