Eddie Howe has gathered his Newcastle players and staff for a week long training camp in Germany, at the Adidas HQ.
The early messaging is that it is a big season ahead - fraught with early pitfalls and major uncertainties that can't fester. There are doubts around the future of Howe - being courted to succeed Gareth Southgate.
The future of key, and fringe, players remain in discussion, as they try to raise cash to reinvest. There are ownership changes, with front woman Amanda Staveley gone, and a renewed push to invest promised.
In October it will be three years since the Saudi Arabian state owned PIF takeover - a timelapse that needs to see the club moving from exciting potential and expectation, to delivery at the top end.
Of course Howe has already delivered, moving the squad from relegation to 11th, a Carabao Cup final, then top four and Champions League football, before a slight dip last term and a failure to qualify for Europe.
This season represents a chance to reset and attack the Premier League with renewed energy and no continental distraction. And to go all out in the cups - no messing around with reserve players - to reach another final.
The opportunities are huge, with Howe afforded time on the training ground to drill and tweak his tactics to get more control over a game when they take the tempo down a notch.
Here are the five big issues for Howe and Newcastle this season:
Keep Eddie Howe if England come calling
In my opinion Howe is the perfect man for England. He offers all the qualities of Gareth Southgate: culture, player relations, diplomacy, calm FA leadership and decency. But he also offered a more aggressive playing style - more risk, more forceful - that Southgate didn’t. Ideal.
So can Newcastle keep him? I don’t think Howe can turn England down if the FA come calling. A historic job offer like that, inheriting a squad of world-beating potential, may only come once. It is the pinnacle.
Conversely, Howe loves day-to-day coaching, is young-ish, has unfinished business at Newcastle and may conclude he’s better off with his long-term deal, building a legacy on Tyneside.
However, do Newcastle really have the resources to battle the top five? They are a club hamstring by FFP limitations, with turnover a third of the richest. His greatest fan and ally, Amanda Staveley, has gone.
Newcastle should be lining up a succession plan, no matter what. Perhaps that will include Mauricio Pochettino who was the No1 choice of the Saudis when they first tried to buy the club? Or even Gareth Southgate himself.
It will be Howe’s call.
Prove turmoil at the top, ownership changes are pluses
Tension and changes at the top. Will they leave the club stronger, and leaner and more ruthless? Staveley’s legacy is getting the Saudi deal done - fans loved her for that - and driving the early revival.
But she did not have anywhere near the cash to keep up her end of extra investment, shrinking her shareholding, that’s now been sold. She was mired in a bankruptcy case last season, and the club accounts showed substantial loans and consultancy fees being paid to her.
The Amazon Prime doc showed her negotiating transfer deals. Wasn’t that Darren Eales’ job? Dan Ashworth decided to get out for Man United. There is a fine line between being a public front and seeming to love the limelight and publicity.
Experienced Eales can now run the show. New Director of Football Paul Mitchell, a club appointment, and Performance Director James Bunce, can drive standards.
Avoid another transfer panic sell off and keep Isak and Bruno
Scrambling to raise £70m by selling Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh in June to avoid an FFP points deduction wasn’t a good look, and caused the first rumbling of anger among fans. At least they were great deals, with a huge sum raised.
No matter who Newcastle buy this summer - and it doesn’t look like it will be big business - it will be a good window if they keep Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes. Add in Sandro Tonali’s return from his ten month betting ban, and that’s a strong midfield.
If they can raise cash from selling Miguel Almiron, that will be reinvested in a top quality right wing upgrade. A right sided centre back is also sought, but on a budget. It is slow going, but fewer injuries, a return to the training ground rather than Euro travelling and even by standing still they will be stronger. But so will rivals.
Prove they are challengers again
When does rebuilding and expectation turn into delivery? It’s 69 years since a trophy, so no rush! Staveley boldly said Newcastle would win everything in 5-10 years, setting the ambition, but cheerleading is the easy bit.
Fans are content that the club is challenging again. Top seven is the minimum finish, anything above a bonus and no one can assume top four is possible at this stage. Cup challenges are a must.
Howe and his players have fallen short confronted with final hurdles so far - that Carabao final, the unlucky PSG away game, FA Cup exits, and now is the season to win one of those pressure encounters.
Live up to pre-takeover promises
Big plans are needed to turn the Toon into a world class outfit. Why are there not more big Saudi sponsorship deals? Why are the owners not fixing greater investment if they are serious about this project being “No1”.
Newcastle need money, a bigger turnover and capacity to sign the best. Such is the renewed Geordie pride, a bigger stadium is needed. I wouldn’t be against a relocated St James’ Park, close to the city centre. An extension is more likely, but all options could take years with stadium big event commitments in the way.
And where’s the new training ground? The existing one seems perfectly good, but a state of the art new build was promised, but seems years away.