After Steve Bruce signed on the dotted line to become manager of his hometown club, the scale of the task ahead immediately became apparent.
In taking over from Rafael Benitez, Bruce faces pressure from the off to not only step into sizeable boots but also work underneath one of the most controversial owners in English football, Mike Ashley.
Sportsmail takes a look at the boxes Bruce needs to tick in order to be able to even consider his time at St James' Park a success.
Make a strong first impression
Bruce is entering a dressing room full of senior players who are both in a state of shock and very likely a degree of disillusionment.
The likes of Matt Ritchie have already admitted it was both surprising and disappointing to see Benitez depart.
'To see the manager leave was disappointing. He had a good reign at the club,' Ritchie said as the Spaniard headed to China.
'It was a decision made between the manager and the owner.'
Now Bruce must assert himself immediately, prove his calibre to senior stars and avoid dwelling on the Benitez era.
Convince stars to stay
A huge requirement for Bruce is to actually keep this squad together, which is much easier said than done given Ashley's track record of accepting bids.
Solid goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka wants out, while youth sensation Sean Longstaff has already asked to speak with Manchester United.
With the new campaign around the corner and signings yet to be made, Bruce finds himself immediately in a position where he has to sell his project to the players in order to prevent the exit door at St James' Park swinging on its hinges.
Find an entire new front-line
Perhaps feeling immediately hamstrung in his new role, Bruce takes over at a time when Newcastle have just parted with their two most potent points of attack.
The relentless Salomon Rondon, who was so appreciated by Benitez, has joined the Spaniard in Asia.
Meanwhile Ayoze Perez now dons the blue of Leicester City after Ashley wasted no time in accepting a bid.
The Spaniard regularly provided flashes of brilliance and inspiration for the Toon Army, and with Joselu having also left Bruce can currently call only upon Dwight Gayle, who spent last season in the Championship.
Joelinton looks set for a move after Hoffenheim confirmed talks are ongoing with Newcastle, but Bruce must add more firepower during what remains of the window.
Bolster a depleted squad
It's rather the running theme, but the Toon squad is in some serious need of injection.
As thing stands Bruce is overseeing the bones of a team which will be lucky to last a full campaign. What makes things worse, is many of those remaining at St James' Park are players who Benitez did not place faith in or hold in high regard.
Is Bruce in a position to get the most out of players who Benitez - a Champions League winning manager - could not? It seems highly unlikely.
Jack Colback, Rolando Aarons and Achraf Lazaar were among those shunned by the previous regime, though Bruce must decide whether to incorporate them into his plans. As things currently stand, he has little other choices.
After also losing Mo Diame, Bruce now has 22 days to bring in personnel and structure some form of coherent battle-plan to tackle the toughest league in world football.
Stand up to Ashley
It's never the best idea to immediately cause resistance against your new boss, but it was in this area where Benitez earned the respect of the Newcastle faithful.
Bruce finds himself in an awkward position whereby the man who has just enabled him to manage his boyhood club, is also a symbol of contempt among the fanbase.
After it emerged that Bruce was not even on the initial shortlist to become manager, the notion that Ashley has brought him in to simply be a 'yes man' does not seem far-fetched.
In order to carve out his own chapter in the club's history, Bruce must avoid this at all costs. Be headstrong from the front, and the fans will follow. Speaking out when things simply are not right will go a long way to building bridges with the fan-base, who desperately need to see somebody is on their side and cares passionately about the club.
Unite the disenchanted fan-base
Newcastle has long since been known as one of the biggest football cities in the United Kingdom, with loyal supporters who would walk over hot coals to see their team play.
Boycotts are already planned for the coming season, with many of the Toon Army simply at their wits' end.
Bringing the fans back around will be a hugely tough challenge for Bruce. While they will want to give him support, many have simply been through too much under the Ashley reign to invest themselves once again while he remains in charge.
As it always the case in football, only one thing is likely to ease this task along - results.
Somehow Bruce must get as much right as possible behind the scenes between now and the season opener against Arsenal on Sunday, August 11.
Regardless of how the supporters feel, their passion will never die. Victories stir passion, and boy does Bruce need to have those fans on side.
