It was 10.57am in the Austrian village of Saalfelden in July and Eddie Howe was aware that Newcastle's first training session of the day was in danger of being delayed.
'Is that Christian Ziege?' remarked one of the group. The former Germany international had wandered onto a penthouse balcony overlooking the training pitches, coffee cup in hand.
Howe did not avert his gaze from the grass. One of his staff, distracted by Ziege's appearance, sensed the mood and snapped back into work mode. The session started at 11am.
Here was a glimpse of Howe's mentality, a man whose tunnel vision somehow encompasses a 360-degree view.