What made Newcastle sit up and take notice of Eddie Howe was his vision for improvement. Not by means of January spending or demands for investment elsewhere in the club, although he has clear ideas on those fronts, too.
But more so his insistence that those players already on the books would be enhanced for his management. It chimed with exactly what the new owners have been looking for since their arrival nearly five weeks ago.
Amanda Staveley and the Saudi-backed consortium quickly realised the scope for betterment inside the club, even though those on the outside said they were inheriting a sub-standard squad headed for the Championship.