Maybe it must be that gritty and not pretty is Newcastle United’s best hope of ending their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.
Gone are the swashbuckling days of Christmas and New Year, when they attacked with energy and intent during a nine-match winning run. Individually they aren’t at that level now, but could it be that collectively a new spirit has been born?
Eddie Howe had hoped that the adversity of last week - the loss of Anthony Gordon to suspension and Lewis Hall and Sven Botman to injury - would engender a siege mentality among his players.