All 21 Of Newcastle's Premier League Opening Day Fixtures
1. 2014-15: Manchester City
Date: 17 August 2014
Venue: St James' Park
Result: 0-2
Starting XI: Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini, Williamson, Dummett; Sissoko, Colback, Anita (Obertan); Cabella, Gouffran (Aarons), Riviere (Perez).
Goals: None
Yellow Cards: Janmaat
Debuts: Janmaat, Colback, Cabella, Riviere, Aarons, Perez
Manager: Alan Pardew
What Happened?
After a summer of heavy investment, there was an air of optimism around St James' Park as Alan Pardew handed debuts to six new players against Manchester City - the most by any Newcastle manager on the opening day. Despite a valiant display, the reigning Champions were too string for the Magpies with David Silva scoring just before the break and Sergio Aguero adding a late second in the 92nd minute.
League Position: 20th
Was It A Sign Of Things To Come?
Yes. Newcastle failed to win in their first seven matches before stringing together five straight victories to move away from the bottom of the Premier League. Wins became a rarity from then on and Pardew's departure in January saw assistant manager John Carver handed the reins on an interim basis until May. It proved to be a disaster with Carver winning just three times in 18 matches and overseeing a club record eight-games losing streak. Relegation was only avoided on the final day with a 2-0 win over West Ham.
Final League Position: 15th