4. Squad Familiarity
Newcastle fans and certain former players may have been appalled at the lack of activity in the summer window, leading to the ridicule and outright derision of Joe Kinnear, but there may be an unforeseen benefit in not bringing in too many players. Thanks to the hyperbole attached to Transfer Deadline Day, and the rise of simulation games like FIFA and Football Manager, football fans now believe that spending massive amounts is the only way to chart progression. If players aren't brought in to the background squawking of Jim White, a window should be deemed an utter failure. But, if QPR last season and Sunderland this season have offered one lesson, it's that signing too many players can be disastrous for the team. It may be a major cliché, but players need time to gel, and bringing in too many new faces can fatally destabilise the squad. Newcastle don't have to worry about that, with the core of the squad now having spent a good period of time together, and the likelihood of whole-sale changes to the first team squad limited by the comparative lack of squad options. Come the end of the season, that rare stability might prove crucial to where the team finishes.