Steve McClaren commented:
 

"That for me will be vitally important - he is still a big part of this football club. I’ve stressed how much I want him here and to be part of the team and squad and I have expressed that to him and the club."

Seven years to the day that he oversaw a 1-0 friendly win for his Hertha Berlin side over United in Mallorca, BMG Coach Lucien Favre said:

"It was not easy for us - they had two big chances, but it was OK. Newcastle played very well and we had a little bit of luck when they hit the bar and post. On two occasions we did not anticipate long balls, and second balls.”

Stats

There was a first outing in a Newcastle shirt for Chancel Mbemba, who became the 31st player to feature in senior pre-season games this year (it was 31 in 2014/15 and 32 in 2013/14). Having worn one-off "members" fourth kits for their pre-season home games in the last two seasons, United donned this season's newly-released second kit for this fixture. A first return to SJP since the 2-0 win over West Ham on the final day of last season saw seven of the 12 players used that day in action (Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Anita, Sissko, Colback, Cisse). Not featuring for a variety of reasons were: Coloccini, Dummett, Riviere, Gutierrez and Gouffran. NUFC home pre-season friendlies - last decade: 2015/16 Monchengladbach lost 0-1 21,088 2014/15 Real Sociedad won 1-0 19,199 2013/14 SC Braga drew 1-1 16,187 2011/12 Fiorentina drew 0-0 12,656* 2010/11 PSV Eindhoven drew 2-2 16,118 2009/10 Leeds United drew 0-0 16,945 2008/09 Valencia won 2-1 31,494 2008/09 PSV Eindhoven drew 2-2 13,477 2007/08 Sampdoria won 1-0 23,078 2007/08 Juventus won 2-0 34,016 2007/08 Celtic won 4-1 30,225 2006/07 Villarreal drew 2-2 20,144 2006/07 PSV Eindhoven lost 2-3 20,175 2005/06 Yeading won 5-0 6,151 *abandoned after 63 mins Pre-season pitch time (in minutes):   Moussa Sissoko 45+72+90+45+79+0+81=412 Mike Williamson 45+90+90+0+90+0+90=405 Daryl Janmaat 45+72+90+45+90+0+62=404 Jack Colback 45+90+90+0+88+0+90=403 Vurnon Anita 45+90+90+25+59+0+75=384 Papiss Cisse 45+72+69+45+79+0+62=372 Massadio Haidara 45+72+65+0+90+0+90=362 Siem De Jong 45+72+69+15+17+90+15=313 Rolando Aarons 45+18+21+90+45+58+28=305 Jamaal Lascelles 45+90+45+0+21+90+0=291 Yoan Gouffran 45+72+0+75+2+90+0=284 Ayoze Perez 45+18+21+45+45+90+9=273 Gabriel Obertan 45+18+69+45+31+0+62=270 Tim Krul 0+45+45+0+90+0+90=270 Gael Bigirimana 45+18+0+90+0+90+0=243 Shane Ferguson 45+18+0+90+0+90+0=243 Georginio Wijnaldum 0+0+21+45+73+90+0=229 Lubo Satka 45+0+0+90+0+90+0=225 Steven Taylor 0+0+45+0+0+69+90=204 Karl Darlow 45+45+0+45+0+45+0=180 Mehdi Abeid 0+0+0+65+11+90+0=166 Freddie Woodman 45+0+45+45+0+0+0=135 Adam Armstrong 45+18+0+45+11+0+0=119 Aleksandar Mitrovic 0+0+0+0+0+70+28=98 Emmanuel Riviere 45+0+0+0+0+0+0=45 Cheick Tiote 45+0+0+0+0+0+0=45 Rob Elliot 0+0+0+0+0+45+0=45 Curtis Good 45+0+0+0+0+0+0=45 Olivier Kemen 0+0+0+0+0+32+0=32 Chancel Mbemba 0+0+0+0+0+0+28=28 Lewis Suddick 0+0+0+0+0+20+0=20 Remy Cabella, Fabricio Coloccini, Paul Dummett, Sylvain Marveaux and Haris Vuckic all failed to get any senior side pitch time in pre-season - although Vuckic did feature the U21s.

Waffle

McClaren's jocularity with journalists was an attempt to project a message that "I'm in control", but
frustration with our pre-season schedule was betrayed by his referencing jet lag and a dodgy US pitch for the third successive set of post-game interviews.

Yes there is £30m+ of new product, but what the new head coach hopes is a "work in progress" has also had to be fashioned by recycling some raw materials found in a shed at Darsley Park. Some higher quality parts remained beyond operational use for reasons yet to be fully disclosed.... 

Before a ball is kicked in anger, McClaren finds himself in an unenviable position - despite his obvious delight at making a return to Premier League management after a break of almost a decade. 

Subject to the same constraints as his predecessors (all three new signings lined up while he was trying to convince Derby County fans of his loyalty to their cause), his initial task was akin to that of an X factor judge: separate the wheat from the chaff during some hastily-organised auditions.

If he'd borrowed the owner's helicopter, this could have become an updated version of that old Treasure Hunt telly programme. "We've got a striker! Stop the clock!"

The thankless task of squad selection in such a short period is a healthy argument for having backed McClaren by paying the money required to extricate him from the East Midlands in January. Faced with the same situation, Crystal Palace did just that (lining our pockets in the process) and giving Alan Pardew 21 games to evaluate the players available to him and lay plans to overhaul his squad with some expectation that his recommendations would actually be acted upon).

Instead we had to endure the public pain of watching a man disappear up his own jacksie (no shock to hear he sought the advice of a shrink) and his successor attempt to refashion a team against the clock. Sammy Ameobi was the first casualty, banished to Cardiff before any of the new lot saw him.

And what of the five new boys? English-speaking but without a second of Premier League experience to their name - and in the case of Georginio Wijnaldum, immediately looking like his favoured position is that which Siem De Jong was bought for (Gini looking singularly unimpressed here when pulled back into a deeper role to accommodate De Jong).

To our final pre-season outing then, following half a dozen games of which four at best were worthy of that description. We ended up with two wins - one courtesy of penalty and the other an OG, but the Gallowgate End goal frame and the brother of Chelsea's Eden Hazard, denied us victory here.

Aleksandar Mitrovic and Moussa Sissoko both struck the woodwork in the second period with the goal gaping while Wijnaldum and Chancel Mbemba also had their moments. Mitrovic should have buried his chance but added another half hour of pitch time after a 70 minute runout at York.

Having gained permission to play although his work permit application is still in progress, Mbemba appeared at right back, leaving Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor to complete 90 minutes. That centre back pairing was retained as Jamaal Lascelles dropped back to the bench and Fabricio Coloccini missed out again - although McClaren didn't rule him out of Sunday's season opener.

Last season's third-placed Bundesliga finishers snatched what proved to be the winning goal just after the hour, when some defensive slackness gave Thorgan Hazard a sight of goal.

Sissoko had earlier crashed an effort off the Gallowgate bar after controlling Anita's through ball but placed his effort past the 'keeper and off the woodwork with Papiss Cisse scuffing the rebound.

Wijnaldum saw a first half back heel saved and Williamson went close with a header but long shots from Obertan and Massadio Haidara were United's best efforts in an uneventful opening half.

There should have been an equaliser near the end for Mitrovic on his first home appearance when De Jong laid the ball back but the Serbian thumped his shot off the upright with 'keeper Yan Sommer only a spectator.

Attention now focuses on Sunday's visit of Southampton, who will have played two competitive games in the Europa League by then. And by the time the current transfer window closes we will have faced four sides that we managed just one point against in eight attempts last season. For once, Jim White & Co. may have something NUFC-related to report rather than inventing tales.  

We may have hit rock bottom in the closing weeks of last season and begun to bounce back, but it remains to be seen how much the other teams in the division have upped their game - and whether the gap between us and them has actually shrunk. 

Never mind talk of top eight finishes and open top buses, given the size of McClaren's task at this club, emulating last season's fifteenth place finish but reaching safety earlier would count as a fair return. Anything else is a pipe dream.

Biffa