Steve Watson knows how the good times roll at St James' Park after he spent a huge chapter of his career in Kevin Keegan's Entertainers side. Watson dovetailed perfectly into Keegan then Kenny Dalglish's team and gelled with stars like David Ginola, Les Ferdinand, Philippe Albert, Tino Asprilla and Alan Shearer as Newcastle finished in the Premier League's top two and had some great nights in Europe, beating the likes of Barcelona along the way.
Watson, now manager Chester City and calmly guiding them to safety in the National League, is delighted to see the Magpies thinking big again. The former Toon star has been one of a host of former players that the new board have invited to games and offered them VIP treatment, something that had disappeared under previous management.
Now Watson is excited as a Newcastle fan to see the club pulling away from danger and already rebuilding for next season.
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Watson told Chronicle Live: "I have been up there more this season than I have in many years. I've been invited to four games, and I don't think I'd been to four games in four years before the takeover.
"It feels like the club is getting back to where we all remember it and where we all want Newcastle United to be. Obviously, the mood in the city is a lot better too.
"When you go on a run like Newcastle did and then other teams lose around you it makes a massive difference and that's what happened in the last couple of months."
Watson has watched on with admiration after Newcastle added England international Kieran Trippier and Brazil star Bruno Guimarães in the January window with the summer transfer market expected to promise more.
Watson added: "I think they were really clever in the transfer market. They signed players like Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood who were good to go.
"It was unfortunate for Trippier to get injured but he will be back before you know it. He has been outstanding.
"They have signed players who had been playing where I think other clubs like Everton, Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek, while world class players, they need time to get up to speed due to the lack of game-time. Newcastle signed players that were good to go and it made a big difference."
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Eddie Howe has kept a cool head during the last two matches after Newcastle were beaten 1-0 but the former AFC Bournemouth boss has always maintained he must go by "game by game" until United hit their safety target.
Watson said: "Unless you are like Liverpool, who have the potential to win four trophies or a Man City, you have to look at each game and go game by game. "You just look to build the points total up as high as you can. I don't think Eddie is towing any party line with his game-by-game approach, it's just the truth of it."
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