Newcastle United signed off for pre-season with a victory over La Liga side Athletic Bilbao at St James' Park with a performance that leaves Eddie Howe with plenty of food for thought.
Goals from Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin put the Magpies in good spirits ahead of that opening game against Nottingham Forest next weekend. The only cause for concern for Howe will be the last half an hour when his team allowed Bilbao back into the game but a combination of luck and frantic defending helped earn a second triumph in 24 hours after Newcastle beat Atalanta on Friday night.
The real stuff is now almost upon us and while pre-season has given us a glimpse of the options Howe has at this disposal there is no clear indication of his exact starting line-up against Forest, something I suspect that the head coach will be pleased about.
Usually, the final friendly of the summer offers a strong hint at the team for the opening day but after Howe mixed and matched against Serie A and La Liga opponents the competition for places is clearly strong and there are probably only four or five guaranteed starters.
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Eddie Howe's biggest selection dilemma starts in goal
The Newcastle head coach made it clear that he did not have a clear number 1 in his goalie department with Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka fighting it out for the jersey against Forest next weekend. Pope has done well in pre-season but by the same token Dubravaka, who made some great saves against Bilbao, will feel hard done by if he doesn't start on Saturday.
Dubravka's experience at United may be a good fit for the opener against Forest to ensure Newcastle get off to a winning start. But Pope has not come to St James' Park to sit on the bench.
This is arguably the closest battle for the gloves since Shaka Hislop and Pavel Srnicek when Kevin Keegan could not make up his mind on the duo. With Dubravka's agent making it clear his client wants to play football this season, it's going to be a tough call for the boss at the weekend.
The warm response for Dubravka as the teams ran out at St James' from the Gallowgate End underlined the Slovakia international's popularity with fans. Yet Pope's arrival was hailed as a good signing when he signed from Burnley.
The midfield chemistry on show against the side from La Liga
Up until last week it was looking like Jonjo Shelvey, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes would be the midfield three that start the season. But Shelvey's hamstring injury has thrown a spanner in the works for Howe.
Bruno is an automatic starter with his slick passing and strength in the engine room a key factor for the club going forward. Joelinton's rejuvenation led to him being player of the year last term and he loves playing alongside his close pal Bruno in the middle.
Given the team's chemistry, which fizzed around the boys from Brazil last term, it's hard to see either player benched next week which makes it a straight fight between Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock for the last place. Both have had good pre-seasons leaving it another tough call for Howe.
History repeats itself against Athletic Bilbao
There was no Mexican wave this time but Newcastle did suffer a second half lapse like their clash against the team from the Basque country in Spain back in 1994. Back then the Entertainers stormed into a 3-0 lead but were pegged back 3-2 and eventually bowed out of the game on away goals after a 1-0 win for Bilbao in a classic UEFA Cup tie.
Just like that night, Newcastle also wore their blue change kit against the red and whites and there's no doubt who finished the stronger side. Fatigue will be a factor for United in that closing half an hour but Howe and the players have a week to work on things - and there's no second leg this time!
Weekend attendances sums up the excitement in the city and new ownership's ambition attracts the crowds
Let's go back to life before the takeover when a 2-1 victory in a friendly clash against St Etienne attracted a crowd of just over 16,000 in 2019. Then in summer 2021 when fans were allowed back through the gates, an attendance of 20,000 against Norwich City, for a 3-0 win, showed the feeling of discontent.
That's a huge contrast to life under Amanda Staveley, Saudi Arabia's PIF and the Reuben family with wins over Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao attracting 87,000 supporters across two nights. It's amazing what a little bit of ambition can do at a football club.
But even then, Newcastle fans have shown their class this weekend. Few teams could boast crowds of 46,856 and 40,596 for friendly matches like this.
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