Manager: Alan Pardew, or Pardieu if you prefer.
Last season: 10th
Major signings: Ayoze (undisclosed, Tenerife), Jack Colback (free, Sunderland), Siem de Jong (£6m, Ajax), Remy Cabella (undisclosed, Montpellier), Emmanuel Riviere (undisclosed, Monaco), Daryl Janmaat (£6m, Feyenoord), Facundo Ferreyra (loan, Shakhtar Donetsk), Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow (£5m, Nottingham Forest).
Players Out: Dan Gosling (free, Bournemouth), James Tavernier (undisclosed, Wigan), Mathieu Debuchy (£12m, Arsenal), Shola Ameobi, , Brandon Miele, Michael Richardson (released), Conor Newton (free, Rotherham), Jonathan Mitchell (free, Derby), Sylvain Marveaux (loan, Guingamp), Steven Logan (free, Annan Athletic), Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow (loan, Nottingham Forest).
Expectations: Sell, buy, survive. Repeat. This seems to be the philosophy of Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, who has been content with moving on some of the clubs marquee names for the last few years; Carroll, Enrqiue, Ba, Cabaye, Debuchy etc.
Thank God that their scouting network, headed by TV host Alan Carr's father Graham (we're not making this up), has managed to consistently unearth a few gems from France.
On the pitch, Newcastle are in danger of drifting into the 'easy to forget' list of Premier League teams; definitely too good to go down (we've been proven wrong on that one before though) but still woefully short of challenging for a European place or major trophy.
There were times last season when the baffling decision to give Alan Pardew an eight-year contract looked completely absurd. Who can forget his head-butt on Hull's David Meyler or his exchange of 'niceties' with Manuel Pellegrini?
This is all coming after an incident when he laid his hands on a fourth official. A calm and assured hand on the wheel Pardew is not but he has delivered on what the owner has asked him to do.
Ashley's basic instructions to his manager are: Keep the club competitive while I sell on its best players.
These bizzare incidents involving Pardew have taken the attention away from some pretty awful performances on it. The Magpies were thumped by Arsenal, Man Utd, Spurs, Chelsea, Swansea and most damningly Sunderland last season.
However, it isn't all doom and gloom on Tyneside because there is more than enough talent in this squad to pull off some impressive results but only if the players apply themselves in the right way.
One thing that's consistent about Newcastle is their inconsistency but don't forget that the Magpies beat Chelsea, Spurs and Man United last year also.
Siem de Jong and Remy Cabella should fill the massive creative void following Cabaye's January departure to PSG while Daryl Janmaat impressed during the World Cup for the Netherlands.
Snatching Jack Colback away from Sunderland will give their fans something to brag about and Tim Krul has established himself as one of the leagues best and most reliable 'keepers.
Newcastle were heavily reliant on the goals of their on-loan striker Loic Remy last year and the club's hierarchy could do a lot worse than to put in a phone call to QPR and check on the Frenchman's availability.
There is undoubted quality in this squad with Santon, Sissoko, Cisse and Tiote all having proved their worth.
As for the enfant terrible, Hatem Ben Arfa, well he can win a game all on his own or he can drive you absolutely insane. He is the epitome of Newcastle United.
Irish Angle: Reserve keeper Rob Elliot made his long awaited international debut in the 2-1 loss to Turkey.
His commitment to the boys in green shouldn't be questioned; he cancelled plans to join 16 friends on his stag do in Las Vegas to feature in the summer fixtures.
Elliot also postponed his honeymoon just so he could travel to America with O'Neill's squad for the games against Costa Rica and Portugal.
Krul is nailed down for the No 1 jersey but with Forde and Westwood having established themselves as Ireland's first choice keepers, he will have to compete with Randolph, Murphy and Lawlor for the third choice spot.
If they were a fictional character... it's clichéd but 100% accurate, Jekyll and Hyde. Awful one week and brilliant the next. Their players sometimes look like world beaters then the same men are completely anonymous soon after.
Where will they end up? Exactly where Mike Ashley wants them to be. Comfortable in the Premier League wilderness, safe from the drop but even further away from the top.
The club will be fine but some fans have already turned on Pardew; his future isn't as certain.
