Newcastle skipper Fabricio Coloccini is looking upwards rather than over his shoulder after playing his part in a significant upturn in the club’s fortunes.

Crystal Palace 5 Newcastle 1: Steve McClaren hopes Mike Ashley will back him to the hilt so he can command the dressing-room respect needed to win Newcastle’s relegation dogfight.

There was more goalkeeping worry for Martin O’Neill after Newcastle manager Steve McClaren confirmed Rob Elliot suffered a recurrence of a thigh injury.

Man City 6 Newcastle 1: Sergio Aguero has no peers when it comes to the Premier League’s striking department.

West Ham 2 Newcastle 0: Slaven Bilic gave Steve McClaren another miserable evening as West Ham finally got their home campaign up and running with a 2-0 win over Newcastle last night.

Aaron Ramsey is as likely to take notice of the high-profile brickbats aimed Arsenal’s way from the acerbic tongue of Gary Neville as he is the Premier League table before the end of October.

Alex Ferguson’s United became famous for its last-minute dramas of one sort or another, so I daresay the nostalgic will have had their fill over the last week. Fellaini’s tie-saver against Bruges; Woodward’s deal-dropping misadventures in Barcelona; the gasp-inducing Thauvin failing to make anything of Cissé’s cross on Saturday... and what next in Bruges on Wednesday, one might fearfully ask?

Southampton insist Manchester United target Sadio Mane is not for sale.

Marseille 1 Arsenal 2