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This morning, each of us woke up with conflicting hopes and expectations: hope that Newcastle bucks its historical trends and puts in a real effort to bolster the squad on deadline day, and expectations that no such thing would be happening. We have seen this movie before, this is not our first rodeo, and yet it can be difficult to accept with resignation the mediocrity of inaction on behalf of the squad.
The day started with rumors and action - a new left back with Premier League experience was being targeted and Dwight Gayle was off to Fulham to raise funds for stronger attacking players. Both deals fell through, if they ever had much chance of being completed.
Then, a tweet from Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, who has truly been putting in a shift at Newcastle today:
Understand Newcastle are finished for business in this window, despite De Jong, Rivière, Krul, Lazaar & Hanley all leaving in the last week.
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) August 31, 2017
We will certainly be getting official word of Lazaar and Krul’s moves away, whether permanent or on loan. There will be more thoughts put to word in the coming hours and days, both from Coming Home Newcastle and other outlets, on the likes of Benítez, Charnley and Ashley, but for now, the window has closed. The squad is set. Our Premier League fate is in the hands of those already in black and white.