Breaking news: Newcastle send out statement to Gary Neville as transfer targets get glimpse of brutal sessions

There was quiet talk of ‘doing something special’ in pre-season. Although a top four finish was beyond their wildest dreams at the time, the players grew in belief as the campaign progressed and they picked up big results, whether it was defeating Spurs and Chelsea before Christmas or coming from behind to beat Nottingham Forest and Brentford on the road in the second half of the season. What was most striking, though, was Newcastle’s response following a painful Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester United in February.

The club’s first showpiece in 24 years had been a distraction – the players were repeatedly asked about tickets wherever they went – but the aftermath could have been even more destabilising. However, Newcastle quickly recovered from that 2-0 loss at Wembley to win nine of their next 15 games.

Only Man City have picked up more points in that period in the Premier League. To think Gary Neville predicted ‘wobbling’ Newcastle were most likely to slip out of the top four – only for the Magpies to send out a statement just a few days later by hammering Brighton 4-1 in their penultimate game of the campaign.

“I said afterwards that Wembley would put us in good stead because you have to have those feelings of getting there and failing,” Burn explained. “It pushes you on.

“People thought we would tail off towards the end of the season and fall away, but it’s just showed how good we have been, how consistent we have been.

“It’s a really good group of lads – probably the best group of lads I’ve ever played with. We are so consistent and everyone is just wanting to fight for each otherThat unity and togetherness has been a constant since Howe took charge 18 months ago and putting the interests of the team before their own was a ‘non-negotiable’ the Newcastle boss pressed home to his players in one of his first team meetings. On the rare occasion someone has stepped out of line, like Anthony Gordon did after being substituted at Brentford, the mid-season signing quickly apologised. Indeed, it has been noticeable how Gordon has not let his disappointment show ever since – quite the opposite in fact.

Alexander Isak is another case in point. Isak is happiest playing through the middle yet the record signing, like Burn at left-back, has adapted to a role out wide to enable top scorer Callum Wilson to start up front in Howe’s favoured 4-3-3 system. All for the benefit of the team.

“That’s what I noticed when I first signed here,” Burn said. “Everyone just wants us to do well. It’s not one where people are thinking about themselves. People who are not playing genuinely want the lads to do well. Anyone who wants to come in, they all know their jobs. It is a team-first mentality.

“You need competition for places. It stops complacency. Alex and Callum are both good at what they do and they push each other on. Alex is probably not playing in his most natural position at the moment, but he’s doing his bit for the team. I wouldn’t like to be playing against him!”

Burn will be spared that challenge in training for a few weeks now at least during an end-of-season break, but the players all have their individual programmes to stick to over the summer. For good reason. They all know that a brutal pre-season awaits them after Howe and his staff pushed the group to the brink a year previously

Only Man City have picked up more points in that period in the Premier League. To think Gary Neville predicted ‘wobbling’ Newcastle were most likely to slip out of the top four – only for the Magpies to send out a statement just a few days later by hammering Brighton 4-1 in their penultimate game of the campaign.