Home fires burning for rapid return to action

IT is said home is where the heart is. And that St James’ Park is our fortress. May it be so.

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Because after a tough start to a new season of attrition - without a Premier League victory, and on the back of a transfer window that produced turmoil - Newcastle United will return to battle with four of the next five fixtures at home... All crammed into a 15-day period and covering three different competitions.

Stretch it further and, incredibly, seven of Newcastle's next 10 fixtures are at St James’ Park. Surely that’s a glorious incentive for a delayed lift off.

Yet, steady my fluttering heart, the next fortnight of action is not quite a stroll on the sunny side of the street, given two of those first four at home are against Barcelona and Arsenal.

The quickfire return to competition gives us: Wolves (h) PL, Barcelona (h) CL, Bournemouth (a) PL, Bradford City (h) Carabao Cup, Arsenal (h) PL.