For Bobby Robson's first two seasons as manager, the club remained in the bottom half of the table, however during this period Robson had built up an exciting young squad. He felt that his side could aim for eighth place in the final table as the season began

Newcastle reached an Inter-Toto Cup final early in the season against Troyes AC, which they lost on away goals after a 4-4 draw at home. They were soon looking like unlikely contenders for the Premiership title. Players such as Kieron Dyer (a Ruud Gullit signing), Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert ensured the team were capable of once again punching their weight in the league. Newcastle achieved qualification for the lucrative Champions' League finishing in 4th place.

This brought renewed hope for the club after four seasons of struggle, though in the end Newcastle fell short of winning the title that they had coveted since 1927. Nonetheless, fourth place was their highest since 1997, securing Champions League football for only the second time in the club's history.

Kieron Dyer

Craig Bellamy

Laurent Robert

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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Wikipedia