Why Newcastle’s bubble has burst, writes CRAIG HOPE… they looked flat against Southampton until Fabian Schar red and Joelinton cracker sparked their season opener at St James’ Park into life

In a fourth season of Saudi-led ownership, the first substitution made by Newcastle United was Emil Krafth for Jacob Murphy – two players bought by Mike Ashley for Steve Bruce and Rafa Benitez.

That is not a slight on either player. Murphy has revived his top-flight career under Eddie Howe and was a worthy starter. Krafth came on when Fabian Schar was sent off after half an hour and played a part in seeing home a hardy 1-0 win.

But the change served to highlight where the club is at, especially on a day usually reserved for excitement and anticipation around new signings. Newcastle had none in the starting XI. 

One supporter offered a fitting analogy on Saturday night, when he said: ‘We thought we were getting on board a rocket ship. This feels more like a delayed train.’

St James’ Park only caught fire following the incendiary dismissal of Schar, when Ben Brereton Diaz fell as if hit by a bullet and not the defender’s brow. The perceived injustice brought focus and energy. Before that, it was flat, on the pitch and in the stands.

The goal brought both team and fans to life in St James’ Park after a flat opening 45 minutes

Fabian Schar saw a straight red for a headbutt on Ben Brereton-Diaz in the 60th minute 

Why? Some air has escaped the black-and-white balloon in the 12 months since they started the season with a thumping 5-1 win over Aston Villa. That day, they had £52million Sandro Tonali score just six minutes into a mesmerising debut of style and substance. 

Harvey Barnes, at £38m, came from the bench to score on his bow, too. With a Champions League campaign to look forward to, Tyneside felt like the centre of the football universe. The rocket ship had lift-off.

One year on and this was very different. Bar the completion of Lewis Hall’s £28m loan-to-permanent move from Chelsea, the only money spent since has been £10m on William Osula, a 21-year-old forward who was an unused substitute.

Spending rules – and financial mismanagement of their own doing – has forced them to sell exciting prospects such as Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson. 

They also considered selling star winger Anthony Gordon to Liverpool, and he did not look himself here.

Popular co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi have gone – their presence in the stands was missed – and even Eddie Howe’s future is uncertain.

The boss has placed a probationary period on his relationship with new sporting director Paul Mitchell and performance director James Bunce. 

The remaining two weeks of the transfer window will be key in that regard. All of this contributed to a strange sense of deflation heading into Saturday’s game.

In a perverse way, Schar’s sending-off was what Newcastle and the occasion needed, and Howe admitted as much afterwards. 

But the final hour should not mask what had gone before, for that was informative as to the mood of players and supporters. No one was on board a rocket ship.

Maybe a couple of new signings will change the ambience, and that they managed to extract victory thanks to Joelinton’s goal and colossal midfield display at least gives them a solid start, even if on shaky ground.

Some fans may be wondering if the bubble has burst since the Saudi-led takeover in 2021

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe’s future looks uncertain, but he can draw inspiration from his team’s season-opening performance

There has been a reality check around Newcastle this summer. It always was an illusion that they had arrived as a permanent diner at the top table of European football.

That does not mean this season cannot return them to the Champions League.

They have a wonderful manager and some wonderful players.

But it feels like the dust has settled on a club who were taken to the moon in the first few seasons of new ownership. The train is now at a fork in the track.