Name this former Newcastle manager from the following clues:
I managed my country before my spell in charge of Newcastle;
The Magpies twice finished in the Premier League's top four while I was manager;
There is a statue of me outside St James' Park.
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT
Newcastle United and Sweden striker Alexander Isak is very interested in a move to Liverpool. (Teamtalk), external
Isak is also among the players Arsenal are planning to move for in the summer transfer window. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Tottenham are all interested in signing 24-year-old Brazilian winger Igor Paixao from Feyenoord. (Sun), external
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester City have lost just one of their past 34 Premier League games against Newcastle (W27 D6), a 2-1 defeat in January 2019.
City have also won their past 15 Premier League home games against Newcastle – only three teams have had longer such winning runs against an opponent in English top-flight history: Everton against Fulham (22 from 1961 to 2018), Aston Villa against Sheffield United (16 from 1903 to 1921) and Manchester United against Luton (16 from 1955 to 2023, still ongoing).
However, Newcastle United have won each of their past four Premier League games on the road. Not since October 1994 have they won five in succession away from home, the only previous time they have done so in the competition.
Newcastle United didn't intend to let 26-year-old defender Lloyd Kelly leave the club during the January window but found Juventus' offer of a loan plus a £20m purchase obligation too good to refuse. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter
Newcastle United's was the most impressive performance from a Premier League side in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Birmingham City had a great start at St Andrews, are currently flying at the top of League One and had home advantage in front of an extremely partisan crowd. With a little help from the officials, Eddie Howe's men still got through after fielding an almost totally second-string side.
The difference is that Howe's second choices are not far off the standard of his preferred starting XI. Manchester City, in comparison, huffed and puffed against Leyton Orient before squeezing through, but once again their strength in depth looked questionable.
Newcastle survived the transfer window without losing anyone, leaving them in a great position to attack their goal of finishing in the top four and make an assault on both domestic cup competitions.
Their obliteration of Arsenal last week (showing that the Gunners' back-up squad is also threadbare at best) was emphatic and set up a mouthwatering League Cup final against Liverpool.
It is decades since the ever-present hope and excitement at St James' Park has seemed so well founded.
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Barcelona are monitoring Newcastle United's 25-year-old striker Alexander Isak as a potential alternative to Sporting's 26-year-old striker Viktor Gyokeres. (Sport - in Spanish), external
Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Charlotte Robson
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesI just love football and everything that comes with it. Except social media meltdowns. But everything else!
A week ago, I was worried about Newcastle's second leg in the semi-final after a poor performance against Fulham and an excellent Arsenal showing against Manchester City.
I had serious concerns that this fixture was ours to mess up, even though we went into it with a 2-0 lead. What folly!
We find ourselves here, a week or so later, in our second cup final in three years. We also advanced to the last 16 of the FA Cup for a bit of extra fun.
My nervousness about last Wednesday's fixture was less about the players and the performance they were going to put in, and more about the atmosphere at St James' Park. Newcastle are renowned for atmosphere but, for myriad reasons, it is not consistently the completely raucous cauldron it can be.
For some games, it has felt like the crowd has gone in complacent, thus quiet. But for this one, I was worried we would be worried.
What a buffoon I was to even consider that. The moment I got near the stadium the atmosphere was electric, and I could tell everyone was up for it as I was walking in.
It is a cliche to call the crowd the 12th man, but who cares? We were.
You could feel the energy feeding the players - fans roaring at every tackle, every ball won, every free-kick.
The joy carried through to Birmingham at the weekend - a different type of game, but one we found a way to win nonetheless.
As it stands, we have to simply beat top-of-the-table Liverpool for us to raise our first domestic trophy in 70 years. If we can generate that kind of atmosphere at Wembley, we might just do it.
Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external
Newcastle are planning a £33.3m (40m euros) summer bid for PSV Eindhoven's 21-year-old Belgium forward Johan Bakayoko. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external
The Magpies are also set to beat Barcelona and Real Madrid to the signing of Spain Under-19 winger Antonio Cordero, whose Malaga contract expires this summer. (Mail), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.
Games will be played over the first weekend of March.
Aston Villa v Cardiff City
Crystal Palace/Doncaster v Millwall
Man Utd v Fulham
Newcastle v Brighton
Bournemouth v Wolves
Man City v Plymouth
Exeter/Nottingham Forest v Ipswich
Is there something you want to ask about a Premier League club?
Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha is ready to answer your burning questions and give his thoughts on some of the biggest talking points for a special Q&A.
Submit your questions here and come back on Thursday for his answers
We asked for your views on Newcastle's FA Cup match against Birmingham.
Here are some of your comments:
Simon: I knew this would be a tough game for us. Birmingham deserve huge credit but I thought that a much changed Newcastle team performed well, giving opportunities to players who do not play regularly to shine. In the end we battled and ground out the win. Nick Pope, Willock and Osula shone and Tonali managed the midfield when he came on.
Paul: Newcastle deserved the win. Some of the physicality shown by Birmingham was outrageous. At least three should have been sent off. All the intent was to clatter the player and ignore the ball. Credit the Toon for staying calm.
Geoff: Newcastle were technically better, Birmingham were physically better. All in all the better team won.
John: Battling performance after a big midweek game. Hopeful signs from Willock, Wilson and others of good form. Good to be fighting on the FA Cup front too but hope it doesn't detract from the Premier League
Alan: Real old fashioned cup tie. Very enjoyable.
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter Saturday's FA Cup victory against Birmingham, Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock spoke about the racial abuse he has recently received on social media.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Willock said: "It's definitely been tough. When you have a good family around you, team-mates who are like your family and a manager you can speak to about anything, it makes it so much easier.
"The day after, we had the meeting in his [Eddie Howe's] office straight away. He gave me comfort and we spoke about it. This is why I have so much respect for the manager and team.
"I want to give everything for this badge because they have helped me through the hardest of times."
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali's agent has played down the chances of the Italy international returning to play in Serie A because of the costs involved in buying the 24-year-old. (Calciomercato, via Newcastle Chronicle), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesEddie Howe spoke to BBC One after victory against Birmingham: "It was a tough game for us. Mentally, physically – you could see a few players were on the edge today. We're delighted to get through.
"I thought it was going to be a difficult night before the game. [The early goal] made it doubly difficult because the atmosphere in the stadium totally changed. We managed to get a foothold and did really well. At half-time it was about staying calm. I thought we did that a lot better in the second half."
On injuries: "In the last couple of weeks we seem to have picked up a couple. It would be the last thing [we need] to derail us. We have such a small squad. Last season we had big numbers of players out and it disrupted us in the middle of the season.
"We were forced to take Dan Burn off. It was something with his groin. Fingers crossed it's not too bad."
Image source, Getty ImagesNewcastle have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2004-05 (semi-finalists) / 2005-06 (quarter-finalists).
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Have your say on Newcastle's performance
Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies.
