Eddie Howe and his paymasters at Newcastle United will surely be happy with how things have gone for them this season, the Carabao Cup final defeat notwithstanding.
The Magpies remain in the hunt for a European place and are, arguably, playing their best football since the Kevin Keegan era.
That mid-nineties team remain the benchmark for most Newcastle fans, and if Howe’s charges can get anywhere near, then they’ll go down in Newcastle folklore.
A few of Howe’s players certainly deserve having their contracts renegotiated after the season they’ve been having, and to that end, The Chronicle note that conversations will be had with Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Pope and Dan Burn.
The Talk of the Toon even suggest that Real Madrid could be sniffing around the exciting Guimaraes, so time is really of the essence if the owners, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, want to tie down the trio.
Each offers something very different to the squad, but their performances on the pitch will attest to all being important to what Howe is attempting to achieve at St. James’ Park.
Burn’s work ethic has been one of the success stories for Howe, the towering defender leading by example and showing what it means to wear the badge with pride.
Pope was badly missed in the cup final and probably needs to be the first of the three to sign up.
Guimaraes, for all the interest from elsewhere, appears happy in Newcastle and ready to sign a long term deal according to The Telegraph.