Many have spoken out about the need for Newcastle to follow Manchester City's example to become a superpower within the next few years.
They must first do what City did in order to get out of relegation troubles the season they were taken over from their Abu Dhabi owners.
City had signed Robinho in a hurry in September, but they were not in the top three at Christmas. They bought Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong in January.
Newcastle doesn't require a new goalkeeper, but they do need established characters and players who are familiar with the area.
They need more quality in defense to provide a stronger foundation and another goal scorer, as Callum Wilson often misses games.
This season, Newcastle has not won the league.
It will be difficult to find the right players for January, given that they will almost certainly be in a relegation fight. To get the players they want, they might need to borrow money.
Bellamy, who has scored Premier League goals, would make a great striker up front. Bridge was solid at the back, could defend well and was capable of getting forward, while De Jong was an excellent midfielder with great mentality.
It is difficult to find these players and they won't come cheap. City spent about 50 million on those four signings, which was 13 years ago.
However, one thing is certain. Newcastle will have to spend money if they are to stay up. Their defeat by Tottenham was a reminder.
New era, same old Newcastle
Newcastle may be owned by new owners, but the outcome of their defeat to Spurs was not different.
The Magpies have been consistent in their efforts to get on the front foot and start games well this season. But then they capitulate.
On Sunday, it was the same: They started by pressing Spurs with high energy. This got fans excited and the first goal was a huge success.
They wanted it exactly in their first game with the new system, but they couldn't adapt to the changes as the game progressed. It all fell apart.
Steve Bruce's side was particularly weak defensively and made some basic mistakes and bad decisions.
They proved again against Spurs they are capable of making chances.
They are open at the back, conceding many goals, but they won't win any games or climb out of trouble.
What went wrong with Spurs?
Bruce against Spurs was out of luck. The crowd expected a more energetic and aggressive performance to match the celebrations at St James Park.
They got exactly that for the first fifteen minutes. But if you continue to do that and try to follow the crowd against a team that has the counter-attacking abilities that Spurs have, you will end up in serious trouble.
James McFadden was watching MOTD2 with me, and Wilson scored very early on. I told him that Tottenham would score at least two goals and win the game, based on how Newcastle is set up.
Because there was so much space between the Newcastle back four and Spurs, they were bound to score goals. It was only a matter time before they scored and it wasn't through any extraordinary play.
After Nuno Espirito Santo's team had survived the stormy start, they realized that they didn’t need to play through Newcastle. They could simply go long by playing simple, high-quality balls.
This is what earned them their first goal. It was also a good strike by Tanguy Ndombele. The Magpies back four kept a high line while Spurs were pressing and didn't drop back when there wasn't any pressure on the ball.
It was foolish to leave so much room against a team that loves playing counter. This was even more concerning since it was so easily fixed.
Bruce failed to find the right balance
Newcastle United 2 Tottenham Hotspur: I'll keep going until I hear something else - Bruce
Bruce has struggled to find a balance between appearing like Newcastle are playing games and getting results.
As his predecessor Rafa Benitez said, his greatest periods and results as Magpies manager were when he set up his team to be difficult to beat.
Problem with that approach is that fans expect more from you. Some of the pragmatic performances that win you points are terrible to watch.
Everyone wants to play good football and go out to score goals. But you also need to be able stay in games and see the end of them. Newcastle has the wrong balance at the moment - too aggressive.
They started against Spurs in a positive way, but they couldn't change the momentum to keep their lead. At no point did they appear to be in control of the game. It is easy to see why they are at the bottom of this table.
What do the Magpies do to make things right?
Football Focus: Newcastle Takeover Discussion.
Bruce's time in management is over, I believe. It is only a matter now when he will be leaving.
Newcastle cannot change their players until January's transfer window opens. Until then, it will be up to their fans to support the team as best they can.
The current team has plenty to be motivated. Many footballers are driven by their egos so many of them will think they are worthy to be part this new chapter.
When the change occurs, they will want to prove that to their new owners and the new manager. Moving forward, you will see people improving their performance, even though it didn't happen against Spurs.
Even if you add that, it is still impossible to get the new faces in time.
Danny Murphy spoke to Chris Bevan, BBC Sport.
