It is 30 November 2021. After Ciaran Clark was sent off, the home side were held to a draw. They are six points from safety and have yet to win a game this season.
The new owners promised a future of trophy winning football. Fans are anxious after Eddie Howe's third game in charge.
Questions linger about the capabilities of the new owners, who initially tried to recruit Unai Emery. Some are wondering if a reset in the Championship is a bad thing.
The nadir seems like another world a mere 150 days later.
In the reverse fixture last Saturday, the Tynesiders beat the Canaries to move up to ninth in the table. Fans created a carnival atmosphere at Carrow Road after their heroes scored.
The team would probably keep its place in the top flight with Howe's 38 points in 23 games. The same points-per-game ratio would have taken the team to Europe.
Despite spending 85 million in the January transfer window, it has still been a remarkable improvement and has led to calls for Howe to be considered for manager of the year.
Even Howe says the run of results has been quicker than expected, but for some who questioned whether the former Bournemouth manager was up to the job, the reply was perfect.
The spending on five players in January has been a key factor in the upward trajectory of the club.
Saudi Arabian owners have the largest wealth fund in the world. Other factors have also been involved.
During that draw with Norwich in November, Clark was shown a red card, which led to the formation of a born-again enforcer in the shape of Joelinton.
The win at Leeds on January 22nd is believed to be a turning point by some inside the club.
The victory was largely thanks to existing players like Joe Willock and Allan Saint-Maximin.
The team headed to Saudi Arabia for some warm-weather training after their first away win of the season, which was important as it provided a much-needed boost.
The club is 80% owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, so there were lots of questions about the trip.
There were no staged photographs. Howe and his squad met officials, including the PIF governor and the chair of St James Park, who have visited the park a number of times this season.
The players were given time off and went to the desert to dance with some locals. Howe worked on transfer targets and prepared the team for a crucial period in the season. The trip was used to strengthen the bond between players and the new coaching team.
Howe said that Covid hit the country hard in many different ways. You didn't feel like you were part of the team.
Team unity and spirit needs to be worked on. The injured players need to be brought back together. We need to treat everyone with the same care and love.
They moved out of the bottom three with a win over Everton after a nine-game winning run which put them 10 points clear of danger.
Howe is almost monastic in his dedication to his job.
He arrives so early in the morning that fans went to the training ground to catch a glimpse of him.
The father of three can be difficult to engage with on non- football matters, shown after recent questions about the club's Saudi owners. Cultural questions are not given much attention. He has said he likes to play the piano and is a fan of 1980s pop band A-Ha.
It is hard to not think of him assteady Eddie. According to his inspiration, legendary basketball coach John Wooden, he never allows himself to get too high or low after results.
Howe was hit hard by Bournemouth's 2020 promotion. His personal investment in the club was total, as he took them from League Two to the premier league and kept them there for five seasons. Going down gave some massive lessons.
He said that all his years in management before that were successful. In my time out, I did a lot of self-reflection. If the plan worked, great. Why not?
I felt like I hadn't been away from work because I wanted to find out what I delivered. I might say that it was the best thing to do for me personally, but not for the club. It was very painful.
The period of reflection appears to have been beneficial toNewcastle.
Howe's work ethic, his ability to draw the best out of an existing squad and combine it with the signings that wealthy owners can bring have made for a heady cocktail that fans are lapping up with relish.
He said that you can build paths towards success if you want to.
The foundations have never looked better.
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