To say fans were disappointed at Steve Bruce being named Newcastle head coach would be an understatement, with anger and contempt for the club at an all-time high.
But Bruce could go some way to building bridges with fans by convincing Isaac Hayden to stay on Tyneside, despite the player having long wanted to move south, to be closer to his family.
Hayden has played under him before, of course, when he had a loan spell at Hull City during the 2015/2016 season, and has spoken in glowing terms of his former boss.
He is quoted in the Chronicle as having said: “I know the type of manager that he is and the type of man that he is.
“In the circumstances at the club at the minute, I know he can bring togetherness. I know what he does on the training field and what style of play he wants to bring in.
“For us, at this moment in time, it’s a good appointment.”
Newcastle currently have slim pickings in midfield and need Hayden to stay
Midfield options at Newcastle are very few, particularly with Mo Diame’s release, and if Hayden could be talked into giving Newcastle at least another year, it would be fantastic news for fans.
His partnership with Longstaff last season was probably the highlight of the campaign, and with the academy graduate having said he is excited to be a regular under Bruce, Hayden following suit could see the pairing continue.
Should he still insist on the need to find pastures new, it will leave very little time to get a ready-made replacement in, and could see the squad left with the recuperating Longstaff, Ki Sung-Yueng and Jonjo Shelvey as the only three senior options.
These are the types of big decisions ahead for the new boss, and managing to get Hayden on board would be quite the coup for Bruce.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
