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| Alan Pardew has led Newcastle to third place after 10 games |
To sit in third place and still unbeaten, just one point behind Manchester United, after 10 games is an unbelievable achievement and Alan Pardew and his players deserve tremendous credit.
A win tomorrow lunchtime at home against Everton would push the Magpies to the dizzy heights of second - for a few hours at least - and already onto 25 points.
If anybody had suggested that in July or early-August, they'd have been carted off to a lunatic asylum.
With Joey Barton Tweeting his way to an acrimonious departure, no replacement in sight for Andy Carroll and the loss of key players Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan (among other issues), things looked bleak.
It was bottom three fans were worrying about back then, yet now it is top three which is on people's minds.
The stock answer many have to Newcastle's incredible start is their 'easy' set of fixtures.
These are people who do not take into account Pardew's team can only play who is put in front of them.
And they certainly under-estimate some of the opposition the Magpies have faced.
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| The 1-0 victory at local rivals Sunderland gave Newcastle the confidence to build on |
True, there have been some relatively simple wins since then.
Fulham and Blackburn didn't put up too much of a fight at St James' Park while the reputation of Wigan precedes them, but there have been difficult games sandwiched in.
Newcastle are the only team in recent weeks to shackle Tottenham, who look a good bet to finish in a Champions League place this season.
They deserved their 2-2 draw for their spirit and determination, as well as a sprinkling of talent and technique, and could even have won the game in the frantic closing stages.
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| Shola Ameobi's magnificent equaliser against Spurs kept Newcastle's unbeaten run alive |
Newcastle have deserved everything they have got so far this season and have overcome their fair share of difficult moments.
They have also played over half the sides in the Premier League and not been outplayed once, which is surely an indicator they are a very good side who deserve to be where they are.
Last season, these were the exact types of games they weren't winning, the games which ultimately cost the club a top-10 finish.
In fact, let's compare the results from the corresponding fixtures last season (excluding the draw at QPR as they were still a Championship club last term):
ARSENAL home Last season: 4-4. This season: 0-0. Points won/lost: 0.
SUNDERLAND away Last season: 1-1. This season: 1-0. Points won/lost: +2.
FULHAM home Last season: 0-0. This season: 2-1. Points won/lost: +2.
ASTON VILLA away Last season: 0-1. This season: 1-1. Points won/lost: +1.
BLACKBURN home Last season: 1-2. This season: 3-1. Points won/lost: +3.
WOLVES away Last season: 1-1. This season: 2-1. Points won/lost: +2.
TOTTENHAM home Last season: 1-1. This season: 2-2. Points won/lost: 0.
WIGAN home Last season: 2-2. This season: 1-0. Points won/lost: +2.
STOKE away Last season: 0-4. This season: 3-1. Points won/lost: +3.
So that's a staggering 15 points gained on the same fixtures last season.
The team has improved markedly and are now winning the games they should be winning.
The difference is best shown by the performances at Stoke both last season and this.
Last season, they were weak and overawed by Stoke's direct style, and rolled over to a 4-0 defeat.
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| Newcastle were outplayed at Stoke last season |
They more than matched Stoke in every department and thoroughly deserved their 3-1 win.
There have been a lot of changes in personnel since last season and it seems the whole mindset of the club has changed with it.
Pardew has instilled a new belief, togetherness and solidity and the fans have bought into the hard-working side.
There is much more of a passing style now, with Yohan Cabaye adding a touch of class in midfield.
Against Stoke, the whole team played well. Nobody else will go to the Britannia Stadium this season and beat the Potters so conclusively.
Demba Ba grabbed the headlines - and rightly so - for his well-taken hat-trick and he already looks an excellent signing with eight strikes in the Premier League.
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| Ba has had an excellent start to his Newcastle career |
He is outperforming Carroll in the Premier League and looks a decent bet to get at least 20 goals this season.
Jonas Gutierrez is on his best run of form in a Newcastle shirt, with his defensive work in particular excellent.
Gabriel Obertan has taken some stick from fans since joining from Manchester United in the summer but was very good against Stoke as he used his pace to his advantage and produced an excellent assist for the opening goal.
Cabaye looks an excellent player who will dictate the play from the centre and is not afraid to get stuck in, as well as midfield partner Cheik Tiote who was a fantastic bargain signing last season. It was testament to the performance of Danny Guthrie on Monday that Tiote was not really missed despite being unavailable for the game at the Britannia Stadium through injury.
Leon Best works hard up front as well but the defence have more than played their part too, holding the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Captain Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor have formed an excellent partnership and rarely look like making mistakes.
Danny Simpson has been steady at right-back while Ryan Taylor has adapted to his new position at left-back unbelievably well.
Newcastle are so solid defensively: they work together as a group, cover for each other and always seem to be in the right positions.
They have also got a superb young goalkeeper behind them, Tim Krul, who has always been on hand to pull off brilliant saves on the occasions the defence has been breached.
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| Coloccini, Krul and Taylor have been integral to Newcastle's start |
Those three would walk into most Premier League sides so it is testament to those in possession of the jersey for keeping them on the touchline.
Nevertheless, it leaves Pardew with some excellent options on the bench, although he would like to add at least a centre-back and striker to his ranks in January.
Pardew has his team working selflessly for each other and the results have naturally brought a great confidence among players and fans.
Enormous credit must go to him for gelling this team together, players all with a point to prove, and picking up the ashes from the disastrous pre-season campaign.
No-one is getting carried away though, least of all the supporters.
They are revelling in their side's success, of course, but are realistic enough to understand this run will come to an end eventually.
They know qualifying for the Champions League remains a mammoth task, perhaps even mission impossible, but are just enjoying seeing their team play with such consistency.
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| Pardew couldn't have wished for a better start to the season |
Much bigger tests are yet to come, with successive fixtures against both Manchester clubs and Chelsea on the horizon, and those games will prove exactly where Newcastle are at.
This is not just about an 'easy start' now, though - it is much more complete and impressive than that.
The comprehensive performance at Stoke, coupled with their excellent form all season, means they need to be respected and taken seriously now.
Newcastle are a very strong unit, do not look like conceding goals and have plenty of players, in the team and on the bench, who can really hurt sides at both ends of the pitch.
Of course, their unbeaten run could come to a halt against Everton tomorrow but whatever the score, this has been an excellent start.
Champions League football is still a very long way away yet though, with Pardew, the players and the fans all knowing that.
However, they deserve praise for their start and should be respected by everyone as they have proved so far this season that nothing is impossible. Nobody saw this coming.
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