In ten days time we kick of our 2012/13 Premier League campaign at home to Spurs and I can hardly wait.

Almost everything surrounding the club of late has been positive - a strong 2011/12 season, European qualification, great morale amongst the players and fans and most importantly, so far, no high profile sales - even the Demba Clause has been and gone. We have brought in some high potential youngsters who will almost surely contribute to our Europa and League Cup campaigns and we have been linked with high quality first team additions such as Debuchy and Andy Carroll, though we have not yet agreed deals with any senior players and our squad needs to be strengthened in one or two areas.

Unless you've been on Mars for a few days, you will have heard that we have declared firm interest in re-signing our former number nine - Andy Carroll. This has split fans opinions on Twitter, Facebook, phone ins - every forum for opinion has been inundated.

The local paper polled opinion on whether the fans would like to see big Andy plying his trade on Tyneside once again - 67% voted in the positive. My thoughts? If the price is right (£15 million maximum) I would have him back straight away.

A couple of weeks ago a taxi picked me up at Heathrow airport and my conversation with the driver, an elderly Chelsea fan, was something like this:

Driver: "Noocarsew are doing well ay? Bet you're not slagging Pardew now ay? Cockney mafia and that ay? None of you wanted 'im did you ay? Bet you aww feel darft now ay?"

Me: "You show me a person who from day one believed that Pardew was capable of this and I'll show you a liar."

He then went on to say that he was born in Blackpool but moved South as a kid so that's why he supports 'Chewsee'. He was also furious that Hodgson got the England job and not "Arry the choice of the people" but that hasn't really got anything to do with this blog!

I stand by the point I made to the driver and I'm the first to admit I got it completely wrong on Pardiola. Who honestly didn't?

A win ratio of 26% in season one after he arrived in December coupled with a cup exit to Stevenage and I was even less convinced.

We are ahead of schedule.

Not many of us foresaw our fantastic 5th placed finish and only a few more people predicted the meteoric rise in the popularity of our manager. In a pre season note that I wrote last summer for 442 magazine, I said that a 7th placed finish for 2011/12 would have been a fantastic season - but where now after a season in which we massively exceeded expectations?

In my end of season 'awards' blog I asked you to comment on your expectations for next season. As ever, the response was mixed with some concerned about the number of games we will face as we embark on a Europa League campaign and others looking to push onwards and upwards into the top 4.

Alan Pardew has been looking to play down expectations: “Expectations are going to be higher,” Pardew said. “People will be aware of us and that is one of the biggest challenges we are going to have next season. We are going to find it harder.”

I have to agree with the boss.

Thanks for all of the feedback on the questions that I posed last week - I received a number of comments here on ESPNsoccernet, Tweets and texts with all of your nominations.

Here are the winners:

That's it! We are all done. In the Champions League race until the very last day of the season and an amazing 5th placed finish getting us back into European football, not to mention the gaffa collecting both the Barclays and LMA Manager of the Year awards.

I for one can not wait to visit some random towns around the Continent with NUFC next season.

Over the next few days I will be working on two new Blogs - one about the boss and the other being a full season review.

I'd really like you to leave comment on your moments of the season:

Your NUFC player of the year and why?

And what you expect next term.....

Leave your comments (as long or as short as you like) on here, or on my Twitter page @MarcSDuffy

No matter what happens from here on in, this has been an absolutely fantastic season.

I was confident that we would make progress in 2011/12. I optimistically forecast a 7th placed finish for this season and most of you agreed, yet here we are with only four games remaining in with a real chance of making the Champions League qualifiers. That would be beyond even our most optimistic supporters wildest dreams.

As close as we are, it will still be very difficult. We have the most difficult run in with 3 of the top 7 to play against (2 of them away from home) and tomorrows battle with relegation threatened Wigan who have gained some superb victories of late. Not to mention the fact that a 4th placed finish would not be enough if Chelsea beat Bayern in the Champions League final!

We can do it. We have the momentum and the lads are playing with a freedom that is surprising considering what is on the line for the football club.

How have we risen from relegation to top 4 candidates in only a few short years? I take a look at some of the factors behind our progress:

What a season we are having! Isn't it great? Some superb football and featuring in the top six pretty much throughout. We can thank a lot of people for this - not least the African contingent in our side. Tiote has been here the longest and battles through each and every game as if his life is at stake. Then in came Demba - now that lad can play and he even brings his friends with him. His Senegal team mate Papiss Cisse has been a tremendous addition to the squad, coming in at a vital time and (at time of writing) averaging a goal per game!

Where did it all start with African footballers coming in to play for NUFC? Not that long ago actually.

Here is a list of all African footballers who have played in the Newcastle United first team, in chronological order (and before you jump in, I have not included Shola who, despite being born in Nigeria has only ever represented England at international levels nor have I included Kaz LuaLua who has yet to commit his future to England or his place of birth, DR Congo)

And as ever - if I have missed someone please let me know!

LuaLua ©

Settling into the Premier League proves to be tough for many footballers when arriving from overseas. Sometimes they settle after a rough spell - Colo and Enrique are great examples of that, but other times they are gone before we really even noticed they were here.

Over the years we have endured more than our fair share of imported flops and here is a team that pound for pound are arguably the worst of them!:

Danny Guthrie's stock has been rising in the opinion of many Newcastle fans recently with some solid Premier League performances.

So how do his numbers stack up vs his two heart-of-the-midfield comrades?

I have taken a look at Danny's stats (individual, team and only looking at games started in the Premier League) this season and compared them to Cabaye and Tiote - there are some interesting learnings: