Following Newcastle's relegation from the Premier League, the North-East club had to undergo a transformation to acclimatise to life in the Championship.
The transformation has been one a number of teams have had to take, whereas Norwich City and Aston Villa have struggled since dropping down a division, Newcastle United have gone from strength to strength.
As Newcastle sit at the top of the Championship, one of the main reasons for their success has been the experienced management of Rafa Benitez.
Under the shrewd methodological management of Rafa Benitez, Newcastle's transition from the Premier League to the Championship has been seamless.
Over the two transfer windows, Rafa Benitez has cleared out some of the big names who were unwilling to play in the Championship, and he has brought in Championship-ready replacements.
There may be some regrets about some of Newcastle United stars who departed in the summer who have gone and thrived for their new club.
FLW writer Elliott Wheat-Bowen looks at TWO players who have really thrived after leaving Newcastle United.....
Georginio Wijnaldum
When Newcastle United recouped £23 million from Liverpool for Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, it appeared to be that Newcastle had the far better end of the deal.
The Dutch midfielder struggled for consistency at Newcastle United despite scoring eleven times in his one and only season at St James Park.
It became increasingly apparent that Georginio Wijnaldum would not remain at Newcastle United for their season in the Championship.
Instead, the Dutch midfielder joined Liverpool and since joining the Merseyside club, the 26-year-old midfielder has developed drastically which has made him an integral member of Liverpool's midfield.
Under Jurgen Klopp's management, Wijnaldum has epitomised Klopp's footballing philosophy as the Dutch midfielder has become one of the most hard-working midfielders in the Premier League.
Although many expected Wijnaldum to flop when he joined Liverpool, instead he has thrived since leaving Newcastle United.
Andros Townsend
One of the big names destined to depart in the summer following Newcastle's relegation to the Championship was Andros Townsend.
Townsend initial move to Newcastle United from Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of last year came as a surprise to some.
The England international appeared to fall out with Mauricio Pocchetino and fall out of favour at the North London side, which led to his surprise move to Newcastle United.
Although Townsend spent only half a season at the North East club before joining Crystal Palace, he did show some flashes of brilliance for Newcastle United but he was wholly inconsistent.
Despite making the switch to Crystal Palace, Andros Townsend's form in the Premier League continued from the second half of last season as he began to impress which saw him linked with a move back to St James Park.
The 25-year-old winger has thrived this season since leaving Newcastle United despite playing in a Crystal Palace side which has been short of confidence to the point that they have struggled to perform.