One big thing to note as club releases weekly training gallery on official site

Each week Newcastle United will release a series of images from a training session as the lads get ready for the weekend's fixture.

Quite often we'll use this gallery to try and spot any big absences and we would be sounding the alarms right now given that Alexander Isak doesn't feature in any of the images.

But there are a lot of players not pictured in this week's selection so we're not getting too carried away with things.

We could also make some assumptions based on how heavily featured Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron are, but we want to bring attention to something else.

Serena Taylor/newcastleunited.com

If you're happy and you know it ... you go in the gallery

The big takeaway for us this week is the good spirit that seems evident in the camp during training.

Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall are pictured on the sidelines grinning from ear-to-ear while we get the trademark cheeky grin of Bruno Guimaraes and we see Anthony Gordon clearly amused by something.

Of course, these are just snapshots in time carefully selected by the club to be put on the side, but it feels like a very clear message being pedalled by the club - everything is fine, just fine.

If Newcastle can go toe-to-toe with Man City it could have a huge positive effect

After weeks and weeks of reporters trying to have us all believe that there's more in-fighting going on behind the scenes than there is work on progression, it makes sense that the club would be doing all they can to show that everyone is getting on with their jobs and having a pretty good time.

There's a lack of positivity surrounding the club right now as fans are still suffering from the summer hangover and early performances have done little to lift the mood, but all it will take is one good performance to wipe that all away.

We know we can cause Manchester City problems as we've done so before, and without Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, now is our big chance to capitalise. Even if we don't win on Saturday, if we go toe-to-toe with City and make it look like we belong in that top-four conversation then I believe that will do wonders for the mood around the club.