It's fair to say that Newcastle United have had a mixed bag in terms of results so far in this Premier League campaign, however Sunday's victory over Everton has left the Magpies in 11th spot in the table and within touching distance of the upper reaches of the table early on.
After an opening day victory at West Ham United, there was a sense of positivity around the club and £20million summer signing Callum Wilson's strike left some fans in a good mood.
However they were blown right back down to earth the following weekend with a hammering against Brighton & Hove Albion. Add to that the 4-1 defeat to Manchester United, there have been some defensive issues.
Inconsistency is something that the Magpies have suffered from so far, but what should be their expectations this season?
What's realistic?
Steve Bruce has seen his side reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup where Brentford await in December. Despite all of the wins coming against lower league opposition, this is the first time that Newcastle have made it to this stage of the competition since 2016.
Brentford will provide a stern test for Newcastle, with Thomas Frank's side being one of the top scoring teams in the Championship. The Bees may not have started the season as they would have liked having been 90 minutes from the top flight last season, but it was always likely to be difficult with the summer departures of Ollie Watkins and Säid Benrahma.
From Newcastle's point of view, they surely have to be targeting the semi-finals. Bruce has taken the competition seriously to this point so there should be no reason why this shouldn't change in the next round.
In the league, the start to the season has perhaps been better than envisaged by Newcastle supporters at the start of the season, but the question is whether or not they can perform well on a more consistent basis.
The best two performances came in the home wins over Burnley and Everton, but on the flip side there are the shockers against Brighton and Manchester United, showing just how inconsistent the team are.
But with the likes of Wilson firing, and more options on the bench there is no reason why manager Bruce can't use that to his advantage over what will be a more intense campaign given the late start.
The second goal against Everton at the weekend was largely down to the pace of substitute Ryan Fraser who linked up well with former Bournemouth teammate Wilson. The Scottish winger came on for Allan Saint-Maximin, a player who in his first campaign at St James' Park was imperative. There was often the concern about who Bruce would turn to should he be taken off.
With these additional options now in place, the Magpies simply have to be targeting a top-half finish.
What about the cup?
The aims for the Carabao Cup have already been looked at, but there is also the Emirates FA Cup to focus on later in the season.
Last season saw the Magpies reach the quarter-finals of the competition, but they went out on a whimper by allowing Manchester City to pass the ball around freely without any real pressure.
Cup competitions can often come down to the luck of the draw, but once again reaching the latter stages should be an aim for Newcastle this season.
In the past, Bruce has taken Hull City to the final of the FA Cup and has admitted that he wants runs in all of the cup competitions available so it should be expected that he picks strong sides again.