Based on character, Newcastle United’s rebuilt side is starting to take shape. Argentinian captain Fabricio Coloccini admits to STUART RAYNER that he has no idea how good it can be

BUILDING work is all the rage at Gallowgate. Two high-rise buildings have sprung up at the bottom of Barrack Road, with more to follow.

At the football ground which dominates Newcastle’s skyline, the construction work is being done on the pitch.

Ten months after he took charge of Newcastle United, Alan Pardew’s side is starting to take shape. Already it looks very different in personnel and style from the one inherited from Chris Hughton.

Cherished old features have made way for a more modern, cosmopolitan look. Fond of Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, José Enrìque and Steve Harper, the locals were initially sceptical. Now they are starting to enjoy the view.

Eight matches into the season, Newcastle sit fourth in the Premier League, unbeaten in all competitions. Few people doubt the Champions League spot that would bring them is beyond United for this season, but as for how high they can go, that is anybody’s guess. Even captain Fabricio Coloccini is unsure.

“When someone asks me this question, I think it’s like building a house,” he replies. “First you have to put the foundations in place. We have to first get to 43-44 points, and when we’ve done this, we can start thinking about other things. Hopefully with the good start the foundations are in place this season.”

Chief architect Pardew is not even looking that far ahead. His challenge for today’s visit of Wigan Athletic is to reach 19 points for the season, halfway towards the tally he believes will guarantee Newcastle’s top-flight status for another year.

If that sounds overly cautious, realism is the new mood on Tyneside. Kevin Keegan would have snorted at the paucity of ambition, having reached for the stars on a regular basis. His optimism shaped not just the modern Newcastle United, but its entire mindset.

With relegation still a recent memory, the tendency for over-excitement is diminished, but remains. Coloccini is happy with that, so long as it does not permeate the dressing room which, in Pardew’s words, he “polices”.

“Maybe it’s normal for the fans to get a bit carried away,” argues the Argentinian centre-back. “There’s nothing wrong with that, for them to want us to qualify for the Europa League. We have to be clever, and try to keep going as we are and we’ll only do that by working hard on the pitch to keep getting the results.”

If it wasn’t for the South American accent, it could be his manager speaking.