ANOTHER season of under-achievement, another agonising wait for that elusive silverware at St James' Park.

But this one will be different - won't it?

It's a question that every Newcastle fan will ask themselves come Sunday, those who venture south and those who settle down with their pay-per-view remote controls to catch the game at Stamford Bridge.

The disappointment of last term was felt keenly by Bobby Robson who firmly believed the progress he had made in his first season on Tyneside would have continued apace.

But a cruel twist of fate saw him first lose his new £7m striker Carl Cort for much of the season, followed by long-term injuries to skipper Alan Shearer and then Kieron Dyer.

Add to that those very familiar defensive frailties which saw an incredible run of 27 games without keeping a clean sheet. In truth the season was all but over following a January FA Cup defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.

But there were still a few plus points. When Cort did play at the start and end of the campaign, he more than proved his worth with a return of a goal every other game.

The loss of the enormous creative talent of Dyer would affect any team, but as he battles back from shin splints, too long has been spent at the centre of transfer rumours, rumours which he himself has failed to bury.

For Mr Shearer, in the words of Bobby Robson, it's "make or break time" - again.

He has battled back before and if anyone will look to prove his detractors wrong it is the former England captain

But his stubborness appeared to be his downfall last term when he amazed many with a speedy return from the first operation to clear tendinitis of the knee just after Christmas.

Unfortunately it wasn't long before he was back on the sidelines, and he, along with his manager, must curb that desire to have him pull on the black and white shirt asap if his career is to be prolonged.

Softly softly catchy monkey! Or in other words good sense will be needed to see him back anywhere near 20- goals-a-season form.

More new faces ae expected to be added to the purchases of £10m Laurent Robert, £6m Craig Bellamy and Robbie Elliot.

Newcastle's progress to the final of the Intertoto Cup, meaning they now stand just 90 minutes away from a possible UEFA cup spot, will have not gone un-noticed.

Their failure to land Boudweijn Zenden may prove a good yardstick as to how far they have fallen from the upper echelons of European club football, but a UEFA place will prove a major attraction to Europe's best.

Robert may prove as exciting an acquisition from PSG as a certain Monsieur Ginola, and hopefully he won't follow the same route as Didier Domi and Alain Goma.

Bellamy's signing failed to excite many fans, but he has shown in his early games that he's full of running and it may not take long for the faithful to forgive him for the silver boots.

This season should see Shola Ameobi continue his education and emerge as a major top-flight threat.

He appears to have come of age in the Intertoto tournament and his physical presence wll be a handful for most defenders.

A tough opening will see exactly how good a pre-season the Intertoto has provided Newcastle.

Before the end of September Newcastle will have played two derby games and welcomed both Manchester United and Liverpool to St James' Park.

A defensive leader and fresh legs in midfield are still required, and Newcastle must look to hit the ground running this season in a bid to appease their long-suffering fans.

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