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Newcastle United coach Paul Simpson told 13,000 excited fans that the Magpies are “raring to go” ahead of Sunday’s clash with Southampton.

Victory against the Saints would help to close the book on last season’s torrid campaign.

But Steve McClaren and his coaching staff will go into the first game of the season against the Saints at least feeling that there was good will in the air at the club’s open training session. The East Stand filled up so quickly that supporters ended up flowing into the Gallowgate End to get a glimpse of their heroes.

Simpson has previously spoken about the club having a more open policy going forward and that the new backroom team don’t want to have “any secrets” when it comes to their relationship with fans.

Newcastle worked mainly with the ball as their build up to the Southampton game continued. Simpson told the crowd: “The sessions are harder at the start of the week and are then tailored down. It will be more tactical as we approach Southampton. By then we will all be raring to go.”

Attacking drills offered a glimpse of the urgency that Newcastle are trying to inject into their game plan as McClaren looks to create more chances.

The drills resulted in quick breaks from left to right with McClaren giving his players just 10 seconds to fathom a chance.

Simpson told fans: “The attacking team has 10 seconds to get the goal. We are talking about quick breaks and quick goals.”

Simpson also spoke of how the new Magpies coaching staff are trying to create competition for places. He said: “We always do an old v young drill, it creates a bit of rivalry. We want a winning mentality which I’m sure the fans want as well.”

McClaren must now decide who plays centre-back against the Saints this weekend.

Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor certainly seem in the box seat as far as match fitness is concerned. However, Fabricio Coloccini and Chancel Mbemba also trained yesterday and McClaren tried both partnerships out in a practice game.

Cheick Tiote also trained well after making just one appearance so far this summer while Remy Cabella and Paul Dummett are also back in light training. Newcastle fans deemed the team wearing bibs as the potential XI that could face Ronald Koeman’s side.

The line-up was: Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Taylor, Haidara, Colback, Anita, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Obertan, Cisse, but Simpson told the crowd not to read anything into the teams during the practice game.