They have re-laid one third of the pitch at St James' Park. By March gradually the rest of the haggard brown turf will have been replaced by the fresh green grass of home. If Newcastle United continue to win with such ease and style, then by March everyone will have to re-lay the doubts about Bobby Robson's side sustaining a serious title challenge.
This fifth win in a row, an achievement not managed since the days of Kevin Keegan more than five years ago, left Newcastle three points clear at the top of the Premiership. They have scored 13 goals in that run and conceded five. But Chelsea at home and Manchester United away are next: those two matches will offer a greater indication of where Newcastle are than Middlesbrough's wretched attempt.
Having beaten Arsenal and Leeds United away in the past week, questions should be disappearing like the north-east snow. But Robson has talked of needing more confirmation. He reiterated his belief afterwards that his increasingly convincing blend of "pace, power and mobility" - Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren's verdict - still lacks the quality and credibility of the big four below, and he highlighted the away fixtures at Old Trafford, Anfield and White Hart Lane to come. Then again, Robson also talked of Newcastle's "great air of self-belief, something that was lacking when I came here".
That can only have been swelled further by this contemptuous dismissal of local rivals. Middlesbrough have now scored only one goal in just over nine hours. Alen Boksic, their leading scorer with six, stormed down the tunnel having been substituted and was first onto the team bus. He had had one chance, in the 16th minute; Shay Given blocked it.
Middlesbrough, McClaren said, are in a trench. Digging would not be advisable, and McClaren attempted to sound as upbeat as possible. "Against Liverpool and Man United we looked hard to beat," he said, "but during a season you will get performances where you think: 'Christ, we're back to square one'."
This was unquestionably one of those. From Newcastle's first flowing move in the opening minute, Middlesbrough tracked back. It was their lack of application in doing so that surprised. Laurent Robert should have given Newcastle a seventh-minute lead with a free header; Mark Crossley made a good parry from Craig Bellamy soon after; Kieron Dyer then walked around Crossley before seeing his shot blocked by Franck Queudrue.
Consequently, it was all of 28 minutes before Alan Shearer put Newcastle one up. Seizing on Gary Speed's 50-yard pass, and then Queudrue's hesitation, Shearer had his initial volley stopped by Crossley. But he followed it up and bustled the ball over the line. The win was guaranteed.
With Dyer and Speed once again dictating the pace and the pattern, and with Bellamy always eager and available, Newcastle could now enforce their superiority. Bellamy fluffed a volley when neatly released by Shearer and then Ugo Ehiogu got a diverting touch onto a fierce Shearer volley. But from the resulting corner Speed headed in simply, though possibly aided by Bellamy's pigeon chest.
The indifferent Robert went close before being replaced by the much more direct Olivier Bernard, Bellamy should have added a third when one-on-one with Crossley and it was not until the 83rd minute that another finally came.
Dyer won a tackle he should not have near the right flank. Bellamy was sprung immediately. He reached the byline, saw Shearer run to the near post dragging markers with him but found Bernard at the far one. The Frenchman's shot was emphatic.
It was not dissimilar in construction and execution to Newcastle's first at Elland Road last Saturday. "We're playing good ground football," said Robson, "effective football. But I won't change my stance. Those below us - I'm not used to saying that - have that little extra depth. We'll just chip away."
NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Distin, Elliott, Solano (Lee 79), Dyer (Lua-Lua 84), Speed, Robert (Bernard 79), Shearer, Bellamy. Subs not used: Harper, Barton. Goals: Shearer 29, Speed 58, Bernard 83.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Crossley, Stockdale, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Marinelli (Okon 81), Ince, Mustoe, Greening, Boksic (Ricard 81), Whelan (Campbell 45). Subs not used: Beresford, Cooper. Booked: Ehiogu.
Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).
