The team Hughton sends out against the managerless midlanders at St James' Park on Sunday will include several survivors from the 1-0 defeat at Villa Park on May 24 last year which consigned the Magpies to a season in the Championship. Mercifully for the Tyneside club, their stay in the second tier lasted only a season, and although the former Republic of Ireland international was in the dug-out that day as Alan Shearer's rescue mission was finally scuppered, he will put it out of his mind. Hughton said: "I don't think it has any relevance to the game at all. It's something that is very much in the past. "We have worked very, very hard since then to get back where we wanted to be, and we are now at home again in front of what will hopefully be a full house at St James', and we have got to make the most of that." St James' Park once again became a fortress last season as the Magpies negotiated their home campaign without losing a single game, and Hughton knows the bulk of their points this time around are likely to come on Gallowgate. However, he is equally aware that the bar has been raised significantly and that no visitor will arrive prepared to surrender. Hughton said: "It was a massive factor for us last season, even though we were able to go away from home and pick up a lot of good results. "We know that will be tougher in this division. We knew it was tough for teams to come to St James' last season and we have got to do the best we can to make it tough for teams to come to St James' this season." Newcastle launched their campaign, perhaps predictably, with a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on Monday evening, a result which left many onlookers making gloomy predictions for the remainder of the season. However, Hughton is realistic enough to know that the club's destiny is unlikely to rest upon what they do at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the Emirates Stadium. He said: "We are realistic about where we are in this division, we are very realistic on how this season will be. "We will be in with a group of teams from which it is very important that we get the lion's share of results. "Of course, it's nice to go to Old Trafford and Liverpool and the Emirates and get results, and we will go to every single ground looking to get a result, absolutely. "But we know how tough it can be and yes, there is a train of thought that a loss at Old Trafford is not going to determine our season." Hughton will hope to have striker Peter Lovenkrands and midfielder Danny Guthrie, who missed the United game with groin and knee injuries respectively, available once again, although summer signing Sol Campbell is still working his way towards full match fitness. Campbell has been one of only a handful of summer arrivals to date, but the manager is hopeful there will be more new faces before the summer transfer window closes at the end of the month. The club's interest in Marseille midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa appears to be at an end, although Hughton, who is in regular touch with managing director Derek Llambias, has admitted to having an interest in FC Twente's Chieck Tiote. Hughton said: "He is a player we are very much aware of, but as with lots of other names, they are very much speculation. "We are working very, very hard behind the scenes to bring in the right type of players for this football club, and we will continue to do so. "It's not been easy, but I wouldn't be the only one that's saying that. "We are still very, very hopeful that we will be bringing in some names before the window closes."
