Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has called for patience from the fans as he goes about building a squad which can compete with the top teams in the Premier League.
The Magpies plan to build on this season's 12th place finish next term before really pushing up the table in the next three or so years.
But Pardew has made it clear that this will take time and hopes fans understand the position the club is currently in as he plans to go from merely surviving to moving into the top half and on.
"That's what I wanted to do. You don't want to come here and say, 'Mediocrity! That's what we want!' We want to excel," he said.
"But you are going to have to invest very well and shrewdly over the next two or three years to get yourself really competitive for that top eight.
"We could finish next year higher than top eight, maybe, but it might be because a little bit of luck falls our way and we steer clear of injuries.
"To have sustained success up there, we need to build over the next two years, for sure."
