Like a new signing.
I used to wince, as a Newcastle United reporter, when I interviewed a manager and he said those words.
As I knew the reaction from fans when that phrase would be reported during the Mike Ashley era at St James’ Park.
Alan Pardew said those words a few times about players coming back from injury – or back into form – during his time as manager.
And he got hammered online.
Fans, in the parsimonious Ashley years, wanted new signings, not old ones.
I was reminded of those interviews after seeing Yoane Wissa look like a new player in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool a year after joining the club from Brentford in a deal worth an initial £50million.
Last season did not exactly go to plan for Wissa – or his team.
The striker never got into his stride after suffering an early-season knee injury.
Wissa only made four league starts, and Newcastle struggled without Alexander Isak, the player he had been signed to replace.
Yet I thought it was too early to write Wissa off as a United player, even though his first season was clearly a write-off.
When a club signs a new player, there are no guarantees when, or if, he will start delivering on the pitch.
It can be straight away, six months or a year in the future – or never. That is football.
Wissa, the club’s No. 9, delivered against Liverpool – as a No. 10, a position Eddie Howe did not favour during his hugely-successful time as head coach.
Playing behind William Osula, the 29-year-old looked sharp after starring at the World Cup with DR Congo. He linked defence and attack, and drove the team up the pitch.
By contrast, Isak, booed by home fans, was quiet
Wissa created United’s second goal, scored by Joe Willock, on the day both sets of fans remembered the late, great Kevin Keegan, one of the most consequential figures in Newcastle’s long history.
Named man of the match by Sky Sports, Wissa revealed that it was the first time he had ever received the award.
Asked about his performance, he said: “It’s the best [performance] so far.
“I hope I showed I’m very happy here.”
United fans, certainly, were happy with what they saw from him.
Wissa, applauded off the pitch before Liverpool’s late equaliser, added that he is ready to be one of new head coach Mathias Jaissle’s leaders this season.
Jaissle, certainly, needs leadership and experience, with the club having lost captain Bruno Guimares, along with Kieran Trippier, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer.
The biggest challenge for him is to be competitive with a more youthful and inexperienced squad.
Under Howe, Newcastle fans got used to seeing their team compete week after week.
They went to grounds like Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, places where victories had always been hard to come by in the Premier League era, and won – and it was not a surprise.
His teams were as competitive as any I had watched in more than two decades reporting on the club, and that is why fans found last season’s Premier League shortcomings were so hard to take.
The pleasing thing for Jaissle was that United were competitive on day one.
“I’m enjoying it already,” he told BBC Match of the Day. “I saw the young lads fighting for everything.
“There was commitment. A good synergy with the fans. This is special, it’s going to be a really cool season with big challenges, as well. We’re realistic, but we’ll go there.”
Jaissle wants more genuine new signings between now and the transfer deadline.
If the club, in a period of transition, can deliver them, this team could confound some of the more pessimistic pre-season expectations and challenge higher up the table.
At the end of the match I thought ‘bugger it!’ But on reflection what a game & such a good performance by everyone. Wissa was indeed ‘man of the match’ & I was still drooling over his control & run & his pass through to Willock that I almost missed the beauty of the goal. A big thank you to everyone yesterday, the fans, wor flags, the players, the staff, the City & the world in general for making an old man very happy & proud.
It was indeed a great performance from a player widely written off.
Just a shame he couldn't put one of those chances away.