Newcastle United and Everton are both punching beneath their weight but are stirred by new hope

Two football clubs punching beneath their weight are about to come together with new hope stirring in their breast.

Newcastle United resume their Premier League survival battle buoyed by five new signings at a cost of £90m while Everton, another club with distinguished history, spent deadline day ushering in a trio of massive names - Frank Lampard at the helm with Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli in the dressing-room.

Both clubs wish to put their recent past behind them. United's record we know only too well - two victories, two clean sheets etc. However Everton are almost as bad.

Fifth bottom, they have the third lowest share of possession in the top flight (40.4 per cent), third fewest clean sheets (three), and fourth lowest pass accuracy (73.5 per cent). Awful background, hopeful present.

Newcastle have without question upped the ante too manning defences previously easily breached and adding a splash of brightness in Brazilian midfielder Bruno Gulmaraes.

Top talent Allan Saint-Maximin who was threatening to bail out if relegation became inevitable now seems enthused by the arrival of Bruno and we need to see that reflected on the pitch.

The Saint has appeared to carry the woes of the world on his broad shoulders of late but Gulmaraes could be the spark he and others need to revive United's season.

Let us hope that the G Man can act as jump leads for both ASM and United!

There is no time to be lost.

Regardless, if Saint-Maximin is ever to become a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or which is his lofty ambition then a significant shift in terms of impact and consistency is required as quick as he likes. The gap is huge between the undoubted potential of many and the realisation of a few.

Saint-Maximin took to social