Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez insists the odds were stacked against Aston Villa securing an immediate return to the Premier League from the moment they were relegated.
The Championship rivals clash at St James' Park on Monday, with the Magpies knowing that victory would restore them to the summit of the table at the expense of Brighton.
Villa reinforced their squad heavily during the January transfer window but have still lost their last four league matches, leaving Benitez to point out the difficulty of life in the second tier of English football.
'Some people think that if you spend money you have to be better, but in football one plus one does not always make two.