Newcastle head to Brighton after major mood change

Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United vs West Ham United - Newcastle, Britain - August 26, 2017 Newcastle United’s Ciaran Clark celebrates with team mates after scoring their second goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - After the opening two games of the Premier League season, the mood around Newcastle United was that of a club in crisis, potentially facing a long battle against relegation.

A home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day was no disgrace but the manner of their 1-0 loss at Huddersfield Town fuelled speculation about the future of Spanish manager Rafa Benitez.