But Chris Hughton got his way - Campbell signed - and now we believe the Toon manager is 'between a rock and a hard place' trying to keep everyone happy.
He probably thinks he has to justify signing the former Arsenal defender, and things didn't start off well when Campbell turned up two stone over weight.
Should he play him (now that he's fit) and drop one of his committed players; or should he keep him in the wings for the time being?
I get the feeling we will see Campbell in the starting line-up on Saturday.
Chris Hughton: “Sol has had two reserve-team games and he has another two weeks of hard training so I would expect him to be involved against Blackpool at the weekend.
“When you have a player who is as experienced as Sol, they know their bodies and they know when they are fit. Sol has worked extremely hard since he signed for Newcastle and he is almost ready.
“I’ve been very pleased with the way he has trained and the work he has done to get fit as quickly as possible.
"He was a little behind everyone else because he got married in the summer and missed the start of pre-season, but he is in good shape now.
“I don’t think it is a risk to include him in the squad for the Blackpool game because he knows how he is feeling. He is a big signing for us – and I know he can’t wait to play.
“We have signed Sol because he is an excellent defender with a vast amount of Premier League experience.
“He has been a positive influence already in training and he will add a huge amount to the squad.
“But Mike and Fabricio have begun the season very well so we don’t need to rush Sol back. It is always better when you don’t have to rush someone into the team – and we don’t have to do that with Sol.”
PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES:
Saturday 11th September 2010
Arsenal v Bolton 15.00
Everton v Man Utd 12.45
Fulham v Wolves 15.00
Man City v Blackburn 15.00
Newcastle v Blackpool 15.00
West Brom v Tottenham 15.00
West Ham v Chelsea 15.00
Wigan Athletic v Sunderland 15.00
Sunday 12th September 2010
Birmingham v Liverpool 16.00
Monday 13th September 2010
Stoke City v Aston Villa 20.00
Saturday 18th September 2010
Aston Villa v Bolton 15.00
Blackburn v Fulham 15.00
Everton v Newcastle 15.00
Stoke City v West Ham 12.45
Sunderland v Arsenal 17.30
Tottenham v Wolves 15.00
West Brom v Birmingham 15.00
Sunday 19th September 2010
Chelsea v Blackpool 16.00
Man Utd v Liverpool 13.30
Wigan Athletic v Man City 15.00
Saturday 25th September 2010
Arsenal v West Brom 15.00
Birmingham v Wigan Athletic 15.00
Blackpool v Blackburn 15.00
Fulham v Everton 15.00
Liverpool v Sunderland 15.00
Man City v Chelsea 12.45
West Ham v Tottenham 15.00
Sunday 26th September 2010
Bolton v Man Utd 12.00
Newcastle v Stoke City 16.10
Wolves v Aston Villa 14.05
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2010/11
PREMIERSHIP
WOLVES 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Harper, Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll (Ameobi 81).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Vuckic, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 6 ASTON VILLA 0 (Barton, Nolan 2, Carroll 3)
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 76), Smith (Ryan Taylor 76), Barton, Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Vuckic, Tavernier.
MAN UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Nolan (Ameobi 71), Barton,Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Ryan Taylor, Vuckic, Ranger, Tavernier.
CARLING CUP
ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ryan Taylor, Ameobi, Lovenkrands)
Krul, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Tavernier, Ferguson, Ranger, Donaldson, Vuckic (Nolan 90), LuaLua, Ameobi,Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Williamson, Barton, Routledge, Perch, Smith.
PRE-SEASON
CARLISLE 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Best, Ranger, Vuckic)
Harper (Krul 46), Tavernier (R Taylor 46), Coloccini (S Taylor 46) (Henderson 81), Williamson (Perch 46), Enrique (Ferguson 46), Inman (Routledge 46), Smith (Barton 46), Nolan (Guthrie 46), LuaLua (Vuckic 46) , Carroll (Best 46), Lovenkrands (Ranger 46).
NORWICH CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Krul, Taylor (Routledge 45), Tavernier, Coloccini (Williamson 45), Diaz (Ferguson 57); Ranger (Xisco 45), Barton (Smith 45), Nolan (Guthrie 45), Vuckic (Edmundsson 72); Best (Lovenkrands 45), Carroll (Ameobi 45).
NEWCASTLE 2 PSV EINDHOVEN 2 (R.Taylor, Best)
Harper, Perch, Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, Ameobi. Subs: Carroll, Xisco, Best, LuaLua, Krul, Vuckic, Ranger, Donaldson, Tavernier.
DEPORTIVO 0 NEWCASTLE 0 (NUFC win 5-4 on penalties - Lovenkrands, Nolan, Carroll, R Taylor, Barton)
Harper (Krul 46); R Taylor, Perch (Tavernier 52), Coloccini, Enrique; Routledge, Barton, Guthrie (Nolan 46), Xisco (Gutierrez 46); Carroll, Best (Lovenkrands 73). Subs (not used): Smith, Ferguson
RANGERS 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Harper; Perch (Tavernier 81), Coloccini (Ferguson 81), Williamson, Enrique (R Taylor 56); Routledge (Xisco 83), Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 69); Carroll (Ameobi 46).