Craig Gardner is trying to give the Mackems confidence as Sunderland go into this weekend’s game hoping to be prepared for what they will face.
And was that the case when the two teams met at the Stadium of Shite at the start of the season, when the Magpies nicked all three points thanks to a Ryan Taylor free-kick?
Perhaps they weren't prepared for THAT either.
Craig Gardner: “You need a settled team, you have players knowing what they are doing and at the start of the season, to be honest, players did not know what they were doing – I certainly didn’t.
“I was not the same player I am now and was last season.
“Maybe that was me getting settled, but as I say, I am settled now and we are ready.
“August’s derby was the second game of the season and for some of the lads it was only our second game together.
“We were unlucky not to win the game – it could have gone either way.
“But there is a third of the season left and we are sky-high in confidence.
“Newcastle will be sky-high in confidence too, so let’s have it.
“We still need to do it for the fans because I am not one of those players who will quit and throw it away.
“I am a winner, not a quitter, and that is what the fans like to see up here.
“It’s a massive game and you cannot step back with games like this, you need to be on it for 90 minutes.
“At the same time you cannot get carried away and fly into stupid tackles, mouthing off at the referee.
“You just need to let the referee have an easy game and hopefully win by our qualities.”