Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is delighted with his players, though admits they need to continue improving to remain with the club.
Howe insists his squad has surprised him, but is delighted with their efforts.
"Pleasantly surprised, I'd say," the Newcastle boss told reporters. "Definitely not amazed because they are good players in their own right. They have got talents and gifts that make the team play better.
"The challenge for them and for every player is to then continue their growth because the team is hopefully going to continue to improve and if you want to stay part of the journey, you have got to improve with it so there's more demands to be placed upon them."
Howe also said: "Everybody - even the players who have subsequently moved on - played a huge part in us staying in the league and those guys that have then stayed with us have gone on and done really well and gone from strength to strength. Whether we recruit a player or inherit a player, we try and treat them all the same and develop their careers and coach them to try and be the best players that they can possibly be."