It's a way for the anti-Souness brigade to put the blame on him if things go badly this season. The squad is pretty good, and has the ability to finish top half. If I remember correctly, Newcastle started pretty poorly last season (something like 3 points from 6 matches), but they still were able to finish pretty well.
If we get relegated, BOTH managers should be blamed. Funny that with the same players and a different manager, 17th wasn't near good enough, but with a new manager it would be acceptable.
Here's hoping Hughes was the right choice and we finish top half.