ROB ELLIOT is hoping the positivity engendered by Newcastle United’s transfer dealings survives Wednesday’s Merseyside mauling, but admits his side will have to improve markedly if they are to secure a much-needed victory over relegation rivals West Brom tomorrow.

The addition of four players in the January transfer window, at a combined cost of more than £28m, looked to have provided a welcome shot in the arm to the Magpies’ survival bid.

However, it was a case of being back to square one at Goodison Park as a series of defensive lapses culminated in a 3-0 defeat that also saw Jamaal Lascelles receive a straight red card as Newcastle were reduced to ten men.

Lascelles will be suspended when West Brom visit St James’ Park tomorrow, but it is hoped Chancel Mbemba will be available despite being forced off at the end of Wednesday’s first half and that Jack Colback will be passed fit to line up at left-back in the anticipated absence of Paul Dummett.

Seydou Doumbia could also come into contention for a starting spot, and while Elliot accepts there were precious few positives to draw from Newcastle’s desultory midweek display, he insists it is much too early to be writing off last month’s squad-strengthening project as too little, too late.

“We need to keep more clean sheets, and we need to score more goals – we need to do everything better,” said the Irish international. “That’s why we’re in the bottom three.

“But with the signings we’ve made and the progress we’ve made on the pitch, hopefully it’s not far off coming. If we can just get the new boys up to speed, and add to what we’re already doing, I don’t think we’ll be too far off where we want to be.”

Time is not really on Newcastle’s side, though, as they look to haul themselves out of the bottom three and retain their top-flight status.

Steve McClaren’s side have just 14 more games to play, and given that they have claimed just five league wins all season, it is asking a fair bit for them to claim the five more wins they are probably going to need between now and the end of the campaign.

Tomorrow’s game, against a West Brom side who have won just one of their last seven matches in all competitions, is a crucial encounter, so there is a need for Newcastle’s new arrivals to hit the ground running despite only arriving on Tyneside last month.

Andros Townsend looked understandably rusty as he made his debut at Everton, while Doumbia had not even trained for two weeks prior to moving on deadline day, but Elliot is confident his new team-mates will not need a protracted bedding-in period before they are able to contribute to the survival push.

“I think the quality is there, and immediately you’ll see that quality,” he said. “I think Andros showed some good glimpses (at Everton), though we didn’t get the ball to him regularly enough. Jonjo (Shelvey) as well, with his passing range.

“So showing their quality, that’s instant, but in terms of relationships and patterns and stuff, it will take a little bit of time to adapt.

“But their experience at this level, plus the fact they’re intelligent, good lads and talented footballers, they’ll grasp all that as soon as possible. Once we start playing to the strength of the lads who have come in, there should be no reason why they shouldn’t adapt quickly and help us out.”

While Newcastle underperformed as a collective at Everton, Elliot’s own display could hardly have been better as he made three superb second-half saves to ensure his side did not suffer an even more embarrassing defeat.

Having started the campaign as the Magpies’ third-choice goalkeeper, the 29-year-old has been the club’s most consistent performer since replacing the injured Tim Krul in the middle of October.

“Obviously it’s good to make saves and help the team out, but ideally you want it to be for a win,” he said. “It doesn’t really count as much when you go off and haven’t really got the result you want. Hopefully, I can make less saves, and we can get more points going forward.”