IN the end, perhaps it was fitting that Rafael Benitez’s first anniversary was marked like this. For all that he has been able to celebrate some notable achievements since taking over at St James’ Park, even the Newcastle United boss would be forced to concede he was never going to eradicate all the problems he inherited in the space of one year.

Many of the issues that resulted in last season’s relegation are too entrenched for that, so while Benitez deserves huge credit for steadying the ship in the last seven months and guiding his side to the top of the Championship table, his rebuilding project remains at a formative stage.

The general trajectory is an upward one, but this Newcastle side is far from the finished product, even in relation to the rest of the Championship. Achieve promotion in the next two months, and wholesale improvements will be required to have any chance of competing in the Premier League.

Benitez knows that, hence the refusal to commit himself beyond the end of the season. In January, when he wanted a central midfielder and winger to strengthen his ranks, he was alarmed when Mike Ashley drew up the transfer drawbridge. As Newcastle’s fifth home defeat of the season proved, it would be naïve to assume this is a squad without deficiencies.

Benitez’s side remain on top of the Championship, and while the gap to third-placed Huddersfield Town has been reduced to six points, with the Terriers boasting a game in hand, it would still take a dramatic series of events to deprive the Magpies of a top-two finish.

“We’re still top of the league, and it’s time to stick together,” said Christian Atsu, in the wake of Saturday’s defeat. “We need the fans, we need everyone.

“We have nine games left. A lot of teams will lose concentration – we have to make sure we don’t lose concentration. It’s about being together, everyone, the fans and players.”

Clearly, there is no need to panic. But Benitez sensed room for improvement in January, and that still remains. Newcastle’s home form is especially concerning, and over the course of the last eight games, the Magpies’ results at St James’ Park would only leave them tenth in the table.

Why are they so effective on the road and so vulnerable on their own turf? Saturday’s result owed much to Fulham’s excellence, and by concentrating on the Magpies’ failings, there is a danger of downplaying just how impressive the visitors were.

Tom Cairney was a revelation at the heart of midfield, and having watched the 26-year-old produce a similar masterclass on the opening weekend of the season, it is no wonder Benitez looked into signing him in January.

Ryan Sessegnon, the scorer of Fulham’s final two goals, was similarly superb on his side’s left flank, and it is scary to think that he does not turn 17 for another two months. If Fulham can force their way into the play-offs in the final ten matches, they will be the side that everyone wants to avoid come May.

Yet Fulham’s excellence was only part of the story. Newcastle were lethargic from the outset, as they had been against Bristol City in their previous home game. Dwight Gayle did not look fit in attack, and Mo Diame is far too one-dimensional to break down a well-organised defence from the ‘number ten’ role.

Aside from Christian Atsu, who was the pick of Newcastle’s attacking players, there is no real pace in the Magpies midfield, and when Jonjo Shelvey is suffering one of those days when his 50-yard passes are not going to feet, creativity is similarly limited.

Newcastle’s defence has been the bedrock of their success in a number of games this season, but it is far from infallible. Vurnon Anita is vulnerable to pace at right-back – hence Sessegnon’s ability to run riot down Fulham’s left-hand side – and neither Jamaal Lascelles nor Ciaran Clark are especially comfortable when the ball is played behind them and they are forced to turn towards their own goal.

Teams have worked out that Newcastle are vulnerable to the counter-attack on their home ground, and while Fulham established a position of supremacy through slick, passing football in the first half, they put the game to bed when they were able to break at pace in the second.

“We knew it would be a difficult game, but we made too many mistakes and allowed them to play in the way they want to play,” said Benitez. “They’ve had more than 70 per cent of possession in the last three games, so we needed to be stronger.

“When we won the ball, we gave it away quickly. When we conceded the goal, you could feel the anxiety of the players, and we made mistake after mistake.”

Those mistakes were apparent from the outset, with Newcastle’s players conceding possession cheaply and failing to close down their opponents, who were able to play out from the back under minimal pressure.

Cairney had already gone close with a long-range effort when he broke the deadlock with a superb 20-yard effort that arced past Karl Darlow on its way into the net.

Darlow saved from Sone Aluko shortly after, and while David Button had to be alert to tip Clark’s header over the crossbar, the visitors fully merited their half-time lead.

They extended it within five minutes of the restart, with Sessegnon drilling in from the angle after Aluko’s back-heel teed him up in the box, and the teenager scored again eight minutes later as he galloped on to Aluko’s through ball on the overlap before firing a clinical shot into the corner.

Newcastle clawed a goal back when substitute Daryl Murphy latched on to Atsu’s through ball before turning to fire home, but the margin of their defeat would have been even greater had Tim Ream not failed to find the target with a stoppage-time penalty after Paul Dummett bundled over Gohi Cyriac in the area.