JOSELU has warned his Newcastle United team-mates not to allow a sense of defeatism to take hold at St James’ Park.

The Magpies tumbled to within two places of the relegation zone as they suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Leicester City at the weekend, with the result meaning they have now won just one of their last 11 matches.

On the pitch, things are unlikely to get much easier, with two of Newcastle’s next four games pitting them against Arsenal and Manchester City. Off it, Rafael Benitez is already adopting a downbeat tone when discussing the January transfer window, with takeover discussions with Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners group showing no sign of reaching an imminent conclusion.

The optimism that accompanied the early weeks of the season, when Newcastle briefly climbed as high as fourth as they won three games in a row, has completely disappeared, replaced by a growing worry that the second half of the campaign could see the Magpies involved in a frantic battle to stay out of the bottom three.

Those fears will intensify if Newcastle fail to beat Everton at Gallowgate tomorrow, but Joselu is urging his team-mates not to pay too much attention to the mounting negativity.

The Spaniard was in the starting line-up for all four of the Magpies’ league wins this season, and claims those results prove what the team is capable of despite growing proof of its limitations.

“We are a good team as well, and we have to remember that,” said Joselu, who scored his third goal of the season in Saturday’s defeat. “We have good players, a good stadium and good supporters.

“I think it was an unlucky game, because, in the end, we conceded an own goal. But that is football. We need to keep fighting and thinking about Wednesday. We'll try to get the three points.

“We need to stay positive, always, because if we go down, it's very difficult to go up again. We try to stay positive, all of us, and tomorrow is a new day. We think about Everton.”

Newcastle’s primary aim tomorrow will be to improve on the lax defending that has proved so costly in recent games.

Benitez’s side have conceded 15 goals in their last five outings, despite having looked reasonably solid at the back for the opening two months of the season.

The return of Jamaal Lascelles should help, and having been an unused substitute at the weekend, the Magpies skipper should return to the starting line-up tomorrow.

At the other end, Newcastle have actually looked more potent in recent weeks than they had in the early weeks of the campaign. Saturday’s double means they have scored five goals in their last three games, with Benitez’s decision to switch to a system with two players up front having successfully increased his side’s attacking threat.

Joselu had gone seven games without a goal prior to Saturday, and while he has not looked a natural goalscorer in a number of his appearances since moving from Stoke City, his manager will be hoping last weekend’s goal sparks a sustained run of success.

“All the strikers need to score goals, and me especially,” said Joselu. “It was a good moment. We started well and opened the game (well), but I would have preferred to take the three points and keep fighting for the team. We keep going.

“The strikers need to score goals, and I scored. I was also happy that Dwight (Gayle) scored, because we played up front together. I try to keep fighting in every game, and work hard. We need players like this. After that, if we score goals, it's better.”

Joselu partnered Gayle in the defeats to Bournemouth, Manchester United and Watford, and while Benitez reverted to a lone striker against West Brom and Chelsea, the pair were back together on Saturday.

They are developing a growing understanding – their performance against Leicester was unquestionably their best as an attacking partnership - and while Benitez has previously spoken of his mistrust of a 4-4-2 formation, Joselu is adamant the system can work.

“I have played three or four times with him (Gayle), and I think we play well together,” he said. “The manager takes the decision, and we try to do our best every game. I'm very happy for me and for Dwight as well, but we need the points.”