AT a time when Mike Ashley has been tight lipped during ongoing takeover talks, Newcastle United’s captain Jamaal Lascelles insists that “home truths” are required among the players to get things moving in the right direction on the pitch again.

Ashley is understood to be considering a fresh offer from Amanda Staveley and the PCP Capital Partners group she represents to buy the Magpies, although he is still believed to be hoping for more than the latest bid.

There has been no word from either camp if the latest bid – thought to have climbed to around £300m without clauses – has been accepted, and the uncertainty is not helping Rafael Benitez in his preparations for the January transfer window.

Newcastle’s squad, despite sizeable investment over the last 18 months dating back to life in the Championship, is in desperate need of some fresh creativity and defensive steel after a dreadful winless run of eight matches which has included seven defeats.

The latest of those saw Everton win on Tyneside on Wednesday, as Newcastle edge to within a point of the relegation zone, ahead of tough tests with Arsenal, an improving West Ham and runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Lascelles, back in the team after injury against the Toffees, has had his say to team-mates on how things need to improve – although he claims it has not needed to be to the same level as the last relegation season when he let rip in the dressing room at Southampton.

"Course there is fight in that dressing room,” said Lascelles. “It's been frustrating for me when I've not been playing for six games or so. But now that I am back, I'm definitely going to be on to people. It's not like the boys are not working hard - there's none of that, so that is a good thing.

“It’s not like a few years back when I had a go at people. It's nothing like that at all. Not, it's just about working hard as a team, sticking together, looking back on how well we were doing (at start of season) compared to now.”

He added: “I would not say it was calm in the dressing room on Wednesday. No. There were a few home truths said. I don't want to leave it too late for things like that to be said. The reality is we are not in a great position and sometimes things need to be said that players do not want to hear. Hopefully, it will get a reaction.

"As human beings, you look at the table and see where you are and when you keep getting bad results, it is going to knock you a little bit. But I think now is the time for characters and big personalities to come out of their shells.

“Take the game by two hands and say ‘come on, lads, roll your sleeves up and let’s go’ because that is what it is going to take to get out of it. It all boils down to that. I do not want to be having this conversation about the situation we are in but that is how it is. We have got ourselves there so we have to get ourselves out of it."

Lascelles, like the rest of the players, are not talking about the takeover, and he claims the focus has to be on performances. The reality is, though, that Ashley’s attempts to sell are proving a distraction.

As Newcastle drop towards the bottom three, previous managers at St James’ Park would have been under more pressure. Fans showed their support before the Everton game by unfurling a banner with the words ‘We're with you’ in Spanish.

Lascelles said: "You cannot fault these fans home and away. They're the best in the country. That is why when we lose I feel pressured because we're not giving anything back. It is not nice as players because we know people do work hard.

“We do give our all and try our best but unfortunately, we have not managed to get the points we wanted. As long as they stick with us and we keep working hard, I am sure we will be fine.”

Lascelles returned to the starting line-up for the first time since the defeat to Bournemouth on November 4. Looking on from the stands he has felt that they have lost concentration defensively numerous times, having conceded 15 goals during five matches before the visit of Everton.

He said: "I thought our organisation wasn't great. For the last couple of weeks, it hasn't been great, there was not much talking on the pitch. It did not seem like there was much on the pitch in terms of talking and organising but we had that on Wednesday, I feel. We had chances but just lacked that bit of quality. It's just about finding the balance. We will do it, we will find it.

"I mean a lot of people would probably have been happy with the points we are on if they were asked at the start of the season so I am not going to say we are in a relegation battle.

“There are still loads of games to play. It's a long season. We are not looking at that, just taking things game by game. We're not really looking at those other teams around us. All we can control is who were are up against. And we are focusing on the weekend."

Newcastle head into the trips to Arsenal and West Ham without Jonjo Shelvey after his second red card of the season.

Lascelles said: "Now it is important for us all to stick together and really get back to the drawing board and basics. Look back at how we started the season.

“I thought the positives were that our organisation was really good and our team shape and tactically as well. But we just needed that cutting edge.

“And with the manager and players we have here, we can definitely sort that out. On a personal level, I am really pleased to be back and happy my body has got through that first 90 minutes.”