NEWCASTLE UNITED have played 20 Premier League games this season, and remarkably, in ten of those matches, they have taken the lead. Even more remarkably, however, only one of those ten has resulted in a Magpies victory. In total, Newcastle have thrown away 21 points from winning positions.

Eddie Howe is wrestling with a host of problems as he looks to salvage Newcastle’s season – an error-prone defence, a substandard midfield, a shot-shy forward line – but perhaps the most crippling is his side’s chronic inability to hold on to a lead.

There have been precious few occasions when the Magpies have been comprehensively outplayed this season, yet they have garnered just 12 points from a possible 60 and deservedly sit in 19th position, two points adrift of safety despite having played a game more than three of the four sides directly above them and three games more than the only side below them, Burnley.

Saturday’s latest capitulation against Watford provided a neat summation of their deep-rooted deficiencies. Leading through Allan Saint-Maximin’s 49th-minute strike, Newcastle’s defenders dropped so deep that by the time Joao Pedro headed home Watford’s equaliser with three minutes left, they were just about stationed on the Quayside.

Clearly unwilling to back themselves to push on and claim a second goal, Howe’s side went into protection mode despite the mountain of evidence that proves such a negative approach does not work. Sure enough, with the central-midfield partnership of Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff unable to provide any kind of control or protection, the pressure mounted on Newcastle’s creaking back four. The only surprise was that it took until the 87th minute for their weakening resolve to crack.

Howe insists he did not instruct his players to be so passive and meek, so the only conclusion it is possible to draw is that a back-foot mindset is now hard-wired into them. It tended to be the default setting for both Rafael Benitez and Steve Bruce, so perhaps that should not be too much of a surprise. The harsh reality, though, is that unless Howe can change his side’s approach, it will almost certainly result in relegation.

“I think it’s psychological,” admitted an understandably crestfallen Howe. “I think there was a thought to protect what we had, but we lost our attacking threat and that should never be the case so early in the game.

“I think that’s linked to confidence, and probably not having won as many games as we would have liked in a long period of time. I think the only way you can build that is to get over the line and win, and we did that against Burnley recently.

“I hoped that would be the catalyst for an improvement in that phase of our play, but we didn’t get over the line here. I just hope that doesn’t leave mental scars for the players.”

It might be too late for that, although with Newcastle’s next two games pitting them against relegation rivals Leeds and an Everton side in freefall, there is still a glimmer of hope.

Further reinforcements might have arrived by the time the Magpies head to Elland Road this weekend, with the heart of the back four a clear and understandable priority area. Watching Jamaal Lascelles fail to keep tabs on Pedro as he headed home Kiko Femenia’s cross, it was easy to see why Newcastle’s recruitment team have made so many bids for Sven Botman and Diego Carlos since the transfer window opened at the start of the month. Surely either would be a massive upgrade on the players currently at Howe’s disposal?

That said, however, things are hardly great at the other end of the pitch either, with Saint-Maximin’s drilled strike into the bottom corner Newcastle’s only shot on target all game. Chris Wood put himself about gamely on his Magpies debut, but never really looked like scoring. Admittedly, the standard of the service he received was patchy at best.

Saint-Maximin’s moment of magic established a winning position, but Newcastle were unable to close it out. Already, that is the story of a sorry season.