IT is a sign of how far Newcastle United have come in the last year or so that when sides like Bournemouth now visit St James’ Park, their tactic of choice is to string men behind the ball and look to soak up as much pressure as they can bear. As a result, it is also a sign of how far the Magpies still have to go that, as of yet, they have not really worked out how to counter such an approach.

Eddie Howe’s side huffed and puffed as they claimed their fifth draw from seven league games at the weekend, but despite boasting 72 per cent possession, a marked contrast to last season, when they were without the ball for long spells, they rarely looked like blowing their opponents’ defence down.

Yes, they hit the woodwork twice before the break, through a Kieran Trippier free-kick and an instinctive first-time effort from Joelinton, but in the main, their play in Bournemouth’s final third was both pedestrian and predictable. They found themselves playing in front of their obdurate opponents rather than behind them, and as a result, their club-record signing, Alexander Isak, was a bystander for long spells, waiting for a through ball that never came.

Bournemouth came to spoil, and left with the point they wanted. The conundrum, moving forward, is that other clubs will inevitably look to do the same.

“It’s a different challenge,” admitted Howe, whose side benefited from a contentious VAR call this time around as Jefferson Lerma was adjudged to have handled Trippier’s cross, enabling Isak to score from the spot. “I think there’ll be a lot of games where the challenge that awaits us at home will be very similar to this one. It’s not going to be a new problem for us – this is one that’s going to be there and we’re going to have to be better with the ball.

“We’ll have to be more creative and show a bit more patience with the ball too. We’re going to have to get behind teams a bit more than we did, especially if they play so deep. There’s a lot for us to take from this game, and take into future challenges because it is slightly new for the group, and adjusting to that at home is going to be important. It’ll be part of our learning.”

Clearly, the return of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin will help, although the fact the latter is already a doubt for the first game back after the international break highlights the risks attached to being overly reliant on two players with chequered injury records at best.

“You’re never going to replace Allan when he’s not there, so you have to find a different way of playing,” said Howe. “We’ve got players with different skills and different strengths in those positions.

“I still believe we can win without Allan, and be a very effective team without him. It’s just very different. You saw his performance against Manchester City – there’s no one like him in the Premier League. He’s a very unique player, and he brings those gifts to the team that on a day like today, you’re absolutely crying out for. We have to be better when he’s not there though.”

Jonjo Shelvey is also a big miss – his ability to float long-range balls over an opposition defence might have helped Newcastle ask different questions of the Bournemouth backline at the weekend – and for all that the Magpies might have spent around £200m in the last two transfer windows, Saturday’s game was proof that their rebuilding project remains a work in progress.

Miguel Almiron and Ryan Fraser might be willing workers, but in the majority of their performances, they lack the finesse that might be expected of forwards in a team with ambitions of breaking into the top six.

Newcastle’s failure to recruit a wide attacker in the final weeks of the transfer window is hurting them, and will surely be addressed in January, but for now, Howe has to come up with a functioning Plan B with the players at his disposal.

“You’re never going to be physically, mentally, tactically, technically at your very best every single game, but even in those moments, you still need to find a way to win,” he acknowledged. “We did that last year."