Newcastle United 0, Charlton Athletic 0.

FAILURE to emerge with a win against Sheffield United this Saturday and Newcastle United, under the management of Glenn Roeder, will have to travel to the scene that heralded Graeme Souness' demise in similar circumstances.

But midfielder Scott Parker, a Souness signing who has been around to experience both sets of poor results under the two men, feels there is no comparison between the mood of the side that lost at Manchester City in February and the one that will head there in 12 days.

The performances are there, character within the dressing room is there, the vital ingredient missing is goals, he claims. On the evidence of this last outing he has a point.

But, as many managers have found to their cost, goals have to be found from somewhere on a regular basis or the man deciding at the helm could fall.

An inability to find the breakthrough against bottom club Charlton on home soil means Newcastle have gone six Premiership matches without a win and they have only managed to conjure up two goals during that time.

It is a result of failing to build on the 2-0 success at West Ham in mid-September, when Newcastle went out in the next game and succumbed by the same scoreline at Liverpool.

And it was exactly the same earlier this year when, after winning at West Ham, Souness took his confidence-drained squad to Anfield and lost by the same margin.

That marked the start of a four-match winless run which came to a head at Man City back in February, after which the Scot lost his job.

There would appear to be no similar pressure on Roeder following this goalless draw in front of the disenchanted Geordie faithful, who failed to turn out over 50,000 for the fifth game in a row in all competitions.

And, after peppering Charlton for long periods without scoring the crucial winning goal, there are reasons why the Newcastle boss and his players are remaining upbeat.

But, as Parker admits, there has to be a change in front of goal quickly or teetering on the edge of a relegation fight could get considerably worse over the coming months - particularly with no end in sight to the striker crisis at St James'.

"The last time (Newcastle went to City) the performances weren't there and the results weren't there," said Parker, a consistent performer at the heart of the midfield this season as captain.

"We were struggling a bit, we looked bitty. The good thing now is that the performances are there from everyone. We are playing really well, just not getting the results.

"You can play as well as you want but if you are not winning it is not good enough and we all know that. We are all under pressure. We need to win games.

"Confidence and belief is better than it was earlier this year. We are not winning but the way we are playing breeds confidence."

Newcastle are just two points above the drop zone and are nine adrift of the top six, which would guarantee an automatic route into Europe again next season.

And, asked if the Magpies were in a relegation fight, Parker said: "Yes of course, that's the reality we are in. We are near the bottom of the table and it isn't looking good.

"We could go through the season saying we are playing well and not winning games and that doesn't keep you in the league. We need to win games and whether than means playing rubbish and winning then so be it."

Chairman Freddy Shepherd had stated in his programme notes that victories over Charlton and Sheffield United this week were essential. "It is an opportunity we must take," were his words.

And Roeder's side should have managed the first.

In fact they should have had the game wrapped up by half-time.

Twenty shots by the hosts in comparison to Charlton's eight highlights how the pendulum swung but no player was capable of finding the net, not even Giuseppe Rossi.

Rossi, looking a real gem and should be an automatic starter provided he stays fit, had by far the best chance when he directed a Damien Duff shot onto the cross bar from six yards.

Duff, who argued he should have had a free-kick on the edge of the box when Soulyemane Diawara appeared to clip him as he ran through on goal, was the biggest waster of chances.

Time and time again after the restart the Irishman, who looked a threat every time he got the ball, was faced with just goalkeeper Scott Carson to beat and he tamely shot at goal with his weaker right foot.

Duff would have headed home the elusive goal on 51 minutes, but somehow Talal El Karkouri headed Nolberto Solano's centre clear on the line.

Charlton improved from there on in but they had their own confidence problem for their strikers.

Darren Bent, after being gifted a glorious chance when Titus Bramble completely misjudged a routine long ball, was the biggest loser in front of England Steve McClaren.

He volleyed high and wide of Steve Harper's goal when he had time and space to pick his spot.

Bryan Hughes and Charles N'Zogbia went close at either end but the goal failed to arrive.

"It's the best we have played for a long while and I include last year in that, I really do," said Parker.

"Goalscoring is a worry and you need to score goals. When the window shut we knew we were light in the striker department and it is showing."