The Magpies suffered a humiliating 2-1 loss at the hands of local rivals Sunderland at St James' Park
Sunderland's Brian Brobbey celebrates their second goal
Sunderland's Brian Brobbey celebrates their second goal(Image: Getty Images)
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As Eddie Howe addressed the media in the aftermath of a second successive derby defeat to Sunderland as Newcastle manager, he cut a forlorn figure.
On a human level, it was sad to see the man who ended Newcastle's long trophy drought little more than a year ago, front up to boos from the St James' Park crowd and cutting questions in his post-match press conference.
But the reaction from the terraces was justified. So, too, were the questions. The reality facing them is they have lost twice to their newly promoted rivals and are 12th in the Premier League table.
Privately, Howe is thought to have taken the home defeats to Brentford and Everton particularly hard last month. It was clear how much this defeat has already hurt him.
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After a gruelling season that promised so much, the reality is Newcastle are now out of all the cup competitions and have seven games to save an ailing league campaign.
The mitigating factors are plentiful but Howe will be the first to admit the whole club have underperformed this term. He has to take criticism for his team selection yesterday and the fact Newcastle have lost so many points from winning positions this season.
But so, too, do the players who have underperformed on far too many occasions this season. No Newcastle players fronted up to the written media in the mixed zone and after such a dismal defeat, that was not a great look.
After December's derby defeat, Bruno Guimaraes spoke to us and gave an impassioned response to portray their anger and frustration. The no-show from Newcastle's players this time around was disappointing but indicative of a group of players that have been battered and bruised in such a relentless season.
They looked dead on their feet at full-time and it was a thankless task as they followed Howe and his coaching staff around the pitch, applauding the fans on their lap of dishonour.
Howe's biggest task now is picking them back up to try and salvage a season that is close to being beyond saving. Three weeks will pass before Newcastle next play at Crystal Palace and hopefully it is enough time to get over Sunday's derby disappointment.
It should hopefully be enough time to welcome back some of their injured stars, too. It feels desperate right now but there is a chance of ending the season strongly and making a late charge for a European place.
How they respond to this defeat will be telling as to what this group of players are about. It will also decide the future of their manager.