THIS was not how the birthday party was supposed to go. What started as a celebration of Newcastle’s 125th anniversary on Saturday ended with a third straight home defeat and the Magpies just two points off the relegation zone.

That may seem like a surprise, but in truth it’s been a steady descent; this was their sixth defeat in seven games and the lack of investment in the summer is really taking its toll. Good results for Newcastle early in the season were the result of organisation but even that is now absent and manager Rafa Benitez was left bemoaning errors that led to Leicester’s goals. 

“It was a lack of experience and I’m disappointed because all the effort the players put in on the pitch led to nothing in terms of points.”