Newcastle conceded a two goal lead on Saturday against Bournemouth, letting points slip through their fingers once again from a winning position.
At the start of the campaign, Newcastle were a hard to beat, resilient side who looked capable of staying in the Premier League with relative ease.
Sadly though, the Magpies are just two points above the drop zone with 10 games to go, but things would be looking so much better were they able to protect a lead.
Since the start of 2018, Newcastle have drawn with Burnley, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, three games where Rafa Benitez’s took the lead.
This means the Magpies have dropped six points in the past four league games from winning positions; six extra points that would see them sitting in the top half of the Premier League with 35 points, five away from the elusive 40.
In fact, Newcastle have let leads slip in seven Premier League games this season, also failing to hold onto victory against Manchester United, Chelsea, Southampton and Leicester City.
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Obviously this is total fantasy, but if Newcastle had been able to hold onto victory in every game they took the lead, they would be sitting pretty in the top half and competing for Europe, collating 46 points and sitting above Arsenal!
It shows just how much Benitez needed a prolific goalscorer at the start of the season, as much of these winning positions could have been a lot more handsome if they had a forward who could kill the game off, rather than leaving Newcastle to scrape and defend a tentative one goal lead (or two goal lead as was the case at Bournemouth).
Newcastle are still hard to beat, but victories remain hard to come by, and that could be pivotal when it comes to survival.