No lack of desire or determination, but short of experience and money to spend
Chief Sports Writer RAFA Benitez was asked in his postgame press conference exactly what Newcastle United are lacking at the moment.
His answer was quick and simple and it was not a shortage of determination, or will to win, or even bigmoney buys.
True, Benitez has spoken about the financial gulf between his team and the rest of the Premier League this season, but he feels Newcastle’s poor form boils down to one thing right now - the lack of experienced, older heads in his squad.
The problem is the current Toon board don’t want to spend much in the January window as they hold out for a good price to sell United while, frustratingly, Amanda Staveley and PCP Capital Partners will be receptive to Benitez’s transfer plans and helping to secure the club’s topflights status.
In the middle of that, a team which fought through the Championship and the remaining members of relegation battles gone by try to stay afloat in the modern and moneyladen top-tier.
For it is that lack of know-how from a relatively young team which has resulted in Newcastle dropping 11 points after being in winning positions - more than anybody in the Premier League.
Even managing to claw back five of those dropped points would mean we would be looking at a completely different picture when it comes to the Premier League table today.
After 21 months in the job, there is no doubt this is Benitez’s squad, with 10 of the starting XI signed by the former Liverpool boss on Saturday.
The difficulties he has had in the last two transfer windows means he has been unable to add that layer of experience and guile to his team.
When wages and fees have been deemed too high, he as had to opt for a plan B, C or even D.
They have needed the experience he craved desperately in certain games of late, especially Saturday night when Newcastle were closing in on a valuable point against Leicester City.
That would have still been classed as a good result for the Magpies after they had battled back from behind and even had ideas about winning the game.
Yet in the unforgiving world of Premier League football you are punished for even half a mistake.
As Newcastle piled bodies forward in the closing stages they were caught out by the electrifying pace of Jamie Vardy and the blind panic of Ayoze Perez - who tried to beat Shinji Okazaki to the ball - summed up life in the top-flight.
It meant the post-game debate for some fans was whether Newcastle should have simply shut up shop and accepted the draw.
Benitez will look to bring the closest thing he as to experience in his squad back into his starting XI against Everton with Jamaal Lascelles and Paul Dummett pushing for places.
Yett apart from that, he will have to make ends meet again.
Other options include the unconvincing Jesus Gamez, who is yet to justify his huge salary since arriving from Atletico Madrid last summer does he want to do well in the Premier League or is he just here for the ride?
Where else does Benitez turn after that?
Is Jonjo Shelvey ready to step up and add to his one decent pass to Joselu (against Liverpool) in the 836 minutes he has played this season?
Can Mo Diame offer us the best side of his game he promised us last season?
Or will Benitez have no choice but to give in to the Aleksandar Mitrovic argument and change his whole game plan to accommodate the inconsistent striker who never seems far away from controversy?
He could, of course, lump the ball up to Mitro in some games, but in the Premier League,United will quickly be found out and picked off by more technically-gifted sides.
Those are pretty much Benitez’s