There cannot be a more galling way to lose a game of football.
Having been on the verge of sealing a draw against relegation rivals Norwich City last weekend, Newcastle United were beaten in the third minute of second-half stoppage time by a Martin Olsson goal that came after the ball had struck the arm of Wes Hoolahan in the build-up.
Not only did that strike cost Newcastle what would have been an invaluable point, it ensured Norwich City increased the gap between themselves and Rafael Benitez’s men to six.
“If we start winning games, it could be,” said the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager, when asked whether seven matches was enough time to get out of trouble. Benitez has not been in a relegation scrap since a spell with Spanish outfit Extremadura in the late 1990s.
“If not, obviously it will be difficult.”
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There has been a slight improvement in performances since Benitez replaced Steve McClaren in the dugout a month ago, but as of yet no upturn in results.
Although Newcastle worked the ball into a number of promising positions against Leicester City in Benitez’s first game in charge, they were unable to find an equaliser after Shinji Okazaki gave the league leaders the lead in the 25th minute.
A 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers and local rivals Sunderland followed, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s late leveller ensuring Newcastle did not fall to a fifth consecutive defeat.
After that came the loss at Norwich that could prove pivotal, particularly as a tricky assignment at Southampton awaits Newcastle on Saturday, with clashes against Manchester City and Liverpool to come before the end of April.
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Benitez may have been unable to inspire a turnaround in fortunes thus far, but it would be difficult to pin much of the blame on the Spaniard should Newcastle fall through the trap door this term.
The club has been stuck in a rut for some time now, and there is a strong possibility that the malaise that has engulfed them could result in a second relegation to the Championship in seven years.
Mistakes have been made at all levels, from the boardroom to former coach McClaren and the players.
Owner Mike Ashley remains as unpopular as ever at St James’ Park for his approach to running the club, which has left the vast majority of the fan base severely disaffected, while McClaren failed in the basic managerial duty of making one’s team more than – or at least equal to – the sum of its individual parts.
Although there is undoubted talent within the Newcastle ranks, the squad is imbalanced and filled with too many players who seem to be lacking in fight and character.
Benitez has improved the team’s organisation but defensive issues continue to plague them, and it must be a worry that Mitrovic is the only man to have found the net in Newcastle’s last three outings despite starting two of those encounters on the substitutes’ bench.
Benitez is right to insist that his charges can still pull clear of danger, but Newcastle cannot afford too many more slip-ups between now and the end of the campaign in mid-May. Home clashes with Swansea City and Crystal Palace and a trip to Aston Villa will have been earmarked as must-wins, with Newcastle likely to require at least another 10 points to finish the season outside the bottom three.
It certainly looks like a big ask for a side who have won only six times all season, scored the fourth-fewest goals in the division and conceded more often than anyone but Villa.
There have been more miraculous escape acts in Premier League history, but Newcastle are on the verge of giving themselves too much to do: defeat at Southampton and another Norwich win at Palace would see the gap widen to nine points with six games left to play.
Another demotion would represent a significant setback for Newcastle, who have once again drastically underachieved relative to their considerable potential.
Right coach needed at Aston Villa ... or else
If there is one club who have endured a worse season than Newcastle it is Aston Villa, whose supporters are simply counting down the days until their side’s relegation is confirmed.
Rooted to the bottom of the table with just three wins and 16 points from 32 games, it has been a truly disastrous campaign for a once proud outfit with a rich and distinguished history.
Some would say that this ignominious demotion has been coming: Villa finished 16th, 15th, 15th and 17th in the last four years, scraping their way to survival rather unconvincingly each time.
This term, managers Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde both proved unable to find a solution to the chronic problems running through the club, with first-team coach Eric Black now in caretaker charge for the remainder of the campaign.
Given that many believe the sheer mess Villa find themselves in could easily lead to a second successive relegation in 2016/17, getting the next managerial appointment right is absolutely essential.
Evidence from recent years shows that being a big club in the second tier is no guarantee of success.
Former league champions Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday have all been out of the top flight for well over a decade now, with all three also spending at least three seasons in League One.
Manchester City and Leicester City fell into the third division two and four seasons after going down from the Premier League respectively, while Wolverhampton Wanderers suffered back-to-back relegations in 2011/12 and 2012/13.
Villa will have to accept that immediate promotion may be beyond them, but their fate could be far bleaker if they make another error with the selection of their next coach.
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