Newcastle United 1 - 1 Portsmouth

Souness gets crumb of comfort

WITH his face full of frustration, Newcastle United manager Graeme Souness was given an excuse for a little light relief as he prepared to face the media after failing to guide his side to a much needed win against managerless Portsmouth.

Press room tea lady, Kath, had explained to the fiery Scot that she had baked a Christmas cake and he was presented with a piece of her finest. There was nothing more Souness could have done but have a laugh and say 'thank you very much'.

The Magpies boss was right to make the most of an opportunity to chuckle as there are not many reasons for smiling at Newcastle as the end of 2004 nears. Not since the dark days of Ruud Gullit have the club's fanatical supporters gone five home games without witnessing their heroes win.

Never mind chasing a Champions League spot, Newcastle are eight points adrift of Middlesbrough in fifth and their next three games are against Liverpool, Arsenal and a tricky test at Ewood Park against a Blackburn team desperate to put one over their former manager.

Yet the pleasant tea lady did her level best to brighten the mood and Souness may use her cake recipe for a few ideas on trying to get the best out of a group of highly-paid yet under-achieving footballers.

To bake the perfect cake, as well as getting the right blend of mixed spices right the temperature has to be constant for an hour and a half before reducing the heat. Souness could do a lot worse than adopting those two tips in his attempts to steer his side back on track during the festive period.

In the heated surroundings of St James' Newcastle failed to cook on gas for the full 90 minutes and instead they only hit the heights that are expected of them for a sixth of that.

Inevitably Newcastle, with the third best goalscoring record in the league, were going to score and they did with a little over two minutes on the clock.

Lee Bowyer striking a right foot thunderbolt beyond goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown from the edge of the area after a marauding run from young defender Steven Taylor.

And inevitably, as they also have the worst defensive home record, they were going to concede. That is why it came as no surprise when midfielder Steve Stone netted Portsmouth's equaliser, the 16th to have slipped past Newcastle on Tyneside this season, just before the half hour.

In Souness' defence he has been unable to add to his squad since taking over from Sir Bobby Robson in early September and he is the first to admit they are in need of fresh faces - particularly in defence.

But, perhaps rather worryingly, the former Liverpool boss has conceded he may be forced to go through the remainder of the season with the players he already has at his disposal.

"We know where we are short and we know what we need to do and I assure the supporters that the chairman wants to put it right," said Souness, whose side face Sporting Lisbon at St James' on Thursday.

"But if we can't go out and buy the players in the January transfer window that we think can strengthen the team sufficiently then we won't buy.

"I hope to be spending the money but I don't know yet because we haven't made the phone calls. I'm optimistic we will get what we need."

The shortages in defence are well documented having never replaced Jonathan Woodgate with a centre-back with pace, aggression and composure. But the draw with Portsmouth once again highlighted how dependent on Alan Shearer's goals they have been.

With both Shearer and Patrick Kluivert ruled out through injury, Shola Ameobi failed to persuade the 50,000-plus Geordies inside the ground that he has the ability to take over from the pair - whose futures at the club beyond May remain clouded.

And it was in the final third against Pompey that ultimately cost Newcastle a vital three points in their attempts to climb back up the Premiership table.

Neither Ameobi nor Craig Bellamy were given the service they craved. With the erratic yet match-winning temperament of Laurent Robert, criticised by Souness for not working hard enough defensively, spending nearly an hour of the game on the bench.

Had Kieron Dyer done better with a glorious opportunity on 16 minutes, when he side-footed over after Bellamy's speed had created something out of nothing, then Newcastle may have had the confidence to take control of the game.

But Portsmouth, an extremely defensive outfit with the ineffectual Riccardo Fuller threatening little up front, were allowed to get themselves back into the game with Stone's leveller and had they been more clinical after the interval Newcastle could have been embarrassed still further.

"I'm aware of how many goals we scored.

"Newcastle United have players here who we know can win games but I'm aware we could have been mugged again," said Souness, whose side were jeered off the pitch and one fan ripped up his ticket in front of his face.

"You have to win games. That's what it's all about.

"Secondly you have to win with style and that's what this club has always had. If we do not have the players who can do that then hopefully, given time, we can do that.

"I can understand the frustrations of the crowd. We are here to win matches and get the right formula.

"We will see what the window brings."

Having some of his 'big-hitters' missing certainly didn't help and Souness claims his players' efforts could not be knocked although insisting they were channelled in the wrong direction.

Despite his defensive failings, Robert still managed to force Ashdown in a fine save after finally being introduced. But Souness' decision to leave out the Frenchman for a home game certainly backfired - no matter how lazily he operates going in the opposite direction.

Only Souness knows whether this fixture has left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, whether it was the cake or the fact that Newcastle have lost further touch with the European hopefuls only he will know.