Alan Pardew said:

"Let's be honest, we have had an awful run, but I thought tonight we gave a really honest account and we can't ask for more than that from the players we had on the pitch.

"But in the end, Everton had a bit more guile, a bit more experience and a bit more quality, and that's what we need to bring back.

"We have played Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton, three really, really top teams without our best team, far from it, but we have to take heart from the performances we are giving.

"But that ain't enough. We need some new bodies in, we need some bodies out of the treatment room and we need to get our best side back on the pitch because we won't hide from the fact that we are right in it now and we have got to get out of it.

"I would like, if possible, to have a player with real power and pace (to replace Demba Ba). Sometimes, we lack a little bit of pace.

So, 2013 began as 2012 had ended, in defeat for a Newcastle side once again undone by defensive frailties after the best possible start. And while referee Martin Atkinson hardly ingratiated himself to the home support with some dubious decisions, ultimately there were few complaints about the manner of our ninth defeat in eleven games. 

Preparations had included Demba Ba and when he was withdrawn from the squad hours before kickoff as confirmation of his negotiations with Chelsea was received, Alan Pardew opted to keep his inital game plan, fielding Shola as a direct replacement and leave Cisse out on the right flank.

In defence meanwhile the absence of Danny Simpson saw James Perch move to right back, Mike Williamson returning at centre half following suspension. And the return to fitness of Vurnon Anita meant that Gael Bigirimana was demoted to the bench, as Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux retained their starting places.  

Given the best possible start by Cisse's header, this was a game that should have been wrapped up in a first half dominated by United, Perch heading against the post and Vurnon Anita inches away from turning in Davide Santon's cross. 

That failure to punish a sluggish Toffees side with a second goal was to prove our undoing though and they began to push forward as the half wore on - Krul saving an earlier free kick from Leighton Baines before he was beaten by an outstanding effort, albeit one from contact between opposing players that just didn't look like a free kick. 

Atkinson had also angered supporters by denying Shola Ameobi a first half penalty, but if anything his fall was too accomplished - and by then, the collective feeling was that we'd have to produce a death certificate in order to get a favourable decision from the whistler. Certainly the contact on Shola by Neville was greater than by Coloccini and Tiote on Fellaini in the run up to their equaliser. 

But there were no excuses for the way that United were carved open on the hour as newly-arrived substitute, Victor Anichebe (Everton's own Shola - another long-staying, occasionally inspired Nigerian-born forward) netted against United again - obviously still intent on punishing us after a career-threatening leg injury in a reserve game at Kingston Park some years back. 

Ameobi and Santon wasted glorious chances to salvage a point but the home side looked more and more desperate as the game wore on and when Nile Ranger replaced James Perch, the big hoofs forward were more embarrassing than incisive. Sylvain Marveaux meanwhile struggled to make any impact on the game could only hit the wall when the opportunity from a free-kick came along.

Obertan had also failed to make much headway but tested Howard at his near post before he was replaced by Gael Bigirimana - that replacement and the introduction of Sammy Ameobi and Ranger smacking of desperation, although Sammy occasionally threatened to dance his way through the Everton defence wide on the Newcastle right. 

Cisse had a header that was blocked and almost lashed in the rebound but Santon should have played in the number nine, instead of trying to beat Howard at the near post late on. Struggling for service, the opportunity seemed to present itself for a straight swap between Obertan and Shan Ferguson on the left wing, but after his square peg / round hole cameo in defence at Arsenal, the Northern Ireland international was left to cool his heels. Whatever that means. 

Quite what imminent signing Mathieu Debuchy made of it all isn't known but his arrival can't come soon enough to strengthen our increasingly fragile back four. Searching for positives from the wreckage of another reverse, the arrival of a second player from Lille surely must remove lingering doubts about the SJP future of his pal Yohan Cabaye - a rare recent entry in the plus column.

A fifth home defeat of the season (only two less than the total in the whole of the 2008/09 season) leaves us just two points above 18th placed Wigan. And although the mackems were also beaten, QPR's shock win at Stamford Bridge is another reminder that the teams below are catching us.

And as for the cup trip to Brighton, despite the fact we'll be trooping to the far end of the country, the prospect of defeat seems almost preferable to what would be publicly portrayed as a morale -boosting victory - but one that condemns us to at least one extra game. 

The worst case scenario would be a draw and a replay sandwiched between pivotal games against Norwich and Reading - and if we're in that Fourth Round draw on Sunday, it's almost inevitable that we'll be handed a trip to one of the clubs that we've had a recent howking at. Or bloody Chelsea.  

This pointless exercise against Everton has now almost condemned us into discarding the Europa League campaign entirely - a massive shame, but the writing is now on the wall in terms of our Premier League future and Alan Pardew is now finally being listened to by his employers - what a shame that they presumed to know better than him last summer. 

It's not too late to turn this round, but without the required bolstering of the squad this month, then the loss of our top scorer could be the final nail in the coffin. Happy new year? Ask me in May. 

Biffa