Concerning Newcastle United trends, 'fair weather' Shelvey and Schar & Matty Longstaff frustrations – Liam Kennedy's SEVEN Magpies takeaways

Safety was all but assured with their four points against Bournemouth and West Ham last week – well, it’s a good job as this team is running out of options, legs and ideas as the Premier League comes to an abrupt July close.

Here our Newcastle United writer Liam Kennedy takes a look at seven key takeaways from the 2-1 defeat at Watford – and it’s fair to say there are very few positives...

A tale of two halves - and in many ways two seasons

Newcastle United have been a really difficult one to pick this season - and this 90 minutes was in many ways a microcosm of that fact.

Abysmal in the main with the odd flashes of brilliance, as well as being the architects of their own downfall. This game had it all.

United worked themselves into a position to win the game, dominating, then threw it away with some of the most awful defending you'll see all season.

Midfield went missing in second 45

When United are on the front foot, their quarter-backs look the real deal. But when they going gets tough, they're anything but.

We've known for a long time Jonjo Shelvey is a fair weather midfielder, the more we see of Fabian Schar and he's very much the same.

What does Matty Longstaff have to do to get some proper minutes?

Steve Bruce changed system and personnel almost beyond recognition in midweek, with Longstaff not even getting a look in. More changes this week and not even a cameo off the bench?

It is no surprise Longstaff will not sign a new deal if Nabil Bentaleb, who is unlikely to have an NUFC future, and an uninterested-looking Fabian Schar, a three-at-the-back defender at best, are regularly selected ahead of him, when he's fully fit with two and a half weeks on the training pitches under his belt.

If you believe this is all about the money offered, you're only seeing part of the picture.

Shaky United backline - inconsistent duo

Federico Fernandez on his day is United's most complete, all-round defender. And Javier Manquillo is also United's best full-back, when on song.

The pair were all over the shop at lunchtime.

Only Jamaal Lascelles put in a remotely professional show in the back four, as Danny Rose's recent upsurge in form took a massive turn for the worse.

'A proper centre forward's goal' – and he should know!

Alan Shearer called it - and he's a man who knows a striker, his role and how to score goals.

Dwight Gayle came in for some high praise from the United legend - and rightly so for his instinctive goal.

Players say that ability to get into the right areas at the right times is something you can't teach. Gayle definitely has that in his locker, even if other parts of his game are lacking at times, including his finishing.

Some positive results but a worrying trend?

Three of United's last four halves of football have been up their with the worst they've put in under Bruce.

Bizarrely the Bournemouth game was easily the best two 45s of the campaign combined.

United look like a team with little to play for and who are running out of ideas.

When Plan A starts to fail, Plan B is sadly lacking, or in many cases non-existent without an Andy Carroll in the locker.

If Emil Krafth off the bench is the answer, I'm not at all sure what the question is?!?

I could easily add Bentaleb to this one - both were brought on at 1-1, which quickly became 2-1, of course none of which was their doing.

But I am at a loss to see what Bentaleb offers, bar some misguided social media posts and a good twist and turn for a big lad?

The same goes for Krafth. Below average in everything he does on the evidence we've seen so far.