A 3-0 humiliation at home against Watford has left Newcastle United with four consecutive losses in the Premier League which has pushed them to 14th in the table. The Magpies, who made a bright start to the season by racking up 14 points in first nine games have been hit hard by injuries to their crucial players including their skipper Jamaal Lascelles.

Their poor defensive displays in the last two games has clearly highlighted the impact Lascelles has on the field and the way he organizes his defensive line. The 3-0 defeat has to be considered as a lenient scoreline for Newcastle, as Watford missed a couple of easy chances which could have seen them add at least two more.

With a series of tough fixtures piled up next month, the next game against West Brom is going to be crucial for Rafa Benitez's side and these improvements are certainly essential to come away with a decisive victory on Tuesday night.

#5 Bring in Mitrovic

Will Rafa start the fan-favourite on Tuesday?

It may not make sense when a single supporter wants Mitrovic to start, but when the majority of Newcastle supporters want him to be in the starting line-up, Rafa Benitez must seriously consider starting him in the next game.

Joselu's selection in the starting line-up ahead of Mitrovic has been questioned by the fans for some time now, and the recent Watford game certainly proved that fans were right in their opinion.

Joselu, who was signed from Stoke City in the summer window for £5 million, has struggled to perform and has been a constant flop in front of goal. The Spaniard has managed to score only two goals in his twelve Premier League appearances this season and has missed several big chances cheaply.

With Newcastle United producing very little bright chances upfront, Joselu's misses are proving to be costly for Rafa Benitez's side.


Joselu has missed 6 big chances so far

On the other hand, Aleksander Mitrovic's contribution in the last 20 minutes after he came in as a sub was more than what Joselu contributed in the whole game. Despite missing one good chance, the Serbian was quite confident with the ball and he linked a lot better with his teammates, than Joselu.

While Mitrovic certainly cannot be a permanent solution for Newcastle's goal-scoring woes, he can surely replace Joselu in the starting line-up at least until the transfer window, where Benitez aims to bring in a new striker.