Newcastle United haunted by £15m transfer decision as double injury blow confirmed - five things

Count the wounded and go again. That has to be the message for Eddie Howe and his players after yet another bruising encounter on the south coast.

Two goals from former Howe signing Dominic Solanke proved the difference. What the Newcastle head coach would do for a striker like that, any striker, as injury woes continue to impact the Magpies' season.

Here's FIVE talking points from the Vitality Stadium loss, starting with a need to dip into the winter window market...

The need for attacking reinforcements

January can't come soon enough for Eddie Howe. And he has to hope Dan Ashworth and those at the top end of the club are true to their word and dip into their pocket to ensure the club never finds itself this short of options in the future.

The elephant in the room in the summer was always the lack of a want to sign a striker. Chris Wood was let go in January, and while his quality can be debated, he was never replaced. This has come back to haunt the Magpies' top brass as both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have found themselves on the treatment table.

A forward is a must in January.

Below par midfield - not their day

Joelinton has been a beast recently. Manchester United and Arsenal were up there with the best he has produced.

Sean Longstaff is Newcastle's metronomic Mr. Consistent.

Both, on Saturday, were well off their best. Virtually everything the Brazilian touched went wrong, up top and in midfield. Longstaff, too, was a yard off his usual energetic self.

It's no surprise, mind, given the demand placed on them due to injury.

The Schar/Lascelles door unlocked

Usually so solid, both were given a torrid evening on the south coast.

Jamaal Lascelles consistently wanted far too long on the ball and gave it away in the second half. It was well below the standards he's set for himself in recent months.

Fabian Schar, arguably one of Newcastle's players of the pre-takeover period, also made more minor errors in this game than he probably has the rest of the season put together.

Schar and Lascelles gave goalscorer Dominic Solanke a yard or two too much wriggle room on too many occasions - and he took full advantage.

Lewis Hall - too early?

The youngster has obvious talent, ask anyone at Chelsea and they'll regale tales of brilliance, but it does feel like starting, at this level, looks a little tough for the 19-year-old at present.

He has a cracking left foot and wants to bomb on at will, however, his defensive craft needs some refining, to say the least.

It's tough judging young players by the standards of those, more experienced, around them, but ultimately, what else are we to do?

At present, he looks like a lad who needs a 35-game run on loan somewhere, to iron out the creases. Remember, he's only on loan at NUFC right now.

Four starts, taken off at half-time on three occasions.

Away day woes

In a season of remarkable results, people are sleeping on Newcastle United's poor run of away form.

Just once - the 8-0 win at Sheffield United - have the Magpies claimed all three points in the Premier League this season.

They've failed to beat Manchester City, West Ham United, Bournemouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The win at Manchester United in the Carabao Cup is also an outlier in the other competitions, with wins not taken at AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.