Eddie Howe admits 'I have to look at myself' after Newcastle's late collapse at Crystal Palace as he explains benching £124m duo Nick Woltemade & Yoane Wissa

This was hardly the resounding response to a damaging Tyne-Wear derby defeat to Sunderland that Howe needed as his future comes under increasing scrutiny. Newcastle have now slipped to 14th place in the Premier League table, leading to audible frustration from the travelling fans. "I understand there's anger and frustration," Howe said in his post-match assessment. "I'm not blind to anything."

Despite having a three-week break to prepare for this fixture, Newcastle looked unable to sustain their intensity when it mattered most. "I always have to look at myself first," Howe admitted when questioned about the team's direction. "I always say that. I'm number one accountable."

The defeat is particularly stinging given Palace had played in Europe on Thursday and benched stars like Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Frenchman eventually came on to turn the game on its head, scoring twice in the final 14 minutes.

Howe attempted to spark a reaction from his squad by making six changes to the starting line-up, dropping stalwarts Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier.

Most notably, the Magpies boss opted to hand William Osula a start over £124m strike duo Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. "I don't pick the team based on transfer fees," Howe explained when asked about the omission of the expensive summer signings. "I pick the team based on what I see".

At first, the gamble appeared to pay off as Osula scored the opening goal, but the team's inability to see out the result remains a major concern.

Newcastle have now dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season. If they had secured just half of those squandered points, they would be sitting level with Manchester United and Aston Villa in the race for a top four finish.

With a difficult run of fixtures ahead, including against league leaders Arsenal and a resurgent Bournemouth, Howe knows he must block out the noise regarding his position. "A couple of games ago we beat Chelsea away and beat Manchester United and you sit here off the back of a disappointing run and the outside noise is to change everything," he said. "Sometimes you have got to believe in what you do but, of course, we have to execute it better."