Just as it seemed a corner might have been turned at Cardiff - it wasn’t.

Injuries and suspensions are still a problem but to play the left-footed and slow Matt Taylor at right back was asking for trouble.

And when you saw the rest of the back four was made up of the equally tortoise-like Roger Johnson, James Collins and Ratzvan Rat, you just knew the writing was on the wall.

Now don’t get me wrong, Newcastle are a decent side but we made them look like Brazil of the seventies and as soon as they worked out how frail our backline was they grew in confidence.

Two goals came in quick succession, first for Yohan Cabaye who provided a neat finish into the bottom corner having been afforded far too much time and space, then Loic Remy, with woeful defending once again allowing him to waltz into the six-yard box and tuck the ball past Adrian with consummate ease.

To say Newcastle could have been five or six up at half-time is not exaggerating. West Ham were that poor - but who was surprised? We’ve been that poor all season.

Despite all that, we undeservedly got back into the game on the stroke of half-time.

After a hopeful cross from Rat was chested down by Carlton Cole and the attempted clearance by Newcastle centre half Mike Williamson, coupled with Cole’s persistence, ensured the ball squirmed past goalkeeper Tim Krul and it was 2-1.

The apparently unsettled Ravel Morrison was introduced for the perennially peripheral Jack Collison at the start of the second half and despite our woeful defence looking like it could concede at any moment, we still managed to carve out two glorious chances which you cannot afford to miss at this level.

First was Taylor, perhaps deciding attack was the best alternative to a non-existent defence, who burst clear and laid it on a plate for Carlton Cole who somehow managed to miss from yards out.

Substitute Andy Carroll should have done a lot better when blazing Stewart Downing’s cross over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Then just to rub it in, Carroll gave away a needless free kick for a clumsy foul on Hatem Ben Arfa right at the end and Cabaye stepped up to score.

Allardyce can point to injuries all he likes but just two home wins all season won’t mask the fact we simply aren’t good enough.

But do the owners think so? The lack of urgency in the transfer window suggests not.