Newcastle United's new owners remain hopeful that they can add additions to Eddie Howe's squad before it shuts on January 31st - as they try to remedy the impact of Mike Ashley's 14-year reign.
While Amanda Staveley has thanked Ashley - and with good reason - many times in recent months for sticking with the financier's takeover bid, it is clear that the Sports Direct founder's management of the club is still creating problems.
The game with Watford was for most a must-win - and it ought to have been. The Hornets coming to St James' Park having lost their last seven games across all competitions and unable to keep a clean sheet - with St James' Park rocking, it was set up perfectly for United.
In typical style though, United failed to take the opportunity in front of them - a win would have taken them out of the drop zone at the expense of Watford.
Having gone ahead early in the second half, Newcastle reverted to type-inviting pressure from Watford who inevitably scored very late on to draw the game level.
It was a second half of concerning elements - a lack of leadership, drive and game management, while players were guilty of careless mistakes and giving the ball away.
Now some, and rightly, asked questions of Howe's decisions, but the majority understand that any manager who came would in have struggled to get the side winning.
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That doesn't excuse only one win in his first 11 games and an exit to Cambridge in the FA Cup, but there are bigger elements at play here other than what's happening on the pitch.
This run of form - and poor performances - is a consequence of Ashley's ownership of the club and it is now coming home to roost.
Howe has improved the players; their fitness is better, they're covering more ground and until the previous two outings looked much more effective in attack, but it was always going to take more than a few extra training drills to get the club going.
In truth, Howe's predecessor, Steve Bruce, was a victim - in some part - to Ashley's years of underinvestment, and ironically, it's shown by this fact: eight of Newcastle's XI that faced Aston Villa in February 2017 (Bruce was in that away dugout) are still in Newcastle's first-team squad today - 3 starting against Watford, and another two on the bench.
From the squad that Aston Villa brought to the North East that day, only one remains - Conor Hourihane, who is currently on loan at Sheffield United as hasn't played for Villa since November 2020.
Now that's no disrespect intended to those United players who remain - Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Ritchie, Jonjo Shelvey, Dwight Gayle, Paul Dummett, Isaac Hayden and Karl Darlow - but it does reaffirm the job that Staveley and those leading recruitment have on their hands.
It's not simply a task of improving the squad with one or two signings, the very fact many of those listed were brought in to get the club out of the Championship and yet six years later remain an integral part of the Toon squad shows that it's very much a root and branch job for those in the boardroom.
Those close to Ashley always maintained that the club had not been allowed to stagnate but when you consider those listed above have collectively played 70 times this season already, and the last centre-back bought in was Fabian Schar in August 2018 - it's hard not to disagree.
Ashley's approach to the transfer window has played a huge part in United's current predicament which in turn is proving troublesome when persuading players to sign-up.
Those players have served United well - but it's becoming increasingly apparent that the squad is well below the standard needed to complete.
Ashley may have played a big part in ensuring United became the richest club in the world but he's left the new owners with the unenviable task of rebuilding from the bottom up - and time is not in their favour.
