Newcastle have picked up one point since the end of February. An eight-game losing run was punctuated with a home draw against West Brom, who’ve had nothing to play for for a little while now. Oh dear. And to make matters worse, here’s a few things to have reportedly happened behind the scenes at the club ahead of a weekend that may see the Tyneside club drop into the Championship:

• Out-of-contract players such as Ryan Taylor, Jonas Gutierrez and Sammy Ameobi haven’t been told whether they have a future at the club or not.

• Big name players such as Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran expect to leave the club regardless of which division they end up in.

• Finance chief and board member John Irving has quit the club in controversial circumstances.

• John Carver has been battling his corner after attending a charity gold day.

• Club captain Fabricio Coloccini will not speak to the media ahead of the weekend’s game.

• Protest group AshleyOut.com are set to stage an in-stadium protest.

• Non-playing staff fear job losses should they be relegated.

• The club unveiled their new home shirt this week, however, within hours it was out of date after kit sponsor Wonga rebranded its logo.

The gift that just keeps on giving. All of the above give the impression that Newcastle are unravelling, which is far from ideal with a relegation crunch weekend looming. If Hull can beat a Manchester United team with nothing to play for at home, Newcastle need to pick up a point against West Ham – managed by Sam Allardyce, and he’ll be motivated to get one over on his old side.

Although the odds are in the Magpies’ favour, by the end of the day on Sunday they could be down. Although such a state of affairs would be far from perfect, there may be some silver linings to the cloud… and here are FIVE.

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Mike Ashley may sell up…

AshleOut

Newcastle United Football Club is basically a giant advertising tool for Mike Ashley. The Sports Direct logos plastered all across the once hallowed St James’ Park insult the memory of an illustrious team, while every drama provides exposure for Ashley’s ‘brand’.

Attempt to charge media companies for access to players for interviews illustrated the desire for Newcastle to be a cash cow for the owner, but the milk could run dry in the Championship.

No disrespect to the second tier, but the level of attention is somewhat lower than the Premier League, which is far from ideal for the club’s owner.

Get rid of the deadwood

Gouffran

Relegation comes hand-in-hand with the offloading of big money stars. The likes of Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran are likely to head away regardless of the club’s fate, and other big names stars whose wage demands and ambitions are way above Championship standards may join them.

Although the losses of players of international calibre may seem like a negative, it’s clear that the levels of motivation behind the scenes on Tyneside have dipped to a worrying level, so perhaps a shake up is needed.

Can give youngsters a chance

Aarons

While highly-paid and underperforming stars are currently occupying first-team roles, Newcastle have a crop of exciting youngsters waiting in the wings. Rolando Aarons is being touted as a rising star at the club, while Adam Armstrong is also a player local fans appreciate.

A few of the Rangers loan brigade may also get chances, with Haris Vuckic having been tipped for a bright future for some time.

May actually win some games…

Carver

Newcastle have not won a game since February. Such a run of results – eight since have been losses – is far from fun for fans, who, credit where it’s due, have continued to support their side.

Although the Championship is a step below the Premier League, the North East side may actually be able to win some matches! Claiming points and getting on a run of results breeds positivity, so maybe a feel good factor could return…

Chance for a rebuild

Newc1

Southampton are a fine example. The Saints dropped as low as League One, but from the destruction a well-run and prosperous football club has been born.

As the old saying goes, you cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, so perhaps dropping away and having a rethink could be good in the long-term.

The foundations are in place for Newcastle to be a great football club.