Ian Walton/Getty ImagesAlan Pardew could only watch on helplessly as Newcastle suffered another away defeat on Monday night at Fulham.

Newcastle's loss at Fulham Monday night means it is now 222 days since they last won an away game in any competition -- the 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge last season was their last victory on the road. Fourteen games in total.

Newcastle deserved more than the 2-1 defeat suffered but they certainly didn't deserve to win the game. In fact, Fulham have beaten Newcastle more than they have any other club in the Premier League era and that is something I struggle to understand since they're traditionally poor travellers and at home, Craven Cottage presents the least threatening atmosphere in British football.

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Alan Pardew needs to improve on his away record as Newcastle manager. In his two years at the club, Pardew has taken charge of 37 Premier League games away from home, winning only 10 (27 percent) while conceding 62 goals (41 scored). The record is even worse when you include cup competitions (21 percent and no away wins in any cup game inside 90 minutes -- 10 games).

Newcastle played well Monday. They kept the ball on the floor and applied more territorial pressure than they have in any other away game this season, but Mark Schwarzer didn't have a great deal to do.

Many Newcastle supporters feel aggrieved at leaving the game with nothing, but Pardew disagrees. In his postmatch interview, he said:

"I genuinely think that we have been a little bit unlucky at times but we can't argue tonight because that's a soft goal and we have no one to blame but ourselves."

The soft goal he was talking about was Fulham's second, but he could easily have been talking about either of their goals. Mike Williamson is the man who is always on the receiving end of criticism and he played his part in the first goal, but it is the defensive form of Fabricio Coloccini that concerns me.

Fulham's opener deflected in off the hapless Williamson, but it was Coloccini who gifted Fulham the ball in the first place when, instead of clearing, he attempted to control the ball and stumbled. Coloccini was equally culpable for the second goal when he was completely in the wrong position to defend against a Damien Duff free kick, allowing Hugo Rodallega to head home from 6 yards totally unchallenged. Colo wasn't faultless in the recent defeat at Stoke either, and Newcastle really need him to up his game. In fact, Newcastle also need to see big improvements from Danny Simpson, Williamson, Cheick Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez and Papiss Cisse as soon as possible -- more than half of the team.

In between the two Fulham goals, Hatem Ben Arfa scored a wonder goal, somehow lobbing the ball over a befuddled Schwarzer from the corner of the penalty area. Ben Arfa struggled at times after his recent spell on the sidelines, but his goal was a thing of wonder.

Coloccini almost pulled Newcastle level again, but his curling shot hit the upright and deflected back out.

The best player on the park tonight wore a Fulham shirt -- childhood Newcastle fan Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian also wore tights and gloves despite the temperature being on the right side of zero. At kickoff time in his home town of Blagoevgrad the temperature was -13C! I'd have thought tonight would have been fairly tropical for him, but then he is a modern-day footballer.

The positives

Newcastle played some good football and this was one of their better away performances this season.

If they keep playing like this away from home, an away win can't be too far away.

Tim Krul was excellent -- he pulled off two great saves and had little chance with either goal.

The negatives

222 days since Newcastle last won away from home.

The form of too many of the players is a big concern. Only two players were missing from what Pardew would consider his strongest XI tonight.

The defeat leaves Newcastle in 14th place with only 16 points from 17 games and a very tough schedule ahead, including three of the next four games being against Manchester City (H), Manchester United (A) and Arsenal (A).

Newcastle might find themselves going into Saturday's game with Man City only two points away from the relegation zone.


The positive signs were there tonight though, particularly in terms of playing style.

Twitter: @MarcSDuffy

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