WHILE it is deemed lucky to mark the turn of the year with a first foot, Newcastle ended 2005 cursing a broken one. In many ways, the anomaly was apt. During 12 months of considerable under-achievement, fortune has been in short supply on Tyneside.

So too, though, have style and success, two traits Newcastle fans covet more than any other. While Graeme Souness is right to bemoan Michael Owen's broken metatarsal as a dreadful end to a dreadful year, he should not ignore the way in which a limp 2-0 loss at Tottenham provided a succinct summation of the last 12 months.

Injuries are generally unavoidable in football - defeats, on the other hand, are not. That 2005 has been characterised by a number of the former should not excuse a year of stultifying stagnation that also included plenty of the latter.

Last New Year's Day, Newcastle were 14th in the Premiership after a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. Twelve months on, and the Magpies have climbed three places. It is progress of a sort but, given that last season's campaign also included a run to the last eight of the UEFA Cup, it is difficult to argue that any significant forward steps were taken in 2005.

Instead, the Magpies have become mired in mediocrity, with Saturday's two-goal defeat underlining just how far away from being the finished article they remain. Tottenham represent the bare minimum of Newcastle's ambitions - European contenders who readily admit they are still in the early stages of their own rebuilding campaign - but the weekend's defeat highlighted the vast gulf that separates the two sides.

Given Souness' vast financial outlay last year, that gulf should not exist. The Scot spent £49m in 2005 - a figure that is only beaten by Chelsea - and, as yet, there has been precious little return for that money.

Injuries, as he rightly points out, have not helped. In the last 12 months, 18 different players have suffered a problem severe enough to sideline them for at least two weeks. It is a damning statistic, and one that has clearly affected Newcastle's performance.

Owen became the latest player to add his name to that list on Saturday - or at least he would have been had it not already been on it following the hamstring and groin injuries that have blighted his brief United career - and the innocuous nature of his breakdown merely emphasised the fickleness of football.

The striker was going nowhere when he chased an Alan Shearer flick-on on the stroke of half-time and became crushed between Paul Robinson and Anthony Gardner. When subsequent X-rays showed a broken metatarsal on his right foot, the same could be said of Newcastle.

The Magpies have taken just six points from the nine Premiership games the striker has missed this season and, with his absence likely to extend well into March, the next two months could prove especially arduous. Not that the last 12 have been any easier.

"I suppose it's been an 'annus horribilis'," said Souness. "Other things have happened to go along with the injuries and, looking back, it hasn't been a good year for me at all. I'm certainly glad to see the back of 2005.

"We've had a pretty poor year when it comes to injury. In many ways, what has happened to Michael is the absolute icing on the cake. For that to happen to us on the last day of the year just about sums up what's happened in the preceding 364. It couldn't have been any worse for us.

"The injuries have been a trend that have run right throughout the year. Whenever it has looked like we've been turning a corner, another problem has come and stopped us in our tracks.

"The loss of Michael is a massive blow. Without taking anything away from any other player, Michael would be the one person you wouldn't want to be without. You can be on the back foot in games and he will snatch you a goal. That puts a whole different complexion on the match."

Owen's injury undoubtedly overshadowed everything else that happened at White Hart Lane, but it should not excuse the overall paucity of yet another poor performance.

Even allowing for last year's extensive injury list, it is difficult to avoid the nagging feeling that too many Newcastle players are either not good enough or not committed enough to take the club forward.

In attack, the Magpies remain totally reliant on Owen's predatory instincts. Without them for the next two months, it is difficult to imagine where the goals are going to come from.

That might not be too much of a problem if things are watertight at the other end but, Newcastle being Newcastle, that is unlikely to be the case.

Two more elementary errors proved to be the downfall on Saturday, with Titus Bramble misjudging Mido's flick-on to allow Teemu Tainio a clear run on goal and Celestine Babayaro failing to clear his lines after the break, thereby setting up Robbie Keane for a left-wing cross that Mido was able to convert.

"Individual mistakes are costly," admitted Souness.

"You either score goals through someone making a mistake or someone doing something out of the ordinary.

"We conceded two goals through individuals not doing their jobs properly.

"That's something we can talk about and work on, but the players have to be confident. They have to take the responsibility when it comes their way. We didn't deal with that responsibility very well."

All of which brings us to the midfield.

With the exception of the sublime Scott Parker, who was immune to criticism yet again, Newcastle's midfielders seem unwilling to take responsibility in either an attacking or a defensive sense.

Amdy Faye has slipped back into his old routine of utter anonymity, while Nolberto Solano has shown little of the flair that made him such a firm fans' favourite during his first spell at the club.

At least he remains committed though. The most galling incident that occurred on Saturday came before kick-off.

While the rest of his team-mates warmed up on the pitch, Albert Luque had to be told to get up from the bench to join them.

He did so, under duress, but proceeded to sulk his way through the first 45 minutes on the sidelines before doing exactly the same during the second half on the pitch.

For £9.5m, Souness has the right to demand at least a semblance of effort. Once he gets that, perhaps he can turn his attention to lady luck