Newcastle United’s season is going from bad to worse.

The Magpies have been in roundly terrible form in recent weeks and have not won a game since December.

They have lost all of their last five games and it has seen them slide down the Premier League table to 16th.

They are still six points clear of the relegation zone but their next five games include clashes with Everton, Southampton, Chelsea, and Manchester United.

It is difficult to envisage them picking up too many points there, then, and one has to wonder if they will try to strengthen Steve Bruce’s squad ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

The club have kept their powder dry in January, like much of the Premier League, but Michael Brown, a former Premier League midfielder, does not think the club has any money, even if they did want to bolster Bruce’s ranks.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He’s got no money, there’s no money mate, no money whatsoever.

“Listen, it’d be a big help for Steve, any player he can get in is going to help the situation.

“The supporters need to go: ‘This is where we are now. We need a little bit of stability until the end of the season and then let’s review it then.’ It’s not going to help the situation at the moment.

“A couple of players back, a couple of new additions, it would be like three or four players for them.”

Bruce has previously claimed that “one or two things are bubbling away” but it remains to be seen if the club will be able to get anything over the line before Monday.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Bruce really does need backing.

Newcastle are not enjoying a good season at all, and are in bitter danger of falling into a relegation battle.

If they are to avoid that, the manager needs to be given the funds to strengthen and to ensure that the club are not left to merely float into mediocrity.

Of course, it could be argued that, while the famously tight-fisted Mike Ashley is in charge, there will never be a war chest for the manager to spend.

But at least having some funds in order to be able to go shopping would be a massive boost to the former Manchester United defender.

Without it, he can only do so much.