Defender DeAndre Yedlin tries to stay positive after Newcastle United's Watford mauling

Impressive Watford beat Rafa Benitez’s side 3-0 at St James’s Park on Saturday, and could have won by a bigger margin.

Luckless ex-Sunderland loanee Yedlin was credited with an own goal as the Tynesiders succumbed again, following losses to Manchester United, Bournemouth and Burnley.

The American defender was given a torrid afternoon by Marvin Zeegelaar, who set up Will Hughes’ opening goal and delivered the low cross that Yedlin turned past Rob Elliot to make it 2-0.

Andre Gray scored a third goal for the dominant visitors in the second half.

Asked if it was his worst day as a Newcastle player, Yedlin said: “It’s probably up there.”

Yedlin and his team-mates are trying to “stay positive” ahead of tomorrow night’s trip to managerless West Brom.

“It’s very hard to after a performance like that, but it’s what you have to do,” said the 24-year-old. “We are going to have drops like this, so you have to try to stay positive and bounce back.

“We have a game on Tuesday, so in that sense we can try to move on quickly.”

On Newcastle’s losing run, which has dropped them to 14th place, four points above the drop zone, Yedlin added: “I don’t really know what it is. I just know we need to bounce back on Tuesday.”

Yedlin says Benitez’s players were “angered” by their own performance against Watford. “I’m not going to walk out of here with a smile on my face,” he said.

“As a player, if you win 10 in a row and you lose one, or you lose ten in a row, you’re still going to be angry when you lose. It’s the nature of the game.

“We’re a team, so we’re going to take losses as a team and we’ll have to move forward from this as a team.

“We have to stay together, not just as a team but as a club, the fans as well.

“That’s what this whole club is built on. We have to make sure we stick together during this rough patch and come through it.”

Benitez does not expect to have any more players back from injury for the West Brom match, though Isaac Hayden is set to replace Mohamed Diame after serving his one-match ban for five bookings.

Midfielder Mikel Merino returned from a back problem against Watford. However, Christian Atsu (thigh), Jamaal Lascelles (ankle) and Paul Dummett (hamstring) remain sidelined.

Newcastle: Elliot, Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diame (Merino 69), Murphy (Perez 77), Gayle, Joselu (Mitrovic 69). Subs not used: Aarons, Mbemba, Darlow, Gamez. Booked: Shelvey

Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Kabasele, Britos (Prodl 52), Femenia, Hughes (Carrillo 84), Doucoure, Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Richarlison (Pereyra 79), Gray. Subs not used: Janmaat, Watson, Capoue, Karnezis. Booked: Zeegelaar, Prodl. Goals: Hughes 19, Yedlin 45 og, Gray 62.

Att: 52,188. Ref: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire).