Newcastle currently lie fifth in the Premiership, only one point adrift of Charlton who occupy the final Champions League spot. Newcastle play Charlton at the week-end in a six-pointer however.
United missed out on the chance to overtake the Addicks as they were defeated by yet another late away goal at Tottenham.
Late goals have been conceded this season at Birmingham, Blackburn, Portsmouth and Tottenham, resulting in a loss of 10 points.
However, thanks to other clubs slipping up regularly around Newcastle, the Magpies are still in contention for that final Champions League spot.
Speed told the Journal: "It's lucky that the league is the way it is this season or else we wouldn't even be in contention for fourth spot.
"In any other year we'd have been out of the race by now so we've got to thank our lucky stars that we still have a chance.
"It's only because everyone around us is slipping up that we can still achieve what we set out to do this season.
"We've let ourselves down this season and if we'd have played anything like we're capable of then we'd be well clear in fourth place.
"We might even have won the race for a Champions League spot already, but there have been so many times when we have conceded in the last five minutes.
"It's getting to be a bad habit now and it's happening too often. Whether it's a case of lacking fitness or lacking concentration I just don't know, but we have to stop that."
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