Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will begin the search for reinforcements this week after seeing his side squander the chance of a top-10 finish.
The Magpies were within seconds of ending their first campaign back in the Barclays Premier League in ninth place when West Brom midfielder Somen Tchoyi completed a hat-trick and an unlikely comeback by the Baggies.
Pardew's disappointment was tempered by the knowledge that the 46 points which saw them finish in 12th place was a more than creditable return, but admitted it served to illustrate the need for adding quality to his squad this summer.
He said: "I thought the game reflected the season for us - we were brilliant at times and we were rubbish at the end.
"We have had that kind of game - one minute we are great, then we go away and we don't really look too much of a threat.
"That's the inconsistency that we need to eradicate and quality players bring consistency. That's usually been the rule."
Newcastle raced into a 3-0 lead with just 47 minutes gone when Steven Taylor - with his third goal in as many games - Peter Lovenkrands and Jonas Olsson's own goal appeared to have secured the points.
However, West Brom's response was concerted and when Tchoyi struck after 62 and then 72 minutes, the fightback was on.
The finishing touch came in the final minute of the game when Tchoyi dived to get his head to Olsson's cross and snatch a point.
Pardew said: "It was a funny game. We ended up 3-0 up and I am not sure we deserved to be 3-0 up at that point - there were a couple of big errors from them.
"Although I am disappointed, I am trying to keep myself in the zone of saying it's been a great effort this year, and we mustn't get away from that."
West Brom boss Roy Hodgson was understandably delighted with the point, which meant his team finished a place ahead of Newcastle, whom they followed out of the Coca-Cola Championship 12 months ago.
He said: "It's good, we more than matched Newcastle - 50,000 people every week, a football-crazy city.
"We have to share the football craziness with two other big clubs. Here really, it's a footballing monopoly for Newcastle United.
"One was surprised they were relegated, not surprised when they bounced straight back up and I think everybody would have been surprised this year had they gone down, quite frankly.
"They would have been less surprised if West Bromwich Albion had gone down, so the club, the players, the staff and in particular the fans, they deserve a really big pat on the back for lifting us out of the mire and even up to a quite elevated position.
"If our goal difference had been even half-reasonable, we would have finished in the top half of the table."
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