The optimism surrounding the club has faded; the attractive football has dried up and the fans’ patience is wearing thin. This is the situation that Newcastle boss Steve McClaren currently finds himself in.
On the back of Newcastle’s woeful performance against Leicester City last week, Steve McClaren emphasised to reporters the importance of bouncing back with a good performance against Crystal Palace.
Reports then surfaced revealing ‘heated discussions’ between the players and staff regarding the performance against Leicester, with the majority of the criticism directed towards club captain Fabricio Coloccini.
When asked about the heated exchange, McClaren insisted it would prove to be a positive and that his side would bounce back.
“I would say I have had a great week on the training field,” McClaren claimed. “I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
“It’s been feisty, it’s been competitive, intense, energetic – really all the things we were lacking last Saturday, so it’s been a good week and I hope that preparation, we take into tomorrow’s game [Palace].”
Instead, the reaction of the players couldn’t have been worse, with the Magpies churning out arguably their worst performance of the McClaren era – a 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Whilst the Eagles played well and executed their game plan of exploiting lethargic left-back Paul Dummett superbly, Newcastle did not do themselves any favours. The players were not prepared to fight and seemed disinterested at times, as Bolasie and Zaha ran rings around them.
At half-time, Newcastle were 3-1 down and McClaren was forced to change something. He attempted to solidify the defence by bringing on Jamaal Lascelles for young Spaniard Ayoze Perez, which only nullified Newcastle’s attack.
The performance was reminiscent of the worst times under Alan Pardew and the majority of the time under John Carver – Newcastle were woeful.
The players were devoid of confidence and lacking a leader. Our captain, Fabricio Coloccini, was on mute and did not even react to the goals flying in, let alone spark a revival.
McClaren certainly has to accept a large portion of the blame for his lack of a Plan B, which was highlighted when he turned to Yoan Gouffran (who replaced Georginio Wijnaldum) as we searched for a way back into the game on Saturday. But, it is also about time that Coloccini accepts his share of the blame.
The fans have begun calling for Coloccini to be stripped of the captaincy but, unless an unlikely candidate emerges out of the blue, I cannot envisage a changeover of the captain’s armband effecting much. Surely, if any of the players within McClaren’s senior squad were better suited for the role and were natural leaders, we would notice them berating their teammates on a matchday? Instead, we witness the players trudge back towards the half-way line in silence after conceding.
Even if McClaren strips Coloccini of the captaincy, the Argentine is still likely to retain his place in the first-team alongside Chancel Mbemba, as Steven Taylor is currently sidelined through injury and Jamaal Lascelles has hardly received any game-time under McClaren.
The January transfer window is still a month away and Mike Ashley is reportedly unwilling to undergo another managerial change just yet, so the desperate change that Newcastle fans are crying out for could still be a long way off.
Newcastle currently sit in 19th place in the Premier League – two points from safety – and face Liverpool and Tottenham in their next two fixtures. The target of eighth place and a trophy seems a very, very long way away right now.
