Steve McClaren 'angry' after Newcastle defeat in Capital One Cup
Thursday 24 September 2015 13:45, UK
Steve McClaren wants his Newcastle players to come out fighting against Chelsea on Saturday after seeing them humbled by an under-strength Sheffield Wednesday.
The Magpies suffered a 1-0 home defeat in the Capital One Cup by a Championship team who had made 10 changes from their previous match, leaving their head coach saying the club was nearing a "crisis".
The former England boss has only three wins in his last 21 games as a manager and with only four in all competitions in 2015 with the Magpies.
McClaren said: "Is the job harder than I thought? Absolutely. Without a doubt. People say it's a crisis and it's getting very close to it. We deserve to be criticised."
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Asked how embarrassed he was after a result that was roundly booed by the home supporters, he added: "I've been in football too long to be embarrassed. Angry, disappointed.
"Things like that can happen in football, we said that beforehand, and yes, it's a very disappointing result and evening for everybody.
"We have said to the players, 'You can't feel sorry for yourselves. You have got to come out on Saturday and be a fighter or a victim', and it's one or the other, and we can only have fighters on there now.
"We say how far do we have to go before we turn it around, because the players are capable of doing that. We can't talk about it, we have to do it.
"There's not a lot you can say. There are no excuses - back in the morning, Chelsea Saturday, it's the fighting mentality we need.
"We were solid and looking for that quality that would open things up and get us that first goal, but it didn't come.
"We are still trying - that's the story of our season so far. We are getting in the areas but there's not enough scoring and that's creating a nervousness and that's getting through to the players and the fans and that's affecting our performances."
McClaren, who was pilloried as his reign as England manager drew to a close, admitted it was a tough situation but remains convinced he and his staff will get things right on Tyneside.
He said: "That's football. This is, for me, a challenge. We have got to start using our experience now, and we have got that. We have got to find the solutions. Mentally, technically, tactically, we have got to find the solutions.
"It's in that dressing room, we have got to find it and we have got to find it quickly."
