Tim Krul tells Newcastle to be 'real men' as Chelsea await
Friday 25 September 2015 15:26, UK
Tim Krul has called on Newcastle's players to be "real men" and fight their way out of their early-season slump.
A home Capital One Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday marked a new low in the short reign of Steve McClaren, who admitted after the game Newcastle are "very close" to a "crisis".
McClaren is yet to oversee a Premier League win, and Newcastle's next two opponents are champions Chelsea and current leaders Manchester City.
But now is not the time to hide, according to goalkeeper Krul, who told the club website: "Everybody has to look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they gave everything (against Wednesday).
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"If not, they have to start straight away, because what we are doing at the moment is really not good enough. A couple of players put in good performances but there were also some really bad ones.
"Everybody needs to grow now. We need to come out and show we are real men. Chelsea and Manchester City are two massive games and we have to show that we've got the fight for it."
There were boos from some home supporters at the end of the Wednesday game, and Krul knows it is down to the players to keep the crowd on side.
He said: "We have to try and turn it around on Saturday against Chelsea, with 50,000 Geordies being that extra man that we really need right now. Hopefully they will give us the confidence and lift we need.
"We need them behind us but we need to show them something, too, and give them something to shout about. It's a two-way street.
"Saturday is a new game and we have to show the fans fight and passion, and everybody needs to put in a proper performance."
