His opposite number, Jose Mourinho, criticised his players after making a sluggish start.
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And when Georginio Wijnaldum doubled the advantage it looked as though the points were secure.
Newcastle were in control of the game as the excitement began to peter out, and you would have been forgiven for thinking that that was that, but cue the Chelsea comeback.
“We have to make sure that we’re like this every single game against every team”.
He said: “Mitro and I felt comfortable together”.
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He added: “I am both relieved and disappointed”.
It is yet to be seen whether he has improved since then and the ex-Reds midfielder thinks he might never get back to his predatory best.
“I stated before we have come in here and are changing a lot of things and it is hard”, said McClaren.
“The fans reacted to that, and it was a shame to throw a two-goal lead away, but you can’t complain about a finish like that from Ramires”. “I do not understand it and I do not accept it”.
With Manchester City slipping up earlier in the day, the Blues’ title defence was back on.
The goal was Perez’s first of the season and only the fourth that Newcastle, who were second from bottom of the table prior to kickoff, have managed in seven league games this season.
“But I said to them when we have that attitude and character and show courage to play football we can go on from this”.
“I remember one at Middlesbrough in 2005, 2006, something like that, we were losing at half-time 3-0, so we have had a few”.
Jose Mourinho’s relief was evident after his late substitutions turned the tide of the match but the late success will not match a dreadfully underwhelming first half performance from the champions. I put it down to bad individual performances. There were too many poor individual performances.
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Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will return from his three-match ban for Saturday’s visit of Chelsea to St James’ Park. But this is their problem.
