Steve McClaren says Newcastle United are the most frustrating team he’s worked with. “We’re in a scrap and we’ve got to start joining in”.
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With Fabricio Coloccini out injured tonight, McClaren is set to hand the captain’s armband to January signing Jonjo Shelvey.
“That inconsistency is a character flaw we have got to put right”.
“We go from one extreme to the other, so the home truths have been there all season”.
Newcastle United boss Steve McClaren admits that his relegation-threatened side are the “most frustrating” team that he has ever managed.
They can move out of the bottom three above Norwich City and Sunderland with a draw at ninth-placed Stoke.
“The players are on board in all of this”, said McClaren.
The form points to a home win here and the fact that three of Stoke’s last four home defeats of the Magpies have been to nil, combined with the stat that the teams’ last four meetings have produced just four goals, makes backing a home win to nil and -2.5 goals appeal at 21/10 and 3/4.
Overall, Newcastle are back in good shape – and will welcome back a number of players from injury, although they will still miss one key individual.
“One week we’re looking very strong, but then the next week we’re looking like we’re going to concede a lot so it’s a mentality thing. It’s about having courage”. “We should be winning more games than we’re doing and that’s been the message for the last 18 days”.
Ryan Shawcross (back) is not yet ready to make his comeback and Charlie Adam (calf), Glen Johnson and Marc Wilson (both knee) also remain sidelined.
With Steven Taylor set to be accompanied by the inexperienced Jamaal Lascelles – or possibly Paul Dummett, who could shift in from left-back – in central-defence, McClaren accepts it will be a huge challenge to keep out a Potters side containing Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan and Marko Arnautovic.
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“We’ve talked about character attitude and fight and realising the position we’re in before it’s too late. He’s (Shelvey) certainly been vocal, and we’ve lacked that, especially away from home”.
