Going forward Newcastle need to take more of their chances as Newcastle could on been 2 up by the time Southampton scored but on another day it could of been a different story.
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Coloccini was named in the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year in 2011 after his first season as Newcastle captain, and has made 248 appearances for the Magpies.
And reflecting on the strike in front of the Gallowgate End, Wijnaldum said: “It was a really good start and that’s why I wanted to celebrate the goal with the fans”. New signing Chancel Mbemba’s tackling was excellent, although his partnership with Fabricio Coloccini looked less composed whenever they had to deal with crosses.
The Saints, whose manager, Ronald Koeman, missed the match, following surgery on an Achilles tendon injury, led through a 25th-minute header from Graziano Pelle, but Newcastle levelled just before the interval, when Papiss Cisse chested in from close range.
Then, in the second-half, the Magpies took the lead after Gabriel Obertan delivered a delicious cross, which Georginio Wijnaldum was able to meet with his head and score a brilliant debut goal. It was almost one to remember for all the wrong reasons.
While there was much to please McClaren in Newcastle’s performance, his experience will tell him there is still much work to be done to create a team equipped to challenge clubs like Southampton, who finished seventh last season. “He is only a young lad and is going to be a player, but we couldn’t have complained if he had got a red card”. “Most definitely”, McClaren said.
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“I’ve said to Lee Charnley, “wow, we’ve got to keep this guy”.
