Even McClaren can’t bear
STEVE McCLAREN has not got too much right during his turbulent nine months as Newcastle boss.
But in his darkest hour, the head coach pinpointed why his miserable Magpies are in the mess they are.
“Only a few can come out and say they have the character to handle that,” he said of an expensively assembled hotchpotch of a team who made Bournemouth look like world- beaters.
He was right. Two hours before kick- off, the players released a bizarre statement insisting they were right behind McClaren.
What that statement did not mention – apart from any names – was that they were carrying knives ready to stab him in the back. This performance was down and out. web. For Newcastle to survive this season – and most fans who turned on McClaren have already given up on that – January signing Jonjo Shelvey will play a dominant role. But there will be casualties and fall- out along the way.
Shelvey glared at team- mates, screamed at them and pointed accusing fi ngers in their direction. Some cowered, others froze, few answered his angry rallying call. But McClaren feels some now need to be bullied into a response.
“I am afraid that is exactly what I want,” he said of his acting captain’s enforcer act. “It is exactly what they have to handle and put up with because that’s what 52,000 are doing.
“That is the message I am sending into the dressing room. Handle what is said. The criticism. Fight it. Don’t drop heads, keep going. Body language has to be better and show supporters you’re up for the fi ght.” Up for the fi ght? Hardly. As if the Toon’s non- performance wasn’t bad enough, a team who had seen fi t to send their statement to Sky Sports earlier skulked out of St James’ Park without any of them seeing fi t to apologise for this third defeat in a row.
It could have been even worse. Bournemouth’s opener may have been fortunate – Josh King’s cross defl ecting in off Steven Taylor – but they were the team that wasted chances. Two minutes before King added a second in the 70th minute, the ground reverberated to the sound of home fans calling for McClaren’s head.
Ayoze Perez’s goal did not spark a rousing fi nale – not from this lot – and by the time Charlie Daniels twisted the knife, resignation had replaced revolution.
Eddie Howe said afterwards this was one of the fi nest days in Bournemouth’s history and could even afford to laugh at the fact their brilliance would be a footnote to their opponents’ woes.
“That’s the least of my worries,” he said. “But I am really proud of my players and what they have given the club and how they represent themselves.
“We are going to enjoy this moment. It is historic for us. Is it