 |
| Yannick Bolasie scored twice in the win |
STEVE McCLAREN’S swear box went out of the window last week.
Now he is in danger of also making a sharp exit.
Newcastle’s manager lifted his ban on his players using swear words following a dreadful run of results.
Now the pressure is on him after they took a 1-0 lead only to be hit by all-firing Palace, anxious to erase the memory of being beaten by Sunderland on Monday.
Two goals from Yannick Bolassie, one from his pal Wilfried Zaha and James McArthur’s double got Palace rolling again.
More pressure on McClaren, whose side look in freefall after conceding three goals at Leicester last week. Now it is eight in two games.
Many believe McClaren is a dead man walking at a club that has a history of being trigger-happy. Will he survive Christmas?
It’s not that Newcastle are a poor side. But they do lack a leader – on and off the field – to lift heads when the going gets tough. It showed yesterday.
Newcastle took the lead but you always felt they were on borrowed time and when Bolassie and Zaha got their speedy act together it was only a matter of time before Palace took over. They knew where to hurt and Newcastle had no answer to their pace.
Palace scored twice in three minutes after Newcastle had taken the lead two minutes earlier.
 |
| James McArthur scores his sides opening goal |
History had Newcastle being odds-on for victory, having not lost to Palace in 11 previous meetings, although they had failed to score in their last three matches – just like Palace.
Early skirmishes went either way, giving hope to both teams, and Newcastle were first to make the breakthrough.
Daryl Janmaat breezed past Jason Puncheon and put in a deft cross for Papiss Cisse to beat the offside trap and head home.
Palace levelled three minutes later when James McArthur’s shot from the 18-yard line rocketed off the back of Newcastle defender Paul Dummett and into the net, leaving keeper Rob Elliot totally wrong-footed.
The fireworks continued when Bolassie put Palace ahead with the third goal four minutes later, driving home after Connor Wickham and Zaha carved open Newcastle’s defence.
Palace deservedly added a third in the 41st minute when Wickham crossed from the left and Zaha cleverly arrowed his shot downwards and into the net.
Bolassie scored his second and Palace’s fourth a minute into the second half, touching home after Delaney had headed on Yohan Cabaye’s free-kick.
From then on it was virtually all Palace and when McArthur plundered their fifth in added time, following Bolassie’s mesmerising run, it was just gloss.
They didn’t really need to move up a gear to record their biggest league win of the season.
Newcastle manager McClaren admitted he’s under pressure to save his job after listening to the Toon fans vent their anger and frustration.
He said: “I can understand how they feel. I’m absolutely hurting. Not so much for ourselves but for the fans. We’re in a relegation fight.
“We knew this was a tough job but it’s getting tougher by the week. We’ve got 25 games to go.
 |
| Steve McClaren admitted he is under pressure |
“We know we’re in a relegation battle but it’s about coming through adversity and bad times, getting stronger, showing character, mettle, determination and fight. That’s what you learn through adversity. We’re not handling adversity very well. We all have to come through it but there’s no one more determined than myself to come through it.
“I’m hugely disappointed and very hurt. That’s not our standard, that’s not what we want to see from any of my teams.
“People won’t be patient, absolutely not. It’s football, it’s the Premier League and there’s no patience possible. There’s no magic wand that you can instantly change this group of players.”
Palace’s former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew said: “There’s no extra satisfaction. It’s difficult to talk about the opposition because I love the staff, the players and the fans there. I hope fortunes turn for them.”
Crystal Palace: Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Cabaye (Lee 73), Puncheon, McArthur; Zaha, (Jedinak 69) Bolassie; Wickham (Bamford 89).
Newcastle: Elliott; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Dummett; Anita, Colback (de Jong 70); Sissoko, Perez, Wijnaldum (Gouffran 70); Cisse.
Ref: S Attwell.
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus