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| Under fire Newcastle boss Steve McClaren during training ahead of the Liverpool clash |
TWO prominent members of Newcastle's barnstorming 90s side insist under-fire Toon manager Steve McClaren needs a new captain as a matter of urgency if his side is to avoid disaster and relegation.
Rob Lee and John Beresford, who clocked up over 550 appearances in black and white stripes after being signed by Keegan in 1992, believe the heartbeat of the side is fading.
And both have called on McClaren to replace Argentinian Fabricio Coloccini with a man capable of making it clear to his troops that a lack of effort or passion for the club will not be tolerated.
Both former players cited Brian Kilcline, Barry Venison and Peter Beardsley as three examples of superb club captains who lived and breathed the club.
"They were all different characters - Brian didn't play all the time, was pretty scary when you first met him but off the field and around the club he did not miss anything he was superb," said Lee.
"Barry was a brilliant captain who never stopped bawling and shouting on the pitch but could walk off and into the player's lounge and say well done lads - good win.
"Peter never said a word but never stopped running and led by example. He ran all over the place and people followed him. I don't see Coloccini as a leader - he doesn't lead people or inspire people."
McClaren, whose side are second from bottom of the Premier League going into tomorrow's visit from Liverpool, had heated exchanges with his captain on the training ground after the home defeat against Leicester on November 21.
But if it was an attempt to provoke a reaction it backfired with his side following up with a 5-1 defeat at Selhurst Park.
For Beresford, a lack of individual talent is not a problem with plenty capable of turning games, but team spirit, buying policy and a sense of togetherness are.
"I looked at that match against Leicester [Newcastle lost 3-0] and they work so hard for each other. You can see it. They have a few jewels like Jamie Vardy but not one person hides," he said.
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| McClaren has been warned to replace Fabricio Coloccini as captain to avoid relegation |
"I would be dumbfounded if they don't go out and socialise and that is important. We used to go out all the time and interact with the fans. There was a core of British lads but the foreign guys bought into it and saw how important it was.
"David Ginola didn't want to drink pints - he wanted to sit down with a quality red wine but he came out. Peter Beardsley was teetotal but still came out - for our pint!
"I don't see that sort of togetherness now. They are a team of individuals."
Both Beresford and Lee believe Newcastle's business in the transfer market has done untold damage to the club in the last nine years.
Despite a net £50million spend last summer, the average net spend remains low at just over £20million in nine seasons or around £2.5million a year.
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| Rob Lee and John Beresford believe the heartbeat of the side is fading |
To compound matters, the board policy of not considering players over 26 and largely from abroad has been catastrophic, according to Lee.
"You have to buy players who want to play for Newcastle not use it as a stepping stone to something better and by getting young foreign players you run that risk," he said.
"The fact that the board not the manager has been buying these players also compounds matters. The odd one has worked but they cannot keep living on the signing of Johan Cabaye as proof that this works.
"Sometimes I think these players don't actually know where Newcastle is. They fly in and out for the medical and they don't know it is cold, windy and it rains. It is a long way to every game and it is intense and passionate. If you lose a match or things are going badly you cannot lose yourself in Newcastle like you can in London."
Plenty of the current squad are finding it very easy to lose themselves on matchdays but Lee and Beresford believe jettisoning McClaren is not the answer despite the suggestions this week that he has just two matches [against Liverpool and Tottenham away next week] to save his skin.
"Steve McClaren is the right sort of fit for this club," said Beresford. "But he needs to find himself a captain who cares about the club like some of the great ones in the past and in January buy players who want to play for Newcastle not move on."
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