Jose Mourinho's sacking should be a warning to other managers - Newcastle's Steve McClaren

STEVE McCLAREN says Premier League managers should learn a "lesson" from Jose Mourinho's continued public criticism of his players.

 



Steve McClaren's Newcastle face Arsenal, Manchester United, West Ham and Watford in January

 

McClaren admits he is having to "paddle like mad" to keep his struggling side afloat but, when reminded that Mourinho belittled his players in public, the Newcastle manager said: "Just before he left? That may be the lesson.

"I've been quite honest in terms of whether performances have been good or bad but I will never fault these players as long as they give 100 per cent effort and they have done that."

McClaren has tried to put on a brave face after a disastrous festive period which has seen his side held at home by rock-bottom Aston Villa before losing twice in the space of three days to Everton and West Brom.

 

They face league leaders Arsenal on Saturday in danger of becoming entrenched in the relegation zone along with Villa and Sunderland.

McClaren's instinctive reaction to Newcastle's current plight is to insist everything is under control and the second half of the season will be far better than the first. But within minutes of announcing that alarm bells are not ringing, he quickly changed tack.

Asked if he was worried by Newcastle's third-from-bottom position, he said: "No, there are 19 games to go. It would worry me if they [the players] weren't giving attitude, effort and weren't being bright around the place, weren't playing as committed as they are, weren't creating chances as we are, playing the football we are.

 

"We are just not getting the results from that and it will have to turn."

Shortly afterwards when pressed on his apparent calm, McClaren compared himself to a duck, floating serenely while having to work furiously under water.

"Believe me, under the surface, I am paddling like mad," he said. "But we have a little bit more information than everyone else. We know what we have got and what we are trying to do. We feel we are getting there after a tough start."

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