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Opinion

Steve McClaren: Siem de Jong – We can rebuild him

9 years ago
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Steve McClaren has insisted that Siem de Jong isn’t a lost cause and that he is simply ‘building up to get that chance’.

The Newcastle Head Coach believes that missing pretty much all last season is ‘catching up with him’ and that is why it is taking so long to get to the ‘right tempo/level’.

The supporters have became increasingly sceptical as to the likelihood of ever seeing the Dutch midfielder regularly playing, with the general perception being that Newcastle got him on the relative cheap because of ongoing injury concerns.

Siem de Jong only started one league match last season and 16 the year before in Holland.

Including his absence this past weekend at Swansea because of an unspecified injury, it is now nine different periods of time in the past two years where de Jong has been out injured/ill.

With two collapsed lungs, groin strain, hamstring (x3) and thigh injury (x2), it is no wonder the midfielder has felt the after effects.

In pre season, Siem de Jong said he was struggling to rediscover that burst of energy/turn of pace and certainly the pre season friendlies back that up. Whilst his ten minutes plus injury time against Southampton – he looked to have less energy than the players who had been on the pitch all game.

It would be a massive help if he could show the form for Newcastle that he did for Ajax in Holland but for now, I think it is best both we and Steve McClaren forget about him for the moment and just hope the player himself can climb his way back to full fitness without any expectation of first team involvement.

Steve McClaren:

“He (Siem de Jong) can assist and score, those two things are a big weapon to have and he is going to be a big asset for us. I remember when he came here, I remember thinking what a good signing that was.

“He has yet to light the place up but that is purely because of injuries and he is just building up to get that chance.”

Going to take a while:

“I think Siem has found that year out catching up with him and he is going to take a while getting to the right tempo and right level…

“But we can see it every day, that he is improving, getting better – he can see that too.”

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