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Newcastle Coach: Players weren’t ‘at it’ and didn’t believe they could beat Swansea

9 years ago
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In a rather worrying statement, Newcastle United’s first team coach, Paul Simpson, has stated that he doesn’t think that the players really believed they could beat Swansea last weekend.

In advance of Manchester United on Saturday, Simpson says that this has to change for Newcastle to have any chance of getting a result.

The first team coach also says that the players weren’t ‘at it’ when they faced Swansea, which was a major reason why they were ‘punished’.

However, McClaren’s coach says that the players have bounced back and had ‘a wonderful week of training’.

Let’s hope so because despite that Yohan Cabaye inspired win two seasons ago, Newcastle’s record at  Old Trafford is woeful.

As for that Swansea match, yes they finished 17 points above United and have now won six of the last seven meetings (the other a draw) but the team need to give themselves a shake, if they honestly went to the Liberty Stadium not really believing they could win.

It doesn’t inspire confidence for those not quite as daunting visits to the Etihad, Emirates, Anfield and…Old Trafford.

Paul Simpson speaking to Newcastle United’s official TV channel:

“We went to try and play football against them, unfortunately they showed what a good side they are and we didn’t – you have to take that on the chin.

“We learnt that if you are not quite ‘at it’ in any game in the Premier League, you will get punished. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you go, you will be punished.”

Wonderful week of training:

“We have had to dust ourselves down, we had a tricky journey home – a disappointing journey home, but we have had a wonderful week of training.”

Believe:

“We have got to believe, we have got to go there (Old Trafford) believing, that was a big thing that disappointed us because we don’t know whether the belief (at Swansea) was 100% – like we felt we could go and get a result.

“Everybody has to have a 100% belief that we can get a result, because I don’t think we did that at Swansea.”

What the fans thought of the team’s ‘efforts’ – see the player ratings by supporters HERE

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