McClaren wants more of the same from spirited Newcastle

REUTERS – Manager Steve McClaren called for more of the same after Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to put some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone, but stopped short of describing the win as a turning point in their season.

Newcastle travelled to White Hart Lane buoyed by their morale boosting 2-0 defeat of Liverpool a week earlier and notched their first back-to-back wins of the season when they downed an in-form Spurs team 2-1.

Spurs, who were on a club record 14-match unbeaten run in the Premier League era, took a first-half lead through Eric Dier before McClaren’s decision to bring on strikers Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ayoze Perez turned the game on its head.

Mitrovic equalised with practically his first touch before Perez sealed the win with a stoppage time volley to take Newcastle into 15th place in the table, two points clear of the relegation zone.

“We need more performances like that,” McClaren told reporters after the game. “We have been inconsistent.

“It’s answered the critics we have had over last four weeks and it was a great performance in the second half and a great result.

“That is what we are, a bedrock of discipline and hard work. We have talented players and they know how to win. We just have to do it consistently.

“But we haven’t turned the corner yet.”

The Newcastle manager also hailed the character of his players, who trailed at the interval, but showed the spirit and determination to fight back.

“There have been so many times when I have gone in at halftime and the dressing room has been silent,” he said.

“I was angry at the goal but the players were fabulous at halftime.

“It was so vocal, such a determination in the players not to go down the same path as they usually do.

“We haven’t had back-to-back wins for over a year and to do it was immense.”

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)