Newcastle 1-2 Watford
by Roger Domenghetti
at St James’ Park

STEVE McCLAREN dismissed talk of a crisis after seeing his Newcastle team slump to a 2-1 defeat at home to Watford — but he did admit his team was still struggling to find its identity.

“I’ve seen enough in the first four games — the attitude and the spirit,” said McClaren.

“There’s enough in that squad not to panic, to stay calm and keep working. We just need to find a way to win. Can we be free-flowing? What kind of identity have we got?

“We’re searching for the best team and also for the best identity within the personnel that we’ve got.”

But McClaren’s apparent identity crisis is perhaps of his own making. It seems odd to buy players and then try to work out the system that best fits them as opposed to creating an ethos and buying players that blend in to that.

There were no such problems for Watford, who opened the scoring through Odion Ighalo after just 10 minutes.

It was as much down to Newcastle’s inept defending as Watford’s attacking flair. Massadio Haidara carelessly conceded possession to Almen Abdi on the right wing before the centre backs parted like the Red Sea.

Ighalo and Newcastle’s defence were at it again 18 minutes later when Troy Deeney easily won the ball under a weak challenge from Fabricio Coloccini before teeing the Nigerian up for his second.

Newcastle showed more in the second half but it speaks volumes that right-back Daryl Janmaat, who grabbed Newcastle’s goal after a neat one-two with Moussa Sissoko, was also their best attacking player. His goal meant that Newcastle moved off the bottom to be replaced by Sunderland. A small consolation.