by Our Sports Desk

UNDER-PRESSURE Newcastle boss Steve McClaren claimed yesterday that a single win would turn around a season which is threatening to spiral out of control.

The 54-year-old saw his fledgling reign at St James’ Park suffer another body blow on Wednesday night when Championship side Sheffield Wednesday dumped the Magpies out of the League Cup.

McClaren has insisted that his plan would take time to implement, but fans battered into submission by years of underachievement are rapidly losing patience.

With Chelsea heading for St James’ on Saturday ahead of a trip to current Premier League leaders Manchester City, the chorus of disapproval could yet grow in volume, although McClaren is adamant that victory over Jose Mourinho’s men would dramatically change the situation.

McClaren said: “Do we fear it? Do we say we don’t want to play in that? We have got to. We have got to get people ready for Saturday, ready to fight, and one result turns it around.

“You have got to say and you have got to believe — which I do — that could be Saturday.”

A win over Chelsea may well have the desired effect, and the Blues have lost on each of their last three visits to Tyneside.

However, those Newcastle teams, whatever their failings, could score goals. This one, at least at the moment, cannot, and seemingly it cannot defend either.

That can be laid at the feet of owner and zero-hours billionaire Mike Ashley and his policy of buying cheap players of questionable quality.