‘We’re doing the right things’ – Steve McClaren confident he will turn Newcastle’s fortunes around

Steve McClaren has urged Mike Ashley not to panic, insisting he will turn Newcastle's fortunes around.

McClaren has endured a nightmare start to his St James' Park reign, with Saturday's capitulation at Crystal Palace leaving the Magpies second from bottom in the Premier League.

The 54-year-old, however, claims his side are 'doing the right things' and is convinced it is just a matter of time before they find form.

"I think that's the key thing, that there's no panic," said McClaren when asked if continued backing from Newcastle's board would prove pivotal to Premier League survival.

"If there were eight games to go then people would, but we're not.

"And that's where experience tells. We know we're doing the right things every day, we know we're doing the right things, I know through experience.

"Everybody knows and everybody can see that. In time that will turn around and work, at the present moment it's not, we're having huge disappointments that I hope will toughen us up and make us stronger in the long run."

Newcastle have won just two of their 14 games this season and conceded eight goals in their last two games alone.

McClaren remains defiant they will turn things around, but accepts his squad is currently lacking pride and togetherness.

"The players have to learn quickly," he said. "The players aren't doing it for each other at the moment.

"Sometimes it's not about me, it's about each other. And that's a team.

"When you're playing, you've been a coach or a manager, the dressing room is about peer pressure. It's about pride, working for each other and not letting down the man next to you.

"At the present moment we've not got that."

McClaren refused to discuss his January transfer window plans, insisting plotting mid-season signings would still be premature at this stage.

"Well we can't do that," said McClaren.

"At the present moment the next games, Liverpool, then Spurs, then after that then after that - we've got games before January.

"And we need to get to work and start winning games. We're in a relegation battle, and we've got to make sure that we're right into that.

"The players lose heart easily: it's not rocket science, everyone can see it and that's what's happening.

"We're getting setbacks and we're not reacting well enough, and that's what we need to turn around. The players have their own individual motivation and we have to draw that out.

"We have to stay calm, keep doing the right things and keep delivering the right messages and keep saying 'you've got to do this, you've got to do that'.

"We lose when we stop doing our jobs when disappointment hits us. We can't have that: you've got to keep, keep, keep, keep, keep doing your job."