Report: Newcastle staff, senior players in training ground row

There's been a tiff on Tyneside.

Newcastle manager Steve McClaren directed some scathing criticism at his squad at training this week, with skipper Fabricio Coloccini bearing the brunt of the gaffer's ire, according to Sky Sports.

McClaren allegedly unleashed his tirade with the backing of his coaching team of Paul Simpson, Steve Black, and Ian Cathro, and had a stand-up row with several members of his squad, questioning their commitment.

According to Sky Sports, the incident occurred after senior players were moaning about a refereeing decision from the weekend. Rather than let his squad complain about their plight - the Magpies currently sit a disappointing 17th in the Premier League and were overwhelmed 3-0 at home to Leicester City last Saturday - McClaren instead shared a few "home truths" about what he perceives as a lack of determination, effort, and responsibility.

His captain, the veteran Argentine, was singled out for particularly harsh criticism by the former England boss, who reportedly told his team that being a footballer was as much about "bottle and will to win" as it was about skill.

The aggression did not spill over into a fracas, but McClaren will hope his hard-line tactics on the Darsley Park training pitches will spark a response in Newcastle's next match at Crystal Palace on Saturday.