Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren believes the club are
not "bonkers" but admits a move to Tyneside can be a culture
shock to some players.
McClaren and Co. are sitting in the Premier League relegation
zone after 15 games, adrift of safety on goal difference ahead of
their trip to Tottenham on Sunday.
Some of Newcastle's off-season signings have struggled to
adapt to football at St James' Park this season, with Aleksandar
Mitrovic left on the bench for the club's last two Premier League
fixtures.
But McClaren has come to their defence and admitted it is not
easy for some players to settle in quickly.
When asked if allowances had to be made for players arriving at
a "bonkers" club, McClaren replied: "That's a bit harsh! You
don't work inside it, and it's not so bonkers inside. It looks it,
though, doesn't it from the outside?
"A lot of players have been here longer than I have, a lot of
them. We only introduced five, I think, and we always said that
it would take time for them to adapt.
"And in terms of the job and adapting and blah, blah, blah, it can
take the first half of a season to do that. I fully expect us to be
stronger in the second half than we are in the first half.
"It's not an easy football club, as you and we all know, but
that's the situation that we're in. I think the players know that
and I think those new ones are coming in and adapting to that. I
think it can be a culture shock to them."
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