Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren has had to fend off questions about dressing room bust ups as is the case with every other team that is struggling in the Premier League.

The club are still winless under the new manager, who came on as the replacement in the summer. McClaren has previously disappointed in his roles at Premier League and Championship clubs. It seems like more of the same at Newcastle, who suffered an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat against newly promoted Watford during the weekend. The team showed no fighting spirit throughout the 90 minutes and McClaren is already fighting to remain in the job.

There have been allegations of problems in the dressing room caused by Cheick Tiote, who is currently injured. McClaren has dismissed those concerns by saying that he is someone who knowsTiote extremely well even from his days at FC Twente. Despite strengthening the squad immensely over the summer, Newcastle look to remain in the relegation dogfight towards the end of the campaign. Keen to avoid this, it has been suggested that the club must invest more in the upcoming January transfer window. McClaren, though, just wanted to concentrate on the club’s upcoming game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Prior to this league outing, they also have a game against lower league opposition Sheffield Wednesday.”There’s been no problem with Cheick. He’s not a bad egg at all.I know Cheick well, I obviously had him at Twente and he’s no trouble. He doesn’t cause trouble, he just wants to play.Papiss is Papiss, and he goes around with a smile on his face. That’s the culture that he’s got.We haven’t seen enough of Cheick. He hasn’t been right. He hasn’t been able to build up his fitness, but I know Cheick well and I couldn’t be any stronger in terms of saying that he’s not any trouble,” said McClaren.