Coloccini denies bus fight between players
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Newcastle skipper Fabricio Coloccini has denied that players fought on the bus back from their disastrous defeat at Leicester.
The Magpies slipped to within two points of the Premier League relegation zone as a result of their 3-0 reverse at the King Power Stadium last Saturday, prompting a week of blood-letting on Tyneside.
Coloccini and his teammates held a no-holds-barred meeting on Monday in an effort to thrash out the problems which have contributed to a deeply damaging eight-game losing streak, and the captain later issued an open letter to fans pleading for their support.
However, he has moved to deny rumours which have been circulating this week that the frustration within the camp led to blows being exchanged on the journey back from the East Midlands.
Writing in his programme notes ahead of Saturday afternoon’s home clash with West Brom, Coloccini said: “The dressing room after the game was angry at the result and the performance.
“However, I have read things this week that said there was fighting between the players in the dressing room and on the bus. That is not true at all. Everything that was said was positive and constructive as everyone is trying their best to push the team back up the league.
“This week we have had a number of meetings between the players and with the staff at the training ground. Everyone has made it clear that they want to fight for this club to keep Newcastle in the Premier League.”
Head coach John Carver, who revealed on Thursday that he has to believe he is the best coach in the Premier League if he is to restore his squad’s shattered confidence, has taken much of the blame for a dreadful sequence of results.
However, Coloccini insists that responsibility lies with the players.
He said: “This situation is the fault of the players. We have put the team in this position in the league, we take responsibility for that and it is up to us to get ourselves out of it.”
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