Newcastle United boss Steve McClaren has insisted that his words on the training ground did have an effect on his players despite their 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
The Magpies had a "feisty" week of training in the build-up to their match against the Eagles following their 3-0 defeat to Leicester City.
Papiss Cisse put McClaren's men ahead early in the contest, but once James McArthur levelled for Palace the visitors unravelled at Selhurst Park, falling to a crushing defeat.
McClaren told reporters: "I definitely know we got a reaction from the players. The focus was there from the start of the game, the intent.
"But at the present moment when we get a setback we're not recovering quickly enough. It's definitely not ability, it's about doing the basics.
"It's tough, it might get tougher, but we're up for the fight."
Newcastle dropped into the relegation zone as a result of their defeat.
