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Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini
Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini has denied reports that players fought with each other on the bus back from their disastrous defeat at Leicester.
Newcastle were beaten 3-0 at the King Power Stadium and the result dropped the club to within two points of the Premier League relegation zone.
Rumours have been circulating all week that the frustration within the camp led to blows being exchanged on the way back from the East Midlands.
Thousands of Toon fans have boycotted recent games and earlier this week Coloccini was forced to write an open letter to supporters apologising for recent poor results and calling on them to back the team in their fight to avoid relegation.
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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