STEVE McCLAREN thinks there was an air of inevitability about Newcastle United’s defeat to West Ham United on Monday as he tries to develop a team worthy of climbing up the Premier League.

The Magpies boss is gearing up for the visit of Watford to St James’ Park tomorrow knowing he could do with enjoying his first league victory since taking over from John Carver in June.

Newcastle, who have invested more than £50m in the playing squad since he took over, have shown signs of improvement during his short time in charge but the defeat at Upton Park brought criticism from fans, media and pundits.

And McClaren was not surprised by the defeat at West Ham, suggesting it was a matter of time and that he has to try to get more out of a team still struggling to deal with the fall-out from last season.

He said: “We have had five games. Two were with ten men. Generally, in four games our attitude has been spot on. Some of our play, some of our battling ... then Monday!

“In the process of a new team, and new players in the Premier League, in the process of trying to change things around in a football club, and during that process, it is a little bit like a car crash, you know it is going to happen, and you can’t do anything. You just wait for it to happen.

“There are six or seven things we have had to go through. The key to Monday was how we reacted after the second goal. We reacted to the first goal and recovered. The reaction to the second was a disappointment.

“The second goal, for 20 minutes until (Ayoze) Perez and (Siem) de Jong came on and (Rolando) Aarons, when we lifted it, before it was a disappointment.”

McClaren plans to mix things up a bit for the game with Watford, which could see a change in the centre of midfield where Vurnon Anita and Jack Colback have played together.

There are no fresh injury problems, with Steven Taylor still out with a hamstring problem and Cheik Tiote has felt further pain in his knee so will not be included once more.

Mike Williamson, Paul Dummett and Emmanuel Riviere are also sidelined and Aleksandar Mitrovic is suspended.

McClaren also revealed that goalkeeper Karl Darlow faces a scan on an ankle injury he has sustained during training this week. It is unclear how long he will be ruled out for at this stage.

He said: “We have a good squad. There’s been lots of talk about the new players. We don't know our best team yet. It has been tested defensively, but not in terms of creating chances.

“I am tempted (to change it). Certain individuals are below par, not 100 per cent all the time. Every performance is important. In this league you can't take a day off.

“In a transition period like we are in you will have this: some terrific performances and then not a very good one.”