STEVE McCLAREN has told Newcastle United supporters that there is more pain to come as he tries to transform the fortunes of a club struggling to emerge from last season’s nightmare.

After losing Alan Pardew at the start of the year and the subsequent battle to beat the drop which went down to the final day, McClaren’s aim in his first nine months in charge is to put smiles back on the faces of players and fans.

But after failing to win any of his opening five league games in charge he finds himself leading a team occupying 20th position in the table ahead of this afternoon’s visit of Watford.

There have been encouraging aspects to some of Newcastle’s performances this season but there was strong criticism of the display at West Ham United on Monday when a Dimitri Payet double condemned McClaren’s men to defeat number three.

Rather than try to paper over the cracks, the former England boss admits it will take time to bring brighter times back to St James’ Park as he looks to gel new and old signings after a summer of more than £50m worth of investment.

“Don’t think it is going to be rosy all the way,” said McClaren. “We didn’t expect that. We don’t want to talk about last season coming in. But we have to learn about the team, the new signings have to come in and learn about the Premier League and it has been sometimes two steps forward, one back, one forward, two back, in the first five games.

“We expected this. It is painful. The biggest thing that disappointed me on Monday was the reaction to the second goal. The previous four games we fought like cat and dog for 95 minutes. After the second goal, for 20 or 25 minutes, there wasn’t the reaction we wanted or expected.”

McClaren knows he has been afforded more money during a single transfer window than any other manager under Mike Ashley’s ownership, but he was never expecting huge things from his first six weeks in charge.

That is why he was not completely surprised at Upton Park on Monday, when Newcastle struggled to make inroads towards the Hammers’ goal.

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 has been very good ... 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.”

Newcastle’s transfer policy over the last few years has been to bring in young continental imports with the potential to see their value soar. Critics have questioned whether McClaren should have added proven Premier League players during his spending spree instead.

He said: “The policy of the club is not going to change. We are going to sign young talent whether that is here or abroad. I think it is a young team, one of the lowest average ages. It is a young team and I think that showed in the second half on Monday. What we have to do is make that team grow up.”

He added: “My missus says that (grow up) to me every day! It is the same with football. I cannot say it is consistency. That is the key thing.

“Look, we have had five games, and the only time I have really been upset was 25 minutes after the second goal at West Ham, we reacted well after the first.

“It could have been a different story had the keeper not made a great save from Daryl Janmaat. But 2-0 was the only time, I had been angry. I did not hammer them afterwards but my foot is killing me!”