JAMAAL LASCELLES has urged Newcastle United supporters to abandon their planned protests at forthcoming home matches, and claimed the ongoing campaign against Mike Ashley’s ownership is damaging the club’s prospects of arresting their poor start to the season.

Having signed a contract extension yesterday that commits him to St James’ Park to 2024, Lascelles used his scheduled press briefing to issue a rallying call for unity in the face of the mounting “negativity” that he claims is hampering his team-mates’ attempts to claim their first win of the season.

The Magpies captain defended Ashley, describing the controversial owner as a “nice man”, and railed against the off-field divisions that have become increasingly apparent over the last two months.

His words have not gone down well in some quarters, with a number of supporters immediately taking to social media to accuse him of taking the wrong side in what has developed into an increasingly bitter divide.

However, in his role as club captain, Lascelles felt compelled to speak out ahead of tomorrow’s home game with Watford, even it means turning some fans against him.

“When you’ve got the manager and the staff together, but then you’ve got Mike by himself, and then you’ve got the fans against Mike, and then you’ve got the media putting stories in, it’s just a big mess,” said the centre-half. “Everything’s separate.

“It affects the chemistry inside the changing room. When I first came to the club, as a young lad, I saw that there was a group of French lads, a group of Spanish lads, a group of English lads and a group of other lads over in the corner. It felt like it stayed that way, it wasn’t one.

“I think you can relate that to what’s happening now. Without different little cliques, I do think we would be a much better club. Without all the negativity and bad energy - we need to change that.”

In particular, Lascelles would like to see an end to the protests and demonstrations he feels are proving counter-productive with Newcastle stranded in the relegation zone.

Last month, the Magpies Group, a collection of various supporters’ organisations, announced a series of events aimed at increasing the pressure on Ashley, whose attempts to sell the club have so far proved unsuccessful.

A pre-match protest in front of the Milburn Stand is planned ahead of tomorrow’s game with Watford, and fans are attempting to garner support for a full-scale boycott of the home match against Wolves on December 9.

Lascelles understands the source of the supporters’ frustrations, but is strongly opposed to anything that could create a negative atmosphere and adversely affect the players’ attempts to haul themselves out of the bottom three.

“In anything, the only way things will run smoothly is if everyone sticks together,” said Lascelles. “I do understand the frustration, I get it. But I also know how powerful the fans can be, and how infectious they can be when they get behind us, getting us going. When I look up and see my flag up in the stand, it makes you think, ‘Wow’.

“I’m not saying it’s the fans’ fault at all. A few times, they might sing about Mike Ashley, which they’re entitled to do, that’s completely fine. But, as players, it makes an impact when they’re always behind us.

“The fans are entitled to sing and say whatever they want, I understand that. However, as players, I also know how rallying they can be when they’re behind us 100 per cent for 90 minutes.

“I’m not saying they can’t say what they say and can’t do what they do. But other players who come to St James’ Park, when I speak to them before or after the games, they’ll say the atmosphere here is unreal. When we played Tottenham, they said how tough a start it was going to be because they knew they had to come to St James’ Park. It ain’t because they’ve got to face us – it’s because they’ve got to face the fans.

“I’ve only been here for four years, so the frustration probably goes on a lot longer than I know. It goes a lot deeper than I know. But the message I’d out is, ‘I understand the frustration, the expectation of Newcastle to be in a better position than they are, but at the same time, you’re a Geordie, you’re from Newcastle, you’re born and bred Newcastle, just keep doing what you love. Stick with us. Stick with the club’. That’s all I’d say.”

Lascelles met Ashley in person for the first time during last month’s now infamous team meal at an Italian restaurant in Ponteland, and while he did not discuss financial or recruitment issues with the Sports Direct owner, he was impressed with his general demeanour.

“It’s the first time I’ve met him, and I think he’s a nice guy,” said Lascelles. “We were sat around the table, having some food and a couple of drinks, and he just seems like a normal person. We just talked about normal stuff, as men to men. That’s what we did.”

Lascelles’ decision to extend his contract underlines both his confidence that Newcastle will survive this season, and his desire to be a major part of the club’s future. It was also reached despite the ongoing uncertainty over Rafael Benitez’s future beyond the end of the current campaign.

“Having worked under him, to be honest I don’t get any sense of there being any uncertainty about him not being here,” said Lascelles. “I don’t really sense that. All I sense is we’re a group of players, this is what we’ve got, this is the manager we’ve got, this is the owner we’ve got, we’ve got to get on with it. We need to get on with it as players now.”