Get the latest NUFC transfer and takeover news straight to your inbox for FREE by signing up to our newsletter Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Steve McClaren believes he “compromised too much” at Newcastle United and should have demanded more control - as well as the recruitment of an experienced centre-back and a proven goal-scorer last summer.

The 55-year-old took charge in June 2015 and he believes the Magpies were relegated because the “mentality” of the players ensured they only performed against the Premier League’s top sides, rather than on a consistent basis.

He was sacked in March and replaced with ex-Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez.

Former England boss McClaren accepted the job with the title of ‘head coach’ and, though he was officially a member of the board, he struggled to exert his influence over transfers.

Last summer, McClaren asked for the club to sign Charlie Austin as a striker and to recruit either Michael Dawson or Richard Keogh as a centre-back.

Instead, he was given inexperienced forward Aleksandar Mitrovic and the ageing Fabricio Coloccini on an extended deal in defence.

And McClaren accepts he put himself in a weakened position from the beginning by failing to demand control.

“I’m frustrated with my time at Newcastle and especially with the way it ended,” McClaren told BBC Radio 5Live's Sportsweek.

“I went in with my eyes open and I knew the situation I was getting myself into, but the mistake I made was that I compromised too much.

“You have to go in and lead and manage.

“I compromised too much especially early on, instead of saying: ‘We need this, we need this, we need this.’

“They’ve gone down because we conceded too many goals and didn’t recruit centre-backs, and we didn’t recruit enough strikers, we had injuries and bad luck and the main thing is the mentality.

“The mentality of the team was that they would play well against top teams, but they couldn’t win the games they should have won against the lower teams.”

Benitez succeeded McClaren in March and was given the title of ‘manager’ rather than ‘head coach’.

Crucially, in his redrawn contract Benitez has been handed total “control of all football-related matters”, including transfers - something which McClaren insists is a must following his own ill-fated spell at St James’ Park.

McClaren added: “They’ve decided to go with Rafa Benitez and I hope they’ve allowed him control of everything...

“Most importantly he can control recruitment and maybe change the policy of the time which was only recruiting players under 25 and I think that restricted the recruitment process.

“You need experience and that wasn’t possible, and I think with Rafa being in there he will be allowed to take control.”