Comment by Lou Macari

DEAN Whitehead can be sure of one thing at Stoke – the Potteries faithful will give him more support than he seemed to be getting at Sunderland towards the end.

I was up there a few times last season and got the impression he wasn't about to win their player-of-the-year trophy.

On the last occasion, there were even a few boos when he came on as a substitute.

I found that strange because he's an honest kind of player and one who'd been around during the good times at Sunderland.

Perhaps they are now expecting a better class of player up there these days, but I can't say I saw too many falling into that category last season.

I can only assume it was a relief for him in the end to get out and come to a club where he should be better appreciated by the supporters.

Stoke fans love a committed player and, as long as he shows that side of his game, they'll give him every chance in the red and white stripes.

I understand he missed a great chance to score on his debut at Preston on Saturday and that might have prevented another pre-season defeat for Stoke.

That's four defeats in five games, but no-one should be losing too much sleep over that.
Of course it's nice to pick up a few results at this time of year and no-one likes losing, even in friendlies.

But it's all about getting the fitness right, not the scoreline, and working towards Burnley at home on August 15, not Preston away on July 25.

There is even an argument that you don't want to be winning all your games before the season starts because that can lull everyone into a false sense of security.

You almost want your players to make errors now to give them a timely kick up the backside before the real action begins.

Having said all that about pre-season results, you have to admit that losing 6-1 at Leyton Orient really is a scoreline to send a shiver down the spine of all Newcastle fans.

Anyone who thought that club was turning a corner might have to think again.

A dreadful result like that certainly makes you wonder about the attitude and morale of the players up there.

I've always believed in giving players as few excuses as possible for playing poorly.

But Newcastle players have them coming out of their ears as they fret publicly about who is going to own the club, who is going to be the manager and who is going to cut the
half-time oranges.

Does anyone think that Joey Barton, for instance, is really that worried about who the club's future owner is going to be?

Then there's Damien Duff going on about Alan Shearer being manager – the same Alan Shearer who failed to win a game at the back end of last season.

Talking about the next owner or manager is not a players' job – their job is getting themselves right mentally and physically so they can somehow try to justify their pay packet when the season starts.

Leyton Orient 6, Newcastle United 1 suggests they are failing that one dismally.