Newcastle United head coach Steve McClaren feels a "feisty" week in training has helped his players get over the loss to Leicester City.
The Premier League leaders won 3-0 at St James' Park last weekend, piling the pressure on Newcastle ahead of the meeting with former manager Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Captain Fabricio Coloccini has been one of the players singled out for poor performances and he reportedly feuded on more than one occasion with McClaren at training this week.
But when asked if the Argentine remained his captain, the ex-England boss said: "Absolutely. We have had a great week on the training pitch. Feisty, competitive, energetic, all the things we lacked last Saturday.
"I love feisty sessions and that is what we got. I got the message across and it was just what we needed.
"We explained why we lost. For three days we sorted it out. It is one of those weeks coaches like, we needed it and the energy shown is what we want from them.
"We didn't do the basics last Saturday. We had done for four games and got seven points - we had shown spirit against Bournemouth.
"We have had a setback and the performance was not up to normal standards of attitude, organisation or discipline – the basics. We have to get it all back.
"There have probably been three or four occasions I have been disappointed with the attitude. I had not seen it for a while. We talked about it.
"Communication and leadership is part of it. That is what we have tried to get across.
"I hope we take all that preparation into the game."
Newcastle are 17th in the table with only two wins from their 13 Premier League matches so far.
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