Newcastle United legend Malcolm Macdonald is convinced of a dressing room split inside Alan Pardew's squad.

In one camp are Argentine duo Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez.

In the other are Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse, with Hatem Ben Arfa desperate for an end to the Toon war.

Macdonald told the Daily Star: "I'm just telling it as I see it and it's like a slow-motion car crash before my eyes.

"There's no communication on the pitch. Players aren't looking out for each other. There's no team spirit.

"It's like a disease eating away at the club and it's spreading like wildfire.

"It's a nightmare. Excuses are being made without people pin-pointing what's really gone wrong.

"It seems to me as if there's a battle going on between the French and Spanish - speaking players.

"I'm seeing things on the pitch which don't add up. I saw Gutierrez come in from wide left into centre midfield and stand by Cabaye as if he was man-to-man marking.

"Cabaye gestured to get back to the left and Gutierrez ignored him. So Cabaye just shrugged his shoulders and went out to play on the left.

"That was the first indication that something was seriously wrong.

"I'm just seeing people not getting on.

"You don't have to like each other. But you go out on that pitch and treat everyone the same."