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Russell Martin has provided a unique insight into how teams should prepare for an away match at Newcastle United.
The Magpies moved to within three points of securing Champions League qualification with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Sandro Tonali gave United the lead after just two minutes when he robbed Romeo Lavia of possession before advancing into the box to convert Jacob Murphy’s cross. Nicolas Jackson was sent off for Chelsea for an elbow on Sven Botman before Bruno Guimaraes made sure of the result in the 91st minute.
Russell Martin on preparing for an away match at Newcastle United
Analysing the game from the Match of the Day studio were former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy and Russell Martin, who was manager of Southampton when they visited St James’ Park on the opening day of the season.
Although Newcastle won 1-0, despite playing over an hour with 10 men, the Saints did successfully frustrate their hosts and came close to getting a result.
And Martin has suggested he tried to prepare his players not just tactically but mentally too due to the challenges Eddie Howe’s side and the home crowd pose.
He explained: “The tactical preparation to go to Newcastle is very different from the mental or emotional preparation. You just saw a clip there of Cole Palmer receiving the ball facing his own goal and he gets hunted, gets fouled and the crowd celebrate it like they’ve scored.
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“This is what you are stepping into at Newcastle. If you’re going to play and not mix the game up and try and play forward a bit earlier to try and navigate the press early on, you need to play at maximum energy because Newcastle, with the whole crowd, you have to take energy away from them.
“That might be playing through them successfully once or twice but when Romeo Lavia doesn’t open his shoulders quick enough, doesn’t move with energy or intensity himself, he gets pressed and hunted and all that does is feeds the energy, the crowd.
“You have to take a bit of spirit away and a bit of energy and that’s through either hunting them in behind and scaring them a little bit so they don’t come with as much intensity the next time. Or you play so clean and so intense in the build-up.
“If Romeo Lavia opens his shoulders up a tiny bit earlier and looks at Tonali running, he maybe stops Tonali pressing or even just slows him down a little bit but the fact he doesn’t look, it’s absolute meat and drink to Newcastle as they are just going to run.”
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