Newcastle United have made the daunting trip to the Stadium of Light a little bit easier thanks to a fantastic bit of initiative from staff.
Sunderland are still unbeaten at home in the Premier League this term, while Newcastle have not travelled well this season.
This is what we live for! Forget the nerves – I’m now asking you how many goals Newcastle will WIN by today?
🎵 Don't you know, pump it up, the Toon have won the cup
HOWAY THE LADS!
How the big Tyne-Wear derby will go could well come down to Newcastle’s mentality before the game. We’ve seen some encouraging signs, like inspiring social media posts, Eddie Howe giving the players a day off, and fighting words from Anthony Gordon.
But, the Newcastle staff setting up base at the Stadium of Light went one step further and made a gesture that will have really got the players motivated prior to kick-off.
Newcastle players given rousing message before game
As per a report from The Chronicle, staff who got to the ground beforehand made sure the away dressing room was kitted out with signage to remind the Newcastle players exactly who they are.
Newcastle badges adorned the dressing room and the door, while a sign simply saying “Get into them” was the last thing the players saw before they walked out for kick-off.
Bruno Guimaraes knew things would be hostile at Sunderland, on the pitch and in the stands, but the Magpies were clearly keen to make the most of the one space they were able to control.
It all aligns with Eddie Howe’s message before the game, where he spoke about the history of the club and what this derby means to everyone.
- READ MORE: Ryan Taylor says he doesn’t like what people are saying about Sunderland ahead of Newcastle clash
You can pick one player to score the winner against Sunderland on Sunday, who are you going for?
It would be great for Wissa to get his first Toon goal, but imagine the scenes if Bruno scores!😍
What Eddie Howe said about Stadium of Light atmosphere
The Newcastle United manager said a lot about the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light before the game, and explained how his players can get a foothold in the match by unsettling their opponents and the fans.
He said: “I think that’s [the bus ride to the stadium] part of it, it’s all part of the game. It’s part of what we have to manage, but we’ve seen all that many times before. It’s part of the excitement of the games.”
“You want to be the ones that go there and impose yourself on the game and quieten the crowd, use the crowd to our advantage. All these things we’ll look to do.
“If you don’t get the arousal levels right, if you hype the players up too much, then you can go out and not perform because you’re overthinking things, you’re not playing the game, you’re playing the atmosphere.”
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