Matchday With The Manager – Counteracting Newcastle's Atmosphere

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Matchday With The Manager – Counteracting Newcastle's Atmosphere

A positive start could be crucial to Leicester City's chances in Sunday's Premier League visit to St. James' Park to tackle Newcastle United, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-04-17T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Counteracting Newcastle's Atmosphere

A positive start could be crucial to Leicester City's chances in Sunday's Premier League visit to St. James' Park to tackle Newcastle United, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-04-17T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Counteracting Newcastle's Atmosphere

A positive start could be crucial to Leicester City's chances in Sunday's Premier League visit to St. James' Park to tackle Newcastle United, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-04-17T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Counteracting Newcastle's Atmosphere

A positive start could be crucial to Leicester City's chances in Sunday's Premier League visit to St. James' Park to tackle Newcastle United, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-04-17T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Counteracting Newcastle's Atmosphere

A positive start could be crucial to Leicester City's chances in Sunday's Premier League visit to St. James' Park to tackle Newcastle United, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-04-17T06:00:00.000Z

Coming just three days after the euphoric highs of Thursday's 2-1 win at PSV Eindhoven – booking a semi-finals tie against Roma in the UEFA Europa Conference League – Rodgers' in-form side travel to the North East to face a rejuvenated Newcastle outfit under Eddie Howe's guidance.

Aided by the returns of key players, including centre-back duo Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans, Leicester have showcased more consistency to their game over recent weeks. James Maddison and Ricardo Pereira struck in the Netherlands in midweek to secure the Club's first-ever European last-four appearance.

Back in December, meanwhile, the Foxes were 4-0 victors over Newcastle at King Power Stadium. Much has changed at St. James' Park since then, however, with Howe bringing in Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimarães and Dan Burn, alongside the loan signing of Matt Targett, to strengthen the side.

"Lots has changed, it’s a different dynamic," Rodgers said on Friday. "We played well. We scored good goals on the day and kept a clean sheet, but every game’s different in the Premier League. We’ve got to bring an intensity to the game and in the game there’ll be moments of pressure you’ve got deal with.

"It’s a great stadium to go and play in. I’ve always loved going there with teams. The pitch is normally great, so you can play your football, but you know, at moments, you’re going to have to be able to cope with the pressure.

"I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in intense atmospheres around the world and I’ve always said it is the one ground where you want to make a good start. If the crowd get behind the team, you feel it roll down the stands.

"It’s a great atmosphere to be involved in and it means everything to the people of Newcastle. They love their football, they’re passionate about it, and they give all of that to the team. You have to be able to handle that."

Howe is best known for his heroic work at AFC Bournemouth where, over two spells in charge on the south coast, he led the Cherries from the depths of the fourth tier to the Premier League. Managing Newcastle into a new era, however, represents an altogether different challenge for the 44-year-old.

"I think he’s done great," Rodgers explained. "He did a remarkable job at Bournemouth over two stints. Obviously, it was a great opportunity to go into a huge club and I think he’s done terrific. The window was massive for them and they signed some really, really good players.

"You can see the style he’s trying to impose on them. They’ll look to get through to the end of the season and continue to develop that and then pre-season will be an opportunity for him to strengthen the squad and add more to what he’s started there.

"He’s done a fantastic job in the short period of time he’s been in there and brought in some really good players. Dan Burn’s a brilliant signing for them. He’s a local guy who knows the club and the area and he’s been really, really impressive, for me, when he was at Brighton.

"Guimarães, when he played for Brazil against Bolivia in the international break, he scored a great goal. He looks like a player that’s going to really affect the team on top of the loan players they’ve brought in as well.

"The supporters are amazing there, they get really behind the team, they always make it difficult at St. James’ Park. We have to be ready for a difficult game."

With the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Luke Thomas, Harvey Barnes and Hamza Choudhury all involved with the Club's first team, on the other hand, Leicester City's Academy continues to be a rich source of talent. Rodgers believes that will only develop further at LCFC Training Ground.

"The academy systems across the board have produced some really talented players," the 49-year-old added. "We’re seeing the benefits of that. That’s the job of the Academy, it’s two-fold; it’s to produce a player for your first team, or to provide an investment to the Club.

"Not everyone can be a Premier League player, but if you can give a player who’s just not quite ready for the Premier League an opportunity to go and play elsewhere, you’re doing your job.

"We’ve got an incredible facility, some very good young players and it’s the culture I’ve tried to create coming into here for the last three years. We’re talking about building this mindset and developing the Club, so in the last three years, we’ve reached three semi-finals, we’ve been in two finals – the FA Cup and Community Shield – and so we’re creating a mentality of winning and achieving.

"That’s something you build up through time. As a football club, we’re very young in terms of experience, especially in European football, but how we grow and develop, that is what you do every day. You create that culture and mindset.

"We’re in a world-class training facility, one of the best in the world, and it’s always about what you do inside of that."

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