‘Change The Momentum’ - Van Nistelrooy’s Hopes For Newcastle Clash

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‘Change The Momentum’ - Van Nistelrooy’s Hopes For Newcastle Clash

Monday night’s visit of Newcastle United provides another opportunity to try and produce an improved showing on home soil, according to Ruud van Nistelrooy.

2025-04-07T07:00+01:00

by Sam Jones

Published

07 Apr, 2025

‘Change The Momentum’ - Van Nistelrooy’s Hopes For Newcastle Clash

Monday night’s visit of Newcastle United provides another opportunity to try and produce an improved showing on home soil, according to Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Sam Jones

2025-04-07T07:00+01:00

‘Change The Momentum’ - Van Nistelrooy’s Hopes For Newcastle Clash

Monday night’s visit of Newcastle United provides another opportunity to try and produce an improved showing on home soil, according to Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Sam Jones

2025-04-07T07:00+01:00

‘Change The Momentum’ - Van Nistelrooy’s Hopes For Newcastle Clash

Monday night’s visit of Newcastle United provides another opportunity to try and produce an improved showing on home soil, according to Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Sam Jones

2025-04-07T07:00+01:00

‘Change The Momentum’ - Van Nistelrooy’s Hopes For Newcastle Clash

Monday night’s visit of Newcastle United provides another opportunity to try and produce an improved showing on home soil, according to Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Sam Jones

2025-04-07T07:00+01:00

A run of seven successive defeats without scoring have left us in a difficult position in the Premier League table, sitting 19th and requiring a big swing in momentum to begin climbing towards safety.

Ahead of Eddie Howe’s side arriving on Filbert Way for the 8pm BST kick-off, City’s Manager sat down with reporters inside LCFC Training Ground to analyse another tough evening at Etihad Stadium in midweek and look ahead to facing the Magpies…

‘Difficult to bounce back’

Disappointment in Manchester in midweek.

Two first-half goals led to the 2-0 reverse against Manchester City on Wednesday, with the Foxes unable to recover from a tough start against the reigning four-time champions. Van Nistelrooy felt that a more clinical edge in the final third could have led to a more tense finish for the hosts, but it was a similar case of being unable to find the net in the end.

“I felt we worked really well towards the game,” the Dutchman reflected. “Also, the way we approached the game before it started, in the dressing room and going out into the game, I saw a very good spirit. The first goal took a lot out of it, the early goal we conceded.

“For any team, even being in a good momentum, conceding two goals away at Man City in the first half hour is a tough one to take and difficult to bounce back from. I think in the momentum we’re in and the consecutive games and lack of goals, the confidence is very fragile, and the first goals influenced that a lot.

“On the other side, after that they picked themselves up and kept it at 2-0. If you break as a team away at Man City, you can also get done by five, six or seven goals. That didn’t happen, they didn’t allow that, we stood our ground as well.

“There were some moments in the second half where we could have done better to create chances – a final pass for example. At the end of the game, there was a big moment for Facundo [Buonanotte] to play Jordan [Ayew] in for a one-on-one with the ‘keeper.

“I think that would have been a very big one. With some set pieces, we could have taken more opportunities. The foundation was solid, we didn’t concede any more chances, which was good, and we had our bit, but it wasn’t enough.”

‘Among the best’

The Swede scored the opener against the Bees.

Our next opponents are riding the wave of being crowned Carabao Cup winners in March, lifting a major trophy for the first time since 1955. Their recent league form – winning back-to-back games - also suggests a real test is in store come Monday evening, especially with 20-goal Alexander Isak leading the line for the North East club.

“It’s clear the momentum that they are in after getting their first silverware in 70 years,” the 48-year-old admitted. “You can imagine it after the milestone the manager and his staff and the squad achieved and how proud they made the fans.

“They are part of the history of Newcastle United. That is obviously something that is a tremendous boost in confidence and belief. Beating Brentford on top of that, competing to be in Europe in the Champions League spaces.

“With the qualities that they have and the fitness of the squad, it’s very clear in the profiles of players, they are a very physical, strong and quick side with technical abilities on top of that.

“It’s difficult to mention one but if you look at Isak and the form that he is in as well, he’s among the best in his position.”

‘A lot of hard work’

Out in Seagrave.

The final eight games of the campaign offer a chance to show performances that the Blue Army can get behind, particularly at King Power Stadium, van Nistelrooy believes, as they work to improve the current standing.

He added: “We have to get up like we did today and it’s my responsibility to do my job as well as I can for the coming eight games. I don’t look further than that. It’s hard enough in the situation to keep the spirits up, to stay together and to keep up our performances to get results in the phase that we are in, because it’s not going well.

“Results are bad, but I think we are a team, we stick together and that’s the main and most important. If we do that, then we have a chance of getting results. It’s important in the short notice to get the team going and change the momentum and change the results.

“That requires a lot of hard work from the whole team. I feel I want to go through this with the team and the staff, stay connected with them, fight through this as people and give energy every day to get ourselves out of this. For me, it’s not something I want to run away from, I want to fight with the squad.

“That’s every day, leading into Monday’s game. It’s another opportunity for us and we can only hope for some support in our own stadium.”

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