Brighton and Hove Albion defender Bruno has said that the Newcastle United fans could play a major part in their side’s downfalls at home this season by turning on their own team when things are not going their way.
The Magpies head into the first game after the international break with a home tie against the Seagulls with Rafael Benitez and his men seeking their first win of the season after a disappointing opening eight games.
However, despite the fervent support of the Newcastle faithful, defensive powerhouse Bruno insists that the visitors to St James’ Park can work it in their favour, silencing the supporters and sewing seeds of discontent on Tyneside.
He told Brighton’s website: “They’re going to start the game very fast and we have to try to control the pace. Their fans will be behind them, but if they don’t play well, they’re going to be on them.
“Their intensity could be really high, but if we start well, the fans could turn and it’s always tough to play without that confidence. We can take advantage of that.
“The atmosphere at St James’ Park feels different, it feels special. As a player it’s nice to play there and I’m looking forward to Saturday. It’s always a tough place to visit because of the team’s quality and the atmosphere, but that atmosphere can also go against them if we manage to start the game well.”
Opinion
With things not going as well as the Newcastle fans would have hoped this season, things need to turnaround sooner rather than later, or as Bruno says, the Toon Army will be on their side’s back. The St James’ Park faithful are a loyal and passionate lot but with everything that has been going on with Mike Ashley, there is already a sense of frustration there, and if the team cannot put in a performance to lift their spirits, then that displeasure is only going to spill over into criticism of the players. Newcastle could really do with an early goal to settle the building nerves against the Seagulls, and if that were to happen then the supporters could well be cheering their side on to victory. However, if the visitors succeed at keeping the home side quiet until the fans’ frustrations are aired, then they could well use that to launch an attack at a demotivated Newcastle side and take three points for themselves.