Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has told his players to revel in their reputation as “animals”.
The Magpies travel to Bournemouth on Sunday for their first test of the campaign on the road having collected just 20 points on their travels last season, 12 fewer than they had done a year earlier in finishing fourth.
They have already demonstrated impressive resilience, battling for more than an hour with 10 men to beat Southampton 1-0 at St James’ Park last Saturday, after which Saints striker Adam Armstrong described them as “animals”.
Now, as Howe looks for his side to improve their away form, he has called on his players to add the “devilment” required to get more points on the road.
Speaking on Armstrong’s comments, Howe said with a smile: “I hope that’s a compliment. I think that’s a really good thing.
“It’s the side that we maybe lacked at times last year, the devilment in our game, the ability to be resolute in tough situations. We need that back in our game.
“We certainly had it in the season before where we were regularly criticised by our opponents, but that’s because you’re doing something right, that’s because you’re finding a way to get under their skin and to win games, maybe, that you weren’t the most dominant team in.
“We didn’t do that enough. We need to get it back, so it’s a good start.”
The Magpies’ six league away wins last season came at Sheffield United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Burnley and Brentford, and significantly all but the first arrived after the turn of the year.
They will need a stronger start this time around if they are to challenge for the top four once again, and Howe knows what needs to change.
He said: “The goals conceded, and that’s what really pleased me last week because that was a big tick in the box against 11 v 10 for a long period of time in the game.
“Of course we had to withstand pressure but we defended, I thought, really well. We were blocking shots, we were throwing our bodies on the line and it was a great return to that style of how we defend.
“But it’s only one game and we have to do that consistently, and these types of games, away games – any away game in the Premier League is very difficult, so this will be another really good examination of us.”
