Dan Burn’s Perspective
Newcastle United’s defender Dan Burn has expressed that his team needs to adopt a more aggressive approach, similar to that of current league leaders, Arsenal. Following a disappointing 3-1 loss to West Ham at the London Stadium, where the Hammers achieved their first home victory in nearly nine months, Burn highlighted the need for a change in mentality.
Struggles on the Road
Burn noted that Newcastle has not secured an away league win since April, labeling this ongoing challenge as a significant point of frustration. He stated,
It comes down to mentality
emphasizing the importance of adapting strategies to improve results away from home. He believes that coach Eddie Howe will formulate a plan to enhance their performances and that a more combative approach may be necessary.
Importance of Grit
The defender reminisced about the team’s past reputation for finding ways to “get into games” without playing beautifully, expressing:
We were well known a few years ago for… let’s say some clever tactics. A lot of that has been edged out.
He stressed the necessity of securing points while playing away and highlighted the importance of maintaining composure during tougher matches.
Upcoming Challenges
Despite Newcastle enjoying a streak of four consecutive home victories across competitions, Burn acknowledged that the upcoming away fixture against Brentford is where they truly need to demonstrate their worth.
The first year we were in the Champions League, we were more of an underdog and teams probably didn’t respect us as much as they should. We could go ugly and bully teams then.
Arsenal’s Approach
He commended Arsenal for blending a strong footballing style with the right amount of toughness, which has placed them at the summit of the league. Burn emphasized that although skill is crucial, teams must also know how to blend strength and resilience, especially in challenging away matches.
Sometimes, particularly in the last game, we were a bit too gentle when we really should have been more compact and formidable
he concluded.