Newcastle United captain Kieran Trippier has named former Atletico Madrid team-mate Stefan Savic as his 'favourite s***house' just days after Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag dubbed the Magpies 'annoying'.
The two sides meet under the iconic Wembley arch to face off in the Carabao Cup final as Newcastle aim to win their first major honour since 1955. United's silverware drought isn't quite as long, but Ten Hag recognises how important it would be for the Red Devils to end their own six-year wait for a trophy in his debut season at the helm.
He is well aware that while United go in as favourites, it will not be easy and has admitted he finds Newcastle an "annoying" side to play against. Eddie Howe's men have often been accused of having a tedency to waste time and Ten Hag's comments could be seen as a warning to referee David Coote.
"I think it’s a great team with a clear philosophy about how they want to play the game," Ten Hag said.
"The key word is intensity. They do really well. They’re an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win. They try to annoy you. We have to make sure that we play our game and we focus on our game."
Meanwhile, Tripper has explained how Newcastle's habit of dabbling in the 'dark arts' to try and win games is something he has fully embraced and encouraged others to do the same, while also identifying his favourite player to commit such wind-up tactics.
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"I love it," he told the Guardian. "The best for me was Atlético Madrid’s Stefan Savic. He used to pull people’s hair, even in training. It was crazy but I love all that.
"Of course, opposition fans aren’t going to like it but I think it’s good to see. I don’t see why everyone’s kicking off about it: it’s good!"
Trippier went on to explain how his own ability to slow the game down and annoy opponents was largely influenced by his time in the Spanish capital.
"Some teams aren’t happy with us this season but it’s about being clever. Of course we’ll use it if we need to on Sunday. Man United have hit form and we’ll do everything we can to win. If you want to be successful, you have to be cute. You have to manage every single game well and at the right time."
Expect plenty more tactics designed to frustrate United at Wembley on Sunday as the Magpies aim to give their travelling faithful a memorable afternoon in the capital.
The two teams met at Old Trafford earlier this season and played out a 0-0 draw, a result that will give Newcastle hope given this clash is on neutral territory.
