Roy Keane believes the 'energy' around Newcastle United at St James' Park will be 'hugely important' as the Magpies look to get the new season off to a perfect start at home on Saturday.
Newcastle have only lost two Premier League games at St James' under Eddie Howe and those defeats came against title-chasing Man City and Liverpool. That is far from a coincidence.
Rather than being cowed by the club's passionate support, as some managers have in the past, Howe has looked to harness it since taking charge just a few weeks after the takeover last year. Whether it is welcoming members of the Wor Flags fan group to the training ground or making sure players and staff embark on a lap of appreciation after every game, regardless of the result, Howe has taken a number of steps to bring the group and supporters even closer together.
