Longstaff is ready to turn up the heat on Wolves
WIN TARGET AHEAD OF SUNSHINE TRIP
Football writer SEAN Longstaff is focusing on helping Newcastle United pick up three points before they jet off to Spain for a warm-weather training camp.
The playing squad will head to Alicante after the clash against Wolves on Monday night but Longstaff is hoping they can take off after a valuable victory against the Midlands side.
Longstaff has made the central midfield role his own after stepping up to the plate due to injuries to Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey in recent months.
Yet with Diame (inset right) back to fitness, Ki returning from international duty and Shelvey nearing a return, Longstaff knows he has to keep his good form up.
He is well aware of the task facing United at Molineux.
He said: “They have some really good players and they have been causing a lot of teams problems and scoring a lot of goals.
“However, our staff will put a game plan in place and it is just about us going out and executing it.
“We will be well prepared for it but we know it will be a really tough task against a good team who are in good form.
“They are pretty high up the table so it will be tough but all the games in the Premier League are tough and when you are scrapping for the points like we are you need to try and go to places like this and try to make sure it is a tough game, a horrible game, and then see if we can get something out of it.”
Despite coming to the end of a busy six-week schedule which saw United beat Manchester City, and go close against Tottenham, the training camp will not be a chance to rest – although Longstaff is looking forward to a change of scenery.
He added: “To get away, to new surroundings, will do everyone the world of good. “It will give us the chance to get to know the new lads even better and spend a bit of time with them, so it will be good for everyone. It has been a little bit cold here over the last month so it will be great to get away to a new environment and refresh for the rest of the season.”
United will face Russian side CSKA Moscow in a friendly and Longstaff knows the pedigree they have.
He said: “It will be a chance to get all the lads some minutes but it will be tough.
“You see them on the TV playing in the Champions League and they have really good and wellknown players.
“It will be a chance for everyone to get on the pitch and work on some stuff we can hopefully use going forward in the Premier League, because that is the main focus.
“It will be good to get away and refresh a little bit when we are out there and I think everyone is looking forward to it.”