United’s triple threat
SPANISH-SPEAKING STARS CAN BE TALK OF THE TOON, SAYS ATTACKER PEREZ
AYOZE Perez feels that Newcastle United’s three-pronged Spanishspeaking attack can be the key this season when it comes to fending off the threat of relegation.
The Magpies had 29 goal attempts against rock bottom Huddersfield Town but Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez had to settle for just one strike each.
However, Perez, Rondon and Miguel Almiron’s link-up play was being hailed by fans after the Premier League victory on Saturday night.
Perez said: “We play the same kind of football and we are quite similar. So we understand each other a lot.
“Rondon is also making us play the game easier most of the time. We have a good relationship and link up well up front well. Hopefully we can take advantage of that.
“We got the three points against Huddersfield which is the most important thing.
“In the end after a huge game you know you had to get those points. We played good football so we can be happy.
“We were thinking we should have scored more goals and I was talking about this with Salomon and Almiron. If you think about it we could have all had hat-tricks. “We had chances which was important but the goals will come. “Huddersfield had a sendingoff which was key but we still had chances galore to score even more. Hopefully, those goals will come against Burnley now.” Newcastle went on a three-game winning run after their trip to Spain last year, a sequence of results that all but secured their place in the top-flight. Perez reflected on this year’s target, he said: “Our idea is to get to midtable but the first target is to avoid relegation.
“We are still fighting against relegation and we can’t think of anything else. We are playing good football. But it’s more about results and getting points.
“That’s what we did against Huddersfield.
“We must keep climbing the table and getting maximum hauls. If you do that you will soon be safe.”
Almiron’s home debut grabbed plenty of headlines over the weekend but Perez feels he will get even better.
Perez added: “We are trying to help Miguel settle in here. We’re trying to make him welcome and comfortable as much as we can.
“He’s the new guy but it’s our job to make him feel as well as he can. We could see against Huddersfield he has a lot to give us. And that can be really good for us.
“We will help him as much as we can - that’s it.”
Perez’s goal against the Terriers was his fifth of the season after he grabbed 10 last term.
When asked about personal targets, he said: “My idea is to try to improve my numbers (from last season).
“I could have scored two or three against Huddersfield but we have to carry on playing the same way.
“We are creating chances which is important and the goals will come. My main target is to score as many as I can and hopefully I can keep doing it until the end of the season.”
Newcastle can make it four wins in a row on home turf if they succeed against Burnley, Perez said: “We are doing well at home now which is what we were demanding. A couple of weeks ago we have to improve that. “Now we are doing quite well. “We have to take advantage of that, it’s a massive game against Burnley.
“We will look to get three points as it will put us in a great position.
“We are focused and want to win again.”
We play the same kind of football and we are quite similar. So we understand each other a lot Ayoze Perez