Daily Star

TOON TEAM TALK TIME

Martin wants inquest into shock slump

- By IAN MURTAGH

NEWCASTLE goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is demanding a clear-the-air meeting with team-mates after the club’s disastrous start to the season.

The Slovakian believes a no-holdsbarre­d exchange of views is required to kick-start the Magpies’ campaign.

Rafa Benitez’s struggling side are still looking for their first win after seven games, having become the first Toon side ever to lose their opening four home matches.

They head to Manchester United on Saturday evening stuck in the relegation zone and with problems mounting on the pitch and off it.

In the wake of the listless 2-0 defeat by Leicester last Saturday, Dubravka now claims the time has come for some plain speaking.

He said: “I spoke to the skipper Jamaal Lascelles afterwards and said we need to arrange a meeting with all the players.

“We need to talk honestly and we need to change something.”

But he admits he has no clue to the solution for Newcastle’s woes.

Target

“If I did know, I would tell all of the guys,” he said.

“We must analyse everything but we have to be honest with each other. We didn’t do that until now.”

While owner Mike Ashley remains the main target of fans’ anger, even manager Benitez came in for stick against the Foxes.

But Dubravka, 29, insists it is the players who must take responsibi­lity and feels a team meeting is the first step towards redemption.

He said: “Sometimes, that can help the players because we have to react differentl­y.

“We have to sit down all together and speak about which direction we need to go now.

“Then we have to go in the same direction – every player.

“Rafa has told us many times how we should do things but against Leicester, we were a little confusing in a few moments.

“If we want to be successful, we need to be honest over

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