The striker was the best player on the field in my opinion, and Birmingham were starting to flap everytime he got the ball in the second-half.But, just when Newcastle were starting to turn the screw, the manager replaced him.
The player was not a happy bunny, and although Keegan tried to calm him down as he left the pitch, Martins was having none of it.
We saw such an attitude punished during KK's earlier reign at the club, as he laid into John Beresford (v Aston Villa) and Lee Clark (v Southampton) when they flew off the handle in public. But is the same type of manager these days?
Personally I don't think he has the respect now, he had then. Several of the squad of foreign players said they had never even heard of him when he was appointed.
Martins was probably as stunned as the fans that Mark Viduka stayed on while he was taken off, but a show petulance is not going to sit well with the boss.
Ex-Newcastle striker Les Ferdinand says "his reaction was understandable".
Ferdinand: "Martins did really well in the second half for Newcastle and when they got the ball to the front three early it caused Birmingham problems.