Martins No "Headless Chicken"

Last updated : 09 March 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

Roeder obviously wants Martins to follow the Malcolm Macdonald mould of striker, and have tunnel vision. But, I don't know how that will go down with his team-mates, because Damien Duff couldn't hide his frustration last night as Martins went head-down into the penalty area when other options would have been better.

But the 22-year-old Nigerian plundered two goals to take his tally for the season to 16 and might have completed a hat-trick as the Magpies threatened to end the tie as a contest in the first leg.

Martins was class, no doubt about it, and Roeder wants to get the most out of his finishing.

Roeder: "What he has grown into is becoming a Newcastle United player.

"He came from Inter Milan and I said from the very beginning, when he was not scoring goals, the culture of Italy, the culture of living in Milan would be slightly different to living in Newcastle.

"He had to get used to living here first of all, then he had to get used to playing in the Premiership, which is nothing like Serie A.

"He was always going to take time to settle in. This is no criticism of Andriy Shevchenko because he is a world-class footballer, but he is 29, 30 years old and look how hard he has found it to adjust to the Premiership.

"Whatever you say he can do and cannot do, Oba can score goals, and that is what I want my strikers to do.

"That is what they are paid to do, score goals. They are not paid to run around like headless chickens and chip in with one goal here and one goal there.

"I want my strikers to score goals, and he is doing that very well - and, whatever he does this season, he will do even more next year."