Former Manchester United midfielder Andy Ritchie believes St. James’ Park’s raucous atmosphere is putting extra pressure on the Newcastle United players, which is evident from their home form this season.

Newcastle are winless in the Premier League at home for eight consecutive games and could equal an unwanted club record if they fail to beat Manchester United on Sunday.




St. James’ Park is known for housing some of the most passionate supporters in English football and the Newcastle faithful have continued to fill the stadium despite their team’s contrasting fortunes in recent years.

Manchester United are expected to be welcomed by another capacity crowd on Sunday and Ritchie admits he loved playing in front of the Newcastle fans during his playing days because of their passion.
 


However, he feels that same passion is having an adverse effect on Newcastle’s home form this season because he believes some of the Magpies players are struggling to handle the pressure of playing at St. James’ Park.  

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Ritchie said on MUTV when discussing Newcastle’s wretched home form: “At Newcastle, it’s such an arena. It’s fantastic and I used to love playing there as well.

“Great atmosphere, but sometimes that atmosphere puts that little bit of tension in the players because they want to do so well.

“And it can be have an adverse effect and it seems be having that effect on the Newcastle players.”

Newcastle achieved the unwanted club record of going nine home league games without a win during the disastrous managerial stint of Ruud Gullit in the late 1990s and early 2000s.