Dubravka salutes defensive strength of Magpies

Dubravka kept a second successive home clean sheet in Saturday’s 3-0 win over struggling Southampton.

The on-loan Sparta Prague goalkeeper has only faced five shots in the Magpies’ last two Premier League games, and he enthused: “They’ve played very well in every game that I’ve been here.

“They’re playing with a lot of confidence at the moment – you can see that. In the last 10 minutes, they were keeping the ball, passing it from one to the other, and, as a goalkeeper, it’s great when you see your defenders like that.

“They don’t show any stress, and that’s important.

“Sometimes, you’re playing in front of defenders who come under pressure and they don’t always deal with it well. That can make it very stressful for you, but that’s not the case here.

“Our defenders have a lot of confidence, and I’m so happy that they’re in front of me. They’ve definitely made it easier for me to come in. They take care of the balls that are coming into the box.”

Dubravka believes communication is key – on and off the pitch. “I try to talk to people – I don’t just want to sit there in the dressing room,” said the 29-year-old Slovakian.

“It’s important to get to know people. When you’re new in a team, that helps you settle in and to have a good relationship, especially with the four guys in front of you. We were all helping each other against Southampton. There were only two shots on goal. We’re a team, and we fight for each other. That’s important.”