The Montpellier coach is a Magpies legend and was at the club when they topped the Premier League at Christmas in 2001.
Laurent Robert has given his thoughts on the current state of affairs on the pitch at Newcastle United, including how the team has been playing and his opinion on manager Rafael Benitez.
With the Magpies travelling to Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday evening, the club got in touch with the Frenchman, who enjoyed some quality moments against the Gunners while in the black and white stripes.
Of the 32 goals he scored in 181 Newcastle appearances, Robert netted four against the Gunners, including one on 18 December 2001 which wrapped up a 3-1 win at Highbury and helped the Magpies sit pretty on top of the Premier League table at Christmas (BBC Sport).
Robert – who joined Newcastle from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2001 and was on their books until leaving for Benfica in January 2006 – is currently working at his former club Montpellier, as a forwards coach at La Paillade’s Academy.
The retired winger spoke of his time at St James’ Park with the official Newcastle website before moving on to current affairs, saying: “Every time, I look on my phone for their results. I know this season has been difficult for us, and last season too, but the manager is good and sometimes I know the team has played good but you need luck.
“On Monday, I will watch the game. You can have a good surprise because when the team play away, you can play on the counter-attack. And I know this season, when Newcastle haven’t got too much pressure, they can provide some surprises.”
Newcastle currently sit in 13th place in the Premier League table, seven points clear of the bottom three with seven games to play.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
