Glenn Roeder has thrown his full weight behind misfiring striker Obafemi Martins.
Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has thrown his full weight behind misfiring Obafemi Martins, as he calls for patience with regards the young Nigerian.Since arriving at St James' Park from Internazionale the 22-year-old has struggled to replicate anything like the type of form that once saw him earmarked as one of Serie A's brightest young talents.
Martins has managed just three goals in black and white thus far in the fledgling stages of his Toon career but Roeder is refusing to press the panic button.
Confident that Martins will eventually more than justify his big money price tag, Roeder believes it is simply a question of time before his front man starts to fire, starting with a tough trip to Arsenal at the weekend.
"Don't forget he was only 22 recently and he is still relatively young," Roeder told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
"He has come from a different league and a different culture, and we have to be more tolerant as far as he is concerned.
"Nobby Solano tells me it took him three or four months to settle in, while Thierry Henry did not have an immediate impact when he first joined Arsenal.
"But Arsene Wenger was patient with him - and the rest, as they say, is history. And when we go to the Emirates Stadium, in Henry we will be facing one of the three best strikers in the world today.
"Oba wants to play for us and wants to be out there at the Emirates Stadium."
Martins has missed Newcastle's last five matches but is expected to be passed fit for his side's weekend trip to Emirates Stadium.
Meanwhile, Roeder has confirmed that fitness coach Paul Winsper is to quit the club in order to pursue a new challenge in his career.
