Rafa Benitez has just given his press conference for the game against Preston North End tomorrow night in the League Cup when we will try to extend our winning streak in all competitions to six in a row.
Rafa has said that he’s enjoying the moment and that it’s important for the Newcastle fans to have the possibility of winning trophies.
He’s right there!!
Rafa Benitez – finished his press conference today
Here are some of the initial comments Rafa made about the tough game tomorrow night:
“We are doing well, but still we can improve. We must keep doing the same things.”
“Preston are doing well. They have a good team, they’re happy, enjoying themselves and working very hard.”
“We want to be sure we have fresh legs. It will be a strong team, but with different players.”
“I am enjoying the moment. We will have more than 40,000 fans for this game, and I’m really pleased with that.”
“Preston will have confidence, and they’re a team with experience.”
“I think it’s important for the fans to have that possibility of winning trophies.”
Almost nine fans in ten think we will win this game tomorrow and reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup (EFL Cup).
That would be great!
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
24 comments so far
Spotlight Kid
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:11 PM
Comment #1Banana skin ahead….
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:14 PM
Comment #2One other gem I heard this weekend (again can’t remember who said it) but really says a lot about how we’re set up.
“Newcastle no longer conducts late fitness tests on players as if a player requires a test on the day of the game, his chances of injury are much higher and the possibility that he will have a poor game is much more probabable”
Halle f**king lluah! Finally we have a manager that actually looks beyond the next game at the bigger picture and realises a backup player at 100% fitness will probably offer more than a 1st team player at 60% at the top level.
Spotlight Kid
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:17 PM
Comment #3BTW you can’t draw an EFL cup tie, Ed. Although 57 deluded souls think you can (unless they don’t count extra time and penalties) .
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:17 PM
Comment #4Not sure I’d label preston a banana skin, it does them a disservice! They are a well organised, strong championship side. Their endeveavor, effort and work rate will probably make them one of our tougher fixtures, similar to Huddersfield.
We should beat them hands down though. With our side we should beat any non premier league side hands down though but Preston aren’t a bad side and I’d have them as a top 10 championship side this year!
WWSBRD
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:18 PM
Comment #5jay
Problem with Carrick in Jan is we’d have to pay money for him whereas in the Summer he was on a free wasnt he? Jose gave him another contract I think? Could be wrong like
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:19 PM
Comment #640,000+ fans for a week day LEAGUE CUP game between 2 championship sides is a bid ridiculous! Mental bloody geordies…
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:27 PM
Comment #7@wwsbrd – wouldn’t surprise me if they don’t loan Carrick out if he’s unhappy! Shocked theyre not playing him though!
Jose seems to be a manager torn betweening playing how he wants to play but knowing it doesn’t suit their 3 highest paid players in Pogba, Rooney and Ibra.
Man utd need to look at how Juventus got the best out of paul pogba really. They had marchisio doing all pogbas running and defensive work and Pirlo talking Pogba through the game and repeatedly finding him in space. If I were Jose I’d play carrick in the pirlo role and look to bring in a running defensive mid alongside Pogba and Carrick. Joking aside, they could do worse than a fit tiote who is very good at that role.
Think Ibra lacks the pace for anything more than 25 minutes in the premier league too. Rooney is finished.
Another odd problem is for Jose is that Martial and Rashford are both as strikers, too good and have too much potential to be on the bench but aren’t the type of striker Mourinho knows what to do with so he shunts them wide ala Pardew.
Also think Mourinho has never known what to do with Mata, seemingly doesn’t know now either.
WWSBRD
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:36 PM
Comment #8jay
Carrick on loan would be ideal for us but surely it’d be dependant on Carrick kicking up a fuss which am not sure I see him doing
As for Jose again mate Ive little opinion dont think Ive seen Man Utd play this season just read all the laughing at Pogba by the press…I do like Jose though great manager I do worry for Rashford like but sound like hes doing alright currently
toontaff2
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:47 PM
Comment #97% ~ 64 poor souls will be walking away from SJP wandering what that roar is in extra time……..
Griff-toon
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:52 PM
Comment #10Do you guys think Preston will start their best players for this match? If not I think we will win because we have a better squad. If they do, I think it will be possible but harder, and the next league game will be easier
Jib
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:55 PM
Comment #11Direct quote from San Rafael
“We want to be sure we have fresh legs. It will be a strong team, but with different players.”
Take note bingoringodingo players
clinath@ed
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:56 PM
Comment #12I think we should put out a strong team to win this cup game. Lose and it’s over for another year…..lose on Saturday and it is a small blip, with plenty of time to recover.
If we have to lose one I know which one I’d prefer…
ps…I’d rather WIN both of course
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:57 PM
Comment #13@wwsbrd – I like Jose too, I think he has some problems at Man Utd though because I’d take a guess he’d only realistically want about 5 or 6 of the players he currently has in his squad. To play how he wants I think he needs a new RB, LB, CB, CM, and possibly 2 wingers and would probably preferably bin quite a few Man Utd favourites in Rooney, Martial, Mata etc
Think he’s dropped the ball on Schweinsteiger though. His side is crying out for leadership and a cool head in the middle of the park. I know schweinsteigers legs aren’t what they were but his leadership ,mentality and knowledge could have been invaluable and Mourinho sent him to train with the kids before even taking a session. By all accounts SS did nothing to warrant this treatment and was a valued and respected part of Man utd 1st team squad.
Jib
Oct 24, 2016 at 1:59 PM
Comment #14Griff
Last round it was PNE second team vs Bournemouth second Xl
The Lillywhites humped the Cherries .
I don’t think Preston take the cup that seriously they just got lucky last time out.
WWSBRD
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:02 PM
Comment #15jay
Ah hell I forgot about Bastion being there maybe we should offer to loan him as well haha
toonincheek
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:04 PM
Comment #16jay @2 –
Makes sense, but . . .
just wait for shelvey, or some other player essential to
our plans, and just wait for a fitness test.
And on vaguely the same topic –
I wonder how many players had had some fitness issue,
perhaps minor, who haven’t been selected but who are
NOT recorded as injured, rather they are just considered
as a rotation casualty.
Jib
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:05 PM
Comment #17Our match is on Danish and Qatari tv tomorrow so there should be loads of streams.
martoon
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:06 PM
Comment #18clinath@ed @12 – Sorry but it doesn’t work like that the Championship and getting promotion has to be the top priority- you can’t risk throwing away 3 points (they could be the difference between automatic promotion and the play-offs).
I’m pretty sure Rafa will make a few changes (he just about said as much) but probably Preston will as well so we still should have the stronger team.
mickybraham
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:08 PM
Comment #19Anyone know of any spare preston tickets for Saturday, for sale? Didn’t get one in time and fancy going. Appreciate any help 🙂
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:20 PM
Comment #20@Jib – expecting absolute scenes in the fan base and twitterati when Rafa rests Gayle but plays Murphy over mitrovic…
Hope Lazaar and Hanley get a run out! I’d play Sels in the cup too! Keep all 3 of them involved that way.
Is Aarons and Gamez fit now?
My team for the cup would be
Sels
Anita, Mbemba, Hanley, Dummett
Atsu Tiote Colback Lazaar
Perez
Murphy
and my team for the league would be
Darlow
Yedlin Clark Lascelles Dummett
Ritchie Shelvey Hayden Gouffran
Diame
Gayle
Jib
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:28 PM
Comment #21micky
The away fans section sold out ages ago but according to received info PNE are pretty lax about selling tickets in their club shop.
If you can get to Preston before Saturday there
are still a few home seats available adjacent to those nasty noisy Geordies.
Allegedly loads sold already – that should confuse the thin yellow line of stewards.
😀
Termijn
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:31 PM
Comment #22Assuming Aarons is fit again, I wouldn’t be surprised if he started against Preston. He seemingly started the season as first choice on the left before poor performances and injury. I also think Murphy is likely to start, mainly because he doesn’t seem to feature at all in the league.
jayphoto
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:32 PM
Comment #23@toonincheck – yeah agree somewhat. Reckon theres only 2or 3 players he’d risk though, Shelvey offers something no one else does, perhaps Lascelles as he is captain and maybe Gayle as again his runs offer something uptop no one else does.
The more I see us this year the more I’m surprised Armstrong wasn’t kept as an understudy to Gayle
tonynufc
Oct 24, 2016 at 2:39 PM
Comment #24My team for Tuesday
Sels
Yedlin. Hanley lacelles. Lazaar/Gamez
Anita Hayden diame shelvy gouffran
Mitro