Newcastle fans wanted a win in our last game at home to second-bottom Bournemouth to get the points on the board.
And that’s because by the end of this year we will have played some of the top teams like Manchester United (a), Chelsea (a) Arsenal (a), and Manchester City (h).
Rafa seems very confident about his team, but he wants that confidence transferred to his players, so they go into every game thinking (knowing) they are good enough to win it.
Even though we have lost our last two games, Newcastle have made a good start to the Premier League with 14 points from our first 11 games and a goal difference of zero having scored 10 goals and conceded 10 goals.
Rafa has the team playing well and very organized, but we are still making too many mistakes.
Rafa Benitez – confident about his players
That’s probably because our players are young and still learning about the unforgiving Premier League.
This is what a confident Rafa Benitez has said in the Chronicle today about his young team:
“Every year is different. People compare the stats year on year and it’s fine.”
“Maybe you see a tendency about how difficult the league is or how many points you need.”
“But in this case the Premier League is getting stronger and stronger so maybe we have done even better to get those points?”
“Listen: I know we have to play against all the top sides before the end of this part of the season. That is why I have said before ‘In January, we will know where we are’.”
“I’m sure we will be stronger in terms of the understanding between players and how we will do things in the second half of the league.”
“But you can be really good against the top sides and still lose.”
“The main thing is to get the points and to realize that when you make mistakes – like we did the other day – we have to find solutions.”
“Me? I have the confidence that we will do it but the players have to too.”
“I said to the players the other day ‘Listen, if we are at the bottom of the table we still have to stay calm and keep working hard because we have shown already we can beat anyone.’”
“We are a young team, learning and the way that we work I am confident that we will do even better.”
Here’s where we are in the league, and by the end of this year if we are still in 11th place we will be very happy – thank you very much indeed!
[table “68” not found /]What do you think?
Comments welcome.
54 comments so far
martoon
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:32 PM
Comment #41I don’t quite understand why people are comparing Mitro to Shearer – not many would compare! Surely the choice is Mitro or Joselu – personally I feel Mitro deserves a chance.
AncientC
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:41 PM
Comment #42That stats Jib posted comparing Mitrovic with Shearer show they have similar goals to minutes. Not sure Mitrovic will ever be a Shearer, but I was quite surprised by those results.
RUNAWAY777
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:42 PM
Comment #43Thanks toontaff2 but i dont with scum and for supermac he speed to burn remember seeing him come on tyne tees new pissed he lived for a few year down at st peters wharf bottom of raby st.
Mindshaft
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:53 PM
Comment #44Runaway – you remember Supermac p1ssed, I thought you were young ?
Your writing belies the fact that you aren’t from the north east ,,,, living by the tyne-tees – wtf is that ?
Mindshaft
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:55 PM
Comment #45Sorry if you’re not English , it’s difficult to understand your posts
Jail for Ashley
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:55 PM
Comment #46Mindshaft,
Tyne Tees news, used to be the local ITV news.
hibbit
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:56 PM
Comment #47could this lad do a job for us
Fernando Torres linked to Magpies
It’s a familiar name tipped with an unlikely move. Fernando Torres to United? This from the Mirror.
And with strike ace Diego Costa eligible to play in the new year following his return from Chelsea, the Spaniard knows his chances of game time in the second half of the season will diminish even further. Torres’s representatives have let his desire to leave Atletico on loan in January be known to Toon manager Rafa Benitez and Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino. And he is hoping one of them will come up with a package that will convince Atletico to let him spend the rest of the season back in England.
RUNAWAY777
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:57 PM
Comment #48He was about 50 then haha
sing in the corner
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:57 PM
Comment #49Tyne tees telly, regional…
hibbit
Nov 12, 2017 at 12:59 PM
Comment #50Mindshaft
i think he’s saying he live by Tyne Tees on city road !!!!
RUNAWAY777
Nov 12, 2017 at 1:11 PM
Comment #51Iam not that old yet ive looked back on a lot of players from the past and when you grow up in byker and walker before i moved on we had black and white blood running through us like all nufc fans, you may say youve had a enough but can you really walk away no chance.
RUNAWAY777
Nov 12, 2017 at 1:14 PM
Comment #52Newcastle forward Aleksander Mitrovic is keen on making a lucrative move to play
simon376
Nov 12, 2017 at 1:22 PM
Comment #53Dont know how real it could be, but football 360 (I think) on twitter via some source from Asia saying PCP have agreed a £300 million deal to buy the club. The Chronicle are saying not that far along, but we can only hope
RUNAWAY777
Nov 12, 2017 at 1:33 PM
Comment #54Mindshaft check before you say owt you really are thick glade hibbit and jail no the truth tyne tees tv news was from city road studio’s have nice day