RAFA CALLS FOR LASCELLES FOCUS
AFTER three straight wins over West Ham, Swansea and Stoke, which have carried Newcastle United to fourth in the Premier League following May’s promotion, Rafa Benitez is able to speak of momentum at the club. He has also stressed to his players the dangers of the praise coming their way. With two winning headers in the last two games, captain Jamaal Lascelles epitomises both aspects and Benitez pulled Lascelles aside on Thursday to remind him of this. ‘I did it with him, but I’ve done this with some other players,’ said Benitez said. ‘When you are doing really well, I say to them it’s important to concentrate on their jobs. I have years of experience. It’s the most difficult thing. You are doing well and everyone is praising you, sometimes if you are young you lose your focus. It’s to remind them that this is the way to continue being praised. Lascelles is happy with this approach. It’s quite easy for me to tell him, “You have to keep working hard”, because he was doing it anyway. We’re trying to improve other things in his game, but in terms of his mentality and character he’s fine.’ This weekend Newcastle will renew hostilities with Brighton whom they pipped to the Sky Bet Championship title on a dramatic final day last season, and their manager Chris Hughton. Hughton is remembered fondly on Tyneside for guiding the club back into the Premier League at the first attempt in 2010, although while he may receive a hero’s welcome from the travelling fans, it is the future and not the past which matters to Benitez. Asked if his team is currently exceeding expectations, he said: ‘It’s not a surprise when you see them training, in terms of performance and the way they are doing things.’