SO WHAT IN CREATION CAN HE DO?

DEFEAT on his return to Anfield was tough to swallow for Rafa Benitez, who had watched his team almost shut out Liverpool.

Toon restricted goal-crazy Reds to just three shots on target in the entire 90 minutes but could not capitalise on that resilience because up front they are powderpuff. And that is the problem Benitez, given a warm reception at Anfield (below), must solve as he strives to defy the odds by keeping Newcastle up.

“The plan was to make sure we had good control and then play on the counter attack,” he said. “We restricted them to three on target and we were happy with that but not happy overall because we didn’t create enough. Why? Because we had a very good team facing us.

“We got into some good positions but still we couldn’t beat them. It’s the quality they have, the decisions they make, and the physicality. Everything that is the difference between teams.”

Newcastle are well organised and have a gameplan that can make them hard to beat but they don’t have players who make a difference.

Benitez gets criticised for the lack of chances Newcastle create but he doesn’t have a Mo Salah or a Kevin De Bruyne. He can’t create a threat from thin air.

Yet Toon will need creativity in the next two games which could decide their fate – against Southampton and Huddersfield. “Every game is important to us but games against the teams close to us more so,” he said. “Against Southampton it will be different with our fans behind us. We have to attack and to create

chances.”