Suited and booted ...to fight the drop
RAFA BENITEZ says he is preparing for a relegation battle — and insists even good managers will lose matches if their team are not up to scratch.
The Newcastle boss is worried about the strength of his squad and is angry that promises made by owner Mike Ashley have not come to fruition.
Benitez thought he would be able to bring in more talent, but he has added just five players to the team which won last year’s Championship.
The Spaniard is frustrated over the slow progress and has warned Newcastle fans that this season will be very different to the last.
‘Last year we were much better than the other teams,’ Benitez said at the Premier League managers’ meeting yesterday. ‘ This year it could be the opposite. We have to make sure we are mentally strong.’
Benitez has even played down his own influence on the fate of the Magpies this season and his point is this — without good players it is harder for any manager to succeed.
‘The name of the manager doesn’t matter — it’s about the team,’ he said.
‘If you have the right tools you can compete and do different things. When you have a very strong team then it doesn’t matter if the manager isn’t good enough, because you can still win.’