Rafa limits the damage as key matches loom

MANCHESTER CITY’S starting XI cost £370million.

That’s £70m more than Mike Ashley is selling the Toon team, St James’ Park and the training ground for.

So, as Rafa Benitez gets hammered for tackling this game with a virtual 9-1-0 formation, do the maths.

Benitez is one of Europe’s elite coaches, but he can’t compete or pick fights on a level footing with the likes of Pep Guardiola these days.

Gary Neville regarded Newcastle’s first half hour here the most negative he’s seen in the Premier League.

Well, maybe. But, at 1-0 at half-time, Newcastle were still in it and later had a shot cleared off the line.

While Benitez’s one-time arch-rival Jose Mourinho looks at his £300m of transfer spending and concludes it is not enough, think of Benitez’s problems.

His net spend since being lured by the challenge of awakening the Geordies, is minus £11.2m. A profit. But Guardiola and City are now in a different universe.

A decade or so ago, the Magpies were contenders, however, nowadays a narrow defeat to City is acceptable.

Their brilliant dominance has terrified the opposition, who fear humiliation, and 52,000 home fans on Tyneside have to suffer containment and stifling as a primary tactic.

Benitez has knuckled down to making the best of what he’s got.

Against the Championselect, that meant playing five at the back, tucking four midfielders a yard in front of the back line and a lone striker chasing shadows.

It was a plan to frustrate and survive. It worked for 31 minutes until Kevin De Bruyne’s exquisite pass teed up Raheem Sterling.

Five Newcastle stars were rested, with massive games against Brighton, Stoke and Swansea coming up.

Win those and this one will be quickly forgotten.