Table does not reflect us, says confident boss

NEWCASTLE boss Rafael Benitez has challenged his players to enjoy the pressure of turning around their desperate start to the Premier League season.

The Magpies head for Southampton today, where they have won only once in the league in 46 years, still looking for a first victory in 10 games in all competitions.

They are rooted to the foot of the table after last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat by Brighton and have gathered just two of the 27 points they have contested to date. However, the hugely experienced Benitez is refusing to bow under the pressure of the situation.

He said: “When I decided to come here to Newcastle United Football Club, it was because of the potential of the club, the passion of the fans, the city, everyone wanting to follow the team.

“I like this passion and as a manger, you want to see this kind of passion from the fans.

“My experience of Valencia, Extremadura, even Milan, where there are two teams, the fans are behind the team - passion, I like that. Believe me if you go to Naples, you will feel the pressure.

“If everyone loves football you feel that passion. We have to expect and enjoy that.”

Newcastle enjoyed 68 per cent of the possession against Brighton and mustered 27 shots, but still failed to find the back of the net.

However, Benitez remains convinced that if his players continue to do what he is asking them to do, their fortunes will change. The Spaniard said: “I try to be calm. It’s trying to do things in the same way. We are talking about the methodology, the approach to the game - but why would we change all of these things?

“We just have to make a few small changes to try to be successful.” DAVID Wagner says he is the “most confident person on the planet” that Huddersfield Town will achieve their Premier League aims this season.

Town go to Watford 19th in the table and without a win in their opening nine matches, but Wagner says the attitude of the squad and the performances on the pitch are fuelling every optimism for the campaign.

“I can read the table, but the biggest THE Huddersfield Town fans have decided to make two changes to the side that lost to Liverpool last week ahead of the trip to Watford this afternoon.

We asked the Town faithful who they would like to see start at encouragement I take is out of the performances, not the table,” said Wagner, who revealed midfielder Danny Williams is the only player certain to miss out at Vicarage Road.

“The performances, the atmosphere and the spirit in this group gives me everything that I need to be the most confident person on the planet to know we have a chance to reach our target this season.”

Wagner has Ramadan Sobhi pushing for selection and both Tommy Smith and Terence Kongolo back in full training as his squad Vicarage Road, with the majority of fans wanting to see two edits to David Wagner’s side that started against the Reds.

The most popular Town side selected ahead of today’s test includes wingers Rajiv van La Parra and Isaac Mbenza, both of whom started on the bench for the match against Jurgen Klopp’s side. head down the M1 to take on Javi Gracia’s seventh-placed charges.

“If you see the atmosphere and the spirit in our dressing room and the quality in training as well, you can’t imagine you are speaking about a team which is 19th in the table and with no win in nine games,” said the boss.

Florent Hadergjonaj and Philip Billing were sacrificed for the wide men by the majority of supporters, who opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the 3-5-1-1 utilised by Wagner last weekend.

Jonas Lossl is named in goal by the fans for the Watford match, with a back four of Erik Durm, Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen, Christopher “We can only make sure we keep the mood on a high level with points and performances. “The players are totally aware of this and they judge themselves very hard. “They know they have missed something, they know they should have done better in one or another situation and they know they have missed opportunities to collect points to be further up the table.” So would he take a scrappy win at Watford over a good performance? “No, I would like to win but with exactly the sort of performance we have been showing,” he answered. “I am greedy - I want to have the win and the performance. “I want the same bravery, confidence, attitude and fighting spirit which we have shown. “I don’t like to have one or the other, I like to have both. This is what I ask of myself and of my players. We have to make sure we get both. “No-one is happy with this (19th in the table), and I think they have shown this in the last games performance wise.”

I am greedy - I want to have the win and the performance

Schindler and Chris Lowe ahead of the Dane. Jonathan Hogg and Aaron Mooy are selected in the heart of midfield, while the wingers are joined by Alex Pritchard in the supporters’ attacking trio.

The Town fans also went for Laurent Depoitre up front, favouring the Belgian over Benin international Steve Mounie.