Ashley needs to take the hint – before it’s too late for United

Chelsea 3 Newcastle United 1

NEWCASTLE United were beaten by Chelsea on another chastening afternoon as their winless run stretched to six games.

It was a day of occasional promise for Newcastle but individual errors once again undermined whatever encouragement there was to be had from Newcastle’s excellent start, which saw Dwight Gayle plunder an early opener.

There was a gulf in class but too often Newcastle were architects of their own problems. Here is what NUFC Editor Mark Douglas learned from United’s trip to West London.

Rafa Benitez needs to go back to the defensive drawing board

Acutely aware of how many goals the team has conceded in recent games, Rafa Benitez tried to shake up his defence by opting for five across the back with Chancel Mbemba drafted in as an extra centre-back and Matt Ritchie as a full-back. If the idea was to provide an extra layer of security, it was undermined by the sort of individual errors which are threatening to plunge United into the thick of the relegation fight.

Before the last international break, the problem was Newcastle’s lack of creativity and cutting edge. But the narrative has moved on in recent Chancel Mbemba picks up Eden Hazard weeks: they’ve taken the lead at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge now but lacked the concentration and defensive discipline to hold on to those leads for anything like long enough to put their opponents under pressure.

It’s a head scratcher for Benitez. They’re not turning in bad defensive displays, but the momentary lapses in concentration mean whatever positives you might take from the five-atthe-back experiment are outweighed by the result.

Personnel is part of the problem – Jamaal Lascelles and Paul Dummett have become better players in their absence – but a bigger issue is taking the wrong decision at key moments.

Granted, there was a chasm in class yesterday, which always meant keeping the home side out was unlikely. But since the international break, Newcastle have conceded four, three, two and four – and five have been against sides outside the imposing top six. And yesterday, it was unforced errors which allowed Chelsea to get back into the game after Newcastle had ridden a wave of blue pressure.

Matt Ritchie – pressed into right wing-back duties – was visibly frustrated by his first half mistake: a lacklustre header that allowed Victor Moses to cross for Alvaro Morata to score Chelsea’s second. But Florian Lejeune was culpable in the build-up to the leveller too – and Ritchie committed another needless error to concede the penalty that ended the contest. It is not good enough for a manager who prides himself on his team’s defensive strength.

Benitez is a born problem solver, always searching for solutions. But against Leicester and Everton, Newcastle’s first priority is to reset a defence which is suddenly a big part of the problem.

Benitez is determined to do it his way

Eden Hazard of Chelsea is challenged

– however strong public opinion might be

The tide turned for Newcastle on Tuesday when Aleksandar Mitrovic, Jonjo Shelvey and Rolando Aarons were all on the pitch. A few days later – and after Benitez had talked of gaining momentum from that fightback – none started at Stamford Bridge and only one saw any minutes at all in West London.

The reason was the system; Benitez went horses for courses rather than picking players who might have more talent but he feels are less able to slot into the 5-4-1 that he deployed here.

His judgement was really borne out by the way his team acquitted themselves here. They were good in patches