Sissoko is happy with return to St James’ Park
While national pundits have gravely predicted he won’t last until Christmas, it feels highly unlikely – if you know the man – he’d walk away from this challenge and let down his squad and city.
“What we have different to other Premier League clubs is the city behind the team – 52,000 behind the team,” Benitez says.
“We have everything but because the money is so big in the Premier League now, it’s not just (about) that. You need to do the right things in the other departments. If you MOUSSA Sissoko says he enjoyed coming back to Tyneside and has some happy memories from his playing days with Newcastle United.
The Frenchman returned to St James’ Park for the first time since moving to Tottenham Hotspur and played a part as his side beat the Magpies 2-0 in-front of a full-house.
Sissoko, who started for Spurs despite a likely exit, lasted 58 minutes and was given a less than make a couple of mistakes in the scouting department, it can cost you millions and you can’t recover.
“The other teams: 75% of their squad is there. They have Premier League experience so they need three players. We knew that we needed more players, the question is could we get the players we wanted? warm reception by the home crowd.
Speaking about his welcome he told the Spurs website: “I knew that was coming. Football is like that sometimes when you move from one club to another and then come back. That’s football and that’s fine.
“Personally, it was good for me to come back, to see everyone because I have a lot of friends here but the most important thing was to go back with the three points, we did that.”
“Now we need to make sure we’re improving the team, improving the squad. Some of the targets we had and players we were considering, teams at the bottom of the table paid £20-25million for. It was not normal but it has happened. It’s the market.
“If you want to compete at the same level, you have to go to the market. I’m not saying whether this is fair or not. To me it’s crazy. What we could have done to save some money, we didn’t do it and now we’re in a worse position. But still, I have confidence that if everything is fine, we can compete.
“One thing that I have – and I said it last year, and in the end we were right – is that we will compete to the end. Last year I said carry on and we won the last three games and won the title. Great. At Liverpool we won 10 and drew one of our last 11 games.
“In the Premier League you lose some games at the beginning and people are panicking. I don’t want people panicking. You need to be consistent until the end, working to the very end. We will get better and better.”
There’s a measure of pressure on Newcastle to get points on the board early in the season, but Benitez is clear that there has to be calm this term – whatever happens.
“If we win three games in a row it’ll be ‘We have to win the title,’ if we lose three it’ll be ‘Oh, we are already relegated,’” he said. “What I want it to be sure that my players realise that every game is going to be a challenge. Get three points, on to the next one. One game at a time – if we have this idea it’ll be easier for us.”
Making a tough situation easier has been a key theme for Benitez this summer. He will hope the signing of Joselu helps.
Spurs scored two goals midway through the second half, but had struggled to to break-down United before Jonjo Shelvey was sent off.
Sissoko added: “For me, it was a pleasure to come back here. I spent two-and-a-half years here, so I have memories of some good moments and some bad moments.
“I came here with a new team and wanted to win this game. We did well and deserved to win.“ NEWCASTLE United will be forced to reshuffle their defence after it was confirmed Florian Lejeune and Paul Dummett will be out for “weeks”.
While that means they will miss crucial games against Huddersfield and West Ham, it’s understood that the timescale for both injuries is a spell of between two and three weeks on the sidelines, which raises the possibility of both being back for the match that follows the international break.
Lejeune was injured after a tackle from Harry Kane in the season opener against Tottenham, suffering a ligament injury mid-way through a promising Magpies debut. He departed St James’ Park on crutches and in a moon boot, prompting fears he could be on the sidelines for a lengthy spell.
But after initial assessments it appears as if the news is brighter than first thought, and it’ll be “weeks rather than months”.
The club released a statement on Tuesday morning clarifying the injury situation: “Newcastle United have confirmed that defenders Florian Lejeune and Paul Dummett will be out of action for a number of weeks.
“Both players were forced off with injuries during the first half of Sunday’s Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at St. James’ Park. Dummett limped off with a hamstring injury after just seven minutes, before Lejeune making his Magpies debut sustained ankle ligament damage during a tackle by Harry Kane.
“Assessments by the club’s medical staff are continuing in order to establish the full extent of their injuries but both players are expected to be out for weeks, rather than months.”
Newcastle have cover in defence and are likely to field Ciaran Clark at left-back with Chancel Mbemba and Jamaal Lascelles paired together in the centre of defence for the trip to West Yorkshire on Sunday.
United have relegated Grant Hanley and Massadio Haidara to the reserves but one of them may now make the Huddersfield squad with Benitez anxious not to leave himself short for the match with a fellow promoted club.