Battling Toon are
TRANSFER WNDOW GRUMBLINGS FIRMLY IN PAST AS UNITED SOAR UP TABLE WITH WIN
Chief Sports Writer NEWCASTLE United fans left St James’ Park feeling somewhat satisfied after watching the Magpies record a respectable 2-1 win over Stoke City.
The days of expecting the club to challenge for a place in the top four are long gone, so are any hopes of seeing a team play the attacking football like they did during the Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson eras on Tyneside.
Those who lived through those periods in the club’s history had their memories evoked in the buildup to the game with talk of the 20th anniversary of THAT night against Barcelona.
Times are different now, though, and where once the club’s top brass were hungry to be one of Europe’s best the remit is to be sustainable these days.
Yes, make no doubt about it - seeing a team which tries hard and shows some grit and determination will do nicely now.
Anything on top of that will be a bonus due to the club’s self-imposed financial restraints.
That is why being in the top four felt like a bonus on Saturday night after Newcastle fought hard for three points to see off a team who can be considered well established in the Premier League.
The disappointing end to the transfer window now feels like a distant memory and, while there were widespread predictions “Rafa Benitez would walk” when the summer trading period finished, the former Liverpool boss has made it clear he is prepared to work with what he has.
Benitez has since stated he was entitled to “fight” for more players in the last two weeks of the window but is now ready to battle hard with the current squad.
Nobody in the United boardroom can complain about his attitude either.
Whether they reward him further down the line remains to be seen.
Benitez is now getting the best out of a squad which still lacks depth and cover in key positions.
The left-back slot is a good example of that with Jesus Gamez, normally a right-back, doing a good job there at Swansea City last weekend before centre-half Chancel Mbemba stepped in against Stoke to perform excellently again.
Newcastle opted against releasing funds for Benitez to buy a top-notch striker in the summer, meaning he decided to sign Joselu from Stoke for £4.9million.
Joselu has the support of the public and has performed well so far for the Magpies.
Yet taking your chances in the Premier League is crucial and on a day when he missed three fantastic opportunities it was evident you get what you pay for.
Joselu, who could still prove to be one of the bargains of the summer, looked apologetic with his captain