Stick together and we could surprise Reds
WE NEED TO STAY UNITED, SAYS BENITEZ
RAFA BENITEZ insists Newcastle United are not turning up at Old Trafford to simply “park the bus” as they face up to Jose Mourinho’s side,
Mourinho coined the phrase during his Chelsea days when accusing teams of being too defensive at Stamford Bridge.
When asked if he intended a similar game plan at Man United this evening, Benitez told the Chronicle: “Our idea is to try to get three points.
“We know that will be very difficult against a very good team who score a lot of goals.
“They don’t concede too many. The way to do that, get three points, you have to score so you have to attack.
“Do we want to attack them from the first minute and stay on top of them?
“Of course we would like to but maybe we cannot.
“We have to be realistic and have a game plan to defend well and try to counter-attack well to score goals.”
However, in Man United’s last two games at Old Trafford, Tottenham Hotspur managed just four shots on target in 90 minutes during a 1-0 loss while Crystal Palace forced just one shot on target in a 4-0 defeat.
When asked if anything close to four or five chances would be a good achievement at Old Trafford, Benitez added: “I would not say how many chances would be a good return.
“Sometimes you can have one chance and win it.
“To be sure we have to make sure we create something going forward in attack.
“The good thing about this team is every player knows his role.
“They are training in the same way and know what they have to do.
“They train hard and they have more or less the same match fitness.
“They will at least have the idea of what to do and how to do it.”
Mourinho resisted the urge to go over old ground with Benitez this week by declaring nothing but “respect” for the Spaniard despite huge clashes during their Liverpool and Chelsea days.
Whether it is a ploy ahead of the game or the fact Mourinho simply has enough enemies these days in the Premier League, only the man who dubbed himself the “Special One” can tell you. When asked about facing up to a fellow ex-La Liga manager, Benitez said: “He has won lot of trophies in different countries so that means something. He has a top side and he knows it depends on his team what they can achieve for me it is the same.
“He knows when you have to defend your club at times.
“Now it is a different situation, Manchester United vs Newcastle United, and not like what we have had in the past.” Chief Sports Writer RAFA Benitez has told Newcastle United players and fans anything is possible at Old Trafford if everybody sticks together.
Fans in the away section will roll out the old chant of “there is only one United” as the Toon make a return to the venue where they picked up a point in 2015/16.
That was one of the few highlights of a dire campaign which ended in relegation, but Benitez’s overall message for the rest of this campaign was clear.
Before tonight’s big match he told the Chronicle: “The main thing is if we are united we will have more chances to win.
“Some people don’t realise we can lose games in the Premier League and for us this year that will be a problem. We will be playing top sides every week.
“We can lose games like anybody else but the way we lost the last one in stoppage time (against Bournemouth), after a corner we should have defended better was disappointing.
“The second half was disappointing and led to negativity - but the reality is it could have been different.
“We could have played the second half like the first half and then everybody goes away for the international break saying ‘ We are a good team, aren’t we?’
“Hopefully in the future we will have a little bit more luck and we can win these games. This is what we need to understand.”
Benitez has urged his players to battle right until the end at Old Trafford and will not accept any sign of quitting, regardless of the scoreline.
He went on: “For us we have to compete in every way, if we do, we can win.
“We cannot go into games with our heads down thinking: ‘We cannot do this’ or we will have lost before the start.
“That is what I was telling my players from the beginning.
“If we score we have to continue competing because anything can happen in the Premier League, if they score – we have to continue competing because anything can happen in the Premier League.
“Heads cannot go down and nothing should be regarded as impossible.
“For us it is about belief and we have to do that.
“We have to work together and we have to do what we have done already.
“Work hard, be well organised and if we get chances – take them.”
Benitez also has a decision to make on his captain against Man United with Jamaal Lascelles ruled out through injury.
Rob Elliot, Ciaran Clark and Jonjo Shelvey are all contenders. Benitez said: “I still need to think about that. For me it does not change too much.
“Jamaal is still the captain and he is still around.
“He tries to help the team and he is a positive influence even when he is not playing.
“It will not change what happens no matter who gets it.”