Benitez hopes there is safety in numbers in the drop zone
BETWEEN now and the end of the season Newcastle United will only face four of the teams currently embroiled in the scrap going on in the bottom half of the table.
The 12-game run-in also features tough clashes with Manchester United this Sunday, Liverpool away, Tottenham away and Chelsea at home on the final day of the campaign.
With up to 15 points needed during their battle for survival those home games with the current bottom-half sides such as Huddersfield, Southampton and West Brom, plus Watford away will be crucial and three more bonus points could need to be scraped from elsewhere.
However, Toon boss Rafa Benitez feels it will not just be about where teams are sitting in the table during the survival shoot-out – the key factor this year is probably going to be the number of sides involved.
There are just six points between 11th-placed Watford and bottom club West Brom and as AFC Bournemouth, unbeaten in seven Premier League games, have proved recently you can quickly climb to safety if you can put together a good run.
With the likes of Burnley, Leicester and the Cherries closing in on safety, Benitez believes there are TEN teams involved in this year’s relegation battle.
He told the Chronicle: “Maybe that is good news. There are too many teams involved.
“Are you asking me if I prefer three or four teams involved in the battle for the drop?
“Well, if there were two or three teams who were much deeper down the pile perhaps it could be better.”
Benitez, though, is just pleased it is not a straight fight between United and another rival in this year’s battle against the drop, which has been the case during some seasons in the Premier League.
The manager cuts a calm figure at the club’s training ground, he is relaxed - but also acutely aware of what is required from his players between now and May.
He added: “At least it is not just one team which could be better than you and it is down to them or us to stay up.
“It now depends on a lot of tough teams.
“That means we are going to have more chances to do well.
“So it is good for us but we have to keep working hard.”
Newcastle tackle Manchester United on Sunday on the back of a hard-fought draw at Selhurst Park last weekend.
However, Benitez felt the Eagles were also a great example of a team which has put a solid sequence of results together to fend off relegation.
It represents a remarkable recovery for Palace and Roy Hodgson given the Eagles did not have a single point on the board at the start of October – back then Newcastle were nine points ahead of them but now trail the Selhurst Park side by two points.
At least it is not just one team which could be better than you and it is down to them or us to stay up Rafa Benitez
Benitez said: “It was a surprise they were so bad because of the quality of the players they have.
“Roy Hodgson has done a good job.
“They are now in a normal position.
“We will see what happens at the end but it will be an interesting competition that is for sure.”
Newcastle head into the final straight with new boys Islam Slimani, Kenedy and Martin Dúbravka on board plus defenders Jesus Gamez and Florian Lejeune also training again.
Benitez added: “Gamez is getting better. I was talking to him and he says he feels better. “Lejeune has also been training with the team and that is also good news.” Benitez insists it will be a group effort if his team are going to avoid relegation this season. The United boss said: “It was very clear from the beginning that we were working really hard, particularly towards the end when we were blocking and running. “That is the only way for us and the others towards the bottom of the table.”