Benitez looks overseas for friendly game
RAFA Benitez acknowledged the long distance his Newcastle United side have travelled in the space of less than a year.
Seven of the United side that started against Champions Leaguechasing Liverpool were plying their trade in the Championship just 12 months ago but still faced a Reds outfit built to challenge for the Premier League title.
After the game, Benitez said: “We were playing one of the best sides in England; the money in the Premier League is a massive difference, you have seen one of the best teams in the Premier League.
“For 40 minutes we controlled things defensively as a team but you can’t make mistakes or you pay for it.”
Benitez seemed to have the sympathy of both sets of fans with both ends of the stadium chanting his name near to the final whistle.
He said: “On a personal level, I was really pleased with our fans and the Liverpool fans, they were good for me but still we didn’t get the points.
“I am happy but we are not closer to what we want. We knew they were dangerous, the way they pressed quickly.
“We knew that we had to be careful with that.
“You cannot guarantee you won’t make mistakes, and when you make mistakes, with the players they have up front, you will pay for that.”
Meanwhile, Benitez insists that Newcastle will only consider a mid-season friendly game against high-calibre opponents during their 21-day fixture gap.
The Magpies’ enforced break – caused by the postponement of their trip to Wembley to face Tottenham Hotspur this month – has left Benitez pondering a trip abroad with a friendly game sandwiched in between.
However, with all the other top leagues in Europe in full flow, Newcastle could struggle to find the right match-up.
With trips to La Manga and Dubai being considered, Benitez said after the 2-0 defeat against Liverpool: “We were just analysing the situation but we still haven’t made any decisions.
“So we were talking about that because I think it would be good to play.
“But it is not easy to find the right players to play against or the right teams.
“It’s not just about playing a friendly (for the sake of it).”