Boss hopes skipper racks up 500 appearances
RAFA Benitez hopes captain Jamaal Lascelles can reach a mammoth 500 games for Newcastle United – and spurn interest from bigger clubs.
The ex-Nottingham Forest defender has gone from the reserve team to Benitez’s captain in the Premier League in just three years.
Lascelles has been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool recently, and fans fear he could be sold as talk of an England call-up continues to grow.
The 24-year-old will make his 100th appearances for Newcastle today against West Bromwich Albion, and Benitez said: “He’s quite young to play that amount of games. Hopefully he can be here for 500 games or more. To be a leader on and off the pitch for a young player is great.
“He is still learning but he can get better, on the pitch and off it.”
Benitez wants to secure a top-10 finish with just four games of the season left but will also rotate his squad before the campaign is over.
He said: “They (his squad) know. They realise we have to keep going and maybe one of the things we can do is start changing players.
“There’s an opportunity for players to get a chance who have to prove something. I need to get that balance in this game and the next game. “We’ll try to be competitive.” Victory against the Baggies will ensure Newcastle stay in the top half this weekend but Benitez warned: “It’s one game at a time. We know winning a game keeps us in the top 10. The idea all season has been one game at a time.”
SAM Allardyce has taken yet another swipe at Newcastle United – as he belligerently defends Everton’s playing style amid criticism from Toffees’ fans, writes CHRIS WAUGH.
Everton defeated the Magpies 1-0 at Goodison Park on Monday evening in an extremely turgid affair on Merseyside.
After the game, Allardyce accused Rafa Benitez of adopting “negative tactics”, while defending the Toffees’ approach to the match.
Four days on, and the former Newcastle manager has taken his criticism to a new level.
Allardyce has now claimed the Magpies “did not want to come out of their own half” and “did not attack until the last 10 minutes”, blaming the Magpies for the bland viewing.
“I don’t think it’s unfair, no. I think that we all want to be more entertaining,” Allardyce said of his side’s style during his pre-match Press conference ahead of Everton’s match with Huddersfield Town today.
“From where we started to where we are now, we’ve not only achieved the goal we achieved, but we have achieved some extremely entertaining games that we’ve played and when you look at Newcastle – why was it difficult?
“It takes two to tango. Did Newcastle come and want to try and come out their own half? No. Did Newcastle ever try and attack apart from the last 10 minutes? No.
“Entertainment comes by both teams being a bit more open and adventurous. Newcastle were not adventurous whatsoever.”