‘We have a chance if we build on Chelsea form’

Chief NUFC Writer RAFA Benitez has told his team they CAN get something out of their trip to Manchester City if they put their minds to it.

The Magpies have been handed incredibly long odds of 20/1 to win the game and are even 10/1 just to get a draw.

Yet Benitez refuses to approach the game negatively and hopes his side can stay in the game as long as possible at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking before flying down to Manchester, he said: “What I will say to you is what I said to my players.

“We can get the result if we do the right things.

“If we are as good as we were at the Chelsea game defensively and if we improve our transition between defence and attack we have a chance.

“Is it easy? No, if it was we would do it more frequently.

“It is not easy but we are working on it.”

Benitez knows the dangers of trying to go for the jugular against Pep Guardiola’s world-class outfit.

He added: “They are a good team and they have spent money again this summer, so that will be tough. You could see Huddersfield went there and were aggressive and lost 6-1. “So you can be very attacking and offensive and lose or you can be defensive and lose. “We will try to find a balance.” Benitez was forced to retain youngsters such as Jamie Sterry and Sean Longstaff in the squad for the trip to City. The painful cup exit to Forest is still Pep Guardiola’s Man City are odds-on favourites against Newcastle today hurting the players but Benitez clutched at the positives.

He said: “You are always disappointed to lose games, whoever you are playing against.

“It was important to see Rondon, Muto, Schar, Sterry and Longstaff have game-time.

“We had players involved and that means they have minutes under their belts.

“That is good for the competition, for the team.

“With the international break coming up you don’t know if it will be good or bad.

“It may give us some time to recover players who are injured.

“The competition has now improved because of the Forest game and we will keep the competition going in training.”