Changes needed as Rafa was looking to win game
BOSS PUTS BLAME ON A LACK OF CONFIDENCE
NEWCASTLE United boss Rafa Benitez has explained why he decided to haul off Jacob Murphy and Isaac Hayden during the FA Cup clash against Blackburn Rovers.
Neither player grasped their opportunity at St James’ Park, just days after Hayden has insisted he was ready to give everything for the United cause despite handing in a fresh transfer request last week.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw, Benitez was asked why he withdrew certain players and replied: “When you are playing a game you have to make the substitutions thinking about how to change something.
“We were losing and I was trying to make these changes to have different characteristics on the pitch.
“We were trying but they were pushing hard.
“You could see how they were running for every ball and then sometimes it is more difficult for you to play with the confidence you have to play with.
“Overall, the reaction of the team was good in the final minutes and I take that as a positive.”
So United are now lumbered with another game in a competition which could hinder their bid for survival in the Premier League.
Benitez insisted that was not the case on Saturday night but added: “As I said before, I am not happy with another game - I would have preferred to win this game.
“However, if you cannot, at least you have another chance and then try to win the next one.”
Benitez was then asked if his side was equipped to face both an FA Cup run and battle for survival in the top flight.
He added: “I hope so. The good news is Florian Lejeune is here - he is another even if you don’t have Ki or Muto but I think more or less we can manage.
“If you play the same players for three or four games in a row it will be very difficult for them but we will see.
“It depends on each one. Some players can recover quickly and
some players are more difficult to manage than other because they run more on the pitch.”
“Centre-back, for example, is the easiest one and we have a lot of them - but the other positions, wingers, strikers, normally they run a lot and at a high intensity and it is more difficult to recover.”
Lejeune may now come back into contention for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea after putting in a man-of-the-match display.
Benitez added: “In terms of quality on the ball you could see he is fine, he is ready. “He can give us something different also, to play from the back. “We will now have to see how he progresses in terms of his fitness and match-fitness and his position on the pitch - but I was quite happy with that.
“We have to take some positives.
“The reaction of the players was good, they were pushing until the last minutes. “Some players have not had a chance to play 90 minutes.
“It was an opportunity for them to show what they have and I think they worked hard.”
When you are playing a game, you have to make the substitutions thinking about how to change something