Benitez had impact from afar at Swans

PETER Beardsley believes Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez inspired his players during the win at Swansea City – despite being 170 miles away in the Wirral.

Benitez is now back at work after recovering from a hernia operation but Beardsley felt that Newcastle players upped their game at the Liberty Stadium.

With the feel-good factor starting to return to St James’, Beardsley said: “It couldn’t have been a better weekend.

“It was like Swansea blew themselves out without causing too many problems and I always thought we were going to win, I really did.

“The players respect Rafa so much and they’ll have put more effort in without thinking about it.

“I remember Kevin Keegan was part of the playing staff and Arthur Cox missed a game.

“We played at Derby. We were 2-0 up and we lost 3-2. We played unbelievably to go 2-0 up.

“Kevin was fuming, as he wanted us to win for Arthur. It was the perfect result for the manager this time though. It picked him up.”

Two of United’s coaching team in Francisco de Míguel Moreno and Antonio Gómez Pérez were congratulated personally by Beardsley at St James’ as the pair arrived at St James’ to watch the 2-2 draw with Norwich in the Under-23s.

Beardsley said: “It was great for Paco, Mikel Antia and Antonio at the weekend. They’re top, top people who understand the game.

“The tactics were perfect. To be fair to Paul Clement too, he was complimentary. Newcastle deserved to win. There’s not enough of that in football.

“Sometimes, you have to hold your hands up.

“Paul Clement, he was really good about that.

“Six points out of 12, we’d all have settled for that.”