Rafa raps his fall-guys
RAFAEL BENITEZ accused his players of not listening to his pre-match warning as Newcastle’s title hopes suffered a setback.
Fulham closed to within two points of the play-off places after teen sensation Ryan Sessegnon hit a second-half double to add to a first-half strike from Tom Cairney.
Newcastle boss Benitez feared the visitors could cause problems and will be concerned that his side have now been beaten five times at home.
Benitez said: ‘We knew it could be a difficult game, and we knew we had to do well at the beginning and not make mistakes. But we started making mistakes, and we paid for that. Fulham are a good team — they passed the ball well and they have pace.
‘We were giving the ball away, and that was giving them the chance to play in the way they like. When you have tried and have made mistakes, you have to analyse why. It is not as though the players were not trying in terms of effort. Sometimes, it’s just a wrong decision, and that is something we have to improve.’ A late Daryl Murphy goal was all Newcastle had to show for their efforts.
Just 16, Sessegnon caused a succession of problems down the left and only missed out on a hat-trick when Tim Ream denied him the chance to take a stoppage time penalty. Ream fired it wide!
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic feels his side took a major step forward, saying: ‘I believe at the end my team deserved the result. It is a great step for us.
‘We are not in a position to think about being a promoted team, but we are going to push hard for the top six.’