The Irish Mail on Sunday

ASH FLOW PROBLEM

Newcastle chief must invest to stop the slide

- By Craig Hope

RAFA BENITEZ has warned that his Newcastle team needs January investment or risks being dragged so close to the bottom of the Premier League that it will jeopardise a proposed takeover — he is not wrong.

His side have lost six of their last seven matches — drawing once — and are now just two points and two places above the relegation zone.

If owner Mike Ashley wants to protect the value of his proposed sale to Amanda Staveley and PCP Capital Partners then he will have to invest a few quid of his own first. This squad is going down, make no mistake about that, and Benitez, you suspect, knows it.

This was a day when the club celebrated their 125th anniversar­y by naming their greatest-ever XI and inviting a host of former favourites on to the pitch at half-time. Sadly, the likes of Peter Beardsley and Malcolm Macdonald could not stay out there for the second half, for how Newcastle could have done with their wit, skill and bravery during what was another uninspirin­g display.

In the end, they were undone by an own goal, substitute Ayoze Perez putting through his own net three minutes from time as he tried to steal from the toe of Shinji Okazaki inside the six-yard area.

But defeat was deserved. They had gone in front early through Joselu, only for Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray to reverse the scoreline to reflect the balance of play.

Dwight Gayle salvaged parity but Newcastle could not hold on to what would have been a valuable point.

It leaves Benitez to reflect on a third straight home loss, the first time he has suffered such a run as a manager in the Premier League.

Newcastle had not scored at home since October so when they took the lead on four minutes it came as something of a surprise — even more of a shock was the goalscorer. Joselu has started to look over- priced at £5million, given a barren run of seven matches in front of goal. So when confidence is that low what you need is a chance like this — unmarked in front of an unguarded net just 10 yards out. The Spanish striker duly tucked home his third of the season from Gayle’s pull-back and Newcastle had the start they so badly needed.

Rather than build on it, however, they retreated, and that is not the wisest ploy with 86 minutes still to play against the likes of Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Gray, who was the best player on the park in the first half. He forced Karl Darlow into a fumbling save at his near post with a low blast on nine minutes and, after nutmegging Mikel Merino, his curler then evaded the top corner by a matter of inches.

Leicester were waltzing through Newcastle at will and were level after 19 minutes. Merino’s errant pass found Wilfred Ndidi and he quickly passed to team-mate Mahrez, a far more likely scorer. And so it proved as the Algerian dropped a shoulder to escape Isaac Hayden and fired through the weak grasp of Darlow from more than 25 yards. The goalkeeper should have done far better, yes, but Mahrez got his reward for cunning and ambition.

Just moments later, Gray crossed wickedly to the far post where former Newcastle full-back Danny Simpson arrived and was unlucky to see his sliding clip land in the side-netting.

Home winger Matt Ritchie became so frustrated at the lack of team-mates willing to receive the ball that he screamed for help while in possession deep inside his own half. His cries fell on deaf ears.

Leicester continued to attack and thought they had a penalty when Vardy scampered clear, only to be felled by the sliding DeAndre Yedlin. Referee Neil Swarbrick pointed to the ball — not the spot — and replays showed that the American defender had got a touch.

By the hour mark the visitors were in front, the only surprise was that it had taken so long. Mahrez switched a high ball to the left where Marc Albrighton cushioned for Gray and his shot deflected past Darlow via Florian Lejeune.

Would Leicester, given the lead, do what Newcastle had done earlier in the game and surrender territory? Of course not. They pressed for a third and Mahrez soon drew a smart save from Darlow.

Perhaps they should have protected their advantage, for Newcastle were level after 73 minutes. The Foxes failed to clear from a corner and, after a game of head tennis inside the area, Gayle seized the loose ball, stepped inside two blue shirts and saw his strike deflect home off Harry Maguire.

But the relief of that goal was short-lived. And so, too, will be Newcastle’s stay in the top-flight if Ashley does not back Benitez in the transfer market next month.

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 ??  ?? OWN GOAL: Perez gets his foot on the ball but puts it into his own net
OWN GOAL: Perez gets his foot on the ball but puts it into his own net

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