Rafa should have crack at signing Dack

BLACKBURN manager Tony Mowbray believes Bradley Dack is too good to be ‘languishing in the middle of the Championship’ — and he is right. How Newcastle United must wish they had the means to take the 25-year-old midfielder and give him the platform he deserves. They are, after all, desperately short of goals and creativity in the No 10 position. Dack (below) has now been involved in 20 goals in 25 matches this season. He has scored 13, the latest a bullet header during Saturday’s 1-1 draw. Figures as wild as £20million have been quoted for a player who cost Blackburn £750,000 from Gillingham in 2017. On this evidence, he might just be worth it. ‘The only previous time I played a competitive game against a Premier League side was for Gillingham against Tottenham — and we lost 5-0!’ said Dack. ‘I thought afterwards, “I’m a long way from this level”. It wasn’t a great feeling. ‘But playing against Newcastle, I proved to myself that I can play at this level. A few of our boys have said my header was Shearer-esque!’ Dack makes no secret of his role model. ‘I always looked up to Frank Lampard and the goals he scored from midfield,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t quick enough to play at centre forward, so attacking midfield is my best role and he was the best.’ Newcastle forced a barely deserved replay when Matt Ritchie converted an 85th-minute penalty after Corry Evans had tripped Ayoze Perez. Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez’s priority is Premier League survival, something he recently claimed would be a ‘miracle’ for them to achieve. There is a feeling that comment has affected morale but Benitez said: ‘The players know exactly what we were talking about. It is quite obvious we are working so hard. The players are trying their best.’

MAGIC OF THE CUP VERDICT: 2/5

Eight Toon changes but at least Rovers and their fans enjoyed it.