Aleksandar Mitrovic, who came on to replace the ineffective Papiss Cisse, added: “We had our chances but we didn’t score”.
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Anything less than victory at Villa Park will leave Newcastle’s top-flight future hanging by a thread, as Sunderland and Norwich both enjoy a game in hand in the final week of the campaign.
Arch-rivals Sunderland will plunge the Geordie nation into mourning if they beat Everton on Wednesday night, condemning Newcastle to relegation and denying them a £200million share of the £5 billion Premier League TV deal that kicks in next season. However, that was a game I expected them to win, likewise I expect them to get a result at Aston Villa this weekend.
Newcastle will be praying that a Sunderland slip up against Everton will mean the relegation fight will go to the final day of season, with the Magpies due to face Tottenham at St James’ Park.
The players are happy and training well, like to be fair they have since I have been here.
Villa’s late collapse at Watford last weekend equalled a club-record run of 11 consecutive defeats, which was set back in 1963 – another reverse this weekend would put this team in the record books for all the wrong reasons.
“It is hard to say they had any influence, for me it was because we couldn’t manage the anxiety in the way that we had to do it”.
“If they do the job, we have to do our job”.
Benitez was asked about the reference after Newcastle’s goalless draw against relegated Aston Villa on Saturday.
It would be an exaggeration to suggest that the effect was immediate, but without exactly laying siege to the Villa goal Newcastle did step up their attacking efforts after the break as well as beginning to play with a little more intent.
“But you can not change things, just analyse what you’ve done and be sure that you are right if it goes to the last game”.
“I’m lucky that since I’ve been captain we’ve won some games, that’s good for me and for the team”. They could not take all three points against the Championship-bound side on Saturday, playing out to a 0-0 stalemate, despite their chances.
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“A good result is obviously important but for me the most important part is getting the supporters back on side before the end of this season and for the start of next season”. We need them and I think the players deserve credit for taking these little steps back towards them under hard conditions.
