Achieving the inaugural victory under the former Liverpool and Real Madrid coach, which would throw Newcastle a potential Premier League survival lifeline, will involve beating Swansea City at St James’ Park and, with the stadium behind his imbalanced, injury ravaged team, Benítez believes anything is possible.
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Jamaal Lascelles scored the opener from a corner in the 40th minute and stand-in captain Moussa Sissoko doubled the advantage in the 82nd minute after a spell of Swansea pressure.
No matter that Newcastle’s performance was not always quite as convincing as the final scoreline, Rafael Benitez celebrated his 56th birthday with his first win in five attempts since succeeding Steve McClaren last month.
Newcastle remain in the drop zone but are now only three points behind Norwich in 17th, and also have the advantage of a game in hand. “All the players who started did well and so did the three players who came off the bench”.
Benitez called for his players to stick together and deliver the kind of committed display that would stop Newcastle’s disgruntled fans from turning against them.
The fact that the scoreline flattered Newcastle will have been of little concern to Benitez, his players or the fans, who watched the game with Swansea squandering a series of second-half chances with the score at 1-0.
“When you win games everybody is happy but the main thing is we saw what we expect from this team and now we have to play the same in games to come”.
Newcastle United: (4-2-3-1) Darlow; Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett; Shelvey, Colback; Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Townsend; Mitrovic.
Lascelles had questioned his team-mates’ desire in the aftermath of the Southampton loss and there was certainly no doubting the young defender’s commitment when he muscled his way past Gylfi Sigurdsson at a corner to power a header in off Fabianski.
Bielsa was linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Everton last week but after Merseyside club distanced themselves from the South American the hierarchy at Swansea have decided to make their move.
Andros Townsend then slotted one past the Swansea goalkeeper after Mitrovic had played him in to wrap up the game.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater has insisted there will be no change in the club’s approach as they eye a remarkable Premier League title success.
The Swans have lost none of their last four Premier League trips to St James Park, including winning the last three in a row.
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They have kept one clean sheet in their 16 away league games this season.
