Newcastle supporters need to be more critical of Rafa Benitez
By Durim Halimi
Rafa Benitez is a world class manager who aims to strengthen Newcastle United, but he is far from perfect.
Newcastle United are currently 16th in the Premier League table with a performance record of one draw and two losses to start the 2018-19 campaign. Newcastle still have plenty of time to turn their poor form around, but their dismal performances against Cardiff City and Chelsea are worrying signs.
Poor results are primarily a reflection of the quality that players are displaying on the field, but at the same time, every manager needs to be held accountable for their club’s form and this includes Rafa Benitez.
Credit must be given where credit is due and Benitez’s tenure on Tyneside is associated with success. Benitez took a struggling Newcastle side and led them to a title in the EFL Championship and then earned a top ten finish in the Premier League the following season. Like every other transfer window, Benitez has been a victim of Mike Ashley’s greed, but he has found ways to achieve remarkable results with a cheap budget.
Despite not receiving sufficient funds, Benitez miraculously brought in seven quality players to provide more depth and internal competition to the squad. Circumstances aside, Benitez knows the club has enough talent to earn another mid-table finish, but the Magpies have not been playing that way. With that being said, Rafa Benitez deserves some blame for not utilizing players the right way this season.
Mistakes vs. Cardiff City
Newcastle dropped two crucial points on the road against Cardiff City. The fact that it was Cardiff City’s first home game in the Top Flight this season gave the Bluebirds extra motivation against the Magpies, but Benitez’s men should not have been outplayed the way they were.
Cardiff City is one of the weakest, if not the weakest, side in the Premier League and they made Newcastle chase the ball and defend more than they should have. Benitez should have gone with either a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation to put the pressure on Cardiff City from the opening whistle. Instead, Benitez went with a balanced 4-2-3-1 formation and this kept Cardiff City in the match.
Moreover, Benitez made an ill-advised decision when he replaced the injured Javier Manquillo with Isaac Hayden, a slow midfielder playing out of position against the speedy Josh Murphy. Benitez had at least two other defensive options with plenty of pace in Fabian Schar and Jamie Sterry to play on the back-line.
Mistakes vs. Chelsea
The match against Chelsea on Sunday was definitely one to forget. The players were not at fault for this dismal performance as they were simply following the tactical orders that Benitez laid out in training. Unlike the amazing performance against a top side like Tottenham on opening day, Benitez transformed the Magpies into an ultra-defensive bunker.
Benitez tried to justify his tactics despite facing heavy criticism from pundits on several media outlets. While his objective was clear – earn a positive result through cautious play – the Spaniard should have deployed a more attacking side.
Newcastle may not match the quality of top clubs, but they match their level of strength and pace down the flanks. A key mistake against Chelsea was leaving Salomon Rondon isolated up top. The main reason why Rondon only averaged eight goals a season for West Brom was because he was isolated with no support under Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew.
Manchester City is Next…
Benitez cannot continue with this excessive respect to opponents. With Manchester City up next on the schedule, Newcastle must find a way to frustrate the defending champions without parking the bus and inviting successive scoring opportunities. It will be interesting to see if Benitez will alter his tactics next weekend. One thing is for certain though, Benitez must trust his players more in big matches.