Rafael Benitez is hoping Newcastle United’s recent
improvement will continue on his return to Liverpool
on Saturday.
Newcastle have taken four points from home games
with Swansea City and Manchester City over the past
week but remain in the relegation zone, two points
adrift of 17th-placed Norwich City.
The Magpies have lost all eight Premier League
encounters away from St James’ Park in 2016 but
Benitez is optimistic his players can arrest that slide at
Anfield.
He said at Friday’s news conference: “We have to
believe, I’m very happy with the reaction of the team
in the last two games. With that intensity, passion and
character on the pitch, the players showed they believe
and I hope everybody has the same feeling. We’ll fight
to the end.
“It’s the way we have to act if we want to be stronger.
“As a team we have to work hard in attack and
defence, Liverpool are scoring a lot of goals but we will
go there to win. We are where we are but we have to
carry on and stick together.
“Before the game you always have to think about
getting three points. It doesn’t matter about the name
of the rival.
“Our record against Manchester City was quite negative
but we fought with the belief we could get three points.
Liverpool will be exactly the same.”
Stand-in captain Jonjo Shelvey has been relegated to
the bench for the past two games while fellow big-
money signing Georginio Wijnaldum was also dropped
for the game against City in midweek.
Benitez has been impressed at the way both have
handled the situation.
“Competition between players is really important,
especially at the end of the season when you have so
many important games,” he added.
“Players like Jonjo and Gini have been really good.
They are working hard and they have to compete.
“They know my ideas and know they have to compete
anyway.”
Benitez spent six years on Merseyside between 2004
and 2010, with the highlight undoubtedly the club’s
2005 Champions League success over AC Milan in
Istanbul.
The Spaniard can see plenty of similarities between
Newcastle and Liverpool and is relishing returning to
Anfield for just the second time since leaving six years
ago.
“There are a lot of similarities between the Geordies
and Scousers, the atmosphere and the passion of the
crowd, we’re fighting and they’re fighting – they have a
good manager and good players so we’re trying to
replicate what we had here the other day [against
Manchester City],” he said.
“The cities are similar, they’re passionate. They’re
workers and I like this.
“I hope there is a good reception, my connection with
the city is fantastic, my family lives there and we have
a foundation helping people but we will try to get three
points.”
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