OPINION
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez endured a tough summer window as he wrestled with club bosses to get his targets through the door, and the Magpies’ slow start to the season has come as no surprise.
An opening day loss to Tottenham was followed last week by a disappointing draw with Cardiff City, and things get much harder this weekend with the visit of Chelsea.
The after effects of their disappointing summer are still being felt, and Benitez has now revealed the extent to which the squad are still reeling from the events of the last few months.
As quoted by the Chronicle, he said: “It was not an easy summer. We were expecting players and they were not coming early. Still, we need to settle now.
“During the transfer window, there were players who were coming or maybe not coming, then especially players maybe leaving or not leaving, like when we had two or three players who had offers.
“The players need to settle down now, go back to their principles, and see where we were, then see where we want to be. And the only way for us is to work as hard as we were doing last year.”
This is a stark warning from Benitez to his players, with the Spaniard aiming a thinly-veiled dig at several unnamed squad members who he believes are not pulling their weight so far this term.
It is only natural for a player’s head to be turned by interest from elsewhere, but once the season has begun and the window is shut, attention must immediately turn back to the coming season.
It is clear that many players have not yet refocused their energy, and that must now happen as soon as possible.
If Newcastle want to avoid a repeat of last season, which saw them embroiled in a relegation battle until late in the season, then they need everybody to be pulling in the same direction.
If this state of affairs continues for much longer, then the Magpies will instantly find themselves at the bottom end of the table with a lot of work to do to survive.
Benitez is right to call out his players here, and they must now heed his warning and buck up their ideas or it could be another long season for the club.