OPINION
Newcastle United’s recent spell of bad form is pulling them even closer towards the relegation battle, and Rafa Benitez needs to get a firm grip on his squad to prevent dragging them into such a scenario.
Jamaal Lascelles is the captain, but that does not leave him exempt from the axe – and it is not just his poor performances that warrant him for such a decision.
Benitez was quoted by the Chronicle saying that Florian Lejeune could make his comeback as early as January 5, when the Magpies take on Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup.
This news only spells misery for Lascelles, as it is yet another reason why he could be axed in the forseeable future.
With the likes of Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar performing at high standards, Lascelles is gradually being left behind following his series of lacklustre showings.
The clash against Liverpool on Boxing Day was pretty much the icing on the cake for the 25-year-old, and now that he is potentially set for more competition for the centre-back role, his first team hopes are slowly going down the drain.
Binning Lascelles will make no difference to Benitez, as there are plenty of options at his disposal – the match against the Reds strikes up more of a red flag to the manager than ever, and he must really take note.
The only display worthy of mention is the 1-0 win over Huddersfield a few weeks ago, and even then he risked being sent off after a terrible challenge on Terriers player Laurent Depoitre.
He clearly is not the same player that led Newcastle to tenth place in the Premier League last season, so Benitez needs to ruthlessly axe him for the sake of the team.
Lejeune’s return all but spells the end for Lascelles, and he will no doubt be sweating after his series of horror shows this season.