Sky Bet Championship
Rotherham United vs Newcastle United
- Kickoff:
"Concentration is key"
Rafa Benítez has stressed the importance of his players keeping their concentration on Saturday when Newcastle United travel to Rotherham United in the Sky Bet Championship.
The Magpies go into the game on the back of a dramatic 4-3 victory against Norwich City on Wednesday evening, with two goals in the final two minutes of injury time sealing a sensational comeback at St. James' Park.
While confidence is high in the Magpies' camp, Benítez is wary of complacency and he has stressed the importance of being mentally ready for a tough battle at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
"We didn't have too much time to prepare (after Wednesday)," said Benítez. "We have talked about how we will play this game and we have made some tactical adjustments.
"The main thing is mentally and how you can prepare the team so that they don't lose the concentration they need to beat any team.
"We have the experience of (winning 6-0 at) Queens Park Rangers and (losing to) Wolves, so we know that you cannot go into any game with just that confidence. You will pay for that."
While Rotherham United remain rooted to the foot of the table - winning one of their opening ten games - Benítez is not underestimating Alan Stubbs' side, insisting they are far better than their current position suggests.
"Analysing the games, they are not as bad as people will think," Benítez added. "They have some good players up front and this is a team that is organised.
"They are making some mistakes and that is why they are at the bottom.
"It is another tricky game that you have to be sure you approach with the right mentality."
We have talked about how we will play this game and we have made some tactical adjustments