Latest News
Rafa wary of Brewers threat
Written by Tom Easterby
Rafa Benitez believes his Newcastle United side must be wary of Burton Albion as they have players who “can make the difference in a game”.
United travel to the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off) hoping to consolidate their place at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
Nigel Clough’s men currently sit in 21st place in the table in what is their first ever season in the second tier.
But Benitez says the Brewers have players who will pose a threat to the Magpies, especially in front of a vocal home crowd.
“I remember at the beginning of the season, watching some of their games, and I was impressed with the atmosphere, the fans and the intensity,” he said. “Watching their games now to prepare for the game, it’s the same.
“You can see that they have very good team spirit, they work very hard, they have some good players who have pace and they are strong. They can make the difference in a game, especially at home.
“At home they are doing well, and away they have maybe more problems, but we are playing there so we know it will be a tough game.”
He added: “We are at the top of the table and we want to stay there, and we have to approach every game with the idea of getting three points. Brighton are doing really well so we cant stop doing what we are doing at the moment, and that is trying to win every game.
“When the team is doing well, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets, as a manager you have to be really pleased.
“And that’s what we have to do – keep doing these things, working as a team, and then the individuals will make a difference.”
Saturday’s game will be Benitez's 1,001st in club management, after he moved into four figures with the 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic in midweek.
And, having surpassed that major milestone, the Spaniard says he’s happy to have the chance to do something he loves every day, as he continues to mastermind United’s promotion push.
“My friends says that I have an opportunity to enjoy my life because I'm doing what I wanted to do and then they are paying for that,” he said. “I like my job, I like to coach and I like to manage teams and at the same time, I like to win. If I have this opportunity, I'm really pleased with that.
“This time, I am in a big club, and I will try to keep winning and keep managing a lot of games.
“There are so many games in football now, and it’s so difficult to be in charge for a long time, so I'm really pleased.
“Also, the way that the game went (at Wigan on Wednesday), with us winning, I was happy. I concentrated on that, because that was the most important thing, to win the game, but after, I'm obviously happy.”
“I remember at the beginning of the season, watching some of their games, and I was impressed with the atmosphere, the fans and the intensity."