Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s crucial match-up with Crystal Palace, Paul Dummett has spoken to the press about his new manager Rafa Benitez and what the Spaniard offers compared with his predecessor Steve McClaren.
Speaking to the Chronicle, the defender praised the ex-Real Madrid boss in how he was turning the squad into ‘better players’.
More specifically he has praised Benitez for the work he has done with the Newcastle back four.
With the Magpies conceding the second highest number of goals in the league this season (64 – only Villa have conceded more), it was imperative that a defence-minded coach in the mould of Rafa was brought into the club. After a clean sheet against Swansea and what should have been a clean sheet against Manchester City this month, there’s evidence to suggest that what’s being taught on the training ground is actually having a positive effect on match days.
“For me personally he talks about the positioning with each player and he works with the back four a lot.
“He tells us to be together and be more compact. Any manager has different opinions and growing up as players it can only help you learn from them. It will help me get better as a player too.”
We’re dying for a decent striker. If not for Townsend we’d already be down. Ridiculous failure on Charnley and Carr’s part.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
50 / 50 for me.
I take hope from the fact we have Rafa & Sunderland have a slightly harder run in.
Everton and Watford showed they arent fully packed for their jollies just yet.
Gashley(Quote)
are you mad. we have Riviere, Doumbia and Arma down the road. Also, we’re lucky Cisse was injured as he would of been sold 😯 we would of been relying on Mitro 😳
Gashley(Quote)
I thought Townsend would be huge for us. But then again I thought Doumbia was going to play a huge part as well. 😆
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Riviere and Doumbia Gashley mate? Ah I see you’re pulling it. Cisse has been horrific except for the one goal against the bindippers. He’s on there to run himself into the ground. Then we only have Mitro. He can hold it up well but no pace, no guile.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 – I think that will be Rafas main focus in the summer – replace Colo & Saylor with good cover for Mbemba & Lascelles.
But his main priority will be improving the forwards. He’s stuck with Cisse (who hasn’t been great), despite having Riviere, Doom and De Jong – which suggests he can’t be overly sold on those options.
Maybe Armstrong will give him food for thought, but he needs some real quality up there I’d say.
Townsend is class IMO, and I’d love someone of a similar quality on the other wing too.
Sharpy17(Quote)
thought our defence was brilliant today, and especially our two full backs did well against really tricky wingers. well done anita in particular, boulasie is a real handful.
it may not be enough at the end of the day, but with the grin reaper in charge we were guaranteed relegation. at least we are giving it a go..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Lascelles has already become a leader in the side. Something Colo never was. Such a pleasure to see him develop. Colo’s done with us along with many others if we survive this because Rafa would never put up with that kind of bollocks. At least 8 out in the summer if Rafa stays.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
It will be a pleasure to watch Rafa re-create the team Sharpy. He’s such a breath of fresh air. The stench won’t be gone until Charnley, Carr and anybody else Rafa wants sacked is gone.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
MM yes Antia did when you consider he’s carried a hamstring injury all week but played though it as I said before,hard to do against that guy when fully fit
Icedog(Quote)
G2 Rafa has started already,Oba and Marv payed off today and told to leave the club,good start quite a few to follow me thinks mate
Icedog(Quote)
Wijnaldum’s a sad ghost of a player now. Probably my biggest disappointment of the season. That and the pathetic creature Doumbia has turned out to be and the amazing fade of Shelvey.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Good to hear that ice mate. Finally somebody actually doing something. Useless Charnley sitting there all this time.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Rafa has brought the SBR effect back to NUFC.
I’ve just watched his post match interview and he said it was a great freekick from ANDREW Townsend 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy lets hope he doesn’t do an Nzog now!! Know he won’t far too sensible. Shame it looks too late for him to make the Euros
Simon(Quote)
We have been a disaster as a club for years now thanks to the complete dunce Ashley and his pack of mindless idiots. Now we have somebody extremely capable. Just hand Rafa full control and shut your cakehole Mike.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Anyone know what the **** is the score with Doumbia?
He’s been a goal machine everywhere he’s been. He’s had it rough at how current club but on the whole, he is a menace. We get him, he seems to literally go missing.
Why can we not do loan deals? The only good one was Remy then he immediately ****** off.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Doumbia flew 2 thousand miles this week to watch a moscow game when he should have been here grafting for his place in the squad. Fook knoes what he is doing here.
Shamrock(Quote)
SHAM he doesn’t train normally for his club just turns up on match day and does the job,maybe Rafa making him train has took the edge of him for playing a game lol another Carr diamond
Icedog(Quote)
Maybe STUART is right as big Sam says with toon doing well is putting more pressure on his players
Icedog(Quote)
Pathetic attitude if that is true about Doumbia not training Ice.
Villa showed some fight today. Hopwfully Watford’s late comeback will have knocked out the last of their stuffing. We need Chelsea and Man Utd to step up next week and be the big clubs they are aupposed fo be.
Shamrock(Quote)
SHAM yes it’s very true he doesn’t train but his team mates don’t mind one bit as he normally scores on match games,or so his team mates say
Icedog(Quote)
After that goal, that penalty save and that win, how can anybody really not start to believe?!
Sam even admitting our form is putting them under pressure and they’re struggling to handle it.
Stuart79(Quote)
Scum would be buggered without Defoe that’s for sure.
kimtoon(Quote)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36179328
kimtoon(Quote)
With the way Pardew has talked up Newcastle over the past week and the drop Palace have had this year, I kind of get the impression Pardew would like to come back here, especially with how Rafa is seemingly going to get dictatorship if we can somehow keep us up.
Seems like that would have kept Pardew here but he wasn’t getting it.
funkyjesus(Quote)
FJ – Pardew didn’t get it, because he didn’t earn or deserve it.
He can but dream.
I also think he will get the sack after they lose the FA Cup final
Their league form is atrocious
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
it still concerns me that Villa are still scoring, they were winning for a long time today until their inevitable collapse. Problem we have is we are not a team full of goals and with Villa playing without pressure now, should they get their noses in front could we reply? Would bloody hate for them lot to dent our great escape, hate them as it is and that would just about crown it off.
kimtoon(Quote)
Sunderland fans convinced Cabaye missed the penalty on purpose… 😀
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim – We will beat Villa and when we do we will stay up.
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim – we kept a clean sheet today, so maybe that counts for something positive to grab on to.
We really do have the momentum with us now too.
Keep the Faith lass.
BELIEVE
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
I feel Pardew has been vindicated AND exposed with this season.
He has been vindicated as he managed to get us 5th and Europe with this management while Carver and McClaren crashed and burned but he also broke literally every bad record in existence while Rafa has us playing unlike we ever have under Ashley ownership.
His epic call with Palace also backed up the stats we protested with yet the media still will not go for him.
funkyjesus(Quote)
well done stu for remaining positive.
Good 2nd half today again, but i felt we were going to concede at some time.
A good 3 points in the bag and the great escape is still on.
Howay the Lads
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Just another star aligned.
Stuart79(Quote)
hopefully
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Even Rafa seemed to enjoy that
Stuart79(Quote)
I watched soccer Saturday this afternoon & then then match and on both they were banging on about the fact we were 9th when Pardew left & how we would be wrong to give him stick.
Ok stats boys, that’s how it reads on paper but us fans remember how it really was.
Almost relegated the previous season, then a stinking start to last season – so bad in fact that even Troy started to waiver.
A win against Leicester and then a freak unbeaten Nov got us to 9th. But the football was bloody awful & it was only a matter of time before the results took a turn for the worse again.
But the history books will show us 9th when he left, so everything must have been great – set of fucking idiots.
Sharpy17(Quote)
They don’t know what they’re talking about, man! They take snippets from here and there but if they actually do some research they’d take more sense.
Sunderland very over reliant on Defoe but also didn’t play as well as they have for the last couple of months. Wouldn’t be a good time to start playing badly would it… 😆
Stuart79(Quote)
Seriously, what on earth are Murphy and Jenas on? They still think Sunderland will stay up but can’t give a reason, it’s “just a feeling!” What a joke!
Stuart79(Quote)
I want us to stay up if for no other reason than to eliminate the final reason pundits and people give Big Sam credit – for never being relegated. The smug **** took to implying near match fixing to try and get his team a boost and it didn’t work.
Even Pardew had a pop at him.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Townsend worked hard, but gave the ball away a lot of times. Still, his work rate is good to see, as is the determination of the rest of the team. That’s the biggest change in the team since Rafa came in.
Well done Darlow as well. I think I celebrated that save as much as I did the goal.
I presume Townsend won’t be able to play against Spurs. That could be a loss.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Well done today glad we won.
Terry(Quote)
Why will Townsend not play? We own him, he isn’t loaned. Has he hit a yellow card limit?
funkyjesus(Quote)
My mistake. I had him as a loan. Good. He works hard.
Brisvegas(Quote)
I think the key to our survival in PL are Everton & Watford..
Both Norwich and Sunderland faces Everton & Watford.
I’m praying Roberto Martinez is fighting to keep his job and Watford to finish the season on high.
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Townsend was the catalyst for others working hard. He was all over the pitch putting everything he had into his game.
He been a great buy, catch up Begas, he cost about £12m. 😉
Whichever league we end up in then we need players like him.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
The dream is still alive. Just two more wins will do it. In fact if Chelsea and Norwich both lose their next game and we beat Villa they will be in high pressure territory. Which basically means the next game they lose will relegate them.
Stuart79(Quote)
Nobody has really mentioned the penalty. I have watched it a few times and couldn’t see contact. Craig Hope in The Mail says there was definitely NOT contact.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
you know Pardew is ***** when Troy doesnt even stick up for him 😛
Ive seen a few comments about Pardew and thought Troy wont like that.. 😯 but nowt, nothing, not a flicker of defence.
..anyway enough of what we’ve knew for years.
Excellent win, Lascelles was superb again yesterday. He’s forming an excellent partnership with Mbemeba
Pressures still on. the biggest news would be Defoe being injured in training.. I’m actually starting to despise the guy 😈
Gashley(Quote)
I saw today that the US investors had bought 36% of Palace for 100 million pounds. I also saw that Randy Learner has reduced his price for Villa to 45 million. I was wondering if that was a London premium, a relegation discount or whether he is just sick of football. It made me think of what NUFC would be worth if we are/not relegated.
It doesn’t make sense to me that Palace are worth 300 mil and Villa 45 even if Villa are relegated.
Before the discount I think Lerner was asking 65 mil, and that sounded cheap to me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
there was definitely contact. his finger tips hit the pall. a sure pen Eric
Gashley(Quote)
In that case Gash, what the hell was his hand doing up there?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
when do you ever see Sissoko lead with his head? he may have a new belief but hes still a ***** when it comes to 50/50’s
Gashley(Quote)
I am going with Shamrock and saying 50% on the Stuart-O-Meter. So, a total lack of commitment either way from us both, sitting on the fence. It is too close to call for me until I see if Spurs have anything to play for. I think that will make a big difference and I hope it is all over tomorrow or Monday. A Leicester win or draws for them and Spurs would do it.
Of course, I have to go with the caveat that we have to beat Villa to even have a chance.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
A draw would have been a fair result today so maybe that makes up for the missed penalty at Leicester. Did people boo Pards? They booed Cabaye, which is justified I suppose as he did go on strike at one point to force a move.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Clark could actually save Kilmarnock. They beat their nearest rivals 4-0 away and are now only 4 points behind with 3 to play. Even if they do not do it on points they could survive in a play-off as they are 2nd bottom (where they were when Clark took over). I hope they do it as I would like Clark to succeed, I just didn’t want him as NUFC manager (there is a difference Troy).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Don’t get carried away yet though. It is still won 2, drawn 2, lost 6 for Killy.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Watching it real time I couldn’t see why he gave it, but when they replayed it and slowed it down there was slight contact with his hand.
Stupid decision from Sissoko & good spot by Dean.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – I really don’t think the majority of fans gives a ***** about Pards one way or another. I think it’s the media & pundits that keep that nonsense rumbling on.
Cabaye got booed, and I can’t say I understood that one to be honest. Yes he went on strike, but he came and played well for us after that.
Strange one, but overall the crowd were clearly more focused on getting behind our players than crabbing Pardew or Cabaye – proving our fans are far better than some numpty pundits give us credit for.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Defoe is almost single handidly going to keep the makkems up. What a great signing, and we have teflon Cisse
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – I don’t think the lad has ever had the credit he really deserves in his career. He’s a class centre forward & his move to the MLS was a really strange on. But Sunderland brought him back and he’s proving he’s still top class.
We would never have got him coz of our stupid transfer policy of writing players off after a certain age.
Watching MOTD last night and Sunderland should have got another penalty from a handball, so a draw for them was lucky for us in the end.
Sharpy17(Quote)
sharpster defoe has always scored goals against the toon over the years. without his goals sunderland would be right in it, an inspired and typical fat sam signing if the truth be told.
I also think a draw would have been a fair result yesterday, we are not pressing teams at all, and really are grinding out results, probably a consequence of us tightening up our defence, though we have been lacklustre up front for yonks now.
can see another nervous and cagey 90 minutes against villa, and a 1-0 toon win, Townsend with the winner…
Munich Mag(Quote)
One of the good things about not living in the UK is that I do not see much of Paul Merson’s giant balloon head or Phil Thompson. If I want to see a troop of raving baboons the Chicago Zoo is only a couple of miles away. Why did Soccer Saturday get rid of Rod Marsh and Clive Allen. They are just as opinionated and at least talk a bit of sense. If they have to employ professional cockneys then these two at least wouldn’t get on my tits. They both have done stints at BEiN sports which is shown here and were interesting, informative and actually quite funny in a grumpy sort of way.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Munich – I wouldn’t mind Defoe running our front line instead of Cisse mate.
I think the change Rafa made putting Gini in instead of Perez, meant we were less of a threat up front I think. But it give us an extra player in midfield which I think helped, but it left Cisse alone up there. I think Perez is more offence minded and has been making those runs into the box to give us more of a threat.
I don’t think Sissoko was as good yesterday as he has been in the previous 2-3 games, but again I think Gini being in the team might have influenced that.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – I hope they change the panel on Soccer Saturday next season.
Le Tiss offers absolutely nothing. Merson is a block head. Thompson is Lpool pissed and struggles to have a non bias opinion. Charlie I don’t mind too much, but he’s generally overshadowed by the Merson show.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I thought we played a steady-ish game yesterday and Palace weren’t much of a threat but we were not Bayern Munich. How do I say this without sounding petty? Oh what the hell, I am petty when it comes to Ryder. These were his ratings:
Darlow 10
Anita 8
Dummett 8
Lascelles 8
MBemba 8
Tiote 8
Colback 8
Sissoko 8
Townsend 9
Cisse 7
Wijnaldum 7
Praise the team for a win but I really think most of the team were 7s and maybe Darlow a 9 for saving the penalty.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sunderland far to reliant on Defoe. If he doesn’t score they don’t win. We are spreading the goals around and defending well. Sunderland can’t get that balance and hats why they’re drawing so many.
75%
Stuart79(Quote)
Oh and of people still don’t think it’s written in the stars after that penalty save I don’t know what will convince them. It was Cabaye FFS and saved by the lad many of the fans were worried about. 😳
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy: when I was back for 6 weeks last year I had to turn Soccer Saturday off they were so irritating and unlikable. They usually go for people who are either likable or opinionated, but being a complete brainless **** should not be one of the hiring criteria (Merse).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Too many aimless long balls yesterday which surrendered possession to the opposition. Cisse worked hard but got little support. Good ploy by Rafa to have someone to tire out the defence and then bring on the slower Mitrovitch.
I hope Anita is fit for next match. His passing in the final third is so much better than Janmaat’s hopeful lumps into the middle. He created a clear chance for Colback but Colback delayed too long. Both Dummet and Colback are not the fastest thinkers. I might include Sissoko with them.
Groucho(Quote)
Stuart: I am still worried about Darlow. He has done a lot better than I expected as he was a bag of nerves on his debut. That sort of surprised me as he had played about 90 games in The Championship.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: I am trying to get to 51% on the Stuart-O-Meter but I have been kicked in the balls so many times by NUFC that I am scared to do it. I am not usually superstitious but I fear I will jinx them. It is totally irrational I know.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Rafa keeping Cathro on was deemed a canny move, As he’s a talent who couldnt show his worth under McClaren; There was far Less talk about a guy who actually did, Simon Smith has worked wonders with the keepers since Kruls injury. Look at Elliot’s form on Woodmans watch & that horrific month watching Jack Alnwick **** himself when the ball came within 30 yards of him…
Whichever division we start next season in, The coaching team simply has to be the same (With Shearer added as strikers coach naturally) The same players should leave: Tiote, Cisse, Taylor, Colo, Gouffran, Rivière, Haidara, Bigi, Vukic, Sammy etc. & the same changes need to be made at boardroom level: Carr becoming a scout reporting to the manager again not a glorified DOF & Charnley ****** off for good, Replaced by someone like John Williams or Dan Ashworth.
CC(Quote)
Eric – that’s how things are though isn’t it mate. There seems to be some appeal in celebs and tv people who are either thick, or deliberately dumb down. That’s Mersons role on that panel – being the dumb *** that they can all laugh at when he deliberately pronounced a players name incorrectly. It gets very boring after a while.
But Le Tiss is the other one for me. He’s just so boring, even the other panellists switch off when he starts to talk.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Anyone see Rafa’s assistant at the final whistle? Jumping around like a child. You could see how important yesterday’s win was. Critcal in Stuart plan in fact…
Stuart79(Quote)