Benitez shares what rival Premier League boss told him about Newcastle United’s starting line-up

Follow us on Google Discover

Newcastle United were only able to claim a 1-1 draw against Swansea City in their most recent fixture.

Rafael Benitez has told the Shields Gazette how Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal pointed out to him how little Newcastle United’s team had changed since promotion, ahead of the two sides’ match at the weekend.

Newcastle named a line-up which would have been available to them last season against Swansea on Saturday.

The Magpies have suffered from a lack of investment since promotion.

And Benitez said that even Swansea boss Carvalhal noticed how little had changed with Newcastle’s team.

“Carvalhal told me that before the game [that his team hadn’t changed]. It tells everybody where we are. I have been saying it all season. Some people say ‘ah, but you have to do this, you have to do that’, but that’s the reality.”

Newcastle could only pick up a 1-1 draw with Swansea in their last match, as their struggles continued.

Newcastle actually went behind against bottom of the table Swansea, but a neat finish from Joselu rescued a point for Benitez’s side.

Newcastle were hoping to make additions in the January transfer window, which would have altered their starting line-up, but Benitez is now working with an extremely limited budget.

The Magpies have not been able to bring in a signing so far, and seem to be struggling to get deals over the line.

Newcastle are currently in 15th place in the Premier League table, three points above the drop zone.