With no match this weekend, Rafa has the best part of 13 days to build on the fantastic win against United, and get the team as prepared as possible for the trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.
The victory last time out should give us great hope that the Magpies have what it takes to stay in the Premier League, but to maintain this momentum, I believe there are three things that Benitez needs to do to ensure the team stay clear of the relegation places between now and the end of the season.
1) Keeping a positive approach
It was noted by pundits and others that there was a massive difference between our approach against United – than against City at St James` Park a couple of months earlier. The Spaniard was much criticised for the negative tactics employed in that match, with five at the back. Certainly, there is some truth to these claims, but it must be said that tactically United and City set up very differently.
While Pep Guardiola`s side dominates possession, and looks to suffocate teams, Mourinho`s approach can be far more easily exploited. He is a conservative manager at heart, and Rafa has come up against him and won on some very important occasions in the past.
He used that knowledge last week, and no doubt surprised United by coming fast out of the blocks. I doubt I am the only supporter hoping for us to come out the traps all guns blazing more often, and while Bournemouth are a decent side, they do have weaknesses that we can exploit if we show some ambition.
2) Increased goal threat (hopefully from the likes of Slimani)
The need for more goals has been plainly obvious from early in the season. The lack of investment from Mike Ashley means Benitez has had to make do with the likes of Joselu; a player who let`s face it should not be a first-choice striker for any Premier League club. The signing of Islam Slimani came as a relief, although the fact he has arrived injured has been somewhat frustrating.
The Algerian international should have recovered from a thigh strain to face the Cherries (although he is not 100% guaranteed to play). His aerial ability, and his clean striking of the ball, will hopefully add a cutting edge to our attack in the next few months.
With less than a goal a game (25 in 27 games) this season, we have to improve going forward. If we do, with a pretty solid defence, staying in the division. should be almost certain.
3) Support Shelvey
Everyone saw Jonjo`s top-drawer display against United, and I`m hoping to see similar performances as we head into some critical fixtures over the coming weeks – such as Liverpool and Spurs.
Shelvey needs support from his team mates though. The midfielder can distribute some fantastic passes for teammates, but we need people to capitalise on his creative output. Matt Ritchie`s first goal of the season last time out hopefully will lead to many more, while Ayoze Perez, Kenedy and others must also step up to the mark in the final third of the pitch.
Combined with an additional goal threat from Slimani, I`m hoping to see our goalscoring improve significantly in the next few months, with our No.8 no doubt supplying the ammunition.
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