Rafael Benitez admits Newcastle require five wins for survival
Sunday 10 April 2016 23:26, UK
Rafael Benitez admits Newcastle may have to win five of their remaining six games if they are to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
Newcastle slipped to a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Southampton on Saturday and remain second bottom of the league - six points from safety.
The Magpies have now lost six of their last seven matches following the defeat at St Mary's but Benitez still believes his side can avoid the drop.
"I still have the belief that we can win games and if we start winning it can be different," said Benitez. "We don't need to be the best team in the league but we have to be the best team of the bottom four.
"We aren't doing that at the moment so I feel we have to start winning the games, and change a lot of things - the commitment, the passion, the character, the way that we play."
Newcastle could face Swansea at home on Saturday nine points adrift of safety if Norwich beat Sunderland in the day's early kick-off.
And Benitez knows the importance of getting the club's supporters behind the team this weekend.
"The fans will be crucial for us, because we need them pushing the players, supporting the players," he added.
"And at the end of the season we'll have time to analyse what was going on. But now it's the time to stick together and try to do our best because that's the only way."
In addition to the Swansea fixture, Newcastle still have to face Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Tottenham at home, with trips to Liverpool and Aston Villa still to come before the end of the campaign.
Benitez has urged his players to make the most of their remaining home fixtures, given that Newcastle have taken just seven points away from St James' Park all season.
"If other teams lose some games maybe it will be enough with four wins," said the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss.
"If they continue to win games then maybe we'll need five wins. And if you lose it doesn't matter. So I feel we have to approach every game like a must-win game.
"Some of the players know we can do it, but some of them are worried about these mistakes that we're making in games.
"The only way is to try to repeat situations during training, so they will have more confidence and they can replicate these situations during games."
