Rafael Benitez rues missed chances as Newcastle slip to another defeat
Saturday 20 October 2018 23:53, UK
Rafael Benitez insisted Newcastle need to be more clinical in front of goal after watching his side slip to a 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton.
Newcastle continued their worst-ever start to a top-flight season as Beram Bayal's goal inflicted a fifth successive home defeat on Benitez's side, as they slipped to the foot of the Premier League table.
Newcastle attempted 27 shots without finding the net - their most in a Premier League game without scoring since February 2014 (28 v Sunderland), but again failed to find the net, much to Benitez's frustration.
"We deserved to win the match with the chances that we had and the control of the game that we had," Benitez told Sky Sports. "Sometimes people talk about games where you have a lot of possession or a lot of chances, but today we have everything.
"We have to be more clinical, take the chances that we had at the beginning. We need to be more precise in the final third.
"They were playing the game, wasting time, managing the situation at the end. It was a game we controlled and did almost everything to get a result.
"It is worse if you are not creating the chances, but we are creating chances and are very close in all the games. We are competing - that is the only positive you can take. If we keep the intensity that we had today, I am sure we will not always be so unlucky, having had 27 shots at goal."
Newcastle looked short of ideas at St James', with Brighton seeing out the win with relative ease, despite Newcastle's number of attempts.
When asked whether Newcastle need to strengthen the squad in January, Benitez kept his cards close to his chest.
"What we have to do is keep working as we are working now and prepare for the next game," Benitez added.
