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Neil Warnock speaks ahead of Saturday’s relegation six pointer – No sympathy for Rafa Benitez on Tuesday night injuries

5 years ago
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Neil Warnock and Rafa Benitez will never be best of mates.

A long running feud though does appear to be history, following the two managers coming up against each other in the Championship two seasons ago and then the 0-0 draw at Cardiff back in August.

However, when asked about the extra game and extra time and extra injuries last night for Rafa’s team, Neil Warnock had zero sympathy.

The Cardiff boss saying on Wednesday morning ‘We have all got injuries at this time of year.’

Apart from winning and scoring four goals, nothing went right for the Newcastle boss last night, injuries to Lascelles and Clark, as well as lesser knocks for bot Fernandez and Schar, was less than ideal. The game going to extra the final straw, in terms of affecting preparations for the weekend.

A win would guarantee Newcastle going two points clear of the relegation zone and potentially seven points ahead of second bottom Fulham and ten ahead of rock bottom Huddersfield.

A defeat would surely be disastrous, as it would mean at best Newcastle would be outside the bottom three only on goal difference (relying on Southampton getting nothing at home to Everton) and with Man City at home and Spurs & Wolves away to follow.

To lose to Cardiff would be something beyond disastrous, whatever adjective you might dream up to describe that.

Neil Warnock says Cardiff are hoping to bring in ‘one or two’ this month and the Welsh club are in talks to bring in striker Emiliano Sala for around £20m.

Meanwhile hope is a four letter word for Rafa Benitez, with seemingly no chance of any serious backing in this transfer window.

Just think what a lift it would give everybody associated with Newcastle United if Mike Ashley just allowed one such signing. Quite ridiculous that we see this as something that simply won’t happen, when you take into account Newcastle/Ashley would still be in profit on transfers this seasons, having had a £20m+ surplus on deals in and out agreed in the summer.

Neil Warnock asked on Talksport about all the injuries Newcastle picked up against Blackburn:

“We have all got injuries at this time of the year.

“It has been a long season and the players are put through everything.

“We have got about four or five out ourselves but we have just got to patch them up a bit, get on with it.

“Newcastle have still got a few very good forwards.

“It will be a tough game on Saturday.

“It (being 17th at the moment) is probably beyond our expectations.

“The teams who are down there were all predicted, apart from maybe Newcastle and Southampton.

“All you can ask is your lads give you everything but we were poor last weekend (when drawing at home 0-0 against Huddersfield).

“I played three lads who probably weren’t fit enough and shouldn’t have played. I gambled and it didn’t work…the intensity of the Premier League, that physical aspect, is quite remarkable.

“It’s no shock when muscle injuries happen and we have lost a couple when we have brought them on as a sub and they have got injured straight away, so we are looking at better warm ups, as it can’t be coincidental these lads come on and get injured.

“It’s so hard every day and so difficult for clubs like Huddersfield and Cardiff especially with the finances, the problem with our clubs is that we have come up that quickly, we aren’t up to scratch with everything you need in the Premier League to move forward.

“This has been as hard a season as I’ve known, this one, we have got to try and bring one or two into the squad (in January), that is all we can do.”

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