Rafael Benítez backs Newcastle players’ decision to cancel Christmas party

Newcastle United’s players have scrapped their Christmas party after suffering seven defeats in the last eight games.

Rafael Benítez’s squad head to Arsenal on Saturday having collected one point from the last 24. “They want to give a very clear message that they care and they want to do things right so they have decided to cancel their Christmas party,” said the manager, who is experiencing the worst run of his career. “The players have taken responsibility and decided it’s important to concentrate on football.”

Although Benítez and his staff had opted against staging any festive celebrations of their own, he did not try to influence his team’s thinking. “There was no pressure from me,” he said. “They realise they have to be focused on doing things right.

“I was asking four or five players about the Christmas party and they were very clear. They said: ‘Oh no, we cannot do that’ and that was it. They talked among themselves and decided. I think it’s the right thing. This group of players are working so hard – they are giving everything – that I couldn’t say: ‘You don’t deserve to do this or that.’ But I think their decision is very positive.”

With Newcastle’s ownership in limbo – Amanda Staveley’s Dubai-based PCP Capital Partners are negotiating to take over from Mike Ashley but no deal is likely before February – Benítez will not feel in festive mood until he knows if he is to be equipped with money to spend on players next month.

A meeting with Lee Charnley, the club’s managing director, on Thursday offered the manager no definite budget but at least gave him the authority to start compiling a list of targets.

“If you’re asking: ‘Is everything fine?’ and ‘Am I happy?’, I don’t know,” said Benítez. “We have to progress and it’s so obvious we have to improve things. I had a conversation with Lee about the players we maybe want to bring in and others who can go out. It was just talking about ideas.

“We’ll see if we can progress this discussion in a few days. We have to move forward quickly. We have a difficult situation now but we know it could be worse.”

Should Newcastle keep losing, the club’s value will depreciate, Staveley may decide her purchase is high risk and Ashley could be stuck with an effectively unsaleable asset.

“Lee knows what I think,” said Benítez who is urging Ashley to speculate to accumulate. “We have to do the best for the team now. What’s best for the team is best for the club.”