Rafa On Which Player Made The Difference Against Derby

As reported by the Chronicle, Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has said which player he thought made the difference against Derby, and as so many have called us a one man team this season, I think it will be to everyone's delight that it was not Jonjo Shelvey.

When asked about the performance of Mo Diame in the first half, Benitez said:  “He was making the difference and he was doing really well,”

So, perhaps the key to Newcastle's success this season could be in keeping Diame high up the pitch, with Benitez admitting that: “We lost a little bit of control when Hayden went off because in these areas he was a threat against them."
“But we needed to do it because we knew it could be one of the situations that we had to change and a decision to make during the game.”

It is not a surprise that Newcastle have missed a player of Diame's quality and that Benitez wants him back.