Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has defended his conservative tactics during the recent league meeting versus Chelsea. The Magpies lined up in a 5-4-1 formation during the game and they nearly secured a draw despite commanding less than one-fifth of the overall possession at St James Park.

Speaking after the match, Benitez was appreciative of the efforts of the squad and stressed that he would have welcomed a more open encounter, had he possessed a player of Eden Hazard’s attributes, he said:  “It depends on the players you have. If I had [Eden] Hazard I would give it to him and he would make the difference. We know that we can be better with the ball, but I think we did well until the end.”

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