Newcastle hero delivers surprise verdict on massive first team change – raves over one man
Newcastle United attacker Ayoze Perez has surprisingly revealed that he feels the squad which were relegated from the Premier League were “better” than the current side.
The Spanish forward, who has played primarily as an attacking midfielder but also as a centre forward, was part of the Magpies team which found themselves falling into England’s second tier, and was one of the players to remain and help the club return to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Now he is playing with a much changed side from two years ago, and says that the quality of player has decreased, but that the mentality has been a massive change – putting it down to the influence of manager Rafael Benitez.
He told the Chronicle: “A lot of things have changed in those two years and you can see the difference in the situation straight away.
“I would say that back then we probably had a better squad, we had a lot of very good players, but in the end we were relegated.
“This season is different and a lot of that is down to him. Since he came he has been massive for all of us. We try our best in every game and play as a team.”
Newcastle picked up just 37 points in their 2015/16 campaign, meaning they need just one win this season to surpass that total, currently sitting on 35 points with seven games left to play, with Perez having been the hero against Huddersfield on Saturday, netting the match winning goal in a 1-0 win.
Football Insider verdict
Perez’s verdict might be a surprise but it goes to show the incredible impact Benitez has had on the team during his reign. How many of the current Newcastle squad would be demanding transfer fees of £20-30million, as was the case with Gini Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko two years ago? The answer is not many, and therefore the forward has a point about the individual quality being greater then than now. However what the club do have is a squad all pulling in the same direction, led by a man who garners respect worldwide from his former players and fans. If he had the financial backing he desired, he could have the same quality at his disposal, but he is proving management, not money, is still crucial to success.
In other Newcastle United news, the Magpies can avoid a massive double blow by getting pen to paper.