Record-setting victories across multiple disciplines have elevated a Queenstown-raised talent into a genuine global contender, writes ANDREW DAMPF
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Even in defeat, Rafa Benitez shows why he is the man to take Newcastle forward
IF SATURDAY night’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Liverpool is to be Rafa Benitez’s last home game in charge of Newcastle, it will no doubt have been a bittersweet affair.
No manager wants to leave after a defeat but victory for the visitors keeps their title challenge on track, and Liverpool is a club with which the Spaniard still has such a strong emotional bond.
There was a clear tactical plan from the start, Matt Ritchie dropping into the back-line to create a five-man defence when the home side was out of possession and then trying to hit them on the break.
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