Forget yesterday's result.
After last night's low-key affair, Leicester are still charging toward the championship, whilst Newcastle are still charging for the Championship. The most important thing for Benitez is to ignore the Leicester result and focus on the winnable games ahead of him. He has Sunderland, Norwich, Southampton and Swansea to plan for.
Newcastle showed last night that they are in decent shape. They have enough quality, having spent around £90 million on players this year, to really threaten teams. They also looked sufficiently solid at the back yesterday eve, restricting Leicester to just one shot on target. That one shot on target turned out to be the deciding goal, but there is a lot Rafa should be focusing on apart from the dropped points.
Such as...
Scoring goals.
Newcastle don't score enough. They've managed just 8 goals in their last 21 away league games. Sometimes football is a simple sport and that is a relegation stat if ever I've read one. This needs to change, quickly. Mitrovic looked interested last night and his effort could not be faultered. He might have even levelled the game up, if it had not been for a goal-shy Sissoko in his path.
Yet, their most dangerous man was played wide instead of on the middle where he is more of a handful. Ayoze Perez may not be the oldest or most imposing striker Newcastle have at their disposal, but he could be their best option. Kept on the wing, and on the periphery last night, Perez is a very reliable goalscorer and will score goals if he's allowed to poach. It is up to Benitez to fit Ayoze and Aleksander in the same attack.
Leaders but no leadership.
Goals will also come when confidence is lifted. So will clean sheets. Mark Albrighton was almost handed a goal late in the first half as Taylor hesitated to meet the ball for a clearance. That would have killed off the game and, if so, would have been down to a lack of confidence.
Rafa will have a big job in giving his players the boost they need in training, but on the pitch it is harder for him to make such an impact. Therefore, he needs to find leaders in his squad and get them firing his team on. Leicester have a squad littered with such men and are flourishing because of it.
Newcastle have placed their trust in Jonjo Shelvey. A £12million January signing, Jonjo was handed the captain's armband last night and looks like a fighter. Yet, in recent years Newcastle have had players like Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Shay Given holding their squads together. Rafa urgently needs experienced players like Taylor, Sissoko and Elliot to pull up their socks and make the team fight until the final whistle.
This will go a long way to...
Keep the fans on side.
Rafa's appointment alone has done some to temper the Newcastle fans frustration, but this will soon fade if results do not change. Rafa can't pick the results, but he can pick how ambitious his side are for points.
If Newcastle rely on draws and scrappy victories against the teams around them, the Championship could beckon. Even worse, cautious strategy may encourage the fans to get on their fragile players' backs. Newcastle need to use their superior quality and take games to their opponents, especially at St. James'. At this moment, results might be the sole focus, but determination, drive and intensity will go a long way come the judgments in May.
Keeping players fit.
Benitez might need to pray a little for this one, but it's also an area he needs to watch dilligently. Newcastle haven't had the best of time this season with injuries and currently sit top of the PL injury table. Without Cisse, Krul, Dummett, Tiote, Mbemba, Coloccini out among others, Newcastle lack their solid foundations. If things get any worse, and Townsend or Shelvey gets crocked, Benitez might jot have enough to work with to ensure safety (and that huge TV rights deal beginning next season.)
Have I missed anything? Does Rafa have a job too big for even him? Where does he need to focus? Let me know, and maybe he'll even read it!