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28th December 2017
09:58am GMT

“Containment is the right way to look at it because you’re going to have a lot of time without the ball. But I also don’t think we should just sit and accept that first 30 minutes. No ambition from Newcastle. That’s not acceptable in this league. “It’s difficult of course from Rafa Benitez’s point of view. The finish, Sterling watches it come over the defender, and he hits it off balance - it's something he could never have done two years ago. "He makes this Newcastle tactic look embarrassing. It has to change. There's defending, and there's showing absolutely no ambition whatsoever. If it were a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it. “Hopefully it will spark them into life, to give them something to watch."https://twitter.com/lee_ryder/status/946140573907456001 Carragher was just as scathing, claiming that the gulf in quality between teams at the top and bottom has made it a 'joke.'
It sparked a strong response, with many highlighting the irony in Neville, who failed as a manager at Valencia, telling Benitez – a Champions League winner – how to set up his team against possibly the most formidable side the Premier League has ever seen. https://twitter.com/1878Terry/status/946118351885041665 https://twitter.com/toontoon999/status/946136077936529413 https://twitter.com/LFC_LION/status/946121106829832193 https://twitter.com/thespectoview/status/946117932383395840 https://twitter.com/Cerebrone/status/946121324107390978 https://twitter.com/EvG_Football/status/946116478474051584 https://twitter.com/Chris_Hewitson/status/946120010652684288 https://twitter.com/NUFC360/status/946112754011791360“It is becoming an embarrassment - the Premier League is now becoming a bit of a joke. The teams at the top are so far ahead that the teams at the bottom are accepting they’re going to lose the game and long as its by one or two - they’re not going to give it a go.
“It’s not just Rafa Benitez and Newcastle but there has to be some aggression and then some sort of plan to go forward. But at home it’s a sad state of affairs.
“The Premier League over the years has been built on ... every team having a go. That’s why everyone around the world wants to watch it. Will they continue watching it? ... It’s a sad state of affairs for the Premier League.”
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