'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Newcastle United, who had previously made a bright start to the season, struggled to produce their best in the last two games which resulted in defeats to Burnley and Bournemouth in consecutive weeks.
The Barcodes have now dropped to 11th position in the table after a dismal performance from the same set of players who have been poor from the start of the season. Here are the five players who have failed to repay Rafa Benitez with their performances this season.
#5.Jacob Murphy
Jacob Murphy was signed by Newcastle United in the summer transfer window, but has failed to perform in the games where he was given a chance to prove his talent. Following his move from Norwich City, Murphy has been a regular member of the squad and has also featured in the starting XI in a couple of games.
However, Murphy has struggled to impress in the Premier League as he continues to produce miserable moments on the field. Murphy was a part of the starting line up against Swansea - a game in which he hardly made any impact and was eventually subbed off in the 59th minute to be replaced by Christian Atsu.
Since then, Murphy has been a part of the bench and has failed to make any impact after coming on as a substitute in the later stages of the game. It is evident that he is not yet ready for top-tier football as he is easily negated by physically strong defenders in the league. Murphy's physical structure adds to his woes as he is dispossessed off the ball quite easily and goes down appealing for a foul after a clean tackle. Rafa Benitez must look for a replacement for Jacob Murphy as he doesn't look fit enough to be in the squad for the remainder of the season.
#4.Mohamed Diame
Mohamed Diame was signed from Hull City back in 2016 - and was a regular starter in the Championship last season but has eventually failed to seal his place in the first team this year. The Senegalese midfielder has started just a single game and has spent the majority of time on the bench.
Diame has been very poor after coming on as a sub in the majority of games with his work rate being the biggest concern. Despite playing in a number 10 role, Diame's movement has been awful and he has struggled to involve himself in quick counters due to his poor pace. With Rafa Benitez's approach mainly focusing on a quick counter-attacking style, Diame must work really hard in order to earn himself a place in the squad.
Diame has also wasted a couple of gilt-edged chances this season - with the biggest chance being the one he failed to score against Liverpool where he could have secured three points for his side. He shot the ball straight at the goalkeeper with no power behind the shot as Mignolet happily gathered the ball with both hands.
Adding to his poor performances, he has reportedly been involved in a training ground fight with Jamaal Lascelles after the Newcastle skipper termed him 'Lazy'. Diame could possibly be replaced by a new number-10 in the next transfer window if he continues to disappoint with his performances.
#3.Javi Manquillo
The Spanish full-back has been a regular starter for Newcastle following an injury to Paul Dummett in the opening clash of the season. Manquillo has been the weak link in Newcastle's defence so far as the fullback struggles to put in even a single decent display.
Manquillo has looked shaky in the back and has been poor with his clearances at times while the other fullback, DeAndre Yedlin, looks promising as he involves himself in counter-attacks and drops down quickly whenever his side loses possession.
The Spaniard's marking is another area of concern as opposition attackers go past him with ease during their attack. Manquillo has a mere 53% tackle success ratio this season which is quite poor considering Premier League standards.
With Dummett coming back from the injury, Manquillo will possibly be replaced and another option for his replacement is centre-back Chancel Mbemba, who can also play as a fullback when required.
#2.Joselu
Another new signing who has failed to deliver this season is Joselu, who has managed to score only two goals in 10 games so far including a fortunate strike against Liverpool. The Spaniard was signed from Stoke City and has featured in almost every game this season. However, he is hardly seen on the pitch during matches and whenever he gets the touch of the ball, he fails to make use of it.
Newcastle's attack is the biggest concern for Rafa Benitez as he has no major options to replace Joselu up front. It was expected that Newcastle would sign a top striker in the summer window, but with the funds the board provided, Joselu was the best one Rafa could manage to sign.
Aleksander Mitrovic, who is seemingly a better option than Joselu could replace him temporarily till the winter transfer window in which Rafa Benitez would be hoping to sign a top-class striker in order to improve his attacking options.
#1.Ayoze Perez
The Spanish forward has dropped down from his original No.9 position and has played as a No.10 this season behind Joselu. Despite starting every game ahead of Diame, he has failed to produce any good performance and has constantly failed to prove his selection.
The major reason behind Perez's failure in the Premier League is his lean structure due to which he has struggled to compete with physically fit defenders in the league. Ayoze Perez holds the unfortunate record of being dispossessed the most number of times in the team.
Perez was finally dropped from the line up in the game against Bournemouth as Rafa switched to 4-4-2 from 4-2-3-1 which saw Perez being replaced by Dwight Gayle. Perez came in as a substitute in the second half and can be regarded as a part of the reason for the loss as he failed to win a header against Cook as the ball flew into the back of the net.
The only positive of Perez this season has been the enormous work rate he has constantly shown in his game which has sealed his spot in the squad. However, Rafa Benitez will certainly be looking to sign a top class number-10 to replace Ayoze Perez in the upcoming transfer window.
