A FRUSTRATED Rafa Benitez has suggested Newcastle United have to be braced to spend the rest of the season in the bottom half of the Premier League.

And the Spaniard claimed it will be a miracle if his team get any higher than that after watching Newcastle held to a goalless draw against bottom club Fulham at St James’ Park.

Newcastle failed to hit a shot on target and in the end the Cottagers, who had not kept a clean sheet all season, could have won it with a few late chances.

Benitez, whose side are five points above the bottom three ahead of Boxing Davy’s trip to Liverpool, said: “I said to my players we have to win these games, but in the last five minutes don’t give them the chance to win the game.

“I think it was a game we deserved to win, we had the chances and they blocked them. We didn’t have shots on target but we were close enough against an organised team, five at the back, a team hard to break down.

“We were more or less in control. Everything they did was from our mistakes. In the second half it was in our hands, we were controlling. You will say we were not making clean chances, but when a team is like that it is not easy.

“The positive thing in the last two games we got four points. The negative thing is we had an opportunity to get even further away, so we have to take the positives.”

And he added: “I am not happy with a point, but I am happy we didn’t lose and we have four points from last two games. I want to win every game.

“But if we can’t win then we make sure we don’t lose. The fans know it doesn’t mean we are not trying our best every single game. In the circumstances here, we are doing well.

“We have to realise we will be in the bottom half of the table during the whole season and if we go higher it will be another miracle.”