[ad_pod ]

Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez may be losing the respect of his players after his authority was once again questioned against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday.

The Magpies won the game 4-2, after extra time, but Jamaal Lascelles appeared to sustain a hamstring injury, though he insisted that he was fine to stay on after being questioned by his manager.

What's the word?

Newcastle are in the throes of a relegation battle, and needed extra time to get past Championship Blackburn on Tuesday.

They eventually came through with a 4-2 win, but a moment between Lascelles and his manager led to questions over the manager's position.

The central defender came on as a substitute at half-time, but pulled up with a hamstring injury after just two minutes.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard opted against taking the defender off immediately, with Lascelles insisting he could continue.

The defender subsequently played on for 10 more minutes, prior to being substituted.

Pl>ymaker FC's Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica's women's team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below...

This, of course, comes on the back of Kenedy missing a penalty in a vital Premier League clash with Cardiff City, despite not appearing to be the designated taker.

When it comes to the relegation battle, these appear to be worrying signs, with the Magpies languishing in 18th, one point behind the Bluebirds.

Had Kenedy scored, they would be two points ahead of Neil Warnock's men.

Whip Magpies into shape

There is no room for insubordination at this stage of the season.

The Magpies have been in terrible form for the entirety of the campaign, and Lascelles is the club captain.

Benitez, at the end of the day, makes the decisions, and must be respected.

He has been there and done it all in his managerial career, and is attempting to steer the Magpies ship away from the jagged rocks of relegation.

There is little help coming from the boardroom, as Mike Ashley is seemingly loathe to invest in a playing squad in desperate need of support, and the last thing Benitez needs is a player rebellion.

The Magpies have huge games coming up against Cardiff, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur; the squad needs to unite behind Benitez and start earning some points, instead of squabbling.