Christian Atsu delivers brutally honest assessment of Newcastle's plight from the dressing room

Rafa Benitez’s side have taken just two points from their opening seven games.

Newcastle were beaten 2-0 at St James’s Park by Leicester City. Atsu, recalled to the starting XI for the game, feels that the defeat was the “worst” yet this season.

“We have to stick together, try to improve, each and every player has to improve 2%, 5%,” said the winger. “If we win one game the atmosphere will change. This defeat feels worse, this is the worst one because we could have won the game. We are disappointed.

“There was low intensity in the game after we missed our chances. They had possession, but we had the chances to win. They took their chances.

“It is for the wingers and strikers to score more goals and to try to do something.

“The blame has to be on us. I myself have a responsibility to do more up front and to score. We will improve and we will show the fans that to make things happy again.

“We accept responsibility, all the players. After the game we always speak, the manager always speaks. It’s down to us.

“The fans did a fantastic job – we will not say anything against them. We know they deserve more, and we will try to change that.

“We need to stick together to keep the spirit up, and this is the moment we need everyone behind the team.

“We’re still together. Last season, we didn’t win in nine games in a row and we stayed together. We came out after that changed everything,. This should be a motivation for the team. No matter what happens, we have to stick together and then we can change things.

“For us, the most important thing is the manager is very good for us. We are happy with him and the way we play, we have to stick together.

“If something is wrong it is not because of the system it is because of the players. We have to remember that.”