Graeme Jones addresses his tactical approach at Newcastle United following Chelsea criticism

Jones’s side were beaten 3-0 by Premier League leaders Chelsea at St James’s Park last weekend. The team only had one shot on target all afternoon, and the visitors had 79% of possession.

The result left relegation-threatened Newcastle 19th in the Premier League with 10 games played – and six points adrift of safety – ahead of this evening’s game against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Jones – who assisted attack-minded manager Roberto Martinez earlier in his coaching career – admitted after the Chelsea game, amid criticism from fans, that United had played that way, and also against Crystal Palace a week earlier, by necessity, as the team had been conceding too many goals before Steve Bruce’s departure last month.

Now the 51-year-old, handed one more game in charge as the club talks to Eddie Howe about the head coach vacancy, wants to see more fluency from United with the ball.

Asked if he would change his approach, Jones said: "You need to look back at our method of work, mine and Roberto’s, right from the beginning.

"It was always on the ball, that’s why we won an FA Cup. You have to score goals to win football matches.

"All I can say is I know where the need is, I know where the necessity is, but, on top of that, hopefully, we’ve nudged it along a little this week.

"You can’t go from how we played against Chelsea and Crystal Palace to being Barcelona overnight. It’s impossible. It’ll be small steps.”

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