Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has admitted that he was unhappy with his squad after they suffered a surprise home defeat to Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.

The table-toppers entered the match looking for their ninth straight league victory but were left stunned when Charlie Mulgrew struck 15 minutes from time to hand Rovers all three points and lift them out of the relegation zone.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Benitez said that he was not impressed with the way his charges had played in advance of the goal or how they responded to going one down.

"It was very disappointing because I didn't like the way we started the game," he is quoted as saying by The Chronicle. "And I didn't like the way the game was being stopped all of the time with free kicks and corners without giving us the advantage. I didn't like our reaction when we were losing.

"We must do better. I didn't like the chances we didn't take. That's what happens, we must look to the next game and make sure we don't make the same mistakes.

"I don't want to make excuses, we were poor with a lot of things and we didn't take our chances when we had them. We allowed them to play the way they wanted to play."

The Magpies next face a midweek trip to Hull City in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, before they visit Nottingham Forest in the league on Friday night.