Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has brushed aside claims he is fuelling the negativity surrounding the club.
The 57-year-old Spaniard has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the Magpies' rebuilding work to date this summer, and back-to-back Premier League defeats by Tottenham and Huddersfield have simply added to the gloom hanging over St James' Park which saw owner Mike Ashley's PR adviser Keith Bishop pay a visit to the training ground on Tuesday.
Pundits Jamie Carragher and Joey Barton have both suggested Benitez himself is responsible for at least some of that, but Benitez insists a return to winning ways - Nottingham Forest are due on Tyneside for a Carabao Cup second round tie on Wednesday night - would solve many of the current issues.