Rafa Benitez believes Newcastle United will have a successful season if the perform in the same manner as Saturday's loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Magpies pushed Spurs all the way in the 2-1, and Benitez was impressed by the resilience they showed.

"I am quite happy with the performance of the players and the way that we approached the game," Benitez said.

"We were playing against a very good team, so to have the chances that we had in the second half, you have to be positive.

"The only thing I do not like is to be positive and not get the right result; I want to win games.

"But at least you could see a team that was not giving up, a team that was working hard, and the fans right behind the team.

"There were a lot of things we were expecting to see as a positive, and we have seen that. If we play with this mentality, we will be OK.

"You will not always take your chances, and we were unlucky with the shots that hit the post and crossbar, and also with the control of Kenedy.

"It could have been totally different. Again, I will say, if you ask 90 per cent of people, they will say: 'You will lose against Tottenham.'

"To do it in this way is not right, but at least you have the feeling that you can do better against the next team."