Manager Rafael Benitez yesterday positioned himself a long way from the panic button following Newcastle United's recent slip-ups.

"Stay calm" was the message from Benitez, who produced a measured defence of his players in the wake of four defeats in eight league games.

Those setbacks have raised doubts among some supporters, who have expressed doubts about United's capacity to sustain their pursuit of an automatic promotion place and urged Benitez to employ two strikers.

"I have not been reading the Press these days, but I know if we lose that people will say things," said Benitez, who takes his team to Birmingham City today in the third round of the FA Cup.

"The feelings of the fans is really important but I still have to make decisions. We know what we need to do as professionals.

"I could play three strikers, and fans will be saying it's fantastic, offensive football. But then we could be conceding goals all of the time.

"I have to do what I have to do. I know the players, I see them in every training session and I know the atmosphere. We are in a very good place with a very good mood and a clear vision about what we want to do.

"You can criticise the results, but look at the performances - that is the main thing. If we are doing things properly then eventually we will win more games than we lose.

"We are doing really well for a team that has been relegated and needed to change a lot of things like the mentality and the way we do business.

"We are fine. We are still only halfway through the season and I think we will get better."

Benitez, also aware that fans are desperate for a run in the FA Cup, will still call up his fringe players for today's tie at Gianfranco Zola's City.

The manager has already told striker Aleksandar Mitrovic that he will play instead of leading scorer Dwight Gayle and at least seven of the team that started the last game at Blackburn Rovers are likely to be rested.

It represents a calculated gamble by Benitez, who knows supporters have suffered FA Cup misery in recent seasons.

United have not gone past the third round since 2012 and failed to progress into the fifth round during the Mike Ashley regime at St James' Park.

Benitez said: "It's important I know what the fans are feeling, but when I approach a game like this it doesn't make any difference.

"I have a squad that I want to use, but I also want to protect them because I know what it means when you're not playing regularly and then have to play.

"I will put out a team that compete and do well. They have to give everything. It's not just about performance, it is about commitment. I don't expect them to dribble past five players and score in the top corner to show that they are better than others.

"Match fitness comes with matches, but commitment comes from the heart, so I want to see the players giving everything. At least we will know where we are."

Benitez, who hopes to sign a midfielder and a winger during the transfer window, admitted they have already suffered setbacks.in the market.

"Sometimes it is not easy because you can find players and the club do not want to sell," he said. "We were talking with some of them, but they said 'it doesn't matter if you offer £15m or £20m, we don't want to sell now because we are doing well'.

"We have lost some players, but still we are looking for the right players. We have a little bit of time and we will see if we can find the same one.

"It is not a question of money because still we are not worried about money. It's a question of the right players and if the club will sell.

"I will not say that we'll sign the best players in the world now because January is very difficult. But we can sign the best players for us, hopefully."

Benitez has repeated his hands-off warning to clubs interested in buying Mitrovic. "There has been a lot of speculation about Mitrovic, but we are not interested in selling him," he said.

And Sammy Ameobi, who would have been involved in today's game if he was not cup-tied following his loan at Bolton, will be given a chance to force his way into Benitez's thinking.

The United boss said: "I was watching some games that Sammy was playing because we know we are short of wingers and he was playing on the right and scoring some goals.

"I explained to him what I expected from him. He's training well, but it's difficult for him because it's obvious that he has changed from one type of training session to another.

"He's doing well. I don't know how much he can give to us, but he will try and we will see."

Newcastle (possible): Sels; Yedlin, Hanley, Clark, Haidara; Hayden, Colback; Ritchie, Gouffran, Lazaar; Mitrovic.