RAFA Benitez insists he's not set to quit Newcastle - but wouldn't discuss his future beyond the end of the season.

The Spaniard he has warned the club must not to repeat the damaging mistakes of the past, after reiterating his commitment to St James' Park in response to widespread reports that he has been considering his position.

Benitez was left angry and frustrated with the lack of backing he received in the January transfer window, which saw a failure to sign any of his targets - highlighted by an unsuccessful £13m attempt to re-sign Andros Townsend from Crystal Palace.

Despite his disappointment, the 56-year-old claims he's fully focused on leading a successful Championship promotion challenge, and although he refused to talk about anything beyond the summer, he said: "I will not quit, I will not leave.

"I am ready to fight and to try and get the three points in the next game to get promotion at the end of the season.

"We have finished the transfer window and we have a good squad which I have confidence in. My priority is to make sure we are ready for the next game," said the former Liverpool manager, who signed a new three-year deal in the summer.

Benitez, who spent £60m in the summer on 11 new signings, also called on the management staff, players and fans to show a united front. He is keen to end the club's an unwanted history of damaging in-fighting which has seen it torn apart from within in the past, and he added: "We can't make the same mistakes. We can't be blaming each other now after the transfer window.

"The experience of fans, the owner, the players and the staff here has been quite complicated in the past, but we must make sure we don't make the same mistake. We all have to push in the same direction. I have a compromise, especially with the fans as they've been pushing from the beginning to help me enjoy my job. I'm trying to make sure the players, the staff and everyone is pushing in the same direction.

"Andros Townsend is not here, I was really pleased with him last year but he's not here so he can't help now. We were expecting something could happen but it didn't, but I still have confidence in the squad."

Top scorer Dwight Gayle is again absent with a hamstring injury for Saturday's visit of Derby County, who are led by former Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren. The 20-goal striker has returned to training, and hopes to be in contention for next week's trip to Wolves.