RAFAEL BENITEZ is hoping the furious reaction to Rio Ferdinand’s controversial weekend comments about Mike Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle United will fuel a ‘siege mentality’ that will help propel the club to a successful second half of the season.

Ferdinand mounted an impassioned defence of Ashley in his role as a pundit on BT Sport, claiming Newcastle supporters were “lucky” to have the sportswear magnate as their club’s owner and insisting they should be applauding him for investing millions to ensure the Magpies are debt free.

In fact, Newcastle’s most recent accounts revealed more than £140m of debt, and Ferdinand, whose ‘FIVE’ clothing brand is exclusively stocked in Ashley’s Sports Direct stores, has been widely criticised for his comments.

Speaking ahead of this evening’s FA Cup third-round replay with Blackburn Rovers, Benitez steered away from criticising Ferdinand personally, but the Newcastle boss is pleased that Newcastle supporters took to social media to correct the factual inaccuracies that were being expressed on live television.

And while his side might find themselves in the Premier League’s bottom three in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, Benitez is hoping to foster a sense of togetherness as he looks ahead to the remaining four months of the campaign.

“Our fans know what is going on, and I am not just saying that because I want to send out a message that the fans are clever,” said the Newcastle boss, who will make a host of changes for tonight’s replay at Ewood Park. “They have experience over many years, and know things better than us.

“They have their own experience and can see what is going on, and then afterwards, they decide what they have to do. People outside will have their opinion, but normally, when I talk about my own home, I talk with my wife and children because they are the ones that know what is really going on.

“It is always positive to realise what someone outside thinks, but they you say, ‘Listen, they are wrong’. Then the best way after that is to stick together. Our fans, and the people in the city and here at the training ground, know that for us to do well and stay up, we have to keep working hard and stick together.

“A siege mentality? Maybe what you are saying. Let’s hope so. When we were finishing tenth, some people were maybe thinking, ‘Oh, maybe now we do not need that (attitude)’. But we needed that mentality in the Championship, and we need it now. From day one until the end.”

Saturday’s defeat at Stamford Bridge has piled even more importance onto Saturday’s home game with Cardiff City, with the Bluebirds currently one point and one place clear of Newcastle in the table.

With such an important league game just four days away, Benitez will not be taking any risks tonight, although he remains confident he will be naming a side that is strong enough to see off their Championship opponents.

Callum Roberts has been promoted to the squad, and is set to make his first senior start as part of a side that will also feature Freddie Woodman, Jamie Sterry and Sean Longstaff.

Florian Lejeune will be rested to guard against an adverse reaction to his summer cruciate ligament surgery, while Salomon Rondon will also be removed from the starting line-up to ensure his availability for Saturday’s league game.

Paul Dummett, Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame remain on the injured list, and will not be risked as Newcastle attempt to set up a fourth-round home game with Watford.

“Depending on the players you have, you have to pick a team that in your opinion can win,” said Benitez. “You prepare the game to win. You can’t play Lejeune because it’s a risk, and if you have three or four injuries, you have to manage.

“The fans can see the squad, and maybe some of them prefer to concentrate on Cardiff and some want to have a go in the FA Cup. Fine. As a manager, you have to decide depending on your information. And my information is a little bit better than your information in terms of the squad. If I have to play this one, it’s because I can’t play this one.”

Nevertheless, Newcastle’s FA Cup record in the last decade is an embarrassment, with the club not having reached the fifth round in any of the last 12 seasons. A third-round exit tonight would hardly constitute a shock, but it would still be another dispiriting experience for a fan base that has had to grow accustomed to knock-out disappointment.

Having tasted FA Cup success when Steven Gerrard’s last-gasp free-kick for Liverpool helped set up a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over West Ham United, Benitez would love to end Newcastle’s wait for silverware, which will stretch beyond the 50-year mark if it does not end this season.

However, the Spaniard maintains it is important to be realistic given the overriding importance of remaining in the Premier League. Tellingly, none of the bottom five teams in the Premier League won their third-round tie at the first time of asking, with three – Huddersfield Town, Fulham and Cardiff – crashing out to teams from the Football League.

“You have to be realistic,” said Benitez. “Who is in the final of the Carabao Cup? We’re not stupid. I want to win a trophy, of course I do. Can we do it? It depends if we can beat Blackburn and then on to the next one with the squad we have at the moment. After that, we will see where we are.

“It’s easier for the teams in the middle of the table because they think they are safe and can play a Premier League team against anyone. It’s easier for the top sides because they can play fringe players and still win. But when you are at the bottom…tell me where the teams at the bottom are in the FA Cup? Think about it.”

Newcastle only survived the original tie when Matt Ritchie scored a late penalty to cancel out an opener from Bradley Dack, and Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn will fancy their chances of claiming a top-flight scalp tonight.

Former Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell is hoping to start for the home side, and has warned Newcastle’s players to expect an opposition line-up brimming with confidence.

“It was a great performance at St James’ Park, and with the fans behind us, with us doing what we do, we can beat anyone,” said Rodwell, who was an extremely controversial figure during his time on Wearside thanks to his lack of involvement with the first team. “It’ll be a good test for the group. We need that.

“It's about being patient and sticking to what we're good at. We have good enough players to produce the goods.”

Rodwell, who is a three-time England international, played for Manchester City in their 2013 FA Cup final defeat to Wigan. The 27-year-old was also an unused substitute when Everton lost to Chelsea in the 2009 final.

“I'm not sure how some of the foreign lads viewed the competition, but for the English boys, growing up the FA Cup was the biggest competition,” he said. “For me, it's a very special competition that brings back memories. Maybe one day, I can win the final.”

Newcastle (possible, 5-4-1): Woodman; Sterry, Schar, Fernandez, Clark, Manquillo; Murphy, Longstaff, Roberts, Kenedy; Joselu.