Former Newcastle player Nolberto Solano says he expects Rafa Benitez’s side to be challenging for a top six place in the Premier League next season if the Spanish manager is given the financial support by the club.
The former Peruvian international believes that Benitez will want the backing in the summer transfer window to enable him to compete in the top half, but he has warned owner Mike Ashley that he must back the Spaniard as it is rare to have someone with his managerial ability at the helm. He told the Chronicle:
“The top six is where Rafa will want to be, to begin with, if Newcastle get promoted, I have no doubt about that. He won’t want to be fighting relegation – it’s just not his style.
“I hope that Mike Ashley is going to be on the same wavelength as Rafa and I hope that the club sees having Rafa here as a major opportunity. This is well and truly the chance to kick on and win something or get back into Europe.”
Solano played under manager Sir Bobby Robson when the Magpies finished 4th, 3rd and 5th in consecutive seasons, and he firmly believes that if Rafa is given the resources to succeed he will get them back into the Champions League:
“When I signed for the club in 1998 it wasn’t just because of the brilliant fans I’d seen on TV when watching on from South America. It was because Newcastle had genuine ambition.”
“Under Rafa, they now have that again. He is capable of taking Newcastle to places they could only dream of in recent years. He can win a cup and he can get them into the Champions League IF he gets the backing. I just hope they give him that chance.”
Before that however, there is the small matter of getting promoted. The Magpies are currently seven points ahead of Huddersfield Town in third place. They have matches against Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion at home in the next week, and wins in both games will go some way to ensuring a return to the top flight of English football.
