Ten points from the opening seven matches for Newcastle United in their return to the Premier League is a decent return, especially when you consider the target for Rafael Benitez’ side is simply to avoid relegation- which should be achieved by hitting the 40-point mark.
Whilst things have been going relatively smoothly on the pitch, there’s plenty going on behind the scenes as Mike Ashley has made it clear he’s open to selling his majority stake in the Tyneside club if his demands are met- which puts the club in limbo.
Fans will certainly be pleased to see the back of the controversial owner but it does mean that transfer funds are likely to be withheld in January if negotiations are ongoing, especially as Ashley was reluctant to hand Benitez further cash to spend this summer.
That led to clashes in the close-season, intensifying suggestions that Benitez could leave the club, and the fact he has a reported £5.5m release-clause in his contract means it won’t be too difficult for any interested sides to negotiate with the Spaniard- including long-term suitors West Ham.
On his part, Benitez has refused to be drawn into speculation and his most recent comments suggest that he’s happy with life at the club. Perhaps crucially though, he says this is down to the spirit amongst the players- which means a lack of backing in January could tear things apart.
Quoted by The Evening Chronicle, Benitez said this week:
“You have to be pragmatic. I know that this is the group of players that we have and we have to try and improve them,”
“We are working with them on the pitch and they are working really well. We can see some improvements but still I think we can do better. You can see how they approach every training session, how they approach every game, the commitment of the game, the team spirit.
“You have to be happy because that’s what you expect from your players. It doesn’t matter the level of the player, you have to work hard for the team and they are doing that.”
In the Premier League, things can change in the blink of an eye and Newcastle United need to ensure that their Spanish boss remains content at the club- as they’d struggle to find a replacement who is as good as Benitez.
The loss of the former Liverpool, Napoli and Real Madrid boss would also be intensified if he were to join a Premier League rival, with West Ham being the most likely suitors, as he’d get the financial backing he wants in East London- potentially leaving Newcastle in the dark with another rival to catch up with.
For now, Newcastle can only look ahead to the fixtures that are right around the corner- starting with this weekend’s trip to Southampton, which is followed by the hosting of a Crystal Palace side that are rooted to the bottom of the table.
