Garth Crooks insists that Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez will leave St James’ Park if he is not given the right backing this summer.
The Magpies have achieved a 10th-placed finish in the Premier League this season despite making huge improvements to their squad and many tipped them for relegation.
Many supporters are now concerned about the long-term future of Benitez and are desperate for the club to inject some cash for the summer transfer window.
BBC pundit Crooks named the Spaniard as his manager of the season and was full of praise for him, insisting he could lead the club to silverware in the future if he receives support from the board.
However, he has tipped the 58-year-old for the exit doors if that does not happen and the club’s owner Mike Ashley has insisted that “every penny” will be made available for Benitez.
“Anyone who has watched Newcastle United this season will have observed Benitez and his boys refusing to compromise one iota on the brand of football their fans want to see,” Crooks wrote in his column for BBC Sport.
“That is why Newcastle fans love Benitez, because they have seen the Spaniard turn their team from a Championship squad into a credible Premier League outfit.
“Give Benitez the resources and he would do what Kevin Keegan failed to do, and win Newcastle a trophy. Don’t give him the resources to compete with the very best and he will leave – and quite rightly.”
OPINION
Newcastle’s future is going to do down one of two paths next season and fans are desperate that Benitez is going to be in charge at St James’ Park. It seems unlikely he will remain at the club if he has to continue working on a restricted budget and is desperate to help them move forward properly. They will not find a better alternative to Benitez if he does depart and the Magpies simply have to put their faith in him. He has worked wonder this campaign to achieve a top-10 finish and his team looked in great touch on the final day of the Premier League season, as they annihilated Chelsea 3-0 at home. Newcastle certainly have a lot of tools in place to make a real go of things next season, but ultimately without the injection of cash they will fall short of getting close to the elite clubs.
