Former Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce has given Rafael Benitez his backing after the Spaniard’s extraordinary criticism of owner Mike Ashley.
The current Magpies boss laid into the club’s hierarchy for their transfer failings this summer, claiming ‘everything’ is wrong at the club.
Allardyce has stuck up for Benitez for his attack on Ashley: “You’re a very brave man if you go out and criticise the owners, which to be fair is what he’s doing,” he told talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.
“You have to be very self-confident in that you are criticising Mike Ashley with what you are saying. I don’t know if they were going to sign anyone on or not. So if you’re taking that stand, you have to be very conscious of what you are doing, and what you are trying to do is publicly force the owner into spending more money.
“And doing that as a manager in today’s world is extremely dangerous; I couldn’t see anybody else doing that. But Rafa’s brave enough and experienced enough to do it.”
On Benitez resigning, Allardyce said: “Walking is another matter. The contract is so tight it would probably leave Rafa paying the compensation himself, and I think that’s probably one of the reasons he wouldn’t walk.”
OPINION
Allardyce is right that Benitez has been brave in publicly criticising Mike Ashley, but the owner knows the consequences were he to sack Rafa for his comments. The club’s loyal fans would simply not stand for that, and St James’s Park would be full of empty seats for some time as a result. Will Benitez’s comments make a blind bit of difference to Ashley’s transfer policy? Probably not. But this was simply a case of one man being pushed too far and cracking. Allardyce knows all about the pressures of being a manager in modern day football, so he sees the danger in what Benitez is doing, especially considering the Spaniard likely won’t resign if what Allardyce is saying about his contract is correct. Like it or not, Benitez is tethered to Ashley for the time being, and it’s unlikely his public criticism of his employer will have improved their relationship. Big Sam is right, Benitez has been brave. But at what cost?
