OPINION
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has been put through the wringer by owner Mike Ashley this summer, and there has been an overwhelming fear on Tyneside that the Spaniard may walk away from the club at some point soon.
The Magpies had the perfect opportunity to cement their Premier League status this summer following an impressive tenth-placed finish last season, but club bosses have overseen a disastrous window in which the opposite has happened.
The lack of funds made available for transfers has most certainly put the Toon in danger of relegation once again in the upcoming campaign, and fears have grown about the future of Benitez amid such an impossible situation.
The Spaniard is known for honouring contracts – throughout his career Benitez has never walked away from a club mid-contract, but the exceptional circumstances on Tyneside would mean that no one could blame him for doing so.
However, despite everything, it looks like the Toon Army can breathe easy on that worst case scenario after his comments following their 1-0 defeat to Augsburg in pre-season on Saturday.
As quoted by the Chronicle in their live blog (Saturday, 17:22), Benitez said: “I was talking with Lee Charnley before the game and I’ll maybe see him after the game. I’m not saying we’re not working, but we had things lined up.
“I am confident we can do it. If you’re asking me if it’s ideal I would say no because the way I like to work is to do things early but if we can’t do that we have to work.”
These do not look like the words of a man who is ready to walk away from the club, despite his obvious frustration with how things have gone this summer.
In saying that the club have things lined up, Benitez is admitting that he is still working hard behind the scenes, and in saying that he remains confident, Benitez is showing that he still cares deeply about the club and its success.
Furthermore, his comments on the fact that he has to work with the cards he has been dealt, Benitez is showing determination to steer the club forward despite the situation.
In conclusion, fans can now rest easy over Benitez’s future, with it now looking like he will remain with the club for the remaining year of his contract.
