Chris Waddle believes Newcastle United have got enough going for them in order to avoid being relegated from the Premier League this season.
The BBC pundit heaped praise on Rafa Benitez’s managerial ability and shared that the Magpies boss was capable of nicking results by having his side shut up shop.
However Waddle did admit that the Magpies would be in the relegation battle but that they had a manager capable of getting them through it.
“Rafa is a very good coach at shutting up shop and nicking results,” Waddle told BBC Sport.
“He did a fantastic job to keep them up [last season] but to do it a second season running with the same players is very hard because mentally and physically it is very hard on the players to work the system he plays.
“Rafa’s very tactical. The problem for Newcastle is when they go a goal down and have got to come out a bit – but he knows how this works.
“I would say they have got enough to stay up but they will be in a battle. I don’t see them getting away from it with 10 or 15 games to go.
“It will a long season but they have got the manager to get through it.”
OPINION
Waddle seems to connect Benitez staying at the club with the Magpies staying in the Premier League and he’s not the only pundit to do this. It was a similar story last season where the Magpies manager ended up defying people’s expectations by guiding his side to a top-half finish. Clearly everyone at this point has faith in Benitez’s ability to make the best of a bad situation and squeeze results out even if his team isn’t the best one on paper. However it does feel kind of like a backwards step that pundits are discussing the Magpies when it comes to relegation as after finishing 10th last season, the club should be looking upwards. Yet the Magpies, who have been a dealt a rough hand by the fixtures gods, have only one point on the board after their first four league games of the season. It’s hard not to agree with Waddle’s assessment of the Magpies’ chances of being relegated this season as clearly a lot will be riding on Benitez’s Premier League experience to weather any storm that may come his team’s way.
