There is little to no chance that Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez will remain at the club despite the club stating they want him to remain, according to journalist Simon Bird.
The reporter predicts trouble for the club, stating that the Spaniard should by rights be under more pressure than he is and that Benitez is not expected to remain in Tyneside for long.
“The official line is that Newcastle still want Benitez to be boss long term, and to sign a new deal,” Bird wrote in the Mirror. “There is currently little – probably no – hope of that happening, even if they spend in January.
“The most uncomfortable questions emerge when a club is winless in eight games this season. Or, dating back to mid April and last season, one victory in 14 games and 11 defeats. Any other manager would be on his way out with a run like that.”
Benitez arrived on Tyneside to replace Steve McClaren in 2016 and is into the final year of his contract, having penned a three year deal in the summer of 2016 despite the club being relegated.
OPINION
This seems like a very definitive take considering there is no evidence provided for Bird’s certainty that Benitez will be leaving in the near future. How can someone simply state that there is no chance Benitez stays? Of course there is a chance. If the club undergoes a takeover or Mike Ashley finally decides to back his manager then the Spaniard would surely consider staying on Tyneside. He loves the city and the fans, while he sees the potential in a club of Newcastle’s size. It seems foolish to dismiss any notion of him remaining in the North East. Bird does have a point when it comes to the Magpies’ form, though. They have been really poor for a number of months now, yet the pressure never seems to significantly mount on Benitez. There have been mitigating factors this campaign, such as a horrific run of fixtures against the Premier League’s top teams at the start of this season, but still Benitez should be feeling a bit hotter under the collar than he is.
