Former Newcastle United great Chris Waddle believes that the club will be entrenched in a relegation battle this season, and that manager Rafael Benitez would be a good fit at Manchester United.
The Magpies have failed to win a game in eight attempts so far this season, and Waddle isn’t feeling particularly confident about the state of affairs on Tyneside.
“Newcastle United are set for a relegation battle this season, there’s no doubt about that,” he told Sportingbet. “Benitez has essentially had the same group of players for the last three years and is being asked to work miracles. The players are performing well, but they aren’t scoring goals.
He also asserted that the Spaniard would be a good choice for the Manchester United job should Jose Mourinho get sacked: “He is definitely good enough and has that big club experience having won trophies around Europe. Manchester United might not consider him due to his history with Liverpool, but there’s no doubt in my mind he would be a good choice,” he said.
OPINION
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Newcastle will be scrapping it out with the likes of Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town at the bottom of the Premier League this season. Waddle is right, Benitez has been handed essentially the same squad for the last few seasons and been asked to produce better and better results. He’s not been given enough money to spend in transfer windows and there’s only so much he can do. So, yes, it appears that the Magpies will be battling against the drop again this year. As for Benitez at United, why not? He’s had spells in charge of Liverpool and Chelsea, not to mention his European experience with Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Napoli, so why wouldn’t he be up for the task at Old Trafford? He wouldn’t be the most popular choice with fans but he would be a steady pair of hands for a club that desperately needs some stabilising.
