When Rafa Benitez joined Newcastle back in 2016, as the club slid towards relegation for the second time in seven years, he knew that he was joining a big club with a large and demanding fan base.
That same fan base has often publicly criticised owner Mike Ashley for providing insufficient funds, as the club aims to move forward and return to the European stage after a seven-year absence. This lack of investment into the squad has helped to make what was already a difficult job even harder for Benitez, but the Spaniard has acquitted himself brilliantly since a turbulent spell in charge of Real Madrid.
In turn, there is a general feeling that Benitez would happily stay at the club in the event of his financial resources being expanded. This, combined with a CV that contains twelve trophies in his managerial career, indicates that his presence at the club is the only positive – as it has been since his arrival.
The ultimatum is nigh
If that investment doesn’t come then it’s likely that Benitez will go, but fortunately, it seems as though Newcastle’s survival in the top flight – or otherwise – will not entirely be the deal breaker for Benitez. He has already taken Newcastle up once, and so if Newcastle were relegated but able to get new investment, then he could well stay.
Newcastle remain very vulnerable to the dreaded drop, and this is apparent in the sports spread betting markets for Premier League relegation, as the 2018/19 season reaches its final quarter. However, even if the Magpies manage to survive, prompting Ashley to continue his curiously torturous brand of austerity, then Benitez could well leave the club.
It seems as though Benitez desperately wants both himself and Newcastle to be a good news story, and leave behind the tragedy that has been the once-revered club’s recent past. Every good story needs a villain though, and that man might just make Benitez decide to move on to pastures new to find a club that can compete financially.
Mike Ashley, once and for all and with the greatest respect, the choice is yours…
Ashley’s endgame approaches
With more money than ever involved in Premier League action, the effects of a third relegation for Newcastle in just ten years could be catastrophic, and current stats on the pitch – particularly at home – certainly indicate that funding should be increased.
Most tellingly, Newcastle went into their game with Huddersfield on 23 February just one point clear of safety, and despite priding themselves on defensive solidity, the Magpies had kept just three clean sheets at home all season. Furthermore, though Newcastle had won their last two home matches prior to Huddersfield’s visit, they stood as the third-worst home team in the league, and had scored less than a goal per match on average – 0.92 per match to be precise.
Memories of a great 1995/96 season, which saw Newcastle drop just four points at home all season, still provide ample evidence as to what can be achieved through a well-structured long-term regime of investment. For that reason, all the pressure is ultimately on Mike Ashley to do the right thing, and if frustration starts to eat away at Benitez in any significant way, then it is hard to see a scenario where he stays at the club, as long as Mr Ashley is calling the shots.
Respect has no price
For a man once so used to spending his time fighting for cup wins and league titles, it would stand to reason if Benitez was loathed to spend the rest of his career fighting against relegation. Frankly speaking, it would be a great injustice to see him become typecast as a ‘fireman’ in the style of Allardyce, Pulis or Pardew – for he has a history of riches the likes of which those men, and many others, can only dream.
The Newcastle hierarchy needs to show Benitez something to indicate that the funds are coming. It feels like Newcastle are at a critical point right now as they have a squad they can build on, a great manager and everything else in place to succeed once again. In this modern age though, no big club can succeed without big investment and Newcastle – unlike clubs such as Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton – don’t have a player they can sell for astronomical sums.
Ultimately, the current lack of investment though could be a huge sticking point for Benitez, and nobody in the modern game has an unlimited fuse. Given his managerial record, there is little doubt that the Spaniard would be able to get another job very quickly, likely at a club that has been fighting at the top end of a European table.
