Ian Wright has admitted that he would hate to see Rafa Benitez leave Newcastle United.
The Spaniard is out of contract on Tyneside in the summer, but Match of the Day pundit Wright has implored the Magpies to keep hold of their popular boss.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, he said: “I’d hate to see Benitez leave Newcastle United in the current climate when he has an owner who just doesn’t help him.
“I’d love to see someone like Rafa, at Newcastle, with the capability of giving Newcastle the chance – buying the kind of players who can help, and get the fans going like we know when they get behind the team.
“For him to leave, going through everything which he has been through with Mike Ashley would be an absolute travesty with what he has gone through with the Newcastle United fans at this point.
“I’d hate to see him leave.”
OPINION
You could probably count on one hand the amount of Newcastle United fans would disagree with Wrighty on this one. Benitez is all but worshipped on Tyneside, and there will be more than a few jangling nerves as the countdown continues towards the expiration of his contract. The most frustrating aspect of this whole situation is that is could, and should, be so different. Everything is in place for Newcastle to become a real force in the Premier League – they have the infrastructure, the fanbase, the manager – and instead they find themselves, year after year, in the doldrums of the top flight. Things are looking more positive on Tyneside, that much is true, but there is still a long way to go, and if Benitez was lost at the end of the season, many fans would feel like they were back to square one. Add to that the surefire mutiny that would follow for Mike Ashley, and losing Benitez could be a much greater issue than something purely footballing.
