OPINION
Most football fans would admit that Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has worked wonders in the Premier League with a squad who are performing well above where they should be.
Quite frankly the likes of Joselu and Javier Manquillo should be fighting for relegation, not a mid-table finish for a second consecutive season, and while they might not be regulars among the starting XI they have still played their part – much to the Toon Army’s frustration.
The club’s success comes down to both the togetherness of this squad – which is undoubtedly greater than the sum of its parts – and the tactics employed by Benitez.
Unfortunately for the fans, his pragmatic approach has not resulted in the most entertaining results and for a team whose history include a side dubbed “The Entertainers” it will not have been to everyone’s liking.
With Premier League safety seemingly a certainty now, Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder has hinted St James’ Park could see a shake up of the manager’s approach to the game.
He wrote on the newspaper’s live blog (14:29): “I wouldn’t expect Newcastle to go gung ho against Arsenal as they will play a counter attacking system for obvious reasons. But in the home games I do feel they will go for it a bit more.
“If they can get three or four more points on the board you will see a difference in how they play.”
Success is the be all and end all for Benitez – if he can win a game 1-0 then he will do – but he would be wise not to forget the traditions of this great football club.
The fans would love to see their star men – Miguel Almiron especially – unleashed between now and the end of the season and if the manager does give them free rein then Tyneside will be bouncing.
