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Stelling weighs in on Ashley/Benitez relationship

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Image for Stelling weighs in on Ashley/Benitez relationship

Jeff Stelling believes Newcastle United’s decision to do a pre-season tour of China can only add to the friction between Mike Ashley and Rafa Benitez.

The Sky Sports presenter shared that currently it was like the Magpies owner and the Spanish manager were locked in a staring contest and it was a question of who would blink first.

Stelling shared that while some will think it’s insignificant where the Magpies spend their pre-season, Benitez usually likes a low-key schedule where the players only travel a short distance to somewhere like Ireland, and suggested going to China would cause more tension between the pair.

“It’s like a staring contest between Ashley and Benitez and who blinks first at the moment,” said Stelling on Soccer Saturday (Sky Sports News, March 30th, 13:09)

“But he doesn’t want a nice relaxing job (which Paul Merson claimed) he wants to win things, nine major trophies y’know.

“I just look at little things that might seem insignificant in someways but with months left on Benitez’s contract…like Rafa in pre-season he likes nice low-key build-ups, take the players to Ireland things like that, and the club have just signed up to a pre-season tour of China next season.

“Which can only add to the friction between Rafa and the owners.”

OPINION

While Stelling is right to suggest that Benitez and Ashley probably are locked in a staring contest regarding the future of the Magpies, he may be wrong about the club’s pre-season plans being an issue. Benitez seemed calm about the club going to China in pre-season as he said during his recent press conference that from a “commercial”, as transcribed by the Chronicle, point of view it was a positive. If the Magpies manager was against the tour, he probably would have not spoken much on it, or just said what was on his mind as he’s never one to shy away from being honest in the media. Yet that wasn’t the case, so you have to think Benitez is fine about the decision and it hasn’t caused any more of a rift between him and Ashley. It makes sense that Stelling is trying to read between the lines though regarding the club’s decision as just like every Magpies fan, he is curious about whether Benitez will be at St James’ Park beyond this season.

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