Darren Gough took a dig at Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley when comparing the Magpies with West Ham United.
The former England cricketer was comparing the Magpies with the Hammers as he was trying to point out why Rafa Benitez would be tempted to switch life at St James’ Park for life at the London Stadium.
Gough had suggested that Benitez was the type of manager West Ham should be looking at then took a pop at Ashley by saying he’d give you a transfer budget of £10 whereas the Hammers board would let you spend £150million.
“No disrespect to Newcastle but if he can’t agree a contract, Rafa Benitez is sort of name we’re talking about here,” said Gough on talkSPORT (Tuesday April 9th, 17:37).
“So why would he leave Newcastle for West Ham, I’ve no idea, the only difference is if you’ve got an owner at West Ham who is going to give you £150million to spend compared to an owner at Newcastle who might give you ten bob then it’s not a hard choice.”
OPINION
While Gough is exaggerating how low the transfer budget is for Benitez under Ashley, it helps make his point clear. The former England cricketer clearly believes that Benitez is a talented manager who a club like West Ham would love to have. This shouldn’t be a surprise as the majority of Magpies fans know how special the Spanish manager is. It’s unclear why Gough was even talking about West Ham changing managers, as Manuel Pellegrini hasn’t done too much wrong, but it’s fair to say Newcastle fans will groan at the idea of him leaving St James Park to become Hammers manager. While Benitez’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the season, the thought of him managing another Premier League side anytime soon is just too painful of a thought to process. While Gough’s words are unlikely to reach Ashley or be anything the businessman hasn’t heard before, hopefully the businessman is about to offer Benitez the transfer budget he deserves, to help convince him his future is at the Magpies.
