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Lee: Ashley can’t mess this up, can he?

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Image for Lee: Ashley can’t mess this up, can he?

Former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee has urged Magpies owner Mike Ashley not to make a mess of the Rafael Benitez situation.

The Spaniard is in the final couple of months of his current contract, and Lee has explained that it’s absolutely vital that he remains at St James’ Park.

“It seems to be an issue that whenever somebody popular comes along Mike Ashley has a problem with it,” he told The Chronicle. “It happened with Kevin Keegan, it happened with Alan Shearer and it’s happening with Rafa Benitez now.

“I’m pretty sure that Rafa does not want to go anywhere, I mean where else can he go in the Premier League? There are no bigger clubs in England for him at the moment. So this is a chance to get him tied down. He likes the club and can see the potential of it so why can’t the owner? Mike Ashley needs to be able to see that too, he can’t mess this one up surely?

“But then again you could say it beggars belief but we’ve seen it all before and Mike Ashley isn’t likely to give Rafa £100million to spend,” he finished.

OPINION

As Lee says, the whole Benitez situation beggars belief at this point. The fact that a world class manager like him hasn’t been tied down already is inexcusable, but that’s life at Newcastle under Ashley. Lee makes a good point about Ashley not liking popular managers at the club. Keegan is pretty close to a deity on Tyneside, while Shearer is the greatest goalscorer in the club’s history. Neither man lasted long under Ashley’s stewardship. Benitez is approaching those levels of popularity at this point and perhaps that’s making Ashley a little uncomfortable. But he needs to put all of that aside and get Benitez’s contract situation sorted as quickly as possible. If he lets the Spaniard walk out the door then he will be risking the wrath of the supporters and the future of his team as a Premier League outfit. Let’s hope he heeds the words of Lee and so many others and gets Benitez tied down.

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