OPINION
If Newcastle United have the opportunity to do something the hard way, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will do it the hard way.
The Magpies seem to thrive on struggle and chaos, and their handling of Rafa Benitez’s ongoing contract wrangle would seem to go a long way to supporting that impression.
They’ve known from the day that he signed his current deal that it was due to run out at the end of this season, and yet here we are, on the final day, still waiting on some kind of clue as to just what is going on.
It had looked, briefly, earlier today as if a breakthrough had been made.
According to The Sun, the Toon Army were set to offer the Spaniard a one-year, £15 million extension to his current deal.
Now, that wouldn’t have been ideal. Certainly, the Geordie faithful will have wanted longer, perhaps a few might have even wanted cheaper, but given the situation, any extension would have been met with jubilation.
Instead, it would appear that we are back to square one.
The Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder has reported that sources within the club have disclosed that the Magpies are yet to make an offer to Benitez, and will instead go into negotiations with him next week, as originally planned.
That will have a fair few supporters biting their nails, and a few more up in arms.
If an agreement cannot be met, bearing in mind how late the club have left things to get a deal over the line, there will be riots on Tyneside.
