Quantcast
Blogs

Waugh comments reveal extent of Newcastle issue

|
Image for Waugh comments reveal extent of Newcastle issue

OPINION

You have to feel for Newcastle United.

Even after all this time, and after all the disappointments that Mike Ashley has brought to the club during his horrendous tenure on Tyneside, the owner still finds new and excruciating ways to make things terrible for supporters.

Take his whole handling of the Rafa Benitez’s contract, for example.

This should really have been the most straight forward decision Ashley has ever had to make.

Given the success Benitez has had at St. James’ Park, and considering the lack of backing he has largely had to deal with, it seems like an absolute no brainer to get him tied down to a new deal, with his current one set to expire at the end of the month.

Instead, however, Ashley has dragged out the process, and with talk of a takeover distracting from the issue at hand that June 30th deadline has crept up on United very, very rapidly.

And Chronicle journalist Chris Waugh has gone a long way to explaining why.

Writing in a piece for the local outlet, he said: “Although Benitez returned to the club’s Benton Training Centre last Monday, he has not given the Magpies hierarchy any indication as to whether he is willing to sign the deal for the terms currently on offer.

“It is understood that he is still yet to receive the assurances over budget and transfer policy he wants in order to commit himself to the club, while the uncertainty over a potential takeover has also complicated matters further.

“With Benitez unsure whether the current Newcastle hierarchy will still be in charge within a matter of weeks, he is reluctant to pen a contract before he receives greater clarity on the future direction the club is heading.”

What we have here then is something of a vicious circle.

Benitez won’t commit until certain assurances are made, and those assurances won’t be made until more is known on where the club is heading. The issue is, at the moment, nobody knows the answer to that question.

Because of that, United are sleepwalking into a disaster.

Something has to be done soon, before the black hole that is Ashley’s ownership consumes the best manager the club has had in many, many years.

Share this article