There have been concerns about Rafa Benitez walking away from Newcastle United in the summer if Mike Ashley doesn’t keep his promises. The Spaniard has tried to end the speculation by stating he will not leave the club and his only focus is on promotion, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the summer. These stories arise after Newcastle failed to make any signings in January, despite Benitez wanting to add two players to the squad. There were attempts for several players including Tom Cleverley, Fabian Delph, and Andros Townsend, but no deals were agreed and Newcastle are having to finish the season without the reinforcements that their manager desired.
Mike Ashley has started to take a bigger interest in Newcastle recently, with the owner showing up at a number of games in January and this rightly raised concern. The club are making positive steps and the only thing that can derail them is Mike Ashley. Supporters are starting to worry that Ashley is on the road to making the same mistakes that he has made before and it is clear that Benitez doesn’t have the total control over footballing issues that he had in the summer. There will be discussions in the summer as Benitez will want assurances and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Three managers of Newcastle United have been happy to accept a weak position, but Benitez won’t do that and nor should he. The Spaniard knows that he is the best manager that the Magpies can attract and he has the supporters onside. It would be devastating for the club to lose Benitez and he is using that position of strength to his advantage. This is a power-play from Benitez as he seeks to get what he wants. This stand-off is going to be played out in the media and this is a tactic that the Spaniard has used before at previous clubs. No manager has ever stood up to Ashley before, but Benitez isn’t just any manager, and he will believe that he will come out on top.
Newcastle supporters need to ignore the speculation and play their part in backing up their manager. Benitez has spoken consistently about the fans getting behind the team and they need it now more than ever. If they sing for Benitez every week from now until the end of the season, then the manager will be at his strongest heading into a crucial summer for the club. The club couldn’t refuse his demands last summer and they won’t be able to this time either if the fans continue to back him.
For Benitez, this is a job that he wants and he will understand that he can’t have everything his way. Although he would have liked a couple of signings last month, he is savvy enough to know that the January window isn’t always the best time to do business. The club tried to do business, but it wasn’t possible for a number of reasons. The board would have looked at it and decided to wait until the summer. It is a decision that makes a lot of sense, but it is crucial that they back their manager in the summer. Newcastle are still a long way from being a top half Premier League side and money will be required in the summer if they secure promotion as expected.
This news is troubling and creates doubt about the forward direction of the club, but it is too early to worry about it. Benitez knows that he has a job to finish before he has the authority to push the board for further assurances, but he will use this time to build his power base at the club. Newcastle would be foolish not to give Benitez what he wants, as he is doing a good job and is a calming influence on the tensions between the supporters and Mike Ashley. He knows that, but would anyone put it past Ashley? This summer promises to be an intriguing one on Tyneside.