Despite their relegation, Newcastle United fans are desperate to cling onto the services of Rafa Benitez. As proof, have a look at this remarkable front page of yesterday's Evening Chronicle:
Having endured the shambling inadequacies of Steve McClaren's management, it is thoroughly unsurprising that Newcastle fans would attach themselves so quickly to a manager with a proven track record who has both the courage of his convictions along with a habit of saying the right things to endear himself to the home support.
In many ways, Newcastle is also the ideal job for Benitez: a huge but underachieving club disenfranchised from a country's capital; a city where industry once reigned and where football remains the region's most important human pursuit. This was the case at Valencia, Liverpool, and Napoli. The monied elites do not really suit Benitez' obsessive level of control: hence short-lived stints at Chelsea and Real Madrid. Like his Liverpool successor Jurgen Klopp, Benitez is a manager whose sides thrive on the power of the home support. Hence the reason why Newcastle is such an ideal fit.
There is just one slight problem with Newcastle however: their relegation. Benitez began the season in charge of Real Madrid and will not be short of offers from top-flight clubs across Europe. Benitez' contract with Newcastle includes a clause which allows him to leave should the club get relegated. The former eventuality has transpired, now it remains to see if the latter follows. Benitez revealed this afternoon that the triggering of that clause is far from inevitable. Benitez has held talks with Managing Director Lee Charnley, and he had this to say to the press today:
We want a strong team to be promoted to the Premier League again as soon as possible and that is the situation now.
We have to talk, we will have more meetings and then we will see what happens.
What we said in this meeting is 'we will have more meetings' so it was very positive in terms of the things we were discussing and I can say to the fans that we will continue.
I am quite happy with everything here. Can we improve things? Can we change some things? Then it will be easier for me to make a decision. Obviously these conversations are with this idea.
We are working as professionals and we are talking and I think in a couple of weeks maximum, maybe, we will have an idea.
But if I am here and I am discussing these things it's because in my head it's a chance, it's a good chance. #
It does look that Benitez is angling to stay on the proviso he is given the tools to promote Newcastle; signs of a determination for progress and success that many supporters feel Mike Ashley has stripped from Newcastle. Newcastle have a chance to keep hold of one of just eleven managers to have won the European Cup since the turn of the century.
They are best advised not to screw it up.
[Breaking News]
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