Newcastle could do so much more with proper backing

I am not sure if I have written a similar article to this one in recent months, as it seems to be a recurring season article because it’s just so glaringly obvious. Newcastle could be so much more with proper backing.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley wants out of the club and the fans want him out, as he simply does not want to invest any money in the north east club. The Magpies 2-1 win over reigning champions Manchester City on Tuesday night had the fans in dreamland. With a bit more investment the club could enjoy far more of those kinds of nights.

Rafa Benitez has kept the ship steady

Spanish boss Rafa Benitez has managed the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Liverpool. He knows football at the top level of the game, yet some critics question his results at Newcastle.

Yes, the Magpies have struggled near the bottom of the Premier League in recent years. However, the main reason for those struggles is the quality of player at the club. Arguably, some Championship teams have better players than Newcastle.

That is without even talking about transfer and wages budgets compared to other Premier League clubs. In short, I believe Benitez is not perfect, he has made mistakes, but he has kept the ship steady at the club. Many other bosses would have walked under the conditions the Spanish boss has had to deal with in recent years.

Newcastle fans deserve so much more

The Newcastle fans are as loyal as any in the country. They turn up in their numbers no matter how the team are doing. They deserve their club to be aiming for more than just Premier League survival each season.

The Magpies seem to be so well set-up for success. If Newcastle were a club in London then a wealthy owner willing to invest would have bought them a long time. The clubs location is part of the problem, but also part of the charm of the club.

Unfortunately, Ashley and the club are tied together until he can find somebody to buy his shares. I am not privy to the ins and outs, but reports from the north east suggest that Ashley wants too much for his shares.

If that is the case, then Ashley needs to reconsider his stance and sell for the good of everybody involved in the club. If he is not going to help the club fulfil their promise, then step aside and allow somebody else a chance to move the club forward.

 Magpies unlikely to go down

Tuesday night’s win against Manchester City moved the Magpies five points clear of the relegation zone. The Citizens have endured another hard campaign in the top-flight. However, Newcastle are now odds of 7/1 to suffer relegation, fifth favourites for the drop.

I cannot see the Magpies suffering relegation this season. They have suffered relegation with Benitez at the helm in the past, but that was when he was brought in at a relatively late stage of the campaign.

Newcastle are still in the Premier League because of Rafa Benitez’s managerial ability. How the Spaniard is still at the club, goodness knows. He obviously has an affinity with the fans and the north east club. Benitez once talked about Newcastle being similar to Liverpool, which is maybe part of the reason, as he was very at home on Merseyside. Maybe the Spaniard feels the same about the north east.

I like Newcastle as a club, I just hope for their fans sake that the Magpies find an investor in the near future and the club can flourish in the Premier League, instead of just settling for survival.

Has Rafa Benitez done a good job at Newcastle?