Rafa steers Newcastle back to the top flight
RAFAEL Benitez succeeded in his gamble of staying on as manager as he steered Newcastle United straight back up to the Premier League with a 4-1 win over Preston on Monday.
The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss stayed on after they were relegated to the Championship at the end of last season, and even though Newcastle stumbled of late, the victory over Preston guaranteed a top two finish.
The Magpies became only the seventh team out of 18 to go straight back up in the past six years.
They will join Brighton – who were assured of promotion to the Premier League for the first time last Monday – in the top tier next season.
For 57-year-old Benitez there was a glimmer of a smile at the end – although he is not one known for wearing his heart on his sleeve – and a qualified response as to whether he would remain with the club.
He was known not to be satisfied at the lack of investment in players in the January transfer window.
“I think I will have to analyse a lot of things, but I’m really pleased here,” he told Sky Sports. “So hopefully we can do what we have to do to be s t ronger i n t he Pre mier League.”
Benitez said it had been a tough old battle and the heat of competition had been intense.
“It wasn’t easy at all,” said Benitez. “You have seen a lot of teams in this competition knew what to do.
“We had to fight from the start and played some very good football sometimes, some not so good at times, but in the end we go up.
“I think fromrom the last day of the last season,ason, I wanted to show my loyalty oyalty to everyone here.”
Doubts dispelled
spelled A crowd of just over 50,000 hadd endured a nervy first-half half as the Magpies once nce again looked tense se – just two wins inn their last eight games when they y had l o o k e d l i k e cruising back to the top flight ight had set nervesves on edge.
Things had l o o k e d o n course for an easy passage when Spaniard Ayoze Perez scored in the sixth minute – although there were suspicions of the ball going in off his arm. However, th the visitors levelled soo soon afterwards with a s stunning goal from Jordan Hugill, who nonchalantly flick flicked Tom B a r k h u i z e n’s cro cross into th the net for h his 12th C h a mp i - o n s h i p goa goal of the sea season. Th The hosts f l o u n d e r e d for m most of the re rest of the half, withw the massed ranks of spectators going quiet.
That was until Christian Atsu, on loan from Chelsea, awoke them from their torpor as he tucked the ball home in the 45th minute.
Doubts still lay in the back of the fans’ and players’ minds but they were dispelled in dramatic fashion in the 64th minute as Paul Gallagher handled on the line and was sent off – the reliable Matt Ritchie tucked away the penalty and ran to the Newcastle fans to celebrate.
For the Scottish international it was a personal record of 16 goals in one season, and the memorable night was rounded off when Perez added his second, again not very elegantly as the ball went in off his shoulder.