Rubble of his crumbling Toon
support of his employer. Chief scout Graham Carr is understood to be considering his future, bruised by the criticism directed against his flawed recruitment policy.
Toon fans are praying Rafa Benitez stays on but the manager has some serious thinking to do with talks having already started with Charnley.
Will Benitez be allowed a squad fit for purpose? The £100 million hit Newcastle will now suffer means that clubs such as Bournemouth and promoted Burnley are richer than them. Perhaps more attractive, too.
Europe’s heaviest spenders in January may have to cut from sackcloth in the months ahead.
There will be a mass exodus of players, and many of those who cannot stomach the idea of Championship football will not be mourned. But invariably it is the players Benitez – or whoever is in charge – wants to hold on to who will prove the hardest to keep.
Andros Townsend, one of the few successes of a catastrophic campaign, is courted by at least two top-flight clubs.
Jamaal Lascelles, one more shining light amid the dross, has impressed watching scouts in recent weeks. Ayoze Perez, a fans’ favourite, has suitors both here and abroad. Big-money buy Georginio Wijnaldum however, will move on but will hardly be missed. Long-serving skipper Fabricio Coloccini, along with Moussa Sissoko, will also depart without fanfare.
If Benitez triggers the break clause in his three-year contract, it will plunge Tyneside into despair. The fans cling to the hope the former Real Madrid coach can deliver salvation within this rotting carcass of a football club.