Benitez running out of answers
RAFA BENITEZ is being asked difficult, new questions on and off the pitch as Newcastle slump.
The blame game started before a ball had been kicked in the summer when Benitez focused fire on owner Mike Ashley.
But no wins, five defeats in seven games and only four goals scored have even Benitez, deemed beyond criticism until recently, having the finger pointed at him.
The manager spent a couple of months publicly pressuring the owner to spend by pointing out how limited his squad is.
Games against top sides were “expected” defeats, despite a top-10 finish last season and nudge, nudge quotes like “I know my squad” and the “fans are smart, they know”.
It all led to this legitimate question in a corridor of St James’ Park on Saturday night, after Benitez became the first Toon boss to lose all four home games at the start of a season.
“Do you worry the players are starting to believe they aren’t good enough, because they’ve been told it so many times?” The answer: “No”.
Why? “It is difficult when you are working so hard and you are not getting results. It is difficult to keep confidence high. We need to start winning and it will change.”
Jamie Vardy’s penalty and the brilliant Harry Maguire’s towering header sealed Leicester’s comfortable win.
Fans also booed when Matt Ritchie, who asked his manager “what for”, was subbed. Are some players also now questioning their boss behind the scenes? Ashley, above, attended his second game of the season begging the question: truce or trouble with his manager?
Benitez is almost certainly safe for now but any other Tyneside boss over the years would be well into sacking territory with one win in 13 games dating back to last season. Newcastle are more valuable with Benitez at the helm and he was badly let down by the club making a £20m profit, rather than the £50m net spend that should have been sanctioned in the summer. Add in to the mix more takeover rumours, with former Chelsea and Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon said to be putting together investors to mount a £300m bid.
Ashley laughed as fans chanted “get out of our club” but he will not be chuckling as every defeat sends Newcastle closer to relegation, knocking tens of millions off his sale price.
Ashley sparked this mess by not letting Benitez invest more; add to that Benitez’s perceived negativity, a nightmare early fixture list, misfiring strikers, players looking demoralised, and a fed-up fan-base.
It is a cocktail for trouble, and on this evidence, certain relegation.
NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): UP: LEICESTER (4-4-2): NEXT