Memo to Mike Ashley.. these three would spark the next Rafa revolution
WINNING the Championship is no mean feat, even if your CV already boasts Champions League, Europa League, La Liga and FA Cup victories.
English football’s second tier can be a graveyard for fallen Premier League giants – if you don’t get out at the first attempt you can get sucked in for years to come. That’s why Rafa Benitez will be delighted with what his Newcastle team have achieved and why Mike Ashley, the Magpies owner, will be optimistic that the good times are back on Tyneside just 12 months after life looked so bleak. Now we will see a game of brinkmanship between the two men as Benitez seeks control, the Spaniard promising Ashley that if he gives him what he wants then the glory nights last witnessed when Faustino Asprilla tore apart Barcelona will be just around the corner. Ashley must trust his manager t o make Newcastle great again.
There are three players I’d love to see Benitez go for – Cesc Fabregas, John Terry and Jermain Defoe.
Fabregas is the sort of player the Toon Army would adore. He’d be the perfect signing for Benitez.
Rafa needs a quality No.10 to play behind Dwight Gayle and another new striker and, if I was Benitez, I’d be telling the Chelsea man: ‘Come and play up here like Kevin Keegan did all those years ago. Be a big hero for 52,000 home fans, weave your magic, and they will sing your name.’
Former Arsenal and Barca star Fabregas has been a very impressive impact sub for Chelsea and is set to win a title medal, but a player of his quality should be playing week in, week out. Then there is Terry – if Benitez is feeling really bold he should try for the former England captain.
The pair had their issues at Stamford Bridge but football people have short memories when it suits them and I have little doubt it would be a great move for both men.
Whether or not Benitez could convince Defoe to move down the road from Sunderland remains to be seen, but alongside Gayle he could do very well.
Managers of promoted clubs always used to make these kind of signings and so often it worked out well for them. Imagine what the likes of Gayle and Matt Ritchie would learn from being around that trio.
With their current squad, Newcastle could just nick into the top half in a good season.
But in a bad one they’d struggle like other recently-promoted teams Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Burnley.
With those three players, however, the building blocks would be well in place for Newcastle to become a Premier League
force once more.