Rafa working miracle No.2

DO you count the trophies they have won, their history, their fan base, the manager, the size of the stadium or their importance in the community?

Newcastle United have all the above – except the trophies. The last they won, the Fairs Cup, was half a century ago. And at home, the absence of a pot goes back to 1955.

Yet good players would still walk to Newcastle in their socks to play for that club, in that stadium, for that manager.

Big clubs don’t shrink in size because the owners are cautious. Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds haven’t been in the top flight for years, but are still big clubs. I hope Toon stay up, although they need their first win of the season to come sooner rather than later.

But goals are going to be a huge problem for them – at least until the next transfer window. Neither Salomon Rondon nor Joselu has a track record which suggests they will be prolific at Premier League level.

If boss Rafa Benitez (above) keeps them up again without serious investment in the squad in January, he can add another miracle to the one he produced last season by finishing in the top 10.