‘Tricky’ time for Benitez
RAFA BENITEZ admits he faces a “tricky” situation before deciding whether to stay at Newcastle.
The Toon chief has 12 months left on his contract and will not sign a new deal until he has assurances from the club.
He needs convincing that owner Mike Ashley shares his long-term ambitions.
Preliminary talks have started between Benitez’s representatives and managing director Lee Charnley but there has been no breakthrough.
Asked if he wants to stay, Benitez said: “That is a tricky question. I (previously) decided to stay because of the potential, the fans and the city, but then we have to do what we do.”
Benitez, whose side travel to Watford bidding to avoid a third straight defeat, has a reputation as one of the most political managers.
But he says he does not seek confrontation when meeting club directors and makes no apologies for trying to obtain as big a transfer budget as he can.
“I would be happier just thinking about my team and the players but in modern football, especially in the Premier League, the budget is crucial,” he said.
“Sometimes people think it is a negative but I think it is a positive because it means you care. I am not thinking about myself.
“You try to do your best for your team, for your club, for your fans. When I say I have ambition and want to win something, it is because the fans also have ambition.
“I did not come here, after so many games and so many titles, just to say, ‘Oh, we will see what happens’.”
Watford boss Javi Gracia has called for the club’s owners to buck the managerial merry-goround at Vicarage Road by keeping him on.
The club have had nine full-time managers since the Pozzo family brought the club in 2012.
There is pressure on Gracia, despite him signing a two-year contract in January, after a seven-game winless streak.
Gracia said: “As a player, I would prefer to work with more stability, knowing that the people who I am working with every day will still be there.
“I don’t waste my time thinking about whether this will be my last home game as Watford manager.
“I enjoy every day in my job and my life.
“I don’t want to put my happiness in other people’s hands. I try to be a constant. I try to do my best. It is not under my control.”