Rafa praying for another Toon miracle

RAFA BENITEZ insists he cannot allow his contract stand-off with Newcastle to overshadow his bid to pull off another Toon “miracle”.

Benitez has just nine months left on his current deal and talks over an extension became deadlocked in the summer when the Spaniard failed to secure assurances about how much control he will be given on transfers.

But with the Toon Army set to march in protest against the ownership of Mike Ashley (below) ahead of today’s clash with Chelsea, the 58-year-old has made it clear that he is happy to wait until the spring before he sorts out his future.

Benitez, who guided Newcastle to a 10th-placed finish last season against all the odds, admitted: “I would like the contract issue to be parked because it does not change anything.

“I know I will be asked about it, but for me it isn’t a big thing.

“It is the same for the fans and the players. They are just thinking about the games.

Influence

contract because you are thinking about the next season. But until then, I just want to think about football.”

Benitez has been allowed to add seven new players to a squad that was tipped to make an instant return to the Championship last season.

But Newcastle’s outlay of just over £25million was the third-lowest investment in the Premier League.

And the club recouped more than £45m in player sales.

Benitez has hinted that if Ashley fails to loosen the purse strings in January there could be consequences – both in terms of his future and Newcastle’s fate in the top flight.

He said: “I don’t want to say whether January will influence contract talks. If the team is doing well it will be easier to talk about the future.

“If the team is a disaster it will also be easier to talk about the future.

“But everybody knows that finishing 10th last season was a miracle.

“If we finish 12th this time it will not be a disaster. It will be positive. But I can only enjoy it if we win – and at the moment we have lost one game and drawn the other, so I am not very happy.”

Newcastle, beaten by Tottenham in their opening game of the season, were held at Cardiff last week when Brazilian midfielder Kenedy missed a last-minute penalty.

Today’s clash with Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea is followed in the league by a trip to champions Manchester City.

Structure

Benitez added: “Sarri is a clever person, a good coach, and he has a good team. “The structure at Chelsea means that even if you change managers many things stay the same because the majority of the other staff are still around. “I think Sarri will have less things to worry about at Chelsea because he can concentrate on his football. “Winning trophies is always the most difficult thing. Only one team can win the title or the Champions League.”