BENITEZ CAN END MAGS’ BARREN CUP RUN – CLARK
FRANK CLARK ON RAFA BENITEZ AND NEWCASTLE UNITED NOT WINNING A TROPHY SINCE 1969
Newcastle United legend Frank Clark believes that Rafa Benitez is the man to end the Magpies long wait for a trophy – if he is given the backing of the club.
Clark was a member of the last United side to land major silverware when a 6-2 win over Hungarian club Ujpest Dozsa brought the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back to Tyneside way back in 1969.
Half a century has passed since that famous night in Budapest and the Magpies have failed to add a major trophy to their collection, despite several near-misses including four cup finals and four top-three finishes in the top-flight of English football.
The appointment of Benitez in March 2016 brought fresh hope that the trophy drought may been ended by a manager that has won major silverware with the likes of Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan.
The Spaniard’s three years on Tyneside have brought support from the club’s loyal fanbase, but he has also found it difficult to wrestle with the club’s stringent transfer policy.
But Clark – who made 456 competitive appearances for the club - insisted that he will deliver a trophy - if the Magpies can persuade Benitez to stay at the club beyond the end of his contract and give him backing in the transfer market.
Speaking at a Fairs Club event on North Tyneside, Clark said: “Rafa Benitez, as a manager, has got as good a CV as anybody in the game apart from Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
“He knows what he is doing, he knows what he wants,