APRIL FOOLS?

NOT ON MY WATCH, SAYS RAFA AS HE AIMS TO AVOID MAGPIES’ TRADITIONAL SPRING SLUMP

EARLIER this season, Rafa Benitez sat down with Newcastle’s club historian to get a handle on black-and-white history.

It was typical of a man who has sought to immerse himself in the football culture of a city which has taken him to its heart.

It might also offer some sort of insight into why April has become something of an obsession for the Spaniard.

Before the season began, he earmarked April as this season’s moving month.

Benitez first mentioned it publicly in February, when most were still smarting from a sub-standard St James’ Park transfer window.

Barely a week has gone since when he has not namechecked April’s seven games as the litmus test of the club’s ambitions.

It is understandable: addressing United’s reputation as April fools has to be one of Benitez’s priorities this season.

If you can bear to recall, April has thrown up the following in recent Newcastle seasons: a stadium boycott in 2015, a 6-0 home defeat to Liverpool in 2013, two derby disasters – including a risible away-day defeat at Sunderland in 2015 – and a 4-0 shellacking against Manchester United at St James’ Park in 2014.

While the good teams step up in April, United have tended to let themselves down.

For two seasons between 2013 and last year, they did not win one of their April fixtures.

That run was only reversed on Rafa Benitez’s watch, when Swansea were beaten at St James’ Park.

The full record between 2013 and this year reads as follows: played 20, won 3 and lost 13 of April’s important fixtures. When the going gets tough, United – until recently – have failed to get going.

Part of that is down to the way Newcastle operated as a club.

By bringing in so many players who were using the club as a platform for better things they were always risking the same players losing focus and interest when agents were looking at options for the future.

For three years, the uncertainty over the manager was April’s most dominant topic.

Alan Pardew and John Carver were managing against the backdrop of deep discontent which had built up over months.

For Benitez it has always been different. At Liverpool his sides traditionally finished with a flourish - he won a Champions League and reached another final during his days at Anfield.

When at Chelsea, he circumnavigated the difficult politics of Stamford Bridge to guide the Blues to a victory in the Europa League. Even at Newcastle last season, he mounted a late revival which almost carried Newcastle to safety.

Those close to him say that was convinced the points accrued last season should have been enough to keep them up. United’s inability to beat Aston Villa, combined with Sunderland surprise defeat of Chelsea at the Stadium of Light, confounded that.

This year, he built a team in the summer to peak at the right time. Benitez is a details man and will have known that there was an international break just before April’s critical games kicked in. That chance for his squad to take a breather was precious.

With two midweek games and evening kick-offs to contend with, Benitez will utilise his entire squad in the coming weeks.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, Christian Atsu, Grant Hanley and Daryl Murphy are very good players to be warming a Championship bench – but this is the point where their fresh legs should give Newcastle a leg up.

Traditionally, Newcastle look just about finished by the time April rolls around. For Benitez, this is where the serious stuff starts.