Benitez fires warning shot across Mike Ashley’s bows
BOSS FIGHTS HIS CORNER AS POLITICS ARE SET TO BE PLAYED AT ST JAMES’
“YOU never know, that is football.”
After more than two and a half months of nothing but anodyne public remarks, it took Rafa Benitez just a matter of minutes to resume his cold war of words with Mike Ashley once Newcastle United’s promotion was secured on Monday night.
After initially firing the first shots of discontent following a failed January transfer window, Benitez then called an almost-immediate ceasefire on his public displeasure.
Promotion needed to be secured, so his message remained constant before and after matches for months on end from early February onwards.
The only focus was on gaining promotion, no distractions.
However, as soon as that was achieved, Benitez ended his selfimposed truce and advanced headstrong into a renewed political stand-off with Newcastle’s volatile owner.
Benitez replied when asked about his own future on TV: “We have to analyse a lot of things but I am really pleased to be here. Hopefully we can do what we have to do to be stronger in the Premier League.”
Then, during his post-match press conference, Benitez was asked the same question by the written media.
“You never know, that is football,” he said in a matter-of-fact manner when he was asked if he would still be Magpies’ boss come the start of the new season.
“I am really pleased to be here and really happy and proud about everything we have achieved.
“Hopefully, we can put in the foundations for something which will be a guarantee for the future.
“What we need is to enjoy today and afterwards we will see where we are.”
However, after making a few comments which he knew could easily be interpreted as casting doubt over his future to the British media, he struck a far more conciliatory tone in his native Spain.
During a radio interview late on Monday night with Spanish station Cadena SER, Benitez appeared to take a swipe at former club Real Madrid when he stated: “Here in England one is valued and respected for one’s work and there are no backroom politics - unlike at other places.” Of course, we know this final statement is a slight tweaking of the true picture behind the scenes at St James’ Park. Politics are very much at play between Benitez, chief scout Graham Carr and Ashley. However, unlike during his time at the Bernabeu, Ben-
itez knows he is fighting his battle for greater autonomy and a bigger budget from a position of strength on Tyneside.
The Spaniard is loved by the Newcastle faithful - you only had to listen to the admiration streaming down from the stands to greet Benitez as he walked on to the pitch and repeatedly pumped his fist in triumphant fashion at the end of United’s 4-1 victory over Preston North End on Monday night to realise that.
If Benitez was to walk away this summer due to Ashley’s failure to match the Spaniard’s ambition then there would be outright civil war in the terraces at St James’ Park the like of which the Sports Direct magnate has never seen.
That is saying something, given the repeated protests against Ashley himself, Wonga, Sports Direct and Alan Pardew during his near-10year ownership of the club.
Benitez wants to stay at Newcastle long term, that is the only reason he committed to remain following relegation last summer.
He loves the size of the club and the passion of the supporters while he enjoys the work-life balance he has struck up given his family home remains across in The Wirral.
However, he does not want to merely stay and fight against relegation.
In the medium to long term Benitez hopes to challenge for European football and attempt to bring the club’s first major silverware in almost five decades.
To achieve that, he needs backing. Benitez does not expect a £200million ‘war chest but the £70m figure being floated around as his reported summer budget is about the minimum he would want to recruit the seven to 10 players he is believed to desire to bolster his squad during the off-season.
The Magpies have limped towards promotion in recent months and that is partly down to Ashley refusing to allow Benitez to bring in the winger and attacking midfielder he wanted in January to offer muchneeded late-season impetus.
That window, during which Benitez believes promises were broken and assurances unkept, led to a breakdown in trust between the United boss and the club’s hierarchy. He wants a face-to-face meeting with the owner to resolve that rather than communicating with Ashley via managing-director Lee Charnley as he does day to day.
Had the Spaniard replied to questions about his future on Monday night by confirming outright he wanted to stay then he would have used up all his ammunition.
Instead, he has merely fired a couple of warning shots - and we can perhaps expect a few more to follow during his pre-Cardiff City press conference tomorrow afternoon.