Pundit: Magpies need to ‘push boat out’ to hold on to manager

SKY pundit Matt Le Tissier says Newcastle United should give Rafa Benitez whatever he wants in endof-season discussions over his future.

And he is incredulous that there is even talking to be done between the hierarchy and Benitez given the “incredible” job that he has done.

Benitez has held talks with Newcastle’s power brokers in the last couple of weeks to determine how serious the club is about breaking the cycle of underachievement that has clung to Mike Ashley’s stewardship of United.

And the noises coming from Newcastle’s manager suggest he is yet to be fully convinced by the answers coming back to him.

It is draining for fans, who are joined by the players, local media and even neutral pundits in not quite understanding why Newcastle can’t just give their Champions League-winning manager the assurances he requires to get on with a rebuilding job that has helped him to be nominated for the Premier League manager of the year award.

Asked about the talks that are now top of the black and white agenda, Le Tissier said: “The only discussions there can be can be the club trying to persuade him to stay because the job he has done there in the circumstances has been quite incredible.

“Really Newcastle should be just be saying to him ‘What do you want?’ or ‘What can we do for you to keep you as our manager?’ because there’s no question about it, if Rafa Benitez decided to leave Newcastle there would be a queue a mile long to take his services.

“Newcastle should be pushing the boat out to keep him.”