What will the new year

RAFA Benitez has ensured Newcastle United fans have kept hold of their dignity during a sometimes farcical 2018. A spluttering January transfer window a year ago was followed by a failed club sale during the spring, before another frustrating summer window at a time when TV money was expected to come Benitez’s way.

Even after somehow finishing 10th in the Premier League, United chiefs haven’t negotiated a well-deserved new deal for Rafa.

Whatever mess is left behind off the pitch, Benitez has continued to clear it up and somehow set up his team to go out and get results.

The Magpies will check out of 2018 with 18 points in the bag and have achieved it after shopping in the bargain bin, and with one of the lowest wage budgets.

United aren’t getting pipped in the race for new signings by Manchester City or Liverpool or Spurs these days, it’s the likes of Wolves, Bournemouth and West Ham. That’s no slight on those teams either, by the way – they’ve paid the money and deserve whatever success comes their way.

The problem is Newcastle aren’t prepared to go toe to toe with them in the window.

Benitez isn’t asking for much from the powers that be – only the money generated by being in the Premier League and TV cash to compete. As we head into January, he could be scraping around for loan deals to get Newcastle over the line and retain top-flight status.

Newcastle have got to this stage thanks to five Premier League goals from Salomon Rondon – another borrowed body.

On Saturday they yielded a point, with bargain signings such as Fabian Schar, Martin Dubravka and Christian Atsu, all of them Benitez picks.

But still, Benitez faced the Press and inevitable questions on transfers knowing he had to speak carefully for the sake of his own sanity.

At Anfield a few days earlier a “no” and a “yes” answer on transfers had ended up going viral as Benitez was asked if there was a January signing ready, and whether the fact one wasn’t worried him.

On to Vicarage Road and Benitez batted away similar questions, but admitted there was a platform to build on at the club.

The performance against Watford was testament to the fact that Benitez has this group of players fully motivated to do the job properly.

They were brilliant at times against the Hornets as they pressed the home side and created effective counter attacks.

Before the game there had been suggestions that Benitez’s “miracle” comments had been an insult to the current