Gone – now will suit the Toon?
boss – have the final say on incoming deals, something carefully weaved into his contract.
This resulted in no players coming through the door in the January window of 2017.
It was little wonder Carr (below right) left on June 17, 2017, a few weeks after United were crowned champions of the second tier.
Benitez now had one less obstacle when it came to recruitment because he did not have to sift through a host of player recommendations from Carr.
Surely this was the start of a forward-thinking club showing ambition again?
A picture of Charnley, Ashley and Benitez with the Championship trophy suggested that – but no.
The Spaniard grew frustrated very quickly in the summer of 2017 as Newcastle’s snail-paced transfer process reared its ugly head again.
The deal for Florian Lejeune looked a straightforward one on paper but took two months to complete.
Benitez had wanted ALL of his signings through the door in time for pre-season training but had to wait until summer preparations were well under way before Jacob Murphy arrived from Norwich City for an initial £10m.
It was a deal signed off by Ashley in the end because he felt there was potential sell-on value.
Mikel Merino arrived on an initial loan deal from Dortmund soon afterwards but it was then the funds at Newcastle seemed to dry up again.
Benitez was told TV money would not come into play until the following summer, which resulted in budget buys Joselu and Javier Manquillo. The window did not end well for Newcastle as other targets slipped through.
Benitez’s side made a good start to the season but a relegation battle was soon back under way after United picked up just one point from an available 30. The Spaniard was damning in his assessment of the club’s operations and said: “We are where we are because we did what we did.” Although, it was more a case of what Newcastle had not done in reality as they tried to cut their cloth accordingly in the transfer market in the eyes of Ashley.
He made it clear at the start of that season in response to a question on how much he would give his manager to spend.
Back then he said: “Not enough. Sorry to interrupt, but it is not enough.
“Rafa knows it is not enough, it is not a secret.
“Every penny the club generates he can have but it does not generate enough.
“It is Newcastle United, it does not have a £40m-a-year stadium naming rights deal.
“I don’t want the fans to watch this interview and think, ‘Great, Rafa is getting £150m in the morning.’
“He is not. With Lee Charnley’s help, and Lee answers to Rafa by the way, not the other way around.
“Let’s be crystal clear, Rafa makes all the final decisions on players out, players in - but he has to do it with the money the club has.”
Somehow Benitez turned things around last season and they managed to finish in the top 10.
Surely this was the cue for the 58-year-old to be handed a war chest and a new contract?
Incredibly, Newcastle dug their heels in again during talks over a new deal.
This time the suggestion was Benitez would not get the money to spend until he signed a new deal.
Now the tension on Tyneside was palpable.
There was a long stand-off as Newcastle told Benitez they did not want to sign Salomon Rondon because he did not fit the club’s criteria as he was deemed too old.
Martin Dubravka’s loan deal was made permanent while Fabian Schar arrived for just £3m from Deportivo la Coruna.
Yet it seemed to take an explosive press conference in
Braga in pre-season to make a breakthrough on other deals.
It was the same night in which players imposed their own media ban and refused to do any interviews – including those with the official website – because of a dispute over their bonus pay.
After United had been stuffed 4-0 by SC Braga, Benitez said: “Things are not going well off the pitch.
“I am worried. Fans are concerned – they have to be.
“This should be a wake-up call for everyone.”
Social media went into meltdown as fans questioned Ashley again.
Within 24 hours the button had been pushed on Yoshinori Muto’s £9.5m move from Mainz before Rondon’s loan deal followed and then the deadline-day signing of Federico Fernandez.
However, that was only because of an injury to Florian Lejeune.
United were third-bottom with just one point after five games and went 10 games before winning their first match - but they have staved off the threat of relegation again. So what next for Benitez?
He has certainly changed United for the better – wins over the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have handed back Geordie fans some pride.
There are no tuxedos at games now.
After players like Moussa Sissoko, Daryl Janmaat and Gini Wijnaldum walked out on Newcastle after relegation, Benitez vowed: “We are not a stepping stone, we are Newcastle United.
“Players should feel honoured to wear the shirt.
“They should feel the same passion as the fans.”
It is a culture Benitez has managed to maintain.
The viewpoint from the boardroom seems to be t the signing of Miguel Almiron is evidence there is commitment towards Benitez. There is also talk of going all out to bring in a big deal like Joelinton from Hoffenheim in an attempt to woo Benitez to stay.
However, the Spaniard wants a careful plan and assurances the Academy and under-23 set-up at Benwell will be revamped in the summer.
He also wants more control over the transfer pot and more clarity on how much there is to spend as opposed to muddling through each window.
As we reach the three-year milestone for Benitez in the managerial hotseat, fans clearly want more – and so does he.
His fate now lies in the hands of Ashley and Charnley and whether they can match the vision of a man who has won trophies everywhere he has been. Rafa Benitez
This should be a wake-up call for everyone. Our fans are very clever. They know what is going on