10 games, then we can start to dream
Rafa’s relegation break clause is a reality check for Newcastle
HE would not admit as much, but Rafa Benitez fears the blueprint to build his Newcastle United dream could be scrapped before the foundations have even been laid.
The Spaniard sees the potential at St James’ Park – he has done since his days managing Liverpool – but he also sees the danger in that vision becoming rather blurred by the threat of relegation.
It was understandable, then, that during his first press conference yesterday, Benitez would not look beyond ‘10 games’. Indeed, he mentioned ‘10 games’ 10 times.
All the talk of Benitez snapping this sleeping giant out of its slumber would be rendered redundant should they fail to escape from the bottom three over the next two months.
It would be sickening for supporters were that to prove the case, if Benitez or the club were forced to activate the break clause in his three-year deal in the event of relegation. ‘What if?’ they would ponder should their team kick off next season outside of the top flight and without their new manager.
For while this is undoubtedly one of the boldest and most ambitious appointments in the club’s history, there is a risk that the players he inherits are not nearly as daring and determined.
For now, then, the plan for the future, which includes Benitez taking up a place on the board and gaining more control over transfers, is on hold.
The next 10 games are the pilot episodes of what promises to be a blockbuster football series – the Toon Army can only hope Rafa’s show is finally commissioned.
Asked if he was scared of relegation and the premature expiry on his Tyneside tenure, Benitez said: ‘Scared is not the word.
‘I know this is a difficult situation but believe me, I’ve done the maths, it is positive. After watching some games the team is good, so why not? We can do it.
‘After that the future is brilliant because you have the power, the fans, the stadium and very positive things. You have the squad.
‘You have to adapt a little bit but there is great potential, so it is very important to concentrate on these 10 games.’
And there they were again – 10 games. He is right, of course, there is no use in talking of the Champions League while the Championship remains a sobering reality.
When Steve McClaren was installed last June, the club declared that the top eight was their target and that the new head coach would be rewarded with an eight-year contract for returning such success.
Nine months later and they are second from bottom, a points tally of 24 their worst after 28 games in Premier League history.
In his last 10 matches at Real Madrid – before his dismissal in January – Benitez collected 19 points and might yet need something approaching that total to salvage Newcastle’s desperate campaign.
That starts with a trip to league leaders Leicester City tomorrow. So can he make an impact on the team in just 72 hours?
‘Maybe it is too early, I don’t know if we can do it against Leicester because they are doing really well,’ he said.
‘But I have watched the team in these two training sessions and everybody is trying to do their best, it’s very clear.
‘You have to talk with them, they have to believe in what you say and, after, they have to follow you.’
The last man to arrive on a mercy mission at Gallowgate was Alan Shearer exactly seven years ago.
He could not save the club during an eight-game run-in, but that did not stop Benitez tapping into Shearer’s knowledge just hours after his appointment on Friday.
‘I’ve spoken to some legends here, Peter Beardsley is one of them and Alan Shearer – they know the city and the fans, the passion,’ Benitez continued.
‘They know this is a massive club and, if you do things in the right way and you can stay in the Premier League, you can build and try to be a hero for the city, if we can achieve something.’
It was then that Benitez allowed himself to dream of the ‘hero’ – as Shearer and Beardsley put it – that he could become. Newcastle, it seems, is a job he has long since cov- eted. ‘When I was in Liverpool, I always spoke about Newcastle being a massive club with a great passion for football and great fans. We can see this,’ said the 55-year-old.
‘After, when I went abroad, I was always thinking of Newcastle as one of the good options.
‘When this came around, the first thing I did was to analyse the squad and talk to people about the players and the club.
‘I have a lot of expectations as to what we can do. I think we will be at the top, I don’t know how far “at the top”, but the main thing for now is to concentrate on these 10 games, then see what happens.’
Benitez and everyone associated with Newcastle United can only hope that the next 10 games are his first – and not his last.