LASCELLES: KEEP RAFA
Toon skipper insists tying down Benitez to a new deal is vital to Newcastle’s future success
JAMAAL LASCELLES has urged Newcastle to do everything in their power to make sure Rafa Benitez stays on Tyneside.
The Toon skipper says the club has become “stable”, “organised” and ready to build under their Spanish boss. Newcastle host Huddersfield on Saturday, where a win would be a giant step towards safety. And once top-flight status has been secured, Benitez’s plans will be discussed. The Magpies have performed poorly in the past three transfer windows, with Benitez’s recruitment hopes largely frustrated. Lascelles said: “I think it’s important the club does everything to keep him happy and holds on to him for as long as possible. “For a while now the best thing this club has done is bring the manager in, Rafa. “Since he has been here things have been on the up. He has brought the club and the city together. “It’s important the owner, or whatever owner is here, keeps him happy and holds on to him for as long as possible. “He’s an excellent manager, he’s won trophies, worked in many different leagues and knows what it takes to be successful. It has only been positive since he arrived. “It’s just his name. Even before he arrived, when we found out he had got the job, we couldn’t wait to work with him. We wanted to impress him from the first week. You want to do well for him because he commands that respect.” The defender admits talk of a takeover mid-season was a distraction. Financier Amanda Staveley turned up at a match and a three-month saga ended with a failed bid. He added: “It helps that the stuff with the owner and the takeover has died down. Whether it was going to happen or it wasn’t going to happen, it’s less to think about as a player. “We now know we’re in a stable environment at a stable club. You might not really think about it much, but it probably will have an effect on some individuals.” Newcastle’s squad has often been labelled a Championship outfit by pundits, but Lascelles disagrees. He added: “We’re obviously not a Championship team. Anyone who has seen us knows we’ve competed against the best and have won some important games against teams who have been in the Premier League for a long time. “It doesn’t bother me. They can say what they like. There are teams spending whole heaps of money who aren’t doing very well. “For some of the players it’s probably not nice to hear. We are not far off being a mid-table Premier League team.” Lascelles missed out on the recent England squad despite good form. He added: “I was disappointed when I found out. But it’s not the end of the world. “Gareth Southgate obviously likes what he likes, he’s gone with different centre-halves and that’s up to him. “I’ll just focus on Newcastle. If anything it will motivate me more to kick on with Newcastle and maybe prove him wrong.”