I don’t Adam and Eve such a Hammer blow could hit Toon

... BUT ASHLEY MUST PLAY BALL WITH BOSS BENITEZ

I ASK you, why on God’s earth would Rafa Benitez want to swap an ongoing building process at Newcastle United to shoot off to West Ham?

For a start Newcastle are the bigger club and Rafa is adored by 50,000 Geordies who pile into St James’ Park on match day to pay homage.

I know a few will gulp on their pint in the east end of London, but this United carries true historic tradition and stature and can actually overtake West Ham in the Premier League pecking order as early as next season.

Rafa has already established his doctrine within SJP, he has the club and the team going in his direction, and he enjoys the sort of terrace support most managers would die for but can only dream of achieving. Ask Alan Pardew, Steve McClaren and Sam Allardyce.

Oh, I know Benitez almost joined the Hammers before zipping off to Real Madrid at the 11th hour and that West Ham are London-based with a spanking new, large ground.

So what? The London Stadium has debatable atmosphere, built as it was with other sports in mind and, most importantly, Rafa loves the Geordie outlook and passion for football, comparing it to Liverpool’s fanaticism as a city. Newcastle, too, is much nearer to his Wirral home than the Smoke.

The only person who could force Rafa into the arms of another is Mike Ashley, and he seems to have realised the danger of restrictions by tempering his hard-line approach to player recruitment. Ashley infuriated Benitez during the January transfer window by refusing to sanction a single signing and in doing so publicly humiliated a proud Spaniard who had been so confident of Andros Townsend’s return that he trumpeted it repeatedly in public, something he rarely ever does.

Lee Charnley, peacemaker and middle man, has wooed Benitez back onside and even the appearance of chief scout Graham Carr at transfer meetings hasn’t deterred United’s boss who admittedly would prefer to be working without Carr’s occasional obstacles.

As long as Ashley provides the funds encouraged by a jackpot of around £100m which awaits United in the PL and Rafa is not repeatedly thwarted on the personnel he wants then all ought to be fine.

Of course there are dangers of which all should remain aware – United somehow failing to win promotion (it won’t happen), Ashley reverting to nature, and a top-four club coming in for his services with Champions League football on tap.

West Ham don’t fit that bill. They are not Arsenal, who might have gone for Benitez but who now appear to be getting into bed again with Arsene Wenger.

Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs don’t require a manager and Barcelona are unlikely to call for the onetime boss of their bitter rivals Real. Nor are Bayern Munich preparing to change stewardship.

So the Toon Army can relax and do what they do best . . . roar United towards the promised land.

PS: Alan Pardew, that great rewriter of history, has spouted off once again about his fruitful time at Newcastle built upon, among other things, great loyalty to his players.

No doubt Jonas Gutierrez will be nodding in enthusiastic agreement from across the waters!