LEERYDER Rafa keeping cool in face of uncertainty
BENITEZ HAPPY TO WAIT FOR RIGHT OFFER
YOU won’t find too many managers with just one win to their name in November behaving as calmly as Rafa Benitez is at the moment.
Amid poor runs of form like this in the past, Newcastle United fans are used to seeing their manager crack under the pressure.
Down the years we’ve had Joe Kinnear turning the air blue at the training ground, Alan Pardew losing the plot in his Press conferences and blaming the media for bad results and Steve McClaren storming out of the room as the pressure intensified.
Make no mistake, Benitez does not suffer fools easily, but even when some serious questions have been asked of his management, playing style and suggestions things aren’t rosy at the training ground – the Spaniard has remained remarkably cool.
And that’s without going into the off-field politics with subjects including transfer funds, the club struggling to find a new owner despite being up for sale for 13 months and Benitez’s own contract situation with his deal now just seven months away from expiry.
It is understood the club are willing to offer Benitez a new deal and sources at United suggest that in time he will get everything he is asking for – but that could be spread over five years.
There have also been suggestions that Mike Ashley will insist Benitez signs his extension before the January window opens for business.
But after being left frustrated by previous winter trading periods, it is difficult to see Benitez accepting that scenario without some big assurances on spending money. Perhaps those will need to be written assurances too because Newcastle have failed to spend a penny on a permanent deal in either of Benitez’s previous two windows.
Other managers wouldn’t dare risk losing the chance of a longer deal at United by holding out for the precise deal. However, Benitez is waiting until the right package is on the table. His view at the moment is that signing a new deal won’t change too much at the club. After all, they can’t sign anybody until January
1 and he is working with what he has.
One thing is for certain when it comes to Benitez though – and that is he wants to stay on Tyneside for a long time. Although, he won’t sign up to that unless the deal is right and he is confident he can take Newcastle higher up the table.
United are well aware of what Benitez wants but the question mark remains firmly above the club when it comes to his future.
Some pundits have stated that Benitez has picked the players he has at his disposal at the moment and this is now: “His squad.”
But what has to be taken into consideration is that while Benitez may well have the final say on who is signed, he does not always get his first choice.
Joselu is an example that.
Benitez was eager to sign a big target man in the summer of
2017 but was told that funds would be limited and turned to Joselu as a fourth choice player. The former Stoke City man has found himself used this of season at times when there was nobody else available - due to both injuries and targets Benitez wanted but didn’t get due to fund
ing. Therefore, you can’t blame Benitez for waiting to see how things unfold with his contract. Benitez’s future is well and truly in United’s hands but the clock is ticking.
One thing is for certain when it comes to Benitez though – and that is he wants to stay on Tyneside for a long time.