CARRAGHER BACKS BENITEZ

In the last decade or so, Rafael Benitez has been at the clubs which are the title challengers in their League, but, suddenly, he finds himself in the demotion battle with Newcastle United and that’s slightly tricky for him.

It can’t be said that the 55-year old is not used to it. He would have seen such situations a lot in his early years as manager when he was managing small clubs in Spanish Football, but, he has not worked with the same mindset in the recent times.

When you are at Real Madrid or at Liverpool, you don’t think about demotion, do you? All the planning and strategies revolve around the titles, but, here you are in charge of a team which is standing at the penultimate spot in the table and what you are targeting is survival, not the title.

According to Jamie Carragher, who is somebody to have played under Benitez and was also a part of the Reds’ team which had emerged the unexpected European winners in 2005, the standard of players that Benitez is going to find at his disposal at Newcastle is not as high as the case at some of the other clubs he has worked at lately, but, if he is able to see off the remaining matches and the Magpies remain in the top tier, he can really prove to be a gem for them from the next season onwards.

In the words of Carragher, “I think from Newcastle’s point of view, they would hope the remaining matches go well and they survive in the Premiership. That’s what has to happen if Rafael has to stay. If I was one of those fans who bet on sports, I think Rafa being at United will help them avoid relegation."

“In case of demotion, he will be on his way. So, for the time being, all the future talks should be put aside and the supporters’ and everyone should only be bothered about the matches remaining.”

“If he pulls off the results and then stays, he has it in him to make Newcastle a far better team in the coming years.”