Newcastle’s stupor in English football since the mid-2000s has been a sight for sore eyes. That is even the case for some rival fans, who see a trip to a packed St James’ Park in good spirit as the ultimate day out.
The spirit, however, has been apparently crushed by the ownership of Mike Ashley, who remains arguably the most hated club owner still involved in the Premier League.
Despite Ashley’s efforts to increase the number of channels by which Newcastle can make money, the club has been relegated from the Premier League twice under his ownership.
However, the development that could finally ruin Newcastle once and for all is Rafa Benitez’s departure from the club. There are multiple reasons for this occurrence, but the main one is the transfer funds – or lack thereof – that Mike Ashley has provided.
Why Benitez Left
Up until his departure, Benitez had been at Newcastle since March 2016. By then, the damage had been done by a succession of managers that were unable to make their own Tyneside project work. After overseeing a terrible winter slump in 2015/16, Benitez’ predecessor Steve McLaren spent a relatively large amount for a lower mid-table club in the January transfer window.
Given the Premier League’s infamously brutal January schedule, there was no time for integration, and the expensively-bought likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend who proved incapable of forming partnerships in the middle, alongside Henri Saivet and Georginio Wijnaldum.
McLaren’s all-in attempt to revolutionise the squad backfired, but Benitez showed his ability to man-manage and play to the strengths of new striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, while making the most of Wijnaldum’s work rate. Though Newcastle lost their fight for survival, Benitez stayed loyal and took Newcastle straight back up.
Despite lifting Newcastle out of the mire in the short-term, the transfer budgets afforded to him have been relatively underwhelming. Mike Ashley’s elongated attempts to sell the club are a real factor in this, and Newcastle’s ever-shortening relegation odds in football spread betting outrights. However, those selling attempts are but a small part of another chapter in what is a thoroughly inexplicable saga.
Culture for Disaster Runs Deep
Many Newcastle fans are amazed that Benitez has showed such a degree of patience, and did not leave sooner. This is as indicative as anything that the fans of the club no longer believe that their club belongs in the upper echelons. Such a mode of thought can only stem from years of bad decisions and mis-management.
It could be argued that the genesis of Newcastle’s post-millennial problems began in 2004, when they were pipped to fourth place by Liverpool on the final day of the 2003/04 season. This came just one year after Sir Bobby Robson had guided the Magpies to a third-place finish, and on 30 August, Robson was sacked by Freddy Shepherd.
Graeme Souness came in to replace him, and the Scot oversaw a nosedive. Mike Ashley did not enter the scene until the summer of 2007, and he had his sceptics from the outset. However, he enjoyed a brief surge in popularity during the early part of his reign, bringing back Kevin Keegan in January 2008.
Though Keegan once took Newcastle to within a hair’s breadth of the Premier League title back in 1995/96, he was unable to operate effectively under Ashley, with Dennis Wise as the Director of Football.
Keegan resigned just eight months into his second spell at Newcastle, to be replaced by Joe Kinnear, who belonged to a long-bygone era of the game. Despite having the likes of Michael Owen and Damien Duff at his disposal, Kinnear’s outdated approach to management rendered them shadows of their former selves. Ashley then appointed Alan Shearer in April 2009, but the club legend was unable to keep the Magpies up.
While Newcastle got promoted at the first attempt and then – after a reasonably steady 2010/11 campaign – finished fifth in 2012, the club has never truly recovered from that first relegation.
Who – and what – is next for Newcastle?
The announcement of Benitez’ departure prompted a flock of neutrals to back Newcastle for a third Premier League relegation, in May 2020.
With the departure of Benitez can only come player unrest. This, along with Ashley’s failure to sell the club to an owner that would not merely act in self-interest, has created a perfect storm that can only herald a season of struggle and strife.
The names of Benitez’ potential replacements have been varied and plentiful.
Red-hot favourite Steve Bruce is, of course, well-known as a Premier League veteran with the ability to improve dressing room morale. Though righting the wrongs of the Ashley era requires someone with ample experience, those who want a progressive Newcastle playing attractive football again will desire a more left-field pick.
In that respect, the likes of Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira are prominent features towards the top of the long list, with both men awaiting their first Premier League managerial bow.
With seemingly nothing for the club to lose, amidst a deluge of punters flocking to back a Newcastle relegation, now could be as good a time as any for the powers at Newcastle to try something different.