Newcastle United

Crooks: Writing on the wall for Rafa

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Image for Crooks: Writing on the wall for Rafa

BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has claimed the “writing is on the wall” at Newcastle United for Rafael Benitez as the supporters start to turn.

The former Tottenham striker noted how many fans started leaving St James’ Park long before the end of Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Brighton as the Magpies continued their wretched start to the season.

Newcastle are bottom of the league with just two points from nine matches after failing to win a single game with nearly a quarter of the campaign to go.

“This could be the turning point for Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez,” Crooks the told the BBC Sport website. “When Newcastle fans start streaming out of the stadium before the end of the game, the writing is on the wall.”

OPINION

Few fanbases have been more supportive or consistently loyal than Newcastle’s during a decade that has tested their patience to the very max. Some have clearly had enough, as images of them rushing to get out of St James’ Park long before the whistle had blown on Saturday’s depressing home win to Brighton showed. Fed up of owner Mike Ashley’s caution and broken promises. Fed up of takeover talk that never amounts to anything. Fed up even of a proven Champions League-winning manager who everyone has claimed they’re lucky to have? This appears to be the tipping point. Newcastle can’t buy a win – not that miser Ashley would ever pay more than a few quid for one, anyway – and the football they play is dull and cloaked in caution. They wait for opponents to make a mistake, or ran out of puff, and then look to strike. It is reactive, negative and tedious. And it’s not producing results. The Newcastle faithful are understandably not happy.

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