OPINION
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez fears he will be sacked before the end of the season with owner Mike Ashley seeking to avoid a fan revolt, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper report that Benitez believes Ashley may sack him before he inevitably walks away in the summer, bringing in a replacement immediately to save him from a ‘monstering’ by the Toon Army.
The Mirror claim that the Spaniard has been unsettled by rumours linking several managers to his post at St. James’ Park, with Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers the latest name touted in the press.
It is said that Ashley would be looking to ward off fan anger by sacking Benitez and bringing in a replacement, but it is pretty clear that the opposite would happen.
The Newcastle faithful are fully behind Benitez, and there would be carnage if the Spaniard was cut loose before the end of the season.
Yes, it is likely that he will walk away when his contract ends at the conclusion of the campaign, but there are very few Newcastle fans who would blame him for doing so.
They are all very aware of the restraints that Ashley has placed upon him during his time at the club, and they would not begrudge his exit.
They would however begrudge his sacking, with that being further evidence of Ashley’s failure to back Benitez, and he would likely face a full-scale fan revolt should that happen.
Importantly, Benitez is the right man to lead Newcastle to safety, and changing personnel midway through the season is not conducive to avoiding relegation.
Ashley would be pressing the self-destruct button at Newcastle should he take this comical course of action – it is a move which makes little sense in either footballing or business terms.