Many Newcastle fans have reacted angrily on Twitter after Jim White and Danny Murphy laid blame at Rafa Benitez’s door after their latest loss to Brighton at the weekend.
The Magpies lost 1-0 to the Seagulls to go nine games without a win to start the Premier League season, and White believes that the blame has to be attributed to Benitez and the players.
Murphy instead highlighted owner Mike Ashley’s lack of investment, but also claimed that Benitez does have to take some responsibility for their predicament after deciding to remain at the club despite a lack of backing.
The duo were speaking on Talksport on Monday, with a video of their exchange below, and some Newcastle fans were fuming on Twitter after listening.
? @JimWhite: “The blame lies with Rafa and players not Mike Ashley.”
? Danny Murphy: “It’s Ashley’s fault for not spending – it's ridiculous”
“Rafa’s hands are tied, but if he stays he will keep them up!”
Who is at fault at #NUFC? ? pic.twitter.com/esarhIJ3Xj
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 22, 2018
This is Futbol have rounded up some of the best tweets:
@JimWhite jimwhreally??? Ashley has effectively asset stripped the club and replaced high quality with low quality with the hope of finishing 17th every year and cashing in on PL money. Sad thing is fans still go and he still gets more money…..
— paul minto (@ramatapa) October 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/BrianSm95892437/status/1054336450106396673
Obviously listening to this 1 of these 2 gets it completely and understands where the blame lies and the other 1 is @JimWhite
— caldew (@c8d5c2818ccb454) October 22, 2018
The blame doesn't just sit with one person. No doubt that Ashley should be investing to push the team forward, so a large part of the blame falls at his feet. But Rafa and the players can be doing more to get results, we showed it last year. Still 100% behind Rafa though ?
— Daniel Bowden (@Danielbowden92) October 22, 2018
Please spend some time understanding the issue before spouting this utter nonsense, a quick look at the comments below will tell@you how far off the mark you are
— Patrick Dyer (@PaddyDyer85) October 22, 2018
Lol, totally the fans fault! Must be as we turn up in big numbers week in and week out despite literally all the hope sucked from the club in the last 10 years. So yes…it’s the fans and not the owner…?
— Neil D Taylor (@NDTaylor76) October 22, 2018
OPINION
These Newcastle fans are obviously not impressed by either White or Murphy, and you can see why. White’s claims that the blame lies at Benitez and the players’ door is ridiculous when you look at the lack of investment in the summer. Ashley essentially made a profit during the summer window and failed to reinvest much of the £22million they received for Aleksandar Mitrovic. His lack of backing also forced Benitez into letting Dwight Gayle join West Bromwich Albion in exchange for Salomon Rondon, with the Spaniard quite clearly wanting to keep Gayle around. Benitez may have brought in several players, but none of those players were his first choices apart from Rondon, and that is showing this season. The fact is that even the smaller teams are now spending big money, and Newcastle’s lack of market activity puts them at a huge disadvantage to their rivals. Obviously the performances on the pitch come down to Benitez and the players, but the source of the problem lies with Ashley.