Former Sunderland player Michael Gray went on a rant about the current situation at Newcastle United and heavily criticised manager Rafa Benitez in the process.
The 44-year-old said he’d get criticised for whatever he said about the Magpies but carried on explaining why he was sick of hearing what Benitez had to say.
Gray revealed that he was confident that Benitez would exit when his Magpies contract expired in 2019 as he couldn’t come up with a reason why he would stay.
“Well if i’m brutally honest whatever I will say about Newcastle I will get criticised anyway but I’m bored, bored of hearing all these things that are coming out about Newcastle whether it’s on the field or off the field, I’m sure the Newcastle supporters are exactly the same,” said the former Sunderland player on talkSPORT (Wednesday January 23rd, 16:12).
“They probably get to a transfer window and go on alright let’s rub our hands together we’re gonna see some new faces and get ourselves mid-table, owner is gonna leave, gonna get a new chairman and Rafa will be saying it’ll be a miracle if we stay in the Premier League.
“And this just adds to the list, he’s after a couple of players that we both probably agree that they’re not going to get, and he has stuck with the players who should be good enough to stay in the Premier League.
“Rafa’s contract ends at the end of the season and I’m sure I’m right about that, he has not been backed in any transfer window if this chairman is still involved in any capacity, so Benitez gets his pay-off at end of the season and it’s a thank you very much, packed his bags and he’s off.
“Why would he stick around? He has done what he has had to do at that club, got relegated, got back up, spent a huge amount of money on getting them back up, gets them in the Premier League, finish 10th last season, why they can’t finish 10th again? It’s the same squad of players and they brought Rondon in, Newcastle when I’ve seen them on their day are a decent team, I’m not saying they’re fantastic because they’re not, they are a million miles away from that.
“But it’s excuse after excuse and I for one am getting sick of hearing what Benitez has to say and the chairman doesn’t come out anyway with anything, he doesn’t need to.”
OPINION
Once Gray started ranting about Newcastle United, he just couldn’t stop. The retired player was always going to anger fans with his opinion due to his connection to Sunderland but the level of which he went in on Benitez, will no doubt have Magpies supporters fuming. Gray showed no sympathy over Benitez’s situation and didn’t seem to respect how impressive it was that he managed to guide his side to a top-half finish in the Premier League last season. It was an amazing feat that the Spanish manager achieved that task, as to be honest the Magpies’ squad on paper didn’t look capable of finishing 10th last season. Therefore he is completely wrong to suggest they should be finishing in a similar position this season after Mike Ashley has not invested in the team. While he’s probably right to claim Magpies fans are sick of transfer stories that never happen, and worries about Benitez’s future emerging from the club, but he has directed his anger at the wrong person as clearly Ashley plays a big part in the club frustratingly not making progress.