OPINION
There is little doubting that Rafael Benitez is the best manager to grace the home dugout at Newcastle United since the great Sir Bobby Robson.
That is not to belittle the efforts of Glenn Roeder, Chris Hughton or Kevin Keegan – while the less said about Joe Kinnear, John Carver, Sam Allardyce and Steve McLaren, the better – but the Spaniard has shown his incredible talent for getting the very best out of each and every player out on the St James’ Park turf.
His tactics might not be popular among the pundits, being deemed too negative, but in a way you can imagine he is quite happy with that, with his approach always able to upset the apple cart no matter who comes to Tyneside.
His relationship with the fans is also excellent and it is one of the reasons why they are desperate to see him sign a new contract before his current one runs out at the end of the season.
Things are very much in the balance right now and so to hear him break the silence should have come as a relief regardless of what he says – but instead his statement will likely chill the Toon Army to the core.
Speaking of his future with a revealing statement, he spoke about the need for ambition, the need to compete against anyone and everyone and a desire to win silverware.
He told the Times: “I want to win every game, so of course I still want to win trophies.
“I don’t like to play against any manager and not have the chance to compete, that is crucial. The main thing is the players, they can make the difference. But you have to be ambitious.”
The question is how much of that can he achieve at Newcastle? The answer is uninspiring to say the least.
Without a major trophy since 1969, in the shape of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (the predecessor to the UEFA Cup and then Europa League), and with no signs of winning one any time soon, Benitez would have to work a minor miracle to secure that at St James’ Park.
The real problem though is the ambition – or rather the lack of it – from the board on Tyneside.
Mike Ashley has no desire to take this club to new heights and so while he remains, Benitez’s wishes cannot be fulfilled. With no takeover in sight, the Spaniard must head somewhere else if he wants to meet his goals.
That is a nightmare not worth thinking about for the Newcastle faithful but their has set his cards out on the table quite clearly and it is up to those in the boardroom to deliver.
Considering Ashley’s tumultuous reign over St James’ Park, there is no faith in that happening whatsoever.