OPINION
Newcastle United fans don’t want much really.
A decent signing every now and again, an owner who doesn’t take them for granted, and perhaps most pressingly, Rafa Benitez to sign a new contract.
The Spaniard has been a revelation on Tyneside, and with incredibly limited resources, has managed to turn the Magpies into a side that can realistically begin to look up, rather than down, the Premier League table.
Concerns still remain, however, because he has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal with the club, despite his contract coming to an end at the end of the season.
The issue is undoubtedly complicated by the fact that Benitez is such a desirable manager. This is a man who has coached at the very, very top level, and who has now proven that he can operate under some pretty tight restrictions too.
In other words, he can do just about anything, and that makes him a big prize.
It is perhaps no surprise, therefore, that he has been linked with the top job at Celtic, as reported by the Daily Record.
The Hoops are on the hunt for a new permanent boss, and with Benitez potentially about to become available, it is understandable that he has been linked.
But Steve Nicol has argued that he would be the wrong man for the job.
Speaking on ESPN FC, he said: “I don’t really see how Rafa Benitez would be the right choice.
“Rafa’s a guy whose team play more on the counter. Celtic, for as long as I can remember, have been the team, on the front foot.
“So I don’t think Rafa is the choice.”
Nicol raises a very valid point, and one that will fill Toon fans with delight.
Hopefully, the Celtic board see it that way too.