Alan Shearer has once again reiterated the importance of convincing Rafa Benitez to stay at Newcastle United, suggesting that letting him leave the club would be “crazy”.
The Spaniard has yet to agree a new deal on Tyneside, despite his contract expiring at the end of the season, and Shearer has made his feelings very clear.
Speaking to the Chronicle, he said: “Rafa has done a magnificent job again this season in securing Premier League football.
“Newcastle have an excellent manager with so much experience and success who loves this area and this club so it would be crazy to allow someone of his calibre to leave.”
OPINION
Shearer is bang on the money here. He may be United’s talismanic hero, and he may be an icon of the game writ large, but first and foremost he is a Geordie, and a concerned member of the Toon Army. Why would the club allow Rafa to go? From a footballing perspective it makes no sense whatsoever, and the only thing that could prevent him from staying would be the ineptitude and stubbornness of Mike Ashley. If the controversial owner allowed either of those things to get in the way of securing the best manager the Magpies have had since Sir Bobby Robson then there would surely be riots on Tyneside. The solution is a clear one, sign him up. If Ashley can’t see that, or simply refuses to, then it will be the most blatant indicator yet that he is no fit to run this football club. Rafa must stay.