According to a recent twitter post by renowned French journalist Manu Lonjon, as has been quoted by the Daily Star, Premier League outfit Newcastle United are said to be keen on roping in former head coach Rafa Benitez to take over the reins from Steve Bruce next season. The tweet suggests that the Magpies have offered the Spaniard the manager’s role and that he would have extensive powers within the club. Moreover, the former Liverpool head coach is likely to be allowed to appoint his own Sports Director as well.
Newcastle United are said to be on the verge of a financial takeover by a group fronted by British financier Amanda Staveley and supported by property moguls – the Reuben brothers and the Saudi Arabia People’s Investment Fund, headed of course by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. With a fee in the region of £300m being suggested, it’s perhaps not surprising to see Mike Ashley finally selling the club.
What Has Steve Bruce Achieved Since Arriving At Newcastle?
The lifelong Newcastle United fan took over from Rafa Benitez at the end of last season, after the Spaniard guided them away from relegation despite facing a fairly tough league season. One of the few things that Bruce has done right is that he has collected more points for the team than Rafa had done until the same point last term.
But, the fact that the Magpies seemed to have much more tactical flexibility and awareness under the former Chelsea head coach is sure to come as a motivating factor. With a win percentage of less than 30, it’s understandable that the new owners could call for an immediate change.
What Will Rafa Benitez Bring To St. James Park?
The former Liverpool head coach did far from a poor job in his last stint as the Newcastle manager, despite getting criticised for apparently playing ‘negative football’. Despite all this, the fact remains that Benitez has the experience and tactical know-how required to guide the Toon boat in the right direction. The Dalian Yifang manager prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation which he alters to his discretion, while he has even got a habit of playing big names out of position just to get them to fit into the fabric of the team he’s trying to create.
Moreover, Benitez is widely renowned for his tactical prowess and acumen, wherein he often sets his teams up to directly attack the weaknesses of the opposition. The man from Madrid is also a strong employer of zonal marking, which hasn’t always gone down well with Premier League fans. The former Real Madrid coach managed the Magpies for just under 150 appearances – a period during which they lost only 31 times and notched up an impressive win percentage of around 43 percent. Adept at setting teams up to frustrate, hiring Benitez again could be a step in the right direction by Newcastle.
Should The New Owners Look To Get This Done?
For a manager who’s a veteran of more than 200 Premier League matches, Steve Bruce’s win record is far from being the greatest. On the other hand, Benitez has even had the experience of winning the Champions League a few years ago, meaning that he’s obviously a different breed of manager to Bruce. There’s no denying that some of the football they’ve produced at Tyneside this season has been impressive, but with aspirations as big as previously discussed, it could be the right decision to go for the safer and more reputable head of Rafa Benitez next season.
