Alan Shearer has questioned Mike Ashley once again following his latest comments, suggesting it’s a ‘load of rubbish’ that Benitez will get ‘every penny’ generated by the club after his lies this time last year – fearing Rafa could end up walking as a result.
Ashley’s statements in May 2017 and May 2018 were in response to two different achievements (promotion and staying up), but they both included the line that Rafa Benitez would be handed ‘every penny’ generated by the club in the upcoming transfer window.
As we know, Rafa spent just over £40m last summer, bringing in several bargain basement buys way down his wish-list, also missing out on several deals he felt he had tied up.
Rafa clearly needs to see more ambition from the club this time around and will have been demanding certain assurances heading into this summer’s window – but Shearer has the same old worries about Mike Ashley heading into next season.
Here’s what he’s said
“Why would Mike suddenly say ‘I’ll give you so much money?’ He said it last season – ‘you can have every single penny the club generates, you can have to spend.”
“”But that was a load of rubbish and didn’t happen.”
“I think Rafa has made him four or five million in the transfer market net in the time he’s been here which has been incredible.”
“Michael Owen is still our highest transfer, which when you look around at Brighton, Bournemouth, Huddersfield and all these other football clubs which have been in the Championship, and come back up.”
“We get 52,000 here every single week, one of the best-supported teams around, then yes, he will have the same issues next season if he decides to stay here.”
“No one can blame him if he turned around to Newcastle fans and said ‘I can’t put up with this anymore’. We’ll probably say, ‘You know what, we don’t blame him’.”
“He needs backing. He needs assurances.”
“Hopefully he’ll get that because he has done an incredible job this year with what I believe is very limited resources.”
“Rafa has done a magnificent job in very very difficult circumstances.”
Things appear to be on the up after news that Benitez will stay at least another season, as well the Dubravka signing being confirmed, however it’s still hard to disagree with Alan hear.
As far as Ashley is concerned, he’s got a lot to prove this summer if we’re going to believe ‘every penny’ will come Rafa’s way this time around.
