17:13 Jim Boardman

What Newcastle fans can expect from Benitez

The first thing that sprang to mind when I heard Rafa Benitez was seriously being linked with the Newcastle job was that it was going to be strange seeing ‘our Rafa’ as a Toon idol.

Then, as someone else pointed out to me, it’s about time he got a job at a club where he will actually be appreciated.

I have only seen a small amount of reaction from Newcastle fans but what I have seen has been more than positive. If he does get welcomed with open arms by the St James’s Park faithful he won’t be the first former Liverpool man to get a hero’s welcome.

What happens after that remains to be seen... will he be the idol Kevin Keegan was when he arrived as a player or is he going to be more of a Michael Owen?

If loyalty has anything to do with it he’ll be more like the former.

Rafa does not end contracts early himself: in his eyes, if he has agreed to do a job for a certain length of time he will do it.

He will inevitably be linked to ‘bigger’ clubs as long as he is the manager of Newcastle but it would be a surprise if he left of his own accord.

More here.