As Newcastle United said goodbye to the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur there were no tears. The club’s fans had accepted their fate, one that was handed to them by fierce rivals Sunderland.

In truth, many on Tyneside believed their relegation was secured long before the final weeks of the season. Granted a moment of optimism when Rafa Benitez replaced Steve McClaren, the Spaniard could not overcome the poor position McClaren had left the club in. With fans often divided over which of the club’s current issues was most concerning, one thing was agreed upon - Benitez had to stay.

During previous periods of unrest, songs berating Ashley have taken centre stage. Deemed an unfit custodian for a proud football club, banners have depicted him as a clown and demanded his departure. However, on Sunday, things changed. It was instead Benitez who the songs were about, begging him to stay. Clearly moved by the out-pouring of emotion, the fans had tapped into the sentimental side of the Spaniard, tugging at his heart strings, “The atmosphere was fantastic,” he said afterwards. “I said before I was flattered with the fans and everything here. The players, they were working harder.”

Questions over Benitez’s future arose as soon as the final whistle sounded on Sunday against Spurs. The former Liverpool boss had inserted a break clause in his contract which allowed him to leave if the club were relegated. With his departure seeming a formality, things have since changed. Reports this week have suggested Benitez has been convinced by the offer of full control - something he has desired at previous clubs, but not been afforded.

Yet even with positive reports, Newcastle fans are not celebrating. While they agree Benitez remaining manager would be a fantastic boost for their Championship campaign, they are yet to believe Mike Ashley has changed his ways, “The owner has had quite a lot of years of making a lot of mistakes,” former Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan told BBC Sport recently. “They are going to have to go down and regroup. That’s not going to be easy.You have to look at Mike Ashley and say he hasn’t handled the decision-making very well or he’s given the responsibility to people, and they haven’t handled it very well. You make mistakes in football and you get punished, especially in the Premier League now.”

Elsewhere, former Newcastle forward Alan Shearer tells a story that parallels the situation Benitez finds himself in. After seeing the Magpies relegated under his tenure in 2009, he agreed to remain, outlining budgets, targets, and the other finer details, “My contract was all agreed and we’d shook hands on it with Mike Ashley,” Shearer said at a dinner in September 2010. “I’ve never spoken to him since that day.”

Despite the fact Benitez has a greater managerial pedigree than Shearer, fans remain skeptical over whether Ashley will have changed. The club’s extensive summer spending represented a departure from previous seasons, but in allowing Steve McClaren to remain as manager until March, he showed his unwillingness to accept when a mistake has been made.

Ashley has also consistently undervalued the role of the manager and seen his club relegated twice because of it. Allowing McClaren the chance to manage the club, he put finances over pedigree. The former Derby County boss had previously turned the Magpies down, and with his record in management somewhat questionable, it made little sense to hand him a promotion to the top flight. Given that the club also looked so poor under his tenure, Ashley was naive to hand McClaren so long to try and turn it around. Had he instead hired Benitez in January the club may now be enjoying the benefit of the Premier League’s TV deal.

Instead they are preparing for life in the Championship. Their second spell there under Ashley’s tenure, the Sports Direct owner now has a major opportunity to secure the club’s future. Hiring Benitez, and handing him full control will not only provide Newcastle with a detailed plan at the club, but also generate some much needed positive PR.

Reportedly promising the Spaniard there will be no fire sale of players, it is an important first step in turning the club around, as is dispensing with chief scout Graham Carr. The de facto talent evaluator at Newcastle, Carr’s strong ties to the French market have forced the club down a narrow alleyway of potential players, with his pursuit of Florian Thauvin an example of why things must change. Costing the club a sizable amount from Olympique Marseille, there was little to suggest he could ever deliver on that fee. Unsurprisingly he was loaned back to the French club in January, his future at present looking unclear.

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