Get the latest NUFC transfer and takeover news straight to your inbox for FREE by signing up to our newsletter Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Graeme Souness believes Rafa Benitez could quit Newcastle United if his transfer demands are not met.

And the ex-Newcastle boss has also once again claimed that the passion and pressure of the Toon fans can be detrimental to the football club.

It’s not the first time that Souness has made the claims about the Newcastle support, with the Sky Sports pundit heavily criticised in the past by Magpies fans.

Souness spent less than two seasons at St James’ Park in a largely unsuccessful period as manager before being sacked in 2006.

Despite spending around £50million on transfers during his period on Tyneside, Souness only managed a 14th place finish in his first season in charge before being sacked in February 2006 with Newcastle 15th and slipping dangerously towards the relegation zone.

Injuries did not help, but Alan Shearer admitted after his departure that supporters never took to Souness, while other players spoke of unrest on the training ground.

Souness was a guest on Alan Brazil’s TalkSport breakfast show this morning where he discussed Newcastle’s poor start to the season.

On the expectations at the club, he said: “I think for all three clubs coming up it’s going to be very difficult to stay in that league.

“For Newcastle the expectation level is enormous up there, I think.

“And Rafa, too, expects to get more and better players in but that’s not happened for him. Mike Ashley has said he can have every penny that is generated.

“But I’ve been up there at Newcastle and it’s a very hard place to perform when things are not going well. They are so passionate that you are only ever a couple of games away from the roof caving in.

“They really want their team to do well, but sometimes that passion can show itself in a detrimental way, and that’s what I found up there.

“50,000 people turn up every week to be entertained and see their team winning and, as I say, when it doesn’t happen it’s a difficult place.”

Newcastle’s return to the Premier League has not been a good one.

Both the players and Rafa Benitez insist they’re working hard and still believe in what they are doing, but the Magpies have lost both of their opening games while failing to score.

Rather unhelpfully, on the pitch matters have been disrupted by reports of unrest for the manager off it, due to the lack of transfer activity at the club.

Benitez insisted yesterday that he understood the situation and said he would still be at the club beyond the transfer window.

However, Souness says he’s not convinced.

“Yeah, definitely (he could quit). Obviously he is not happy,” Souness said of the Spaniard.

“It is hard to speculate because you weren’t party to the conversations that took place, but it would appear that he expected to get more and better players in. It has not happened and that will frustrate him greatly.

“He has had some big jobs in the past, he has worked with some fabulous players, and he knows with the players he is working with right now that it will be a real big job to keep them in the Premier League this season.”