Chris Waddle sends Newcastle United warning about Rafa Benitez’s future but expects him to stay

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Newcastle United suffered a home defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.

Chris Waddle has honestly stated that he thinks Rafa Benitez wants to ‘stay’ at Newcastle but warned that he doesn’t want to be in a relegation dog fight at the start of every season.

The Magpies suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon and they will still need those extra points to all but ensure their safety in England’s top-flight for another season.

At this moment in time, they are seven points clear of 18th-placed Cardiff, who occupy the final relegation spot and have a game in hand.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (07/04/2019 at 1:50 pm), Waddle offered his thoughts on Benitez’s future and whether he thinks he will be at the club next season.

“I honestly think he wants to stay here,” Waddle told BBC Radio 5 Live. “But I think he now thinks, ‘I don’t want to be in a relegation fight’. I think he has ambitions to make this club a top-six club if he gets the right budget, the right backing and the right players in. I’m sure he can get a crack at what Watford, Everton and teams around that top-six or seven are doing.

“He believes he can do that with the support he has set up. It’s all about money and who he can bring in. At the end of the season, he’ll sit down and think ‘where are we going’ – if they are going to back him, I’m sure he’ll be happy to stay.”

In recent days, Benitez has come out and stated that he is ‘waiting for an answer’ in regards to his future at the North East club with his contract due to expire at the end of the campaign, as reported by Sky Sports.

During his time at the club, the Spaniard has guided Newcastle back to the Premier League, to a top ten finish and nearly ensured their safety for another season despite being working on a small budget.

If Newcastle do lose Benitez in the summer then it would be a body blow to their plans for the future and the decision would not go down well with the St James’ Park faithful.

Following that defeat to Roy Hodgson’s side, Benitez will be hoping his team can bounce back when they take on high-flying Leicester City next Friday.