John Barnes: Rafa Benitez is doing the best he can at Newcastle

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Newcastle currently sit 11th in the Premier League table.

Former Newcastle United ace John Barnes has told the Shields Gazette that Toon manager Rafa Benitez is doing the best job he can possibly do at St. James’ Park at the moment.

Benitez’s side currently sit in eleventh place in the Premier League table, despite suffering three straight league defeats to Manchester United, Burnley and Bournemouth.

The Toon are lacking in any real kind of depth and are the subject of an impending takeover by Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners, but Benitez has still guided the Toon to a comfortable mid-table position in England’s top tier.

Barnes, 54, who played on Tyneside for two years between 1997 and 1999 claimed former Liverpool manager Benitez is doing the best job he possibly can at this moment of time, as he continues to draw the best out of his players.

“All you can ask any manager to do is maximise the potential of what he has at his disposal, and he’s certainly maximised the potential of that team,” Barnes said.

“There are Premier League teams that have got better players than them, but they work well as a team. Rafa’s galvanised them, and, with better players, he could do better. You can’t ask any manager to do better than how Rafa’s doing with the players he has.”

Fans will be desperate for Newcastle’s takeover to take place before the January transfer window comes upon us, as they are desperately in need of a striker, a winger, a central midfielder and possibly a goalkeeper.

Newcastle play host to Barnes’ first side Watford on Saturday afternoon at St. James’ Park, with Benitez likely to see the game as a winnable fixture and one the Toon can use to end their run of defeats.