Sam Allardyce suggests Rafa Benitez and Newcastle should lower season’s expectations

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Sam Allardyce has suggested that Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United should be realistic about their ambitions for the season.

Sam Allardyce has told The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT (broadcast 7th August 2017; 8:44 am) that Rafa Benitez and the Newcastle supporters should perhaps adjust their expectations rather than become frustrated with the board, and should be content with staying up this season.

The optimism surrounding St James’ Park following their promotion to the Premier League last season seemed to evaporate fairly quickly, with no marquee signings made during the window.

Benitez admitted to being frustrated back in August – as reported by the Daily Mail – and that frustration appeared to be vindicated by their mixed start to the season.

The Magpies currently sit 14th in the table, having won one and lost two of their opening three games. And while some fans appear to be as frustrated with the hierarchy as Benitez may well be, former Newcastle boss Allardyce has suggested that they need to be more realistic.

“He’s [Owner Mike Ashley] openly said that he’s given Rafa all the money he could possibly give him that’s generated by Newcastle United, so I don’t think he can ask for anything more than that. But it’s how you spend that money and who you spend it on,” he told talkSPORT.

“As much as the fans would want them to, they can’t compete against Manchester United or Manchester City or Arsenal or Chelsea or perhaps now even Everton and Liverpool.

“It’s just financially, they can’t get there so you have to do the best you can with what you’ve got. Newcastle should be happy to finish in the Premier League for next season and then build from there.”

If Ashley has provided Benitez with all the funds possible as Allardyce suggests, then it is difficult to disagree that the expectations need to be lowered somewhat.

But there will undoubtedly be some who will be urging the Magpies board to not leave their manager too frustrated as a boss of Benitez’s calibre could surely attract offers from other clubs, and may perhaps find them difficult to turn down if he feels that the ceiling at Newcastle is just too low.