Shay Given describes Newcastle as a mess; fears Rafa Benitez could leave

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Shay Given is fearful that not everything is right at Newcastle United right now.

Shay Given has told The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT (broadcast on August 15th 2017; 8:20 am) that it appears that Newcastle are a mess right now, and he fears that Rafa Benitez may be tempted to leave St James’ Park if things do not change.

It has been a frustrating summer for the Magpies with no real marquee names brought in during the transfer window following their promotion back to the Premier League.

And a large majority of the remaining remnants of optimism were drained by the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on the opening day of the new campaign.

Former Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton recently told talkSPORT that he expects Benitez to leave before the campaign ends, and Given suggested that his former teammate may not be too wide of the mark.

“Looking from the outside, it looks like they’re in a bit of a mess if I’m being honest,” he told The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT.

“Mike Ashley doesn’t do interviews, he’s come out this weekend and done a massive interview. Rafa, every time he does a press conference, he says he’s not happy with the club, they’re not backing him, they’re not getting the finances he needs – it doesn’t bode well for a happy ending if you ask me.

“Joey might be right, Rafa could walk out, at the minute, Rafa’s stock’s high, he’s got them back in the Premier League, they’re a club on the up hopefully, and if a big club comes sniffing for Rafa, then he might think, ‘well Newcastle haven’t backed me, they promised me at the end of last season they would back me, so what are my options?’.”

Given Benitez’s track record and potential pulling power in the transfer market, it would surely be a major blow to Newcastle’s chances of survival if he decided that he was unable to continue in the role.

And with several of Benitez’s summer signings impressing against Spurs, there is surely no excuse for the club to not throw all of their support behind the Spaniard and trust him to spend what money there is wisely on the players who he feels will keep the Magpies at the top table.