Can Rafa Benitez turn Newcastle into a top-six side after securing Premier League football? It will take a lot of spending, but they can do it
Football Whispers considers if Spaniard can get Magpies back among the big boys next season
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NEWCASTLE UNITED made an immediate return to the Premier League in 2016/17, winning the Championship after finishing one point clear of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Now, the challenge will be to not only stay in the top tier but thrive there.
Manager Rafa Benitez will be tasked not simply with guaranteeing safety or the comfort of mid-table, but with leading the charge back into Europe, where many fans – and neutrals – feel the club belongs.
Our friends at took a look at just how difficult it will be for Newcastle to achieve a top six finish upon their return to the Premier League.
Why Newcastle can become a top six team
Newcastle have only finished in the top six on eight occasions since the Premier League era began, with their highest position being second place, which they achieved in both 1996 and 1997.
In addition, they haven’t won the top tier since 1927 and the last major honour they clinched was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.
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But, in spite of this relative lack of sustained top-level success, Newcastle remain one of English football’s biggest clubs for the sheer size and passion of their fan base. Indeed, in 2016/17 their average attendance for home games in the league was over 50,000.
This figure was not only the highest in the Championship by a good distance, but was also higher than all bar five Premier League clubs in the same season, beaten only by , , West Ham United, Manchester City and .
Clearly Newcastle have, both in numbers and fanaticism, one of the best support bases in the English game, meaning the groundwork is there for a top six club.
In Benitez, the club can also boast a highly experienced manager.
The Spaniard has coached at the very top level of the European game since the early 2000s, when he led Valencia to two La Liga titles.
Since then he has worked with Liverpool, , Chelsea and , managing some of the world’s finest players such as along the way.
And Benitez can call upon a squad packed with Premier League experience that has arguably improved since the club’s demotion last year.
Jonjo Shelvey has caps for England while Jack Colback has also been called up in the past. Others, such as Tim Krul, Ciaran Clark, Mohamed Diame, Christian Atsu and Aleksandar Mitrovic have also represented their respective countries.
Throw in several players who have thrived at Championship level and will be hungry to succeed in the top tier, including Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle, Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow, and Benitez has the raw materials in place to push Newcastle well into the Premier League’s top half.
Why Newcastle can’t become a top six team
Despite the presence of a strong fan base, the momentum of a positive Championship season and the experience of both their coaching and playing staff, Newcastle are simply not equipped to break into the Premier League’s top six when it comes to quality in key areas.
In central defence, central midfield and at centre-forward, the Magpies rely on players who have never truly excelled at the highest level. The idea that this will somehow change because of a successful season in the second tier is fanciful.
Added to this, there remains a large degree of uncertainty surrounding what Benitez’s budget for this summer will be. With the squad as it is, investment will be needed to improve the quality of the starting line-up. But it is unclear how much money the manager will have to spend.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes a sizeable budget is needed, telling BBC Radio 5 Live:
“I don’t think £150 million is ridiculous. When you consider there are players going for £30 million who are only just getting into Premier League teams. £30 million is nothing in the current climate – it’s nothing.
“They’re not just prices people are plucking out of the air when they say £150 million. We’ve seen Manchester United paying close to £100 million for a player. You’ve got to start to speculate to accumulate.”
However, even if Benitez was provided with such a large transfer budget, the reality is competition for a top six place would mean even a substantially reinforced Newcastle team would struggle to make it.
In 2016/17, the top six took on a traditional vibe, with , Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United taking up the places. Just below them, in their own mini-league, were Everton.
Perhaps the best combination of realism and ambition for Newcastle as they prepare for their Premier League return would be to extend that mini-league to two teams, finishing along with the Toffees just outside of the top six.