Newcastle fans need to prepare for these eventualties

Newcastle United fans are subject to a lot of anticipation. The fans have been waiting for news on a potential sale of the club, as well as news on the transfer of Miguel Almiron (despite news that the club has pulled out of the race to sign the player due to the rumored fee). Needless to say, these are big things to be looking forward to.

The club is also waiting for news on manager Rafa Benitez’s future. Well I hate to break it to you guys, but here are three eventualities fans to be prepared for.

Rafa Benitez is leaving

Without a shadow of a doubt, Rafa Benitez will not be with the club come next season. Whether that season is in the Championship or the Premier League, Rafa Benitez will not be there to save the day. With the struggles of transfer windows, backroom politics, and an apathetic owner with no end in sight to his era, Rafa has no interest in remaining in a toxic environment.

Newcastle fans have also caught themselves in a bind. Whether they continue supporting Rafa or actively push for his departure due to the football being played is a question being thrown around the forums. But it won’t matter at the end of the season because, get this, he won’t be here.

Fans have to accept that Rafa is fed up with the situation and will only play out until the end of his contract. It’s likely he’ll make the move to another Premier League team. Potentially Manchester United, if Ole Gunnar doesn’t get it first.

The club won’t be sold until the summer (and that’s being hopeful)

Mike Ashley has a tendency to snatch defeat from the claws of victory. He won’t sell Newcastle United for anything less than the price he’s slapped on it. Not mention, he wants to maintain an advertising presence at the club, and while the deal sounds as if he’d be paying for it, there’s probably other details that we aren’t actually aware of that turn off potential buyers greatly.

Fans need to prepare that this transfer window will be one of MIke Ashley stating that because he’s close to a sale, he won’t make any really large purchases. It’s more of the same.

And the statement that it could be sold by the summer is a hopeful one at best. None of the potential buyers have reached Mike Ashley’s asking price (although their willingness to pay it is). It all comes down to when these parties will reach the asking price, if ever. And until then, Mike Ashley will continue using a potential sale as a deflective technique to avoid having to spend any real money in the transfer window.

Get over Almiron, it ain’t happening

Don’t @ me, either. I liked the idea of signing Almiron because I truly believe that the player has potential. He had a great run in Major League Soccer, but that’s it. He hasn’t shone as a star in international matches, and he’s coming from a league where we can’t yet truly gauage the level of talent leaving it. He would have been an experiment, and a very expensive one at that.

I think he would have been fine for Newcastle United, but only with a manager that can get the best out of him, and under Rafa, a lot of times players either sink or swim. If he didn’t succeed right off the bat, it’s unlikely the investment would have seen any immediate return.