Newcastle Have To Back Rafa Benitez – Steve Harper

Former Newcastle ‘keeper Steve Harper has urged the club to back manager Rafael Benitez to keep him at St James’ Park.

Steve Harper is hoping whoever is in charge, Rafa Benitez will be handed the funds he will need to take Newcastle forward.

He said: “If they finish 10th, that’s an incredible achievement and he needs to be backed, because if he is backed, the players he has brought in – the likes of Kenedy, [Martin] Dubravka – they’ve shown the quality and level that he wants to work with.



“If he is backed, hopefully they can move up the table year on year. It’s a big ask – he’s not going to get the amount of money to break into the top six, that’s a big, big ask.

“But if he is backed to the tune of, I don’t know, £50m, £100m – I don’t know what players are now – then I certainly think they are capable of moving up a couple of places in the table.

“He gets it, he gets the club and he’s won the fans over. He has their respect and hopefully he’ll be backed.

“Having spent 20 years here, you know what can be around the corner, but God forbid that happens because it doesn’t bear thinking about if he was to leave the football club.