Newcastle moved one step closer to relegation from the Premier League on Saturday with a 3-1 defeat at Southampton. The Magpies are six points from the safety of 18th place in the English top-flight and look to be heading into the Championship with a whimper.
In truth the Magpies have been woeful for much of the season, but the appointment of former-Liverpool Rafa Benitez was expected to lift the clubs spirits and help the team move away from the drop zone.
The Spaniard may have wished he hadn’t taken the job now. There is no doubt he will not be with the Magpies in the Championship. Benitez looks out of his depth in the lower reaches of the Premier League.
He is accustomed to working closer to the top of the Premier League than the bottom with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea. At the bottom it takes a different skill set to be successful than it does at the bottom.
The majority of people believed that Benitez’s skills would translate to the bottom of the table, as his past record spoke for itself. However, it has not worked out for the Spaniard and Newcastle are heading for the second tier for the second time in owner Mike Ashley’s tenure.
Newcastle have been struggling to keep their heads above the relegation water for a while and it looks like they are now going to go under. The side from the north east have proven they are simply not good enough to stay in the top-flight.