They say it is the hope which kills you and this was the case when Newcastle somehow managed to appoint Rafa Benitez - we were given hope and while Rafa is a top manager he is not a magician and could not undue the damage done by Steve McClaren.
Relegation is awful, but it has happened so NUFC need to accept it, move on, and learn from it. Keeping Rafa at the club in now paramount. We cannot change the past, but Rafa can change the future.
Losing Rafa would almost be as bad as relegation has been. I fully believe that with Rafa in charge we could be on the cusp on the best spell at the club since Sir Bobby Robson and tthankfully there seems to positive noises coming out of St James park that Rafa is set to stay and lead us back to the Premier league and onto bigger things.
Our current squad under Rafa went 6 games without defeat to end the Premier league season - this squad with a few tweaks should gain promotion at the first time of asking. Rafa will have players in mind to bring to the club, while also knowing the players he does not want, and those who he knows will want out. I have no doubt that players will stay simply to work for Rafa.
With the current first team squad I would make the following changes:
Big money sales - Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Janmatt, Krul
Heading to China - Cisse, Tiote
Release - Coloccini, Taylor, Gouffran
In terms of squad additions I would look at top championship players who also could step up to Premier league level:
Will Hughes
Lewis Dunk
Steven Caulker
Ross McCormack
Matty Philips
Also fringe players at Premier league clubs who will be hungry and have a point to prove:
Victor Moses
Dwight Gayle
Patrick Bamford
Peter Crouch
Danny Ings
I would bring Michael Carrick home - make him club captain and let him run the midfield.
