4 things we learned: Liverpool can’t close, Benitez in trouble

Rafa Benitez’s job security hits a low point

Newcastle were victims of a 3-0 thrashing from visiting Watford on Saturday. Rafa Benitez’s team have lost four games in a row, managing to score only one goal during this horrendous spell. Newcastle are now in 14th place, on the edge of the relegation zone, four points clear of 18th-place West Ham.

This is by no means a great spot to be in. However, when you consider the limited investments the current ownership has made into the club, it’s understandable and somewhat remarkable the Magpies are not lower in the table, especially when you consider the investments that teams currently below them in the standings, such as Everton and West Ham, have made.

By all accounts, Benitez enjoys the support of the Magpies fanbase after having got the club promoted last season, and exceeding expectations in the early part of the Premier League season. The issue facing Benitez is that in the Club Management 101 textbook, firing the manager is the recommended solution during losing streaks and other “crises.”

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Newcastle don’t look uninspired or lacking in spirit. These are important factors for a decision maker who holds Benitez’s fate in his purview. The real issue is the talent level of the club is more fitting of a Championship team than a Premier League one. Whether owner Mike Ashley is willing to address the quality of the club’s roster in the January window or whether he’ll make Benitez his latest scapegoat is a question that’s starting to loom large on Tyneside.