Premier League 2018/19 review: Newcastle a sleeping giant crying out for investment

After failing to win any of their opening 10 league matches, Newcastle supporters were bracing themselves for another difficult season. Rafa Benitez had just been forced to endure another summer transfer window of broken promises and missed transfer targets.

His patience was wearing thin but the Spaniard refused to walk away from the club mid-season, as he knew the potential he had in front of him. Benitez’s prospects of landing another job at an elite club are perhaps beyond him, which is why he is determined to make it work at Newcastle.

After overcoming their appalling start to the season, Newcastle finished it comfortably above the bottom three. Newcastle finished the season comfortably above the bottom three, 11 points clear of the drop zone and in 13th. In fact, if the Premier League table started in November then Newcastle would have finished eighth and only six points behind the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Newcastle are in danger of losing Benitez this summer and that would be a huge shame for their loyal supporters. The Spaniard has done a remarkable job at Newcastle under the circumstances and deserves backing.

Top rated player – Fabian Schar (7.30)

One of the players Rafa Benitez did manage to get through the door last summer was Fabian Schar, who joined from Deportivo La Coruna in a deal worth just £3m.

The Switzerland international has proved astute business, finishing the campaign as the second highest WhoScored rated centre-back in the Premier League (7.30).

Schar wasn’t an instant success at Newcastle and took a while to finally break into Benitez’s first-team plans. The 27-year-old barely featured in the first few months of the season but his introduction in November is when their season started to turn around.

Newcastle’s win ratio dropped from 50% when Schar started a Premier League match to just 6.3% when he didn’t. The Magpies remarkably only won one of the 16 league matches Schar didn’t start.

Furthermore, no defender won the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times than the Swiss centre-back in the Premier League this season (six).

Biggest Disappointment – Kenedy

After playing an important part in Newcastle’s survival in 2017/18, Newcastle understandably returned to Chelsea last summer to recruit Kenedy on a season-long loan deal.

The Brazilian winger started the campaign in the team but it quickly became apparent he was not having the same impact as the second half of last season. Kenedy only started 14 times from his 25 league appearances and returned just one goal and one assist in that time.

Benitez even reprimanded the 23-year-old for his poor form in September but things didn’t improve. It would be a huge surprise if he returned to St. James’ Park next season. Yoshinori Muto, who failed to make any impact in his first season at the club, runs him closely in this category.

Surprise Package – Salomon Rondon

The fact Aleksandr Mitrovic couldn’t get a look in under Rafa Benitez was one huge disappointment for supporters at the time. Newcastle struggled for goals badly last season, while Mitrovic was scoring for fun during a loan spell at Fulham in the Championship.

Ayoze Perez was Newcastle’s top scorer with eight goals last season and it was clear they would need to improve in front of goal this time around to have a better chance of beating the drop. Selling Mitrovic to Fulham on a permanent fee and signing Salomon Rondon on loan was particularly puzzling at the time.

However, Rondon has vindicated Benitez’s faith this season and been a revelation for the Magpies. It would be scandalous if Newcastle didn’t fork out to make his switch permanent this summer.

The 27-year-old finished the campaign with his best ever return in a Premier League season, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists. They were worth a staggering 16 points alone, which tells you everything about his worth to the club given they concluded the season 11 points above the bottom three.

Where to Improve – Back Benitez

Whether it’s Mike Ashley or prospective buyers, the people in charge of Newcastle next season need to make money available for Rafa Benitez to spend this summer.

Newcastle are one of the biggest clubs in England and beating the drop should not be their primary objective. Benitez has worked wonders with a relatively low-level Premier League squad in each of the last two seasons. Isaac Hayden, who has been courted by Championship clubs in the last 12 months, was a first choice central midfielder for Newcastle this season despite the fact he didn’t want to be there.

Newcastle are in serious danger of losing Benitez this summer and you’d fear for their chances of beating the bottom three if nothing changes for his successor.

League Position: 13th

Grade: B