Benitez takes over at Newcastle

Rafael Benitez is back in English football after Newcastle United moved quickly in replacing Steve McClaren, who was relieved of his duties on Friday Morning.

The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss now has the short term goal of keeping his new side in the Premier League, having signed a three year contract on Tyneside.

The Spaniard who had been out of work since January following his dismissal from the Santiago Bernabeu, is thought to have an ‘opt out’ clause in his contract should Newcastle get relegated at the end of this campaign.

With McClaren receiving the boot after a run of just four wins in fifteen games, the news of his departure will have certainly come as a relief to many supporters. Benitez certainly has the pedigree to succeed at the North East club having claimed twelve trophies in his managerial career, including two La Liga titles with Valencia, as well as famously winning the Champions League with Liverpool back in 2005. For McClaren however, the former England manager now faces a huge battle to salvage his reputation following this dismal period.

The likes of Jose Mourinho, Brendan Rogers and Tim Sherwood have all found themselves out of work during this season as a result of disappointing results, however with just under a quarter of the campaign remaining, such decisions are certainly not a guarantee for success.

Football manager betting is the newest craze in 2016, and with numerous clubs under pressure to deliver results in remaining fixtures, not least of all Manchester United, Betway currently have Jose Mourinho as the firm favourite to take over at Old Trafford, should Louis Van Gaal not see out the remainder of his contract.

Benitez has chosen to completely refresh the clubs coaching set up, bringing in his own team to replace outgoing members. With Newcastle in severe trouble at the wrong end of the table, the Spaniard certainly has his work cut out with Newcastle managing just six wins all season.

It will be a new experience for Benitez, who is used to battling it out for honours at the top of the game, and the Newcastle faithful will be hoping a change in manager will bring an upturn in fortunes on the field. North East rivals Sunderland have seen an improvement in performances since the arrival of Sam Allardyce earlier this season, and Newcastle will be hopeful of earning a similar fate.