Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has claimed that it would be a “miracle” if his side managed to escape relegation from the Premier League this season.
As reported on BBC Sport, the Magpies are currently in 15th place in the league table, only five points away from the dreaded relegation zone.
Benitez is desperate to sign some more players in the January transfer window to strengthen his squad.
And with other teams around them spending a lot of money already, Benitez believes it will be a surprise if his team manage to retain their top-flight status.
He said:
We have to be realistic and understand we will be in the bottom half for the season. For me, it is almost clear and if we can be better than three teams, it will be another miracle.
It was a miracle last year. People were thinking, ‘Oh, you finished 10th…’, but with a couple fewer wins, we could have been in the bottom five, so it was a miracle.
If we do the same this year with teams spending even more money than last year, it will be a miracle.
Newcastle travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Boxing Day and even a point from that match will be a huge positive for Benitez and his players.
