NUFC fan blog: Newcastle United's new manager deserves sympathy – he will have both hands tied behind his back before he arrives

Whoever the next manager may be – writes NUFC fan Graeme Bell – they are facing an uphill battle from the start, simply because they are not Rafa Benitez.

The former Liverpool manager united a fractured fanbase, giving supporters hope.

Hope, it's such a small word but has a big meaning for Newcastle United supporters – for 12 years the club has been plunging into the abyss because of one man, Mike Ashley.

The Sports Direct tycoon has been instrumental in guiding the club to two relegations – with a hat-trick on the horizon – Ashley really has outdone himself this time.

To allow a world class manager to walk away from the club is absolutely suicidal. The one difference Newcastle had out of the sides at the bottom of the Premier League, was a world class manager.

It’s hard to see a way forward for the club without Benitez at the helm – the Spaniard was the glue that held everything together.

Benitez's successor would have to be mad to take the job while Ashley remains at the club. The new manager will not have full control over transfers, players will follow Benitez out of the club, make no mistake about that.

Not only will the new manager work with having both hands tied behind his back, he will somehow have to try and get the supporters back on side.

There must be a degree of sympathy for the incoming manager, it feels like he’s walking into a burning building.

With a takeover looking unlikely, the future looks bleak. Unfortunately, the supporters have been here so many times before under Ashley, that doesn't look like it's about to change any time soon.

It feels like Ashley doesn't have a care in the world about Newcastle United.

The owner is so far apart from how the supporters feel about the club. The difference in feelings are astronomical. Supporters must now unite, make a stand against one of the worst owners in English football. It is the only way for a brighter future.