Rafa Benitez has made a veiled dig at Mike Ashley in his personal blog about his time managing in China, and his comments have piqued the interest of several Newcastle fans.
After the success of young brothers Sean and Matty Longstaff against Manchester United, the Spaniard spoke of the advantages that can be produced by having an effective academy system.
“I was also happy to see a few Geordies playing together at the same time; Carroll, Sean and Matty; surely it shouldn’t be difficult to see the benefits of investing in the Academy?”
– Rafa Benitez
The Spaniard was responsible for giving Sean Longstaff his Magpies debut but not many other academy players were given a chance in his three-year spell at the club, which has raised questions amongst some supporters.
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Some have called out his record, suggesting it is a bit hypocritical of Benitez to criticise Ashley when he too often picked an experienced pro ahead of a youngster.
However, others are in agreement after seeing the success that young players can have, whilst one has praised the former Liverpool boss for calling out Ashley’s youth policy.
Here is some of the reaction on Twitter to Benitez’s comments.
