10 Things Newcastle Fans Need To Know About Rafa Benitez

9. Confrontations

During previous spells in the Premier League, Benitez has shown he isn't afraid to let his opinions known. With Liverpool, he was often at loggerheads with Chelsea's Jose Mourinho, before the famous rant about 'facts' he aimed at Sir Alex Ferguson during his side's 2008/09 title challenge meltdown. There was also the case of the 55 year old brandishing Chelsea wrong for labelling him as their 'interim' coach, calling it disrespectful, before he confronted the Blues' fans via the onlooking media. But, perhaps the most important one for us Newcastle fans to remember, was his thoughts on Liverpool owners George Gillett and John Hicks. The duo had gone on record to say they didn't realise just how good a coach Benitez was as he led them to two Champions League finals, including that memorable night in Istanbul against AC Milan. However, the Spaniard didn't feel he had the complete support of the pair and was reportedly unhappy with their lack of transfer activity, demanding they backed him with cash. How he will fare with Mike Ashley's way of business - or if he has managed to get the club to stray away from their policies - remains to be seen, but if he doesn't feel he has adequate support, don't be surprised if he heads out the door in the same manner as Kevin Keegan.