Newcastle fans turn on Mike Ashley following departure of Rafael Benitez

Newcastle have begun their search for a new manager amid a furious backlash from fans after announcing Rafael Benitez will leave the club at the end of the month.The Magpies made their announcement on Monday after failing to reach an agreement with Benitez over a new deal, with fans responding by ramping up the pressure on club owner Mike Ashley.Former Toon hero Alan Shearer described the decision as a shambles, while prominent supporters group True Faith declared it utter insanity.A world class manager. A manager who performed so well in very difficult circumstances. A manager who understood the fans. Thanks and good luck @rafabenitezweb you were brilliant for the Toon. #SHAMBLES Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) June 24, 2019In a statement, Newcastle said: It is with disappointment that we announce manager RafaelBenitez willleave Newcastle United upon the expiry of his contract on 30th June 2019.We have workedhardtoextendRafascontract over a significant period of time, however, it has not beenand will not be possible to reach an agreement withRafaand his representatives.Rafascoaching staff,PacodeMiguelMoreno, Antonio Gomez Perez andMikelAntia, will also leave the club on 30th June.Utter insanity from #NUFC. They didnt realise what they had.Thank you for everything Rafa Benitez. You saved our club and will always be one of us. pic.twitter.com/lXp9POsw8v True Faith NUFC (@tfNUFC) June 24, 2019We would like to thankRafaand his coaching team for their efforts over the last three years and theirsignificantcontribution to what has been collectively achieved.We would also like to thank our supporters, players and staff for their patience duringaperiod of uncertainty. The process to appoint a successor will now begin.Disastrous.Those at the top of our great club should be ashamed. The great shame is that they wont be.The way they are repeatedly able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is astonishing.Thank you @rafabenitezwebMike Ashley get out of OUR club https://t.co/O0khI17op1 antanddec (@antanddec) June 24, 2019Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer reacted by saluting Benitez on Twitter, while closing his post with #Shambles.Television presenters and lifelong fans Ant Dec also reacted with dismay on Twitter, claiming Benitezs departure was disastrous and urging Ashley to get out of the club.The future of Benitez,who has spent just over three years in charge at St James Park since replacing Steve McClaren in March 2016,has been gathering momentum for the past 12 months.Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, left, failed to reach an agreement with Benitez (Steven Paston/PA)There were no signs of the Spaniard and the club edging closer to an agreement as his contract entered into its final year.Newcastle made Beniteza new offer but were unable to give the former Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss certain assurances.Benitez wanted greater control of Newcastles recruitment process,including the freedom to sign the players he wanted regardless of their age or potential resale value.Rafa Benitez is to leave @NUFC. Awful news for the club and their fans. Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 24, 2019The Spaniard guided Newcastle back to the Premier League at the first attempt in 2017 and has kept them in the top flight for the past two seasons on a shoestring budget.His exit next week could have further repercussions as several players may now feel their future no longerlies on Tyneside, with strikerAyoze Perez linked with a return to Spain towards the end of last season.Benitez has been linked with a possible move to the Far East for over 12 months, with Chinese club Dalian Yifang reportedto have offered him a contract worth 12million a year.PA GraphicBut hehas made it clear in the recent past that he sees his future in Europe, and ideally in the Premier League.The clubs situation is further complicated as Ashley is in talks with several potential purchasers, including Dubai-based billionaire Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who claimed last month he had agreed terms with the Sports Direct magnate.Jose Mourinho, Chris Hughton, Mikel Arteta, Garry Monk and Sean Dyche have emerged as the early favourites to succeed Benitez, withMichael Appleton, Slavisa Jokanovic and Gennaro Gattuso also high on the bookmakers list.(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){

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