It makes you wonder what Rafa Benitez could have achieved this season with an owner who listened to him.
Newcastle had to slump to a run of one point in nine matches for Mike Ashley to take notice of his manager’s warning of a second relegation in three seasons.
Three loan signings arrived in the final week of January and, by the last day of March, Benitez’s side had made themselves as good as safe.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 31 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 67 | 84 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 31 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 68 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 40 | 66 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 31 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 36 | 64 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 31 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 56 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 31 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 51 |
| 7 | Burnley | 31 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 46 |
| 8 | Leicester City | 31 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 43 |
| 9 | Everton | 32 | 11 | 7 | 14 | -15 | 40 |
| 10 | Bournemouth | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | -12 | 37 |
| 11 | Watford | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | -16 | 37 |
| 12 | Newcastle United | 31 | 9 | 8 | 14 | -9 | 35 |
| 13 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 31 | 8 | 10 | 13 | -14 | 34 |
| 14 | West Ham United | 31 | 8 | 9 | 14 | -18 | 33 |
| 15 | Swansea City | 31 | 8 | 7 | 16 | -19 | 31 |
| 16 | Huddersfield Town | 32 | 8 | 7 | 17 | -28 | 31 |
| 17 | Crystal Palace | 32 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -19 | 30 |
| 18 | Southampton | 31 | 5 | 13 | 13 | -18 | 28 |
| 19 | Stoke City | 32 | 6 | 9 | 17 | -32 | 27 |
| 20 | West Bromwich Albion | 32 | 3 | 11 | 18 | -26 | 20 |
Had those players or others in their position been signed in the summer, as Benitez wanted, winter might not have been so bleak.