Mike Ashley's failings a sign of trouble ahead for Rafa Benitez at Newcastle

Rafa Benitez has taken Newcastle down, taken them back up again and probably feels the only way he can take them now is sideways - at best.

The Tyneside hokey cokey resumes at Swansea after a result most clubs would consider encouraging: a 3-0 home victory, admittedly over West Ham. But there is a bigger measure these days than goals in the net and points on the board. Deals done in the transfer window are seen as the true gauge of health. By that standard, gales of pessimism are once more sweeping around Newcastle, with Benitez saying:

“I signed what I could, not what I wanted.”

Swansea is a painful destination for Geordies incensed by Mike Ashley’s apparent failure to give the manager what he desired. Benitez wanted Tammy Abraham. Where is Abraham now? Swansea. So is Wilfried Bony, the prodigal, and Renato Sanches, from Bayern Munich, on loan. Newcastle risk seeing every fixture as a hall of mirrors for their own transfer muddle, which sent 20 players out, either sold or on loan, and brought six in.

Tammy Abraham of Swansea City applauds the traveling fans after the final whistle of the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Swansea City at Selhurst Park on August 26, 2017 — Tammy Abraham was wanted by Benitez, but Newcastle will come up against him this weekend Credit: Getty Images Europe

Amid the politicking between manager and owner (they have not spoken directly since May, according to some reports), the stand-out line all along was Benitez saying: “Hopefully Mike can keep his word.”

To understand that hope we need to revisit Newcastle’s relegation in May 2016, when Benitez was entitled to scoot but elected to stay, subject to assurances: effectively, transfer funds and control.

In the Championship, Newcastle were well-coached, as you would expect from a manager who had worked at Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. “The love I could feel from the fans was a big influence in my decision,” said Benitez, who was equally cute in his relationship with Liverpool supporters.

But you could see the next wave of tension coming a mile away. Over the summer, Benitez said: “I have responsibility for football business and the most important thing is I have assurances that we will have a strong, winning, team.” Several times he urged Ashley to “keep his word.”

Mike Ashley watches the game from the stands — Tension between Benitez and Mike Ashley has been building Credit: REUTERS

This is where we hit the snag. The faith placed by Benitez in Ashley suggests a certain refusal to consider evidence. Everyone on Tyneside knows Ashley is a reluctant spender who still resents having to part with so much to stabilise Newcastle in the first place. There was no indication that he would go charging into the transfer market again, whatever “assurances” Benitez was given. Newcastle’s new Madras Rubber Factory sleeve sponsorship is more in tune with how Ashley sees owning a football club than the dreams of Benitez and his disciples.

The fans are stuck with it, but at least Benitez can leave, if his £6m managerial release clause is activated, with a fall-guy already established: Ashley, who has been embroiled in legal action with Tony Jimenez, one of the club’s former vice-presidents derided by supporters as the “cockney mafia.” Jimenez has also clashed legally with Dennis Wise - another of Ashley’s bright ideas.

There are some bright spots: Matt Ritchie, who has started the season well, and Mikel Merino, who joined on loan from Dortmund, saying: “Rafa is one of the main reasons I’m here.” There is no escaping though the spin of ill-feeling and frustration, in the dug-out and the stands. Newcastle players have never been slow to pick this up, and hide behind it. And if Benitez is cast as the “victim,” there were plenty of clues that it would go this way. A manager can change plenty, but not the owner’s nature.

Rooney needs to knuckle down to earn forgiveness

Wayne Rooney’s return to the Everton team to face Spurs will provide a distraction from what sounds like a tricky week at home. Quite rightly, Everton avoided prejudicing his appearance before magistrates on 18 September on a drink driving charge, confining themselves to a prepared statement. But when Ronald Koeman described the club as “very disappointed,” the point was made that Everton were not expecting to make the front pages when they offered Rooney a chance to extend his Premier League career, which had run into a ditch at Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney of Everton in action during the Everton FC training session at USM Finch Farm on September 7, 2017 in Halewood, England — Supporters will judge Rooney by his performances on the pitch Credit: Everton FC/Getty Images

The Goodison Park crowd - a no-nonsense bunch - were mostly happy to go along with the romance narrative of Rooney’s return, so long as he showed a serious urge to make the necessary sacrifices. His private life is not the issue. Supporters will judge him relentlessly by his performances on the pitch, where his cause has been helped by Everton’s failure to properly replace Romelu Lukaku.

The problem Rooney has given himself is that every time he looks cumbersome in a game, or turns red in the face too soon, fans will doubt the wisdom of his repatriation. Some will question his capacity to dedicate himself physically over a whole season in the way a 31-year-old with 15 years on the clock will need to.

Old scores must wait with birds of a feather struggling

Banter between Brighton and Crystal Palace fans has yet to take off. Neither has much to shout about yet, so hostilities will have to wait. Brighton have no goals but one point; Palace have no goals and no points. That hardly lends itself to online jousting.

Plainly the Eagles, who travel to Burnley, have a higher-quality squad than the Seagulls, who host West Brom, but the point in Brighton’s favour is stable management. Chris Hughton is working to a long-term plan, while Palace, inexplicably, tried to turn themselves into a satellite of Ajax, after losing Sam Allardyce. Will Frank de Boer adapt, to save his job? To be asking that three games in is surreal. Either way, the A23 animosity is devoid of fuel. The race for the first goal is on.

Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer — The clock is ticking for Frank de Boer Credit: Action Plus

Double the pain

Leicester will be pained to see N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater in unison for Chelsea. The loss of that central midfield pairing is the most obvious diminution of Leicester’s title-winning team. But what a double-act they were for the 2016 champions: a great blend of craft and graft.

Getting out of hand

If it was aimed at the referee, Dele Alli was daft. If Kyle Walker was the target at Wembley, Alli’s middle-finger is a dud story. But there are questions for the media too. In those weirdly-pixellated photos, Alli looks as if he is raising a block of Lego.