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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to some rather bizarre comments from journalist Duncan Castles, who has compared Rafael Benitez to Sam Allardyce.

Newcastle have once again surged up the table after a slow start to the season, just as they did last season.

The Magpies ended the last campaign in the top ten despite early fears that a lack of investment would take them down, and this season has followed an almost identical pattern.

Of course this is all down to Benitez, without whom the Magpies’ diminished squad would likely be toiling in the Championship.

Castles, who writes for the Sunday Times and Daily Record, was asked if the Tyneside hero had done enough to move to a big club on his podcast, as reported by Chronicle Live (07/03, 09:10).

“Has he done enough to get into a club that has more revenue to spend and a more realistic chance at competing at the top? I’m not sure he has because the way Rafa Benitez runs a football club is not popular these days,” he said.

“You can certainly argue that with the resources he’s done a good job at Newcastle – you know what you’re getting from him.

“He’s kind of like a Spanish Supersized Sam in a way, you know what you get from him. Benitez will deliver when he comes to the club but is he really popular? Is he really the man you want to build your franchise? I don’t think he is in modern football.”

Castles makes a good point about Benitez’s pragmatism, as the Spaniard would much rather pick up three points than put in the perfect performance, but is that really a bad thing?

Lots of Newcastle fans have been having their say, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…