Rafa Benitez, rather than Mike Ashley, is responsible for struggling Newcastle's recent slump, former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has claimed in an astonishing online attack.
The Premier League new boys are currently languishing three points and two places above the foot of the table following a run of eight defeats in nine matches.
Benitez, who hopes to bolster his squad in January, is still popular among the majority of the club's fans, many of whom lay the blame for their current plight at the feet of owner Ashley.
But Keys, who now works for beIN SPORTS in Qatar, has suggested the club's Spanish boss is being given an easy ride and deserves more scrutiny.