He took charge with 10 games left and in the relegation places by a point. Only Villa were dead and buried at the bottom. They had 4 of the top 6 to play: Leicester, Liverpool, Southampton and Spurs. Finding his feet, he lost 3 of the first 4 games in charge; then won 12 of the last 18 points (including draws against Liverpool and City and battering Spurs 5-1).
Newcastle didn't employ him early enough. That was the issue.
Laughing.
He took over with 10 games to go, with a game in hand, and 1 point away from safety.
In his own words, he wouldn't have took the job if he thought he couldn't keep them up. He should of.
When he joined, the gap from safety got wider. From 1 point from safety and a game in hand, he was relegated by 3 points (well, 2, but the goal difference made that in effect 3).
When he joined them...
He was in a straight fight with Sunderland. He had the advantage, an extra game and a better squad. He had these games to play;
He should have kept them up but he failed. In the massive key games, Sunderland, and even a relegated Villa in May - and against Norwich - he didn't deliver;
There's a lot you can try and credit to Benitez, but there's no success at all from his stint at Newcastle.
