I'm trying to think if there's anything he especially excelled at in that run of games. He was playing very well, like, but I'm wondering if he's just 'neat and tidy' - which obviously means he's not going to excel in a rubbish team where no one knows where they're supposed to be. He made a brilliant start to his career, regardless; feels now like he needs to leave urgently if he's going to fulfil whatever potential he's got.
It's an enormous shame, like. The team had deficiencies, of course, but absolutely masses of promise under Rafa. We could easily have been staking a claim up there with the likes of West Ham and Bournemouth. Easily. Maybe even Leicester if we'd got lucky with a couple of quality signings who hit the ground running straight away.
Doubt there'll ever be a greater tragedy in my lifetime than us getting Rafa and then just chucking him away. He was about as close as Newcastle United - a community behemoth in the North East with global appeal and a profound heritage - could get to guaranteed success. But we weren't allowed that cos some bloke from Buckinghamshire who's a bit of a dick isn't that into football.
See Winks, McTominay, Rice.
Cleese. Everett...Sessions...