Mick Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He took the job because he will have been offered an absolutely enormous bonus for keeping us up. I'm not saying he wouldn't have been tempted otherwise, but I think we're kidding ourselves if we're ignoring the standard PL dollar signs. And I'm not saying there isn't the potential for him to become rightfully worshipped if we're ever successful under him. If there's a future for us in the Premier League and/or a future laden with real victory and recapturing the city's pride in the club, he will have orchestrated it. I'm tearing my hair out at the prospect of saying 'if only we'd stayed up and kept Rafa...' for the rest of my life. That will have played a part, my guess that it was a minor part. If he was only coming for the money he would probably not have bothered talking to people about the club first, he would have just said yes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stifler Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He said he already had offers from elsewhere. He was manager of Real Madrid a few months ago, I hardly doubt any club after him were short of money, if anything we would probably have been the ones paying the least amount. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 What the absolute f*** is that? The picture, not a horse. rafas face on each member of a royal family picture Absolutely creased. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
loki679 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He took the job because he will have been offered an absolutely enormous bonus for keeping us up. I'm not saying he wouldn't have been tempted otherwise, but I think we're kidding ourselves if we're ignoring the standard PL dollar signs. And I'm not saying there isn't the potential for him to become rightfully worshipped if we're ever successful under him. If there's a future for us in the Premier League and/or a future laden with real victory and recapturing the city's pride in the club, he will have orchestrated it. I'm tearing my hair out at the prospect of saying 'if only we'd stayed up and kept Rafa...' for the rest of my life. That will have played a part, my guess that it was a minor part. If he was only coming for the money he would probably not have bothered talking to people about the club first, he would have just said yes. This is a bloke who, when out of a job, took on the managers role at a local kids team. He loves football and he loves being a football manager. I genuinely get the feeling that the money is secondary to him and he joined us because he can see the potential here and wants to unlock it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Logic Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He took the job because he will have been offered an absolutely enormous bonus for keeping us up. Utterly wrong imo, nothing to do with the money. Why so cynical? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He's a Newcastle fan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I think he's had a bad time at Madrid and probably gotten himself fed up with the politics of a massive (ruthless) club. Perhaps he may see us as a project, even in the championship, which yields a massive reward if keeps us up, brings us back up or eventually gets us back into Europe. He'd be a legend here (if he isnt already) just like Liverpool. It's possible that it may mean more to him than say winning a league title with his hometown club who are prepared to bin hin off at the drop of a hat. There's a big heart in Benitez, it's unclear how much of a part it will play, when we are relegated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paully Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 "I think Rafa will want to show great respect for Liverpool and the fans," former captain Phil Thompson told Sky Sports. "I hope Newcastle fans understand that and not take it personally as I remember when Gerard Houllier came back and had Aston Villa fans screaming at him because he waved at the Liverpool fans. Rafa is a very professional man and he'll want to do the best for Newcastle and keep them up, but Liverpool are naturally still very close to his heart. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I for one will be furious if he dares to wave at the Liverpool fans. Who the fuck does he think he is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackyboy Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Did a great job there and deserves to acknowledge the fans. If every manager couldn't acknowledge the fans of a previous club it would be ludicrous considering how many clubs the manage over a short period. As far as I am concerned, I am so grateful for him coming here and the work he has done that he can do whatever he wishes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I'll be amazed if he got grief; even if he ran up to The Kop and starting signing "YNWA", might be pushing it if he started singing "You've never won fuck all" to us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 How dare he even step foot in the ground. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NG32 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 One you are a member of a cult its always hard to leave or break away. Phil Thompson probably parks drives past Rafa's house every night, occasionally stopping outside to put the frieghtners on Benitez family. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Tbf Danny Simpson was given dogs abuse for calling Man Utd 'United' because he was born and raised in Manchester and spent nearly a decade at the club. A wave might be pushing it a bit for some. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanji Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I for one will be furious if he dares to wave at the Liverpool fans. Who the f*** does he think he is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinho lad Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Phil Thompson in patronising bollocks shocker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaus Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 But they hounded Rafa out marra. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He's basically the best manager in the league by a country mile. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinho lad Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 No, that'd be Ranieri, if you're saying this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 He took the job because he will have been offered an absolutely enormous bonus for keeping us up. Utterly wrong imo, nothing to do with the money. Why so cynical? Steve McClaren turned us down three times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemtizz Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 No, that'd be Ranieir, if you're saying this season. Never heard of him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 If we stayed up and Ashley funded him as he funded SMC I'm scared to think of our potential. You'd be disappointed if we weren't top 6 within 3 years and a trip to Wembley. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paully Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Keep him at all fucking costs! http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=327302.0 Back to nostalgia...If 20 years since the great 4-3 game since hard to believe then frankly I'm even more astounded that next month will be a whopping 10 years since the last trophy won by Liverpool by current Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez. It really should have been the beginning of so much more but sadly we know what came next - cowboys, infighting, threats of administration and absolutely no spades in the ground. I absolutely loved Rafa. I still do, I can't help it. He gave so much for this club and yet is still treated shabbily by the wider footballing community. Fuck 'em! I will always wish him well and firmly hope Newcastle survive this season and he sticks around for a while in the Premier League again, winding up Mancs and Evertonians alike with his barbed comments delivered with his trademark sly grin. Of course Rafa has returned in the opposition dugout at Anfield once before when at Chelsea. I forget what happened, it was quite a low key game with nothing of note really taking place. A goal hungry Luis Suarez rescued a point late on I think. What I've always found so odd about Rafa is how such a decent and humble man can divide opinion so massively. To a lot of us he represented us in the fight against appalling owners. A man who has shown nothing but class, decency and dignity when representing the city of Liverpool. For others, largely outsiders but even some of our 'supporters' he was a man who could do no right. As I said - fuck 'em! Had this latest return happened 12 months earlier you could be sure that this thread would be full of bickering and infighting. Thankfully we have a current manager who in a similar mould to Rafa a decade ago has come in from the outside where he had an outstanding track record of winning two titles against far bigger spenders and made an instant impact at Liverpool. Slightly inconsistent League form followed by strong runs in Europe and a League Cup final appearance with early FA Cup defeats to sides playing in Claret and Blue...spooky! Thankfully we can give our thanks to Rafa, pay our respects for all he did for us safe in the knowledge that we don't need to spend the summer arguing for and against why he should come back to us; safe in the knowledge that we have the right man for the job and excited again about what the future holds. Meanwhile Rafa must once again deal with awful ownership, at least secure in the knowledge that once again the fans have rallied behind him. Two great managers, a lot at stake (certainly for Newcastle), Anfield in the spring sunshine...maybe we'll even see another Kop End last minute winner. I suspect this will be tight. You can be sure Rafa will have a plan for how to deal with us. Newcastle will play like their lives depend on it. They did very well against City last night. I think we'll just squeak it 2-1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketsbaia Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 It's weird having this enforced bond with Liverpool fans. Are we meant to return the favour? More importantly, who's making the joint scarves? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beren Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 It's weird having this enforced bond with Liverpool fans. Are we meant to return the favour? We generally like Klopp tbf. Have much less of a problem with them now they are without Gerrard and Suarez tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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