Rafael Benitez

[Paully]

Hero!

 

https://vimeo.com/196095726

[54]

After the game Benitez said: “You know I’d prefer to be top of the table in May, but it is a good time for the fans so I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We are in a good position.

 

“Now we can enjoy our time with the families. We also have time to prepare because we don’t have so many games during this month.”

 

Wigan was another test, a different one. This (Burton) was even harder and we did well.

 

“We saw players working as hard as they did and tried to compete in the air.

 

“They held the ball, competed in the air, played counter attack and defended.

 

“We have played that are learning how to perform in this division and this is really important for any team.”

[TRon]

I can see a situation where Rafa takes us up and decides to leave, especially if the fat one decides to meddle. Hope not like, because what he is doing is totally transforming the club on and off the pitch in a similar albeit less out there way, to what KK did.

 

f*** off man. Such a negative t*** these days.

 

In my mind, Rafa is taking us up and getting us into Europe within two seasons. Minimum.

Which of Man City, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea or Arsenal are you expecting us to be finishing ahead of in two years?

 

Who knows. It's doable though. We were ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea 2 years after getting promoted last time.

 

I  think we need to lower our minimum expectations a little bit or we'll only end up getting dissapointed. The best case scenario for the next 3-4 seasons is competing with Everton, West Ham and Southampton etc..., and then push on from there if any of the big teams slip up. If he can get us a consistent top half team in the next 3 years then I'll be happy. Anything else would be exceptional.

 

If you think Rafa came here to scrap for 10th place for 3-4 years you must have a screw loose. This is Rafa Benitez we are talking about - a fucking legend in the game, not Mick McCarthy.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Rafa is missing one key trophy from his CV which is the PL and that's a trophy he desperately wants to add to his CV. If MA matches Rafa's ambition there is no telling what we can achieve. He will not be content with mid-table finishes or even top 6 finish. He's all about trophies and the CL, a competition he considers his his level and rightly so. Again, I can see a time very soon where he will consider leaving  if Ashley doesn't adhere to Rafa's ideas and ambitions which for me is trophies, CL football and ultimately the title.

 

That said, I can also see him being happy taking NUFC back up and leaving it on solid footing for pastures new. Ashley be warned. You do what it takes to make sure your man can compete with his rivals, Mourinho, Klopp, Guardiola, Conte et al, managers he is in a league with even if we are not.

 

 

Remember that!

[newsted]

Was in Lpool this week and had the opportunity during my sneaky tab breaks to ask the locals what they think about Rafa. They proper love him, it was a fallout with the hierarchy, we're so lucky, they also love Klopp. No news there, just confirmation.

 

Also, a general acceptance that we're all the same as football fans. That was nice.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Was in Lpool this week and had the opportunity during my sneaky tab breaks to ask the locals what they think about Rafa. They proper love him, it was a fallout with the hierarchy, we're so lucky, they also love Klopp. No news there, just confirmation.

 

Also, a general acceptance that we're all the same as football fans. That was nice.

 

I work there all the time and even Everton fans respect him hugely. That said, it wasn't all niceness. The CL win basically made him untouchable, however, there were many who wanted him out towards the end. They once booed at the end of a draw at Anfield that took them top of the league.

 

I do know several who would have him back ahead of Klopp any day of the week though. Personally I think Klopp is as close to KK as you can get in the modern game with regards to style, charisma, ideas and personality. I'd have him ahead of anyone at current maybe.

[Guest chopey]

Was in Lpool this week and had the opportunity during my sneaky tab breaks to ask the locals what they think about Rafa. They proper love him, it was a fallout with the hierarchy, we're so lucky, they also love Klopp. No news there, just confirmation.

 

Also, a general acceptance that we're all the same as football fans. That was nice.

 

I met Kevin Nolans uncle on holiday last year and he was a big Liverpool fan that still loved Rafa, he also said that Nolan was in football to make enough money to see him and his family live for the rest of his life without having to work again, which he achieved, but he was gutted to leave Newcastle.

[ponsaelius]

next time rotate your phone Paully

[Collage]

Though I find the optimism refreshing, may I remind you; this is Newcastle United, owned by Mike Ashley.

[TRon]

Was in Lpool this week and had the opportunity during my sneaky tab breaks to ask the locals what they think about Rafa. They proper love him, it was a fallout with the hierarchy, we're so lucky, they also love Klopp. No news there, just confirmation.

 

Also, a general acceptance that we're all the same as football fans. That was nice.

 

I met Kevin Nolans uncle on holiday last year and he was a big Liverpool fan that still loved Rafa, he also said that Nolan was in football to make enough money to see him and his family live for the rest of his life without having to work again, which he achieved, but he was gutted to leave Newcastle.

 

Sounds like Nolan, although many people wouldn't really describe football as work. I wish I was lucky enough to get paid for it when I played.

[newsted]

 

I met Kevin Nolan's uncle on holiday last year and he was a big Liverpool fan that still loved Rafa, he also said that Nolan was in football to make enough money to see him and his family live for the rest of his life without having to work again, which he achieved, but he was gutted to leave Newcastle.

 

Cannot fault Nolan for that. Number one is family responsibilities, he got an extra year at WHam, wasn't it? No-brainer.

[Tiresias]

Liverpool fan at work isn't so fond of him actually, said was great obviously for a while but started thinking himself bigger than the club and doing things like forcing Alonso out and trying to replace him with Gareth Barry.

[Elliottman]

Liverpool fan at work isn't so fond of him actually, said was great obviously for a while but started thinking himself bigger than the club and doing things like forcing Alonso out and trying to replace him with Gareth Barry.

 

Tell him to go read a Rafa quote on the subject.

[Tubestationatmidnight]

I can see a situation where Rafa takes us up and decides to leave, especially if the fat one decides to meddle. Hope not like, because what he is doing is totally transforming the club on and off the pitch in a similar albeit less out there way, to what KK did.

 

f*** off man. Such a negative t*** these days.

 

In my mind, Rafa is taking us up and getting us into Europe within two seasons. Minimum.

Which of Man City, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea or Arsenal are you expecting us to be finishing ahead of in two years?

 

Who knows. It's doable though. We were ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea 2 years after getting promoted last time.

 

I  think we need to lower our minimum expectations a little bit or we'll only end up getting dissapointed. The best case scenario for the next 3-4 seasons is competing with Everton, West Ham and Southampton etc..., and then push on from there if any of the big teams slip up. If he can get us a consistent top half team in the next 3 years then I'll be happy. Anything else would be exceptional.

 

If you think Rafa came here to scrap for 10th place for 3-4 years you must have a screw loose. This is Rafa Benitez we are talking about - a f***ing legend in the game, not Mick McCarthy.

 

??

[Darth Crooks]

I can see a situation where Rafa takes us up and decides to leave, especially if the fat one decides to meddle. Hope not like, because what he is doing is totally transforming the club on and off the pitch in a similar albeit less out there way, to what KK did.

 

f*** off man. Such a negative t*** these days.

 

In my mind, Rafa is taking us up and getting us into Europe within two seasons. Minimum.

Which of Man City, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea or Arsenal are you expecting us to be finishing ahead of in two years?

 

Who knows. It's doable though. We were ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea 2 years after getting promoted last time.

 

I  think we need to lower our minimum expectations a little bit or we'll only end up getting dissapointed. The best case scenario for the next 3-4 seasons is competing with Everton, West Ham and Southampton etc..., and then push on from there if any of the big teams slip up. If he can get us a consistent top half team in the next 3 years then I'll be happy. Anything else would be exceptional.

 

If you think Rafa came here to scrap for 10th place for 3-4 years you must have a screw loose. This is Rafa Benitez we are talking about - a f***ing legend in the game, not Mick McCarthy.

 

??

 

Whilst this is true, it's a bit straw man. If true faith pod are anything to go by from meeting him, he seems to have an emphasis on these things taking a lot of time and planning. If we go back to trying to be a gravy train club - he'll be off. It'll probably be savvy to see if our dear leader remains as the current situation requires.

[madras]

As much as it's true what HTT said about the big thing missing from his CV if the Premiership title, at this time in his career he wants to build something, to be able to say "I took this club from nothing ".

 

My worry is that he wants too many players, at Liverpool it always seemed like he was buying more in quantity than everyone else (don't know if it's true but it seemed like it) and here we have Hanley and Murphy type signings which seem pretty pointless.

[Optimistic Nut]

He's covering all bases. Something we've not done before now. How many times in the past have we seen a freak run of 2-3 CB injuries/suspensions together meaning Dummett, Janmaat, etc. having to cover?

[ponsaelius]

Yep, every club needs 4 CBs. The fact we've not had that in the past is a joke.

[madras]

He's covering all bases. Something we've not done before now. How many times in the past have we seen a freak run of 2-3 CB injuries/suspensions together meaning Dummett, Janmaat, etc. having to cover?

You can't cover a freak run, if you try you end up with half a dozen players for each position, just in case. Also that adaptability is handy, we didn't sign Anita as a right back, Steve Watson played centre half V Barcelona (3-2) and was brilliant and Barry Venison picked his last England cap playing centre midfield.

 

 

[ponsaelius]

Every team has 4 centre backs. That is not covering for a freak run. It's having a squad.

[madras]

Every team has 4 centre backs. That is not covering for a freak run. It's having a squad.

I wouldn't be sure they do, some may have 6 but short elsewhere, some will have 4 but ones a kid, some will have a Janmaat/Dummet style player who can play across the back.

[ponsaelius]

Janmaat was never a comfortable centre half in a million years. Neither was Perch when he assumed that role. We have been massively short at CB in years, both in terms of quality and certainly in terms of depth.

 

Brighton, our closest rivals in this league, have 4 - Dunk, Duffy, Hunemeier, Goldson. You'd struggle to find many teams anywhere who don't have 4 competent and natural centre halves.

[madras]

Janmaat was never a comfortable centre half in a million years. Neither was Perch when he assumed that role. We have been massively short at CB in years, both in terms of quality and certainly in terms of depth.

 

Brighton, our closest rivals in this league, have 4 - Dunk, Duffy, Hunemeier, Goldson. You'd struggle to find many teams anywhere who don't have 4 competent and natural centre halves.

But we have that everywhere, All I 'm getting at is that at this level we could maybe have done without  Hanley, Murphy and Gamez and got more developers, Lascelles types that are more likely to serve us as much now AND the future.

[ponsaelius]

Perhaps, yes.

[Hanshithispantz]

Baffles me how anyone can think Murphy is a pointless signing like. Gayle gets injured and we had Mitrovic and Perez, one of them who isn't even a natural striker.