Rafael Benitez

[Kanj]

I'm certain he will look to improve us with a few more signings (hopefully) before the summer window ends. He will do the same in January. He will then expect a full year worth of TV money, prize money etc and other future payments will have arrived from sales etc. and he'll continue to strengthen next summer. I think if he's stuck having to haggle over small fees and loans NEXT summer, we'll see him depart.

[Darth Crooks]

He's not one for snap decisions based on gut. He'll weigh up the variables over time. They've no intent on changing mind which will do no favours in the long run.

[Mistle17]

I think its a bit delusional at this stage to say his time isn't limited. All the signs are there that this is taking a nosedive.

 

He's basically admitted that we have a load of rubbish players who we can't shift, but have to because that is our fucking shithouse policy. As I said the other day, a group of players signed years ago in an attempt to try and beat the system- low/no fee, but Premiership wages. These weren't well researched players, they were fucking cheap and that's all that mattered to the total cunts running our club.

 

They showed total disregard for club legends such as Keegan and Shearer, shit from a monumental height on the gentleman (and savior) that is Christ Hughton in favor of Alan Pardew, yet they won't force Rafa out? Come off it.

 

Our transfer policy is evidently unchanged, and this whole 'every last penny available' stuff was just PR bait to shut us all up, including Rafa.

 

We're back in the game- re the PL money game. We're here to survive and cash in on the TV deal, we're not here to progress and build a legacy under Benitez and win trophies, qualify for Europe etc. I'm at the end of my tether with the club at this point, what's the fucking point.

[HawK]

I can see it now, after we get tonked 4+ nil vs Spurs ...

 

"Rafa, what was your summer preparations in terms of transfers like? Did you get the support you thought you would get from Mike after his comments at the end of last season ?"

 

"I'm just focused on coaching and training the team"

[MSC26]

I think he'll stay beyond the window, but he's obviously unhappy about how slow it has went. He said at the talk in that he had basically secured four players, who, for one reason or another, went elsewhere. (Caballero, Abraham, Semedo could be three?).

 

It's clear he wants a keeper and wants a striker. I think other than that, he's happy enough with the squad. We've signed a centre back, a centre midfielder and a winger, plus Atsu and Manquillo.

 

I believe we'll secure both a new keeper and a striker, though I think it'll be our 4th, 5th, 6th choice of targets given how late we're leaving it.

 

He also said at the talk in that the main objective this season is survival. He'll be wanting to finish as high as possible but if we come 15th, 16th at least we're safe, and will have massive TV money to come in. I think like others have said, next Summer, if he is still here, will be test - he'll want to sign £20m-£30m players. If we don't, he'll go.

[mrmojorisin75]

if he'd been lied to by them he'd be gone, it's as simple as that, so whatever is happening he's accepting the justification for as part of a bigger picture we can't see

[Guest firetotheworks]

Just keep an open mind. There's no way any of us can know either way unless they know, or know someone who's definitely itk.

[thomas]

if he'd been lied to by them he'd be gone, it's as simple as that, so whatever is happening he's accepting the justification for as part of a bigger picture we can't see

He's got a threshold, Mojo. He's got a threshold for the abuse that he will take. Now, right now, he's a fucking race car, all right? And Mike's got him in the red. And I'm just saying, I'm just saying that it's fucking dangerous to have a race car in the fucking red, that's all. He could blow.

[Bimpy474]

Anyone go with the theory that we might be up to our limit on FFP in regards to wages, not that I have any idea that we are or what that means. Hence needing to let players go.

 

Obviously Fat Mike doesn't want to pay too many players is the real answer.

[TRon]

if he'd been lied to by them he'd be gone, it's as simple as that, so whatever is happening he's accepting the justification for as part of a bigger picture we can't see

 

Or the enthusiasm and love for the job could be gradually getting chipped away as he realises it's not like the brochure. He's not going to leave right now, but if the next big job comes calling he might decide there's not that much reason to stay after all.

[mrmojorisin75]

if he'd been lied to by them he'd be gone, it's as simple as that, so whatever is happening he's accepting the justification for as part of a bigger picture we can't see

He's got a threshold, Mojo. He's got a threshold for the abuse that he will take. Now, right now, he's a fucking race car, all right? And Mike's got him in the red. And I'm just saying, I'm just saying that it's fucking dangerous to have a race car in the fucking red, that's all. He could blow.

 

[NUFC]

We have 31 man squad so far, we can only register 25 now we are back in the PL and from those we have to have 8 home grown, last year there was no registration limit for players.

 

I make our squad so far

 

Krul (HG)

Elliott (HG)

Darlow (HG)

 

Dummett (HG)

Haidara

Clark (HG)

Hanley (HG)

Lascelles (HG)

Good

Sterry

Mbemba

Lazaar

Yedlin

Gamez

Lejueune

Manquillo

 

Atsu

Colback (HG)

Ritchie (HG)

Shelvey (HG)

Hayden (HG)

Diame

Aarons (HG)

De Jong

Saivet

Murphy (HG)

Merino

 

Perez

Gayle (HG)

Mitrovic

Riviere

 

We wont need to register as under 21

 

Woodman

Armstrong

Barlaser

 

We need to trim about 6 or 7 players from the above before we can buy anyone else so Krul, Hanley, Lazaar, Gamez, Haidara, De Jong, Colback, Riviere however we are finding it hard to get rid because they are crap/on silly wages.

 

I think that's why there's been no movement on transfers, realistically until some of the crap is gone our hands are tied.

[thomas]

I thought we paid peanuts with heavily incentivized contracts tho? I thought Coloccini was the last one on zany wages. How can they be on unshiftable salaries?

[Sean]

John Richardson saying Rafa's even more pissed than previously:

 

[Sho Time]

Our hands aren't tied, we could actively try to push them out and even subsidise a part of their wages to avoid making too much of a loss on them. Ashley wants his cake and to eat it, he wants to sell them and make the maximum possible on them, yet is never willing to spend even half of this 'maximum' desire he has to sell players for as much pittance as he can get on actually signing players that will make him more money in the long run by staying and competing in the league.

 

This window has been an absolute joke so far, if we don't have a decent 'keeper and Lucas Perez by the end of the window it will be an absolute disaster that maybe even Rafa can't save us from.

 

 

[HaydnNUFC]

John Richardson saying Rafa's even more p*ssed than previously:

 

He also said we'd sign Grosicki.

[Sean]

John Richardson saying Rafa's even more p*ssed than previously:

 

He also said we'd sign Grosicki.

 

Didn't realise it had already been posted. But tbd theres been a few deals supposedly lined up by Rafa that have then not been followed through on. Possible Grosiki could be the same? Also possible he's talking bollocks but i'd doubt that seeing as he does know Rafa well.

[cubaricho]

I thought we paid peanuts with heavily incentivized contracts tho? I thought Coloccini was the last one on zany wages. How can they be on unshiftable salaries?

 

I think there was a report of someone being offered to a French club and then when they went to negotiate, they were only on like 20k/week and the French club could only offer under 10k. So it's not like they're on "unshiftable" wages, they're just on wages much higher than they would normally be commanding on the continent.

[Guest chopey]

A lot of championship and foreign clubs are going to get a load of great bargains in the final week of the transfer window when premier league clubs get desperate to off load players and a lot of players are going to earn a fortune getting their contracts paid up

[Mole_Toonfan]

John Richardson saying Rafa's even more p*ssed than previously:

 

He also said we'd sign Grosicki.

 

Didn't realise it had already been posted. But tbd theres been a few deals supposedly lined up by Rafa that have then not been followed through on. Possible Grosiki could be the same? Also possible he's talking bollocks but i'd doubt that seeing as he does know Rafa well.

 

It was already reported by Caulkin that the Grosicki stuff is bollocks though, i don't particularly believe he knows anything tbh.

 

While it's obvious Rafa is frustrated i do feel it's not to the extent the media are playing it up to be.

[Village Idiot]

I thought we paid peanuts with heavily incentivized contracts tho? I thought Coloccini was the last one on zany wages. How can they be on unshiftable salaries?

 

I think there was a report of someone being offered to a French club and then when they went to negotiate, they were only on like 20k/week and the French club could only offer under 10k. So it's not like they're on "unshiftable" wages, they're just on wages much higher than they would normally be commanding on the continent.

 

20k/week is above the average wage of the entire bottom half of La Liga, for example. Premier League wages are just on a different planet nowadays.

[Tiresias]

Thing is storming out now would hurt his reputation a bit I think, some chairmen would probably want to avoid the risk of that. However Rafa also knows that if he lets Ashley not sign anyone, he won't ever, Ashley likes his underlings fighting a bit sadly. It's a ludicrous situation as it's clear the issue is the fault of Ashley's trust in Graham Carr, he should see the problem as his own fault and not burden Rafa with paying for it through underperformance.

 

If we don't sign anyone else I think Rafa will struggle on enough to make clear that he was let down and leave the club later for another more ambitious premier league club who lose their manager mid season, his reputation enhanced for doing his best under a bad owner but knowing when to call it a day.

 

If Rafa goes because of this, it will be a massive blow, one final knife in the back from the ownership. It will be confirmation that until Ashley sells or dies, there is no hope and never will be.

[mrmojorisin75]

This window has been an absolute joke so far, if we don't have a decent 'keeper and Lucas Perez by the end of the window it will be an absolute disaster that maybe even Rafa can't save us from.

 

pull yourself together man, the squad as it is will stay up no bother

[HaydnNUFC]

John Richardson saying Rafa's even more p*ssed than previously:

 

He also said we'd sign Grosicki.

 

Didn't realise it had already been posted. But tbd theres been a few deals supposedly lined up by Rafa that have then not been followed through on. Possible Grosiki could be the same? Also possible he's talking bollocks but i'd doubt that seeing as he does know Rafa well.

 

It was already reported by Caulkin that the Grosicki stuff is bollocks though, i don't particularly believe he knows anything tbh.

 

While it's obvious Rafa is frustrated i do feel it's not to the extent the media are playing it up to be.

I'm the same.

[Shearergol]

This window has been an absolute joke so far, if we don't have a decent 'keeper and Lucas Perez by the end of the window it will be an absolute disaster that maybe even Rafa can't save us from.

 

pull yourself together man, the squad as it is will stay up no bother

 

Without injuries to Gayle and Shelvey, maybe.