Rafael Benitez

[TRon]

Honestly man the papers will have had all these articles already typed last January man. They just want to be the first to report shit regardless of whether it has any validity.

 

I think I need to avoid this forum for now for a week when it gets back to football.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiments but the media will whip this up into a worse scenario if we let it too. Not that they'd be the main culprits like obviously.

 

For now we need to hope Rafa rides this one last punch and pulls out a miracle until January. That will be the third strike and out. I hope...At least

 

Why shouldn't the papers whip up a frenzy? it's a farce a world class manager is here in the first place, never mind being treated like a mug by a low class owner. It's scandalous, you can't really blame them for making it so.

[Heron]

Honestly man the papers will have had all these articles already typed last January man. They just want to be the first to report shit regardless of whether it has any validity.

 

I think I need to avoid this forum for now for a week when it gets back to football.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiments but the media will whip this up into a worse scenario if we let it too. Not that they'd be the main culprits like obviously.

 

For now we need to hope Rafa rides this one last punch and pulls out a miracle until January. That will be the third strike and out. I hope...At least

 

Why shouldn't the papers whip up a frenzy? it's a farce a world class manager is here in the first place, never mind being treated like a mug by a low class owner. It's scandalous, you can't really blame them for making it so.

Fair point. They're not doing it for the right reasons though or for our benefit rather.

[afar]

They've backed their manager and spent money on players. It's as simple as that, who they are as people is completely irrelevant.

 

Exactly, i don't really get the argument they are the same as ashley

 

Wasn't Bilic whining the other day that he had no sympathy for Rafa because West Ham's Net spend was less than ours, and just look at that team that turned up at SJP, James fucking Collins at CB, that's tragic. Not sure they've backed Bilic at all this summer although unlike Rafa that's probably a wise move.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

As if Rafa would hang around just to avoid having to pay £5m. He must have tens of millions of pounds. I'm sure he could afford to take the £5m hit to go to a better job or just to leave if he'd had enough of Mike Ashley's NUFC regime.

 

Hope he stays. This season is going to be tough as it is now. If he leaves it's game over.

[Happinesstan]

As if Rafa would hang around just to avoid having to pay £5m. He must have tens of millions of pounds. I'm sure he could afford to take the £5m hit to go to a better job or just to leave if he'd had enough of Mike Ashley's NUFC regime.

 

Hope he stays. This season is going to be tough as it is now. If he leaves it's game over.

 

I hope he pays he cunt in wallpaper.

[Guest firetotheworks]

They've backed their manager and spent money on players. It's as simple as that, who they are as people is completely irrelevant.

 

Exactly, i don't really get the argument they are the same as ashley

 

Wasn't Bilic whining the other day that he had no sympathy for Rafa because West Ham's Net spend was less than ours, and just look at that team that turned up at SJP, James fucking Collins at CB, that's tragic. Not sure they've backed Bilic at all this summer although unlike Rafa that's probably a wise move.

 

Bilic isn't going to blame himself is he, nor is he right about the net spend. There was a table a few pages back.

 

James Collins, agreed. They also turned up with Hernandez, Zabaleta, Hart, and without a suspended Arnautovic too.

[Numbers]

I just hope he thinks the squad is good enough and he can build next year, if not I'm actually done after 30 years.

[ponsaelius]

TBH I do think West Ham's transfer business this summer and for as long as I have remembered has been an embarrassing, disorganised clusterfuck of epic proportions; signing players on reputation alone and pandering to shady agents. I think of all the clubs in Europe they have one of the poorest transfer policies relative to their size.

 

All that said, they do back their managers and actively try to improve. They would definitely do so with Rafa, and would reap the benefits of doing so if they handed him the keys to the club.

 

[HaydnNUFC]

The only movement in or out on transfer deadline day saw two loan moves for players who had been told they had no future at the club:

 

Tim Krul - a season-long loan move to Brighton.

 

Achraf Lazaar - a season-long loan move to Italians Benevento.

 

That'll help our bid to avoid relegation....

 

A year ago today we were congratulating everyone involved for the completion of 45 deals (including five contract extensions) that set up what ultimately proved to be a successful promotion campaign.

 

But this Summer's transfer window couldn't be more different.

 

It has been a complete shambles and everyone associated with the club: the owner, management, agents and players have all contributed to an incredible lack of professionalism even for this club. 

 

It can hang its head in shame as a dispirited squad now faces a season of struggle.

 

This looks like a re-run of Summer 2012 when we only brought in Vurnon Anita and then had to panic buy when we got to January in 15th.

 

Sadly the world - and the Premier League - has moved on and we won't be so fortunate this time round.

 

These penny pinchers are gambling with our future yet again - Premier League survival on a shoestring - having twice come a cropper and sailed close to the wind on a few other occasions.

 

But we can't absolve Rafa Benitez from some of the blame as a lot of his signings needed to be unloaded and disgruntled and mismanaged players still remain at the club.

 

To be without a first team left back until January and to offload an international goalkeeper without a replacement is something that few of us expected from this regime.

 

Whatever positivity was at the club in May after winning the Championship, it has dissipated in just three months. That seemed unthinkable.

 

What an irony that Benitez returned from a prestigious UEFA coaching forum to try and manage a club with absolutely no ambition and run like a pub side....

 

If anyone mentions the word hindsight in May 2018 should disaster strike again then we will not be responsible for our actions. It will have been totally predictable and preventable.

 

The transfer window closed at 11pm on Thursday, here's a recap of what Toon-related business had been completed before then:

 

Inbound:

Christian Atsu bought

Florian Lejeune bought

Jacob Murphy bought

Javier Manquillo bought

Mikel Merino loaned (with option to buy)

Joselu bought

 

Outbound:

Vurnon Anita released

Sammy Ameobi released

Yoan Gouffran released

Haris Vuckic released

Lubo Satka released

Florian Thauvin sold

Kevin Mbabu sold

Matz Sels  loaned

Adam Armstrong loaned

Daryl Murphy sold

Ivan Toney loaned

Emmanuel Riviere released

Siem De Jong sold

Grant Hanley sold

Achraf Lazaar loaned

Tim Krul loaned

[Weezertron]

Absolutely gutted for our support and the lush lad, Rafa.

[Happinesstan]

This time we won't be so fortunate.

 

Aye this time we've got a quality manager who will probably get this sack of shit squad to 12th in January. So no need to panic and spend any money.

[afar]

They've backed their manager and spent money on players. It's as simple as that, who they are as people is completely irrelevant.

 

Exactly, i don't really get the argument they are the same as ashley

 

Wasn't Bilic whining the other day that he had no sympathy for Rafa because West Ham's Net spend was less than ours, and just look at that team that turned up at SJP, James f***ing Collins at CB, that's tragic. Not sure they've backed Bilic at all this summer although unlike Rafa that's probably a wise move.

 

Bilic isn't going to blame himself is he, nor is he right about the net spend. There was a table a few pages back.

 

James Collins, agreed. They also turned up with Hernandez, Zabaleta, Hart, and without a suspended Arnautovic too.

 

Zabaleta and Hart are long past their sell by dates, thought they were both extremely poor at SJP. Arnautovic is average at best and as much of a live wire as Shelvey or Mitro. Hernandez is their best singing of the summer but is only useful to you inside the penalty area (heard a startling fact during the commentary on Saturday, that all his PL goals have come inside the penalty area), he's Gayle like in his contribution to the build up play, they are struggling to get the ball in the box, so could be argued that he's not going to be a great fit there.

[Guest firetotheworks]

They've backed their manager and spent money on players. It's as simple as that, who they are as people is completely irrelevant.

 

Exactly, i don't really get the argument they are the same as ashley

 

Wasn't Bilic whining the other day that he had no sympathy for Rafa because West Ham's Net spend was less than ours, and just look at that team that turned up at SJP, James f***ing Collins at CB, that's tragic. Not sure they've backed Bilic at all this summer although unlike Rafa that's probably a wise move.

 

Bilic isn't going to blame himself is he, nor is he right about the net spend. There was a table a few pages back.

 

James Collins, agreed. They also turned up with Hernandez, Zabaleta, Hart, and without a suspended Arnautovic too.

 

Zabaleta and Hart are long past their sell by dates, thought they were both extremely poor at SJP. Arnautovic is average at best and as much of a live wire as Shelvey or Mitro. Hernandez is their best singing of the summer but is only useful to you inside the penalty area (heard a startling fact during the commentary on Saturday, that all his PL goals have come inside the penalty area), he's Gayle like in his contribution to the build up play, they are struggling to get the ball in the box, so could be argued that he's not going to be a great fit there.

 

This is all irrelevant, man. The point is about backing managers and Rafa would have his own signings.

[afar]

They've backed their manager and spent money on players. It's as simple as that, who they are as people is completely irrelevant.

 

Exactly, i don't really get the argument they are the same as ashley

 

Wasn't Bilic whining the other day that he had no sympathy for Rafa because West Ham's Net spend was less than ours, and just look at that team that turned up at SJP, James f***ing Collins at CB, that's tragic. Not sure they've backed Bilic at all this summer although unlike Rafa that's probably a wise move.

 

Bilic isn't going to blame himself is he, nor is he right about the net spend. There was a table a few pages back.

 

James Collins, agreed. They also turned up with Hernandez, Zabaleta, Hart, and without a suspended Arnautovic too.

 

Zabaleta and Hart are long past their sell by dates, thought they were both extremely poor at SJP. Arnautovic is average at best and as much of a live wire as Shelvey or Mitro. Hernandez is their best singing of the summer but is only useful to you inside the penalty area (heard a startling fact during the commentary on Saturday, that all his PL goals have come inside the penalty area), he's Gayle like in his contribution to the build up play, they are struggling to get the ball in the box, so could be argued that he's not going to be a great fit there.

 

This is all irrelevant, man. The point is about backing managers and Rafa would have his own signings.

 

Hey I agree he will go when a club come along that look like they know what they are doing, West Ham though are not that club. Money talks though, if they pay up the break clause and offer Rafa a salary equal to one he's on here, you would be crazy not to worry that he will take it but it's not because West Ham are better run than us because they are not, those two jokers don't have the wealth of Ashley either, so he'll be working under the same restrictions of spending what the club makes. It'll be either a choice between the "grass is greener" or "better the devil you know for him". That's why he may very well decide to sit it out and wait for a better situation to open up, he can surely pick and chose his options.

[midds]

Rafa keeping this squad up would be a better achievement than promoting us last season.

 

Not that I'm sure he'll be around to see it through like...

[Guest firetotheworks]

Agree to disagree.

[xLiaaamx]

Not sure Gold and Sullivan will ever let the manager completely decide who he gets. Love their mercenaries them two.

[Wallace]

Not sure Gold and Sullivan will ever let the manager completely decide who he gets. Love their mercenaries them two.

 

They are very close to an agent or two which influences a lot of their buys and a lot of the players are bought by Sullivan rather than the manager.

[afar]

Rafa keeping this squad up would be a better achievement than promoting us last season.

 

Not that I'm sure he'll be around to see it through like...

 

Yeah that's not true like, there's a lot of dross at the bottom of the PL. Getting up was a major achievement that had the potential to be career threatening for Rafa, he was expected to get us up, now he's working under an owner that has not backed him, a lot less pressure on him and a lot easier to play the style of counter attacking football he likes.

[midds]

Rafa keeping this squad up would be a better achievement than promoting us last season.

 

Not that I'm sure he'll be around to see it through like...

 

Yeah that's not true like, there's a lot of dross at the bottom of the PL. Getting up was a major achievement that had the potential to be career threatening for Rafa, he was expected to get us up, now he's working under an owner that has not backed him, a lot less pressure on him and a lot easier to play the style of counter attacking football he likes.

 

We'll see.

[Happinesstan]

Rafa keeping this squad up would be a better achievement than promoting us last season.

 

Not that I'm sure he'll be around to see it through like...

 

Yeah that's not true like, there's a lot of dross at the bottom of the PL. Getting up was a major achievement that had the potential to be career threatening for Rafa, he was expected to get us up, now he's working under an owner that has not backed him, a lot less pressure on him and a lot easier to play the style of counter attacking football he likes.

 

Ah. All a cunning plan to reduce the pressure on Rafa, so he can go on and do a Ranieri.

 

I like it. And it might work.

[mozy]

I still think Rafa will keep this squad up with his eyes closed, however we will always think what could have been if Ashley and chums actually cared about the club.

[Chris Banaloona]

The only movement in or out on transfer deadline day saw two loan moves for players who had been told they had no future at the club:

 

Tim Krul - a season-long loan move to Brighton.

 

Achraf Lazaar - a season-long loan move to Italians Benevento.

 

That'll help our bid to avoid relegation....

 

A year ago today we were congratulating everyone involved for the completion of 45 deals (including five contract extensions) that set up what ultimately proved to be a successful promotion campaign.

 

But this Summer's transfer window couldn't be more different.

 

It has been a complete shambles and everyone associated with the club: the owner, management, agents and players have all contributed to an incredible lack of professionalism even for this club. 

 

It can hang its head in shame as a dispirited squad now faces a season of struggle.

 

This looks like a re-run of Summer 2012 when we only brought in Vurnon Anita and then had to panic buy when we got to January in 15th.

 

Sadly the world - and the Premier League - has moved on and we won't be so fortunate this time round.

 

These penny pinchers are gambling with our future yet again - Premier League survival on a shoestring - having twice come a cropper and sailed close to the wind on a few other occasions.

 

But we can't absolve Rafa Benitez from some of the blame as a lot of his signings needed to be unloaded and disgruntled and mismanaged players still remain at the club.

 

To be without a first team left back until January and to offload an international goalkeeper without a replacement is something that few of us expected from this regime.

 

Whatever positivity was at the club in May after winning the Championship, it has dissipated in just three months. That seemed unthinkable.

 

What an irony that Benitez returned from a prestigious UEFA coaching forum to try and manage a club with absolutely no ambition and run like a pub side....

 

If anyone mentions the word hindsight in May 2018 should disaster strike again then we will not be responsible for our actions. It will have been totally predictable and preventable.

 

The transfer window closed at 11pm on Thursday, here's a recap of what Toon-related business had been completed before then:

 

Inbound:

Christian Atsu bought

Florian Lejeune bought

Jacob Murphy bought

Javier Manquillo bought

Mikel Merino loaned (with option to buy)

Joselu bought

 

Outbound:

Vurnon Anita released

Sammy Ameobi released

Yoan Gouffran released

Haris Vuckic released

Lubo Satka released

Florian Thauvin sold

Kevin Mbabu sold

Matz Sels  loaned

Adam Armstrong loaned

Daryl Murphy sold

Ivan Toney loaned

Emmanuel Riviere released

Siem De Jong sold

Grant Hanley sold

Achraf Lazaar loaned

Tim Krul loaned

 

This needs highlighting more.

[Rich]

[afar]

Rafa keeping this squad up would be a better achievement than promoting us last season.

 

Not that I'm sure he'll be around to see it through like...

 

Yeah that's not true like, there's a lot of dross at the bottom of the PL. Getting up was a major achievement that had the potential to be career threatening for Rafa, he was expected to get us up, now he's working under an owner that has not backed him, a lot less pressure on him and a lot easier to play the style of counter attacking football he likes.

 

We'll see.

 

What is there to see ? You are totally under playing the fabulous effort it was to get us up last year, Rafa took a huge personal gamble, had he failed his career would have gone Moyes like. The bulk of the clubs at the bottom of the PL are not that much better than those at the top of  Champ, get 40 - 50 points to get safe is not that much more difficult than having to slog through the 46 game Champ season, when every week the other team has their cup final, with Jack Colback and Yoann Gouffran in your team.