Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[afar]

That is hilarious, thanks.

[GavMcEl]

Pleased to say that my embarrassment at the thread's creation was entirely wrong and that my disdain for his (to an extent) huff and puff Liverpool team completely changed when he was put in charge of us. Absolutely love the man, as the majority of us do. Absolute hero for us as a manager, the graft he puts in, the way he just 'gets it' when it comes to the fans, the off the field work he does, and of course his honesty with the fans regarding the behind the scenes liars. He's the dude.

100%this ... for making  me  care , and for rekindling my love with this football  club and with the game of football  again I will  always  be grateful... I love  the man in all honesty

[Sima]

Back in graft today.

 

 

[Charlies]

Back in graft today.

 

 

 

[HaydnNUFC]

Have we ever been as solid defensively as we have under Rafa? My dad thinks this is the strongest he's seen a Newcastle team defensively, so well organised and drilled, and he's been going since the 70s.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Honestly never been clearer how important a manager is. It's insane how organised we've become, with quite a lot of average players.

 

Just love the man and hope some of the new money is released to him, losing him would be an absolute tragedy for the cloob.

[Guest]

Honestly never been clearer how important a manager is. It's insane how organised we've become, with quite a lot of average players.

 

Just love the man and hope some of the new money is released to him, losing him would be an absolute tragedy for the cloob.

 

Something I'd mentioned last season. When some people were asking 4-4-2 and more exciting football, it was like an apprenticeship for the Premier League. Every single player knows his role because it's been drilled into them for 15 months.

[hakka]

Honestly never been clearer how important a manager is. It's insane how organised we've become, with quite a lot of average players.

 

Just love the man and hope some of the new money is released to him, losing him would be an absolute tragedy for the cloob.

 

I'm hoping Ashley is taking note. A managers costs for him and his team are peanuts compared to the mega bucks top players cost, but the impact of a highly competent manager and coach on a group of players over time is phenomenal.

[Minhosa]

Have we ever been as solid defensively as we have under Rafa? My dad thinks this is the strongest he's seen a Newcastle team defensively, so well organised and drilled, and he's been going since the 70s.

 

I've been going since just before KK and I can't remember a better drilled side. I rarely worry about set pieces now either.

 

I'd have been shitting myself about those late corners Swansea had with any other previous manager.

[nufc4eva]

From Pardew and Mcclaren to Rafa :-) - Those 2 tried to implement a system and talked shit / looked retarded whereas Rafa just get's to work and takes it in his stride. Actually knowing how to coach and how tactical systems can be implemented helps of course.

 

Pardew just wanting big people to lump ball and call it front foot attacking - CUNT

 

While I love all out attacking and beautiful play, I love how good we are defensively, well organised, compact and press as a team these days. It's quite refreshing and is developing a solid base. I wonder which fuck nugget will come in and destroy it next

[Chicane]

Who do you guys think did more damage, Pardew or McClaren? I mean, I despise Pardew far more, that's not even debatable. His years were harder to bear, but I think you could argue Schteve set us back more. He did essentially relegate us and spent all that money (that was not available to Rafa subsequently). I guess it's maybe harsh to blame the signings on him, who knows how much say he really had, but hell, he was part of that stupid 'board' they concocted with Carr and the others.

 

Can't help but wonder how things would've been if Rafa had taken over instead of McClaren (not possible I know, since he was at Madrid, but hypothetically) and got all that money to spend instead.

[mrmojorisin75]

Who do you guys think did more damage, Pardew or McClaren? I mean, I despise Pardew far more, that's not even debatable. His years were harder to bear, but I think you could argue Schteve set us back more. He did essentially relegate us and spent all that money (that was not available to Rafa subsequently). I guess it's maybe harsh to blame the signings on him, who knows how much say he really had, but hell, he was part of that stupid 'board' they concocted with Carr and the others.

 

Can't help but wonder how things would've been if Rafa had taken over instead of McClaren (not possible I know, since he was at Madrid, but hypothetically) and got all that money to spend instead.

Pardew. Ashley is the original monkey with aids but Pardew is the monkey he gave it to that went as fucked a load of other monkeys. Or something.

[Guest]

Who do you guys think did more damage, Pardew or McClaren? I mean, I despise Pardew far more, that's not even debatable. His years were harder to bear, but I think you could argue Schteve set us back more. He did essentially relegate us and spent all that money (that was not available to Rafa subsequently). I guess it's maybe harsh to blame the signings on him, who knows how much say he really had, but hell, he was part of that stupid 'board' they concocted with Carr and the others.

 

Can't help but wonder how things would've been if Rafa had taken over instead of McClaren (not possible I know, since he was at Madrid, but hypothetically) and got all that money to spend instead.

 

Pardew by far. McClaren's guilty of not being good enough to turn around the s*** left by him. There were at least signs (Southampton in his first game) where he was at least attempting to play a more expansive game.

[TRon]

Honestly never been clearer how important a manager is. It's insane how organised we've become, with quite a lot of average players.

 

Just love the man and hope some of the new money is released to him, losing him would be an absolute tragedy for the cloob.

 

Something I'd mentioned last season. When some people were asking 4-4-2 and more exciting football, it was like an apprenticeship for the Premier League. Every single player knows his role because it's been drilled into them for 15 months.

 

What is more frustrating is that if you had some genuine class up front it would transform the team. Joselu and Perez have had their moments, but imagine the same formation with £30m forwards up front.

[Yorkie]

Pardew's legacy still remains here as far as I'm concerned. He was the one who convinced Ashley that it wasn't worth competing. Yes, it's never been the fat man's mission to compete, but he was still tempted by the notion back before Pardew sent us careering into a relegation battle - citing our existence in the Europa League as the reason. Which was of course bullshit. Pardew let Ashley cement the 'do the bare minimum for the minimum price' philosophy that still remains today.

 

McClaren was just a rubbish manager.

[HaydnNUFC]

The Europa League games were the only decent thing of that 2012/13 season. Love European nights.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Have we ever been as solid defensively as we have under Rafa? My dad thinks this is the strongest he's seen a Newcastle team defensively, so well organised and drilled, and he's been going since the 70s.

 

We were very solid under KK, especially given the myth that we would concede loads of goals and given just how attacking his team was. We were also very solid under Sir Bobby during the season we finished 5th, we actually had a very good away record, but we would draw too many games that year.

 

We are probably better drilled tactically under Rafa than at any point since I've been supporting us. Now just imagine a team of top top players and what he could do with that. His CV alone basically tells you what can be done...

 

But Mike knows best eh... fat cunt he is!

[Guest Howaythetoon]

McClaren was pretty much on a hiding to nothing. He lacked the charisma, leadership etc.to turn Pardew's Newcastle into anything other than what it was under the fraudster, a relegation side. We were well on course to be relegated full stop. He was just the unlucky sap to be in the dugout while it manifested for real. Rafa couldn't save us, although had he had an extra few games I'm in no doubt he would have kept us up as that's the calibre of the man. He will keep this side up no doubt. Remember it took KK months to turn Big Sam's side into something that wasn't cannon fodder too. Pardew is the worst manager we have ever had, even worse than Kinnear. At leas he fucking went into games wanting to win the mad bastard. Pardew thought we couldnt compete with Swansea and lets not forget all them defeats to the mackems under the cunt... worst time alive for me supporting NUFC. It says something when you want your team to lose under that fucker.

[Andy84]

Have we ever been as solid defensively as we have under Rafa? My dad thinks this is the strongest he's seen a Newcastle team defensively, so well organised and drilled, and he's been going since the 70s.

 

We were very solid under KK, especially given the myth that we would concede loads of goals and given just how attacking his team was. We were also very solid under Sir Bobby during the season we finished 5th, we actually had a very good away record, but we would draw too many games that year.

 

We are probably better drilled tactically under Rafa than at any point since I've been supporting us. Now just imagine a team of top top players and what he could do with that. His CV alone basically tells you what can be done...

 

But Mike knows best eh... fat c*** he is!

 

This. Our organisation is great but having top class or even just better players in those key forward positions could potentially make us lethal.

 

Likely his last thread before a PFM takes the reigns to sort us out

 

[Dave]

Pardew's legacy still remains here as far as I'm concerned. He was the one who convinced Ashley that it wasn't worth competing. Yes, it's never been the fat man's mission to compete, but he was still tempted by the notion back before Pardew sent us careering into a relegation battle - citing our existence in the Europa League as the reason. Which was of course bullshit. Pardew let Ashley cement the 'do the bare minimum for the minimum price' philosophy that still remains today.

 

McClaren was just a rubbish manager.

 

[Guest firetotheworks]

McLaren had a much worse squad than the one Pardew had as well. I didn't mind McClaren as much because I associated him with not being Pardew.

 

It was also much more obvious that he'd get sacked.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

McLaren had a much worse squad than the one Pardew had as well. I didn't mind McClaren as much because I associated him with not being Pardew.

 

It was also much more obvious that he'd get sacked.

 

Just way out of his depth. Pardew as shit as he is, could wing some of it, McClaren simply couldn't manage this club. Too nice, too naive and too shit. The players we signed under him were a mismatch as well and not what the team needed.

[Skeletor]

McLaren had a much worse squad than the one Pardew had as well. I didn't mind McClaren as much because I associated him with not being Pardew.

 

It was also much more obvious that he'd get sacked.

 

Aye. McClaren didn't have that "I'm here forever" stink.

[Guest firetotheworks]

And that's obviously before getting onto the off field side of things. McClaren wasn't a massive scumbag, slime ball, piece of shit con man who was happy to have a man's cancer used as a method of undermining protests against him, only to tell the same man who'd just recovered to find a new club when he returned.

 

Where Ashley was concerned I think Greg said it best when he said he runs with the fox and chases with the hound, it perfectly sums him up.

 

 

[Guest firetotheworks]

Anyway, Rafa.