Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[Guest firetotheworks]

Trousers?

Tahps

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Rafa’s Velencia were playing Ticki-Taka type football well before Pep was doing it at Barcelona, his side were known to pass the ball to death and a coin of phrase “death by possession” was how his tactics were referred to by some of the English media when Liverpool faced his Valencia who won 3-0 on aggregate over both leg. Something which made many inside Mellwood envious if their style of play and no doubt Rafa attractive to them as a future manager. They were by no means an attacking team, but they played some lovely football and Liverpool in both those legs were outclassed. That’s what gets me about Rafa because for him his whole ethos was centred around possession. By keeping the ball, tiring the opposition out and striking when an opportunity raised or by striking that clinical killer blow finishing a move off he made his Valencia side hard to beat and even tougher to overcome when a goal down. They would dominate possession Valencia.

 

He obviously had to change his tactics and how his team played when he joined Liveroool and at first I think he struggled and I remember him being critical of the long ball and speed in which possession would turn over in a game even between a top team against a smaller team when he first arrived, that and the physical element. He was in particular opposed to Allardyce’s methods and Moyes’ at Bolton and Everton respectively.

 

That didn’t endear him to the zenophobic media at the time many of whom still remain today always quick to criticise Rafa and even many inside and outside of Mellwood with Red ties were not happy with him, people who wanted the club to go English or British. I remember Martin O’Niel was often linked with the Liverpool job and a fave among former players and the media. Harry Redknapp as well with his son as number 2. Imagine that... if they thought Woy was bad!

 

Rafa more often than not come out on top against Everton and Bolton though because he learned - while watching how his predecessor at Valencia Hector Cúper dealt with the high pressing, fast paced, direct and physical Leeds in a Champions League Semi-Final - that possession in such games is going to be difficult, so soaking up pressure and letting the opposition run out of steam before executing counters or by being fitter towards the final 20 minutes and superior quality, would tell, and it did.

 

He learned quickly and in Europe especially hence his success with Liverpool and then Chelsea, he learned that a mixture of good old Italian defensive tactics, clever possession and good old fashioned English spirit, team-work, never say die attitude and pressing, when combined could oversee even the best, especially in a one off game.

 

Liverpool had a ridiculous record in Europe under him and looking at his record, so does Rafa himself as a manager.

 

It took a Torres though to transform Liverpool into a more cultured and attacking force to elevate them into a genuine title challenger and because they had the defence, the power in midfield and a finisher, they could play all kinds of styles and cause all kinds of problems to win a league over 38 games where it requires all kinds of things to go the distance. 1-0 win? No problem. 5-0 thrashing? No problem. Coming back from losing? No Problem. They were very close, as close to we were when we lost out in 95-96 and they scored more goals than we did.

 

They were not anywhere near as aesthetically pleasing in the way Keegan’s Newcastle were, or Pep’s Man City, Klopp’s Liverpool or vintage Man Utd under Fergie and of course Wenger’s Arsenal, but like Spurs today they were probably the best all-round team that year and certainly the best coached team, but probably too well coached. They were a formidable team though with very few weaknesses.

 

That 5-1 at St. James’ Park was as dominant a display as I’ve seen from a visiting team, they were rampant that day and non stop. Men against boys and although we were poor and on our way to a relegation, they were immense. I was disappointed with their fans that day and I’m not one of those that hate them, they have a very good fan base in general, but the biggest cheers went out to our consolation goal and Gerrard’s recognition for his performance from the SJP faithful.

 

I’m sure Rafa like KK back in ‘74 at Wembley against the same opposition, looked around and thought bloody hell we have scored 5 goals and but for Shay could have had 10 and they are supporting their team more than LFC fans are supporting this emphatic victory. I’m sure it left a huge impression on him and that takes me to his time here.

 

As disappointed as I’ve been with many of our performance and believe we can play much better and that Rafa is more than skilled enough to find another way to beat the opposition, one of the things that drew me to him as a future NUFC manager while at Valencia was learning he had a dossier or factfile on every team in professional football that he would always add to, same with players.

 

He’s already stated it’s about the culture of a club as much as anything that attracts him or gives him something to work on. At Liverpool it was escorting their reputation in the CL which he with his Valencia side not long before he took over at Anfield dismissed as boys against men in a 3-0 aggregate score over 2 legs as touched on, that and ending their long await for a league title. He embraced the connection between the club and fans and made it stronger and made it about them, the team and their club and to hell with anyone else or any doubters.

 

At Chelsea he knew the culture there which was about churning out silverware so that’s what he did, he won silverware knowing it wouldn’t keep him in a job or win over fans, but it would continue the culture of the club and keep his own reputation intact.

 

Newcastle’s culture? He wouldn’t need his no doubt thick dossier he has on our club to understand what we are all about or have become. A club whose defence and soft underbelly has always been its Achilles heel even when we’ve had good players and good teams. A culture of so near yet so far and a culture of a club whose fans need to be connected with their team and players more than most. That and we are a sleeping giant. That’s why he come here, to tackle all that, challenge that, embrace it and add his own magic to the mix to first fix and then take forward so that when people look back at Rafa’s NUFC it reflects his own career and reputation.

 

I get the defensive stuff, the negative or cautious tactics because he’s not negative as he wants to win every game and believes we can even against someone like City.

 

He needs serious backing though if he is to change the culture and create his own legacy and that’s the most frustrating and tragic thing right now because he is capable.

 

I may get laughed at or challenged on this, but if he was in charge of any of the ‘challengers’ last year be it Arsenal or Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs I guarantee with those players or rather those kind of resources, backing and ambition at those clubs a Rafa Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs or Arsenal would not have been so far behind City as they all were come the end of last season.

 

And I’d say that about most of them this season with the exception of Liverpool who I think will be much closer this season because they are are so far ahead the rest and almost equal in an attacking sense to City. They now also have the right kind of balance in defence and midfield too. I still think it will go to City again though because a few Liverpool defeats will have everyone saying that’s it, they will soon fall behind and the minute they do that pressure and knowledge their opponent is the best they could derail massively. I hope they don’t because I love Klopp, prefer his style of football and want to see Man City and Pep challenged, or at least enough to make it a fair race.

 

That’s what Rafa did at Valencia and especially at Newcastle last season, finishing an amazing 10th. The football was often dire and it seemed like it all hinges on a few key wins against your Man Utd’s or West Ham away which it did, but we survived because of Rafa. We went up because of Rafa and we will probably stay up again because of Rafa.

 

And then what? I think he would accept a compromise and I think Ashley would do, kind of a peace deal, but when I look back to 2004 when Liverpool appointed Rafa and we appointed Souness, despite champion Hitzfeld (laughs) I knew he was a special one who could if backed and allowed to build a good team would be a huge success here.

 

I feel his success at Newcastle when the dust has long settled and he is long gone will be thought of in the form of a firefighter putting out flames while others at clubs like Liverpool and Valencia get to cherish the real Rafa and what he’s all about.

 

Typical fucking Newcastle eh! We break the world transfer record on the then best centre-forward in world-football and a few months later KK quits, he gets seriously injured and ends up number 9 in a shit team under several shit managers and when he has players finally good enough around him his prowess are on the wane and it’s all too fleeting.

 

We get Rafa and our owner happens to be Mike Ashley, one of the wealthiest men in the country and we the guy that wears Shearer’s shirt is here in loan from relegated WBA who we only got by sending our number 9 to them who we got from the then Alan Pardew’s Palace reserves.

 

It’s not fair really and it’s not fair on Rafa sticking around, or us. It’s the hope that kills you. With Pardew there was none. With Ashley there is none. But Rafa is fucking Rafa and as he did last season can perform miracles. Just keeping us up though is not my kind of Newcastle United nor my kind of Rafa.

 

January will be interesting...

 

 

[Guest chopey]

It will be interesting to find out who our next manager is going to be

[Guest neesy111]

It will be interesting to find out who our next manager is going to be

 

http://ffcw001.azureedge.net/-/media/staff/curbs-profile.jpg?w=300&h=400

[AsprillasShinPad]

It will be interesting to find out who our next manager is going to be

 

This megacunt for maximum punishment factor:

 

[CPL]

Rafa’s Velencia were playing Ticki-Taka type football well before Pep was doing it at Barcelona, his side were known to pass the ball to death and a coin of phrase “death by possession” was how his tactics were referred to by some of the English media when Liverpool faced his Valencia who won 3-0 on aggregate over both leg. Something which made many inside Mellwood envious if their style of play and no doubt Rafa attractive to them as a future manager. They were by no means an attacking team, but they played some lovely football and Liverpool in both those legs were outclassed. That’s what gets me about Rafa because for him his whole ethos was centred around possession. By keeping the ball, tiring the opposition out and striking when an opportunity raised or by striking that clinical killer blow finishing a move off he made his Valencia side hard to beat and even tougher to overcome when a goal down. They would dominate possession Valencia.

 

He obviously had to change his tactics and how his team played when he joined Liveroool and at first I think he struggled and I remember him being critical of the long ball and speed in which possession would turn over in a game even between a top team against a smaller team when he first arrived, that and the physical element. He was in particular opposed to Allardyce’s methods and Moyes’ at Bolton and Everton respectively.

 

That didn’t endear him to the zenophobic media at the time many of whom still remain today always quick to criticise Rafa and even many inside and outside of Mellwood with Red ties were not happy with him, people who wanted the club to go English or British. I remember Martin O’Niel was often linked with the Liverpool job and a fave among former players and the media. Harry Redknapp as well with his son as number 2. Imagine that... if they thought Woy was bad!

 

Rafa more often than not come out on top against Everton and Bolton though because he learned - while watching how his predecessor at Valencia Hector Cúper dealt with the high pressing, fast paced, direct and physical Leeds in a Champions League Semi-Final - that possession in such games is going to be difficult, so soaking up pressure and letting the opposition run out of steam before executing counters or by being fitter towards the final 20 minutes and superior quality, would tell, and it did.

 

He learned quickly and in Europe especially hence his success with Liverpool and then Chelsea, he learned that a mixture of good old Italian defensive tactics, clever possession and good old fashioned English spirit, team-work, never say die attitude and pressing, when combined could oversee even the best, especially in a one off game.

 

Liverpool had a ridiculous record in Europe under him and looking at his record, so does Rafa himself as a manager.

 

It took a Torres though to transform Liverpool into a more cultured and attacking force to elevate them into a genuine title challenger and because they had the defence, the power in midfield and a finisher, they could play all kinds of styles and cause all kinds of problems to win a league over 38 games where it requires all kinds of things to go the distance. 1-0 win? No problem. 5-0 thrashing? No problem. Coming back from losing? No Problem. They were very close, as close to we were when we lost out in 95-96 and they scored more goals than we did.

 

They were not anywhere near as aesthetically pleasing in the way Keegan’s Newcastle were, or Pep’s Man City, Klopp’s Liverpool or vintage Man Utd under Fergie and of course Wenger’s Arsenal, but like Spurs today they were probably the best all-round team that year and certainly the best coached team, but probably too well coached. They were a formidable team though with very few weaknesses.

 

That 5-1 at St. James’ Park was as dominant a display as I’ve seen from a visiting team, they were rampant that day and non stop. Men against boys and although we were poor and on our way to a relegation, they were immense. I was disappointed with their fans that day and I’m not one of those that hate them, they have a very good fan base in general, but the biggest cheers went out to our consolation goal and Gerrard’s recognition for his performance from the SJP faithful.

 

I’m sure Rafa like KK back in ‘74 at Wembley against the same opposition, looked around and thought bloody hell we have scored 5 goals and but for Shay could have had 10 and they are supporting their team more than LFC fans are supporting this emphatic victory. I’m sure it left a huge impression on him and that takes me to his time here.

 

As disappointed as I’ve been with many of our performance and believe we can play much better and that Rafa is more than skilled enough to find another way to beat the opposition, one of the things that drew me to him as a future NUFC manager while at Valencia was learning he had a dossier or factfile on every team in professional football that he would always add to, same with players.

 

He’s already stated it’s about the culture of a club as much as anything that attracts him or gives him something to work on. At Liverpool it was escorting their reputation in the CL which he with his Valencia side not long before he took over at Anfield dismissed as boys against men in a 3-0 aggregate score over 2 legs as touched on, that and ending their long await for a league title. He embraced the connection between the club and fans and made it stronger and made it about them, the team and their club and to hell with anyone else or any doubters.

 

At Chelsea he knew the culture there which was about churning out silverware so that’s what he did, he won silverware knowing it wouldn’t keep him in a job or win over fans, but it would continue the culture of the club and keep his own reputation intact.

 

Newcastle’s culture? He wouldn’t need his no doubt thick dossier he has on our club to understand what we are all about or have become. A club whose defence and soft underbelly has always been its Achilles heel even when we’ve had good players and good teams. A culture of so near yet so far and a culture of a club whose fans need to be connected with their team and players more than most. That and we are a sleeping giant. That’s why he come here, to tackle all that, challenge that, embrace it and add his own magic to the mix to first fix and then take forward so that when people look back at Rafa’s NUFC it reflects his own career and reputation.

 

I get the defensive stuff, the negative or cautious tactics because he’s not negative as he wants to win every game and believes we can even against someone like City.

 

He needs serious backing though if he is to change the culture and create his own legacy and that’s the most frustrating and tragic thing right now because he is capable.

 

I may get laughed at or challenged on this, but if he was in charge of any of the ‘challengers’ last year be it Arsenal or Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs I guarantee with those players or rather those kind of resources, backing and ambition at those clubs a Rafa Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs or Arsenal would not have been so far behind City as they all were come the end of last season.

 

And I’d say that about most of them this season with the exception of Liverpool who I think will be much closer this season because they are are so far ahead the rest and almost equal in an attacking sense to City. They now also have the right kind of balance in defence and midfield too. I still think it will go to City again though because a few Liverpool defeats will have everyone saying that’s it, they will soon fall behind and the minute they do that pressure and knowledge their opponent is the best they could derail massively. I hope they don’t because I love Klopp, prefer his style of football and want to see Man City and Pep challenged, or at least enough to make it a fair race.

 

That’s what Rafa did at Valencia and especially at Newcastle last season, finishing an amazing 10th. The football was often dire and it seemed like it all hinges on a few key wins against your Man Utd’s or West Ham away which it did, but we survived because of Rafa. We went up because of Rafa and we will probably stay up again because of Rafa.

 

And then what? I think he would accept a compromise and I think Ashley would do, kind of a peace deal, but when I look back to 2004 when Liverpool appointed Rafa and we appointed Souness, despite champion Hitzfeld (laughs) I knew he was a special one who could if backed and allowed to build a good team would be a huge success here.

 

I feel his success at Newcastle when the dust has long settled and he is long gone will be thought of in the form of a firefighter putting out flames while others at clubs like Liverpool and Valencia get to cherish the real Rafa and what he’s all about.

 

Typical fucking Newcastle eh! We break the world transfer record on the then best centre-forward in world-football and a few months later KK quits, he gets seriously injured and ends up number 9 in a shit team under several shit managers and when he has players finally good enough around him his prowess are on the wane and it’s all too fleeting.

 

We get Rafa and our owner happens to be Mike Ashley, one of the wealthiest men in the country and we the guy that wears Shearer’s shirt is here in loan from relegated WBA who we only got by sending our number 9 to them who we got from the then Alan Pardew’s Palace reserves.

 

It’s not fair really and it’s not fair on Rafa sticking around, or us. It’s the hope that kills you. With Pardew there was none. With Ashley there is none. But Rafa is fucking Rafa and as he did last season can perform miracles. Just keeping us up though is not my kind of Newcastle United nor my kind of Rafa.

 

January will be interesting...

 

 

 

Wow great post thanks for sharing that. Agree with most of that especially when talking about how he adapts to teams he has managed.

[ToonArmy1892]

Will he get a touchline ban?

[triggs]

Rafa’s Velencia were playing Ticki-Taka type football well before Pep was doing it at Barcelona, his side were known to pass the ball to death and a coin of phrase “death by possession” was how his tactics were referred to by some of the English media when Liverpool faced his Valencia who won 3-0 on aggregate over both leg. Something which made many inside Mellwood envious if their style of play and no doubt Rafa attractive to them as a future manager. They were by no means an attacking team, but they played some lovely football and Liverpool in both those legs were outclassed. That’s what gets me about Rafa because for him his whole ethos was centred around possession. By keeping the ball, tiring the opposition out and striking when an opportunity raised or by striking that clinical killer blow finishing a move off he made his Valencia side hard to beat and even tougher to overcome when a goal down. They would dominate possession Valencia.

 

He obviously had to change his tactics and how his team played when he joined Liveroool and at first I think he struggled and I remember him being critical of the long ball and speed in which possession would turn over in a game even between a top team against a smaller team when he first arrived, that and the physical element. He was in particular opposed to Allardyce’s methods and Moyes’ at Bolton and Everton respectively.

 

That didn’t endear him to the zenophobic media at the time many of whom still remain today always quick to criticise Rafa and even many inside and outside of Mellwood with Red ties were not happy with him, people who wanted the club to go English or British. I remember Martin O’Niel was often linked with the Liverpool job and a fave among former players and the media. Harry Redknapp as well with his son as number 2. Imagine that... if they thought Woy was bad!

 

Rafa more often than not come out on top against Everton and Bolton though because he learned - while watching how his predecessor at Valencia Hector Cúper dealt with the high pressing, fast paced, direct and physical Leeds in a Champions League Semi-Final - that possession in such games is going to be difficult, so soaking up pressure and letting the opposition run out of steam before executing counters or by being fitter towards the final 20 minutes and superior quality, would tell, and it did.

 

He learned quickly and in Europe especially hence his success with Liverpool and then Chelsea, he learned that a mixture of good old Italian defensive tactics, clever possession and good old fashioned English spirit, team-work, never say die attitude and pressing, when combined could oversee even the best, especially in a one off game.

 

Liverpool had a ridiculous record in Europe under him and looking at his record, so does Rafa himself as a manager.

 

It took a Torres though to transform Liverpool into a more cultured and attacking force to elevate them into a genuine title challenger and because they had the defence, the power in midfield and a finisher, they could play all kinds of styles and cause all kinds of problems to win a league over 38 games where it requires all kinds of things to go the distance. 1-0 win? No problem. 5-0 thrashing? No problem. Coming back from losing? No Problem. They were very close, as close to we were when we lost out in 95-96 and they scored more goals than we did.

 

They were not anywhere near as aesthetically pleasing in the way Keegan’s Newcastle were, or Pep’s Man City, Klopp’s Liverpool or vintage Man Utd under Fergie and of course Wenger’s Arsenal, but like Spurs today they were probably the best all-round team that year and certainly the best coached team, but probably too well coached. They were a formidable team though with very few weaknesses.

 

That 5-1 at St. James’ Park was as dominant a display as I’ve seen from a visiting team, they were rampant that day and non stop. Men against boys and although we were poor and on our way to a relegation, they were immense. I was disappointed with their fans that day and I’m not one of those that hate them, they have a very good fan base in general, but the biggest cheers went out to our consolation goal and Gerrard’s recognition for his performance from the SJP faithful.

 

I’m sure Rafa like KK back in ‘74 at Wembley against the same opposition, looked around and thought bloody hell we have scored 5 goals and but for Shay could have had 10 and they are supporting their team more than LFC fans are supporting this emphatic victory. I’m sure it left a huge impression on him and that takes me to his time here.

 

As disappointed as I’ve been with many of our performance and believe we can play much better and that Rafa is more than skilled enough to find another way to beat the opposition, one of the things that drew me to him as a future NUFC manager while at Valencia was learning he had a dossier or factfile on every team in professional football that he would always add to, same with players.

 

He’s already stated it’s about the culture of a club as much as anything that attracts him or gives him something to work on. At Liverpool it was escorting their reputation in the CL which he with his Valencia side not long before he took over at Anfield dismissed as boys against men in a 3-0 aggregate score over 2 legs as touched on, that and ending their long await for a league title. He embraced the connection between the club and fans and made it stronger and made it about them, the team and their club and to hell with anyone else or any doubters.

 

At Chelsea he knew the culture there which was about churning out silverware so that’s what he did, he won silverware knowing it wouldn’t keep him in a job or win over fans, but it would continue the culture of the club and keep his own reputation intact.

 

Newcastle’s culture? He wouldn’t need his no doubt thick dossier he has on our club to understand what we are all about or have become. A club whose defence and soft underbelly has always been its Achilles heel even when we’ve had good players and good teams. A culture of so near yet so far and a culture of a club whose fans need to be connected with their team and players more than most. That and we are a sleeping giant. That’s why he come here, to tackle all that, challenge that, embrace it and add his own magic to the mix to first fix and then take forward so that when people look back at Rafa’s NUFC it reflects his own career and reputation.

 

I get the defensive stuff, the negative or cautious tactics because he’s not negative as he wants to win every game and believes we can even against someone like City.

 

He needs serious backing though if he is to change the culture and create his own legacy and that’s the most frustrating and tragic thing right now because he is capable.

 

I may get laughed at or challenged on this, but if he was in charge of any of the ‘challengers’ last year be it Arsenal or Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs I guarantee with those players or rather those kind of resources, backing and ambition at those clubs a Rafa Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs or Arsenal would not have been so far behind City as they all were come the end of last season.

 

And I’d say that about most of them this season with the exception of Liverpool who I think will be much closer this season because they are are so far ahead the rest and almost equal in an attacking sense to City. They now also have the right kind of balance in defence and midfield too. I still think it will go to City again though because a few Liverpool defeats will have everyone saying that’s it, they will soon fall behind and the minute they do that pressure and knowledge their opponent is the best they could derail massively. I hope they don’t because I love Klopp, prefer his style of football and want to see Man City and Pep challenged, or at least enough to make it a fair race.

 

That’s what Rafa did at Valencia and especially at Newcastle last season, finishing an amazing 10th. The football was often dire and it seemed like it all hinges on a few key wins against your Man Utd’s or West Ham away which it did, but we survived because of Rafa. We went up because of Rafa and we will probably stay up again because of Rafa.

 

And then what? I think he would accept a compromise and I think Ashley would do, kind of a peace deal, but when I look back to 2004 when Liverpool appointed Rafa and we appointed Souness, despite champion Hitzfeld (laughs) I knew he was a special one who could if backed and allowed to build a good team would be a huge success here.

 

I feel his success at Newcastle when the dust has long settled and he is long gone will be thought of in the form of a firefighter putting out flames while others at clubs like Liverpool and Valencia get to cherish the real Rafa and what he’s all about.

 

Typical fucking Newcastle eh! We break the world transfer record on the then best centre-forward in world-football and a few months later KK quits, he gets seriously injured and ends up number 9 in a shit team under several shit managers and when he has players finally good enough around him his prowess are on the wane and it’s all too fleeting.

 

We get Rafa and our owner happens to be Mike Ashley, one of the wealthiest men in the country and we the guy that wears Shearer’s shirt is here in loan from relegated WBA who we only got by sending our number 9 to them who we got from the then Alan Pardew’s Palace reserves.

 

It’s not fair really and it’s not fair on Rafa sticking around, or us. It’s the hope that kills you. With Pardew there was none. With Ashley there is none. But Rafa is fucking Rafa and as he did last season can perform miracles. Just keeping us up though is not my kind of Newcastle United nor my kind of Rafa.

 

January will be interesting...

Jesus Christ HTT doubling down

[wormy]

It will be interesting to find out who our next manager is going to be

 

This megacunt for maximum punishment factor:

 

 

That wig.

[toontownman]

No problems with Rafa getting slapped wrists for what he said. Zaha has to though too. Can't do one but not the other. Such is the F.A.    F.A. Sense

[Guest Howaythetoon]

 

Rafa’s Velencia were playing Ticki-Taka type football well before Pep was doing it at Barcelona, his side were known to pass the ball to death and a coin of phrase “death by possession” was how his tactics were referred to by some of the English media when Liverpool faced his Valencia who won 3-0 on aggregate over both leg. Something which made many inside Mellwood envious if their style of play and no doubt Rafa attractive to them as a future manager. They were by no means an attacking team, but they played some lovely football and Liverpool in both those legs were outclassed. That’s what gets me about Rafa because for him his whole ethos was centred around possession. By keeping the ball, tiring the opposition out and striking when an opportunity raised or by striking that clinical killer blow finishing a move off he made his Valencia side hard to beat and even tougher to overcome when a goal down. They would dominate possession Valencia.

 

He obviously had to change his tactics and how his team played when he joined Liveroool and at first I think he struggled and I remember him being critical of the long ball and speed in which possession would turn over in a game even between a top team against a smaller team when he first arrived, that and the physical element. He was in particular opposed to Allardyce’s methods and Moyes’ at Bolton and Everton respectively.

 

That didn’t endear him to the zenophobic media at the time many of whom still remain today always quick to criticise Rafa and even many inside and outside of Mellwood with Red ties were not happy with him, people who wanted the club to go English or British. I remember Martin O’Niel was often linked with the Liverpool job and a fave among former players and the media. Harry Redknapp as well with his son as number 2. Imagine that... if they thought Woy was bad!

 

Rafa more often than not come out on top against Everton and Bolton though because he learned - while watching how his predecessor at Valencia Hector Cúper dealt with the high pressing, fast paced, direct and physical Leeds in a Champions League Semi-Final - that possession in such games is going to be difficult, so soaking up pressure and letting the opposition run out of steam before executing counters or by being fitter towards the final 20 minutes and superior quality, would tell, and it did.

 

He learned quickly and in Europe especially hence his success with Liverpool and then Chelsea, he learned that a mixture of good old Italian defensive tactics, clever possession and good old fashioned English spirit, team-work, never say die attitude and pressing, when combined could oversee even the best, especially in a one off game.

 

Liverpool had a ridiculous record in Europe under him and looking at his record, so does Rafa himself as a manager.

 

It took a Torres though to transform Liverpool into a more cultured and attacking force to elevate them into a genuine title challenger and because they had the defence, the power in midfield and a finisher, they could play all kinds of styles and cause all kinds of problems to win a league over 38 games where it requires all kinds of things to go the distance. 1-0 win? No problem. 5-0 thrashing? No problem. Coming back from losing? No Problem. They were very close, as close to we were when we lost out in 95-96 and they scored more goals than we did.

 

They were not anywhere near as aesthetically pleasing in the way Keegan’s Newcastle were, or Pep’s Man City, Klopp’s Liverpool or vintage Man Utd under Fergie and of course Wenger’s Arsenal, but like Spurs today they were probably the best all-round team that year and certainly the best coached team, but probably too well coached. They were a formidable team though with very few weaknesses.

 

That 5-1 at St. James’ Park was as dominant a display as I’ve seen from a visiting team, they were rampant that day and non stop. Men against boys and although we were poor and on our way to a relegation, they were immense. I was disappointed with their fans that day and I’m not one of those that hate them, they have a very good fan base in general, but the biggest cheers went out to our consolation goal and Gerrard’s recognition for his performance from the SJP faithful.

 

I’m sure Rafa like KK back in ‘74 at Wembley against the same opposition, looked around and thought bloody hell we have scored 5 goals and but for Shay could have had 10 and they are supporting their team more than LFC fans are supporting this emphatic victory. I’m sure it left a huge impression on him and that takes me to his time here.

 

As disappointed as I’ve been with many of our performance and believe we can play much better and that Rafa is more than skilled enough to find another way to beat the opposition, one of the things that drew me to him as a future NUFC manager while at Valencia was learning he had a dossier or factfile on every team in professional football that he would always add to, same with players.

 

He’s already stated it’s about the culture of a club as much as anything that attracts him or gives him something to work on. At Liverpool it was escorting their reputation in the CL which he with his Valencia side not long before he took over at Anfield dismissed as boys against men in a 3-0 aggregate score over 2 legs as touched on, that and ending their long await for a league title. He embraced the connection between the club and fans and made it stronger and made it about them, the team and their club and to hell with anyone else or any doubters.

 

At Chelsea he knew the culture there which was about churning out silverware so that’s what he did, he won silverware knowing it wouldn’t keep him in a job or win over fans, but it would continue the culture of the club and keep his own reputation intact.

 

Newcastle’s culture? He wouldn’t need his no doubt thick dossier he has on our club to understand what we are all about or have become. A club whose defence and soft underbelly has always been its Achilles heel even when we’ve had good players and good teams. A culture of so near yet so far and a culture of a club whose fans need to be connected with their team and players more than most. That and we are a sleeping giant. That’s why he come here, to tackle all that, challenge that, embrace it and add his own magic to the mix to first fix and then take forward so that when people look back at Rafa’s NUFC it reflects his own career and reputation.

 

I get the defensive stuff, the negative or cautious tactics because he’s not negative as he wants to win every game and believes we can even against someone like City.

 

He needs serious backing though if he is to change the culture and create his own legacy and that’s the most frustrating and tragic thing right now because he is capable.

 

I may get laughed at or challenged on this, but if he was in charge of any of the ‘challengers’ last year be it Arsenal or Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs I guarantee with those players or rather those kind of resources, backing and ambition at those clubs a Rafa Liverpool or Man Utd or Spurs or Arsenal would not have been so far behind City as they all were come the end of last season.

 

And I’d say that about most of them this season with the exception of Liverpool who I think will be much closer this season because they are are so far ahead the rest and almost equal in an attacking sense to City. They now also have the right kind of balance in defence and midfield too. I still think it will go to City again though because a few Liverpool defeats will have everyone saying that’s it, they will soon fall behind and the minute they do that pressure and knowledge their opponent is the best they could derail massively. I hope they don’t because I love Klopp, prefer his style of football and want to see Man City and Pep challenged, or at least enough to make it a fair race.

 

That’s what Rafa did at Valencia and especially at Newcastle last season, finishing an amazing 10th. The football was often dire and it seemed like it all hinges on a few key wins against your Man Utd’s or West Ham away which it did, but we survived because of Rafa. We went up because of Rafa and we will probably stay up again because of Rafa.

 

And then what? I think he would accept a compromise and I think Ashley would do, kind of a peace deal, but when I look back to 2004 when Liverpool appointed Rafa and we appointed Souness, despite champion Hitzfeld (laughs) I knew he was a special one who could if backed and allowed to build a good team would be a huge success here.

 

I feel his success at Newcastle when the dust has long settled and he is long gone will be thought of in the form of a firefighter putting out flames while others at clubs like Liverpool and Valencia get to cherish the real Rafa and what he’s all about.

 

Typical fucking Newcastle eh! We break the world transfer record on the then best centre-forward in world-football and a few months later KK quits, he gets seriously injured and ends up number 9 in a shit team under several shit managers and when he has players finally good enough around him his prowess are on the wane and it’s all too fleeting.

 

We get Rafa and our owner happens to be Mike Ashley, one of the wealthiest men in the country and we the guy that wears Shearer’s shirt is here in loan from relegated WBA who we only got by sending our number 9 to them who we got from the then Alan Pardew’s Palace reserves.

 

It’s not fair really and it’s not fair on Rafa sticking around, or us. It’s the hope that kills you. With Pardew there was none. With Ashley there is none. But Rafa is fucking Rafa and as he did last season can perform miracles. Just keeping us up though is not my kind of Newcastle United nor my kind of Rafa.

 

January will be interesting...

 

Jesus Christ HTT doubling down

 

Just warming up man

[andyman]

I love your posts, HTT

[Dinho lad]

So Rafa is getting punished because he actually named the referee in question, which is prohibited by FA rules.

 

Cunts will always be cunts.

[joeyt]

I imagine it was because he said Marriner's record is poor for us regarding red cards rather than just naming him

[sbnufc]

[Dinho lad]

I imagine it was because he said Marriner's record is poor for us regarding red cards rather than just naming him

 

Benitez said: “I have a lot of confidence in Andre Marriner. He has a lot of experience, even if his record with our players is not the best in terms of red cards.”

 

The FA warned managers before the season started that they were not to name check referees and even though Benitez’s comments appear innocuous they have led to a charge.

[TRon]

Dyer, Robert and Ba is an interesting threesome to name in that context

 

Why? When I gave them as examples of an out ball to release the pressure with the first two they could carry the ball upfield, with Ba you could aim for him with the longer ball.

[sempuki]

It will be interesting to find out who our next manager is going to be

 

This megacunt for maximum punishment factor:

 

Thought that was Hitler for a second.

[joeyt]

Wise was worse than Hitler

[Tooj]

My mate won a competition to be in the first team's official photo at the training ground this morning.

 

Said Rafa had a 5 minute chat with him in the middle of the training pitch and stopped everything for him. No surprise but what a gentleman he is man, we're so lucky to have him.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He's unbelievable

[Rich]

Enjoy him while you can folks.

[HaydnNUFC]

http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/in/news/rafa-benitez-the-fans-favourite/3672

[Paully]

[Shearergol]

 

Bet he’d love xisco back like.