Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I’d probably be happy with Rafa as manager for a while like, given he’s saved us through utter shit. I mean, if Pep is available then fair enough.

[HaydnNUFC]

Rafa is the best man for Newcastle United, Ashley or no Ashley. In terms of what he's already done for the club, connection to the fans, city and club's culture as well as being able to build for the future under a new owner there's no one better who we could attract. The football will get better with more investment in the squad and a better quality of player being brought in; making the 'blanket' Rafa refers to a bit longer. There's no one else who I'd like either other than, say, Guardiola or Allegri. And they wouldn't come here even in the couple years after a hypothetical takeover and build.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

[KaKa]

I like Rafa as a person. He says the right things and raelly cares for the fans and the club. He is a great proffessional and got bags of experience.

 

But the football we play under him is so boring to watch. I know he has never got the players he wanted and never been backed by Ashley(and never will). But I'm not sure the football won't be much funnier to watch even if he gets better players, although we may get more points.

 

If we ever get new owners(wich I think will happen at least untill the summer) I'm starting to think it would be good with a new manager at the same time. A new voice for the players and a manager who wants to play some offensive football for once.

 

Like I said, still likes Rafa and not sure on this. Maybe we could play another football with Rafa if he get the players he wants but I'm not sure. Think he has his way of playing the game and it's very defensive minded. Not sure that is what I want to see in the long run if we get new owners with a little bit of ambition.

 

Thoughts?

 

But think of it this way, did you find his Liverpool teams to be boring?

 

I think Rafa is just setting us up to get results with what is clearly a really limited set of players.

 

If this team is setup as a more attacking team we'd end up like Fulham currently are at the bottom only far worse.

 

 

[SteveMc]

There’s no one else I’d rather have full stop

[Guest neesy111]

Lost rolls of the dice imo by Rafa, he clearly wants to stay but is fed up with Ashley.  Wasn't there transfer meetings last week between him and Charnley?  Tells me they didn't go well.

[KaKa]

He's also made it clear in those quotes that he has done his bit, and both he and the scouts have identified targets and have handed them over to Charnley and Mike.

 

He's just letting us know it's all down to the powers that be so to speak.

[Gallowgate End]

If this team is setup as a more attacking team we'd end up like Fulham currently are at the bottom only far worse.

 

Yep.

The only time this season Rafa decided to go hit for hit with a team after going on a really solid run in a defensive 3-4-2-1 was West Ham at home and they absolutely ripped us to shreds in our biggest loss of the season.

Pellegrini absolutely loved that we went hit for hit with them he said it could have been 6 or 7.

Some fans deserve a Jokanovic honestly

[Darth Crooks]

Lost rolls of the dice imo by Rafa, he clearly wants to stay but is fed up with Ashley.  Wasn't there transfer meetings last week between him and Charnley?  Tells me they didn't go well.

 

He might as well have met with a rolled towel in a surgical glove with glasses drawn on for all the good those meetings do.

[sempuki]

Sending Kenedy back wouldn't bother me at all: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/rafa-benitez-radical-transfer-window-13773900

[r0cafella]

Funniest thing is the most likely chain of events is nothing happening.

 

Such a fanciful article from the Mirror.

[Guest covmag]

my take on Rafa is this...........

 

I like the bloke, he get's football fans and our city, he's a bloody nice man, a football man, he's doing his best with very very average footballers.

 

Is he world class?.............he get's my respect, he makes mistakes like they all do, what  the fuck is world class anyway? he's a fucking good manager, like Klopp, Jose etc

 

His football on the face of it with us is dire, he's trying to do a job and we get it, we aren't a title contender, we don't challenge for Europe , we arent even a top half club anymore, that's not Rafas fault, that's solely down to the cunt who owns us and his lack of keeping up with the rest.

 

We shop in the pound shops, the rest shop in the decent shops.

 

 

HE'S NOT A MIRACLE WORKER...............the booing off of the team was a fucking disgrace, it's what our fanbase has become though, we don't deserve him .The club is rank, we are still hanging on in there but fuck me its painful.

 

FUCK ASHLEY 

[cp40]

was the booing not aimed at the ref? genuine question, over the pennas etc.

 

[huss9]

was the booing not aimed at the ref? genuine question, over the pennas etc.

 

 

definitely against the team.

a few having a go at rafa fr the late/lack of subs too.

[Guest covmag]

was the booing not aimed at the ref? genuine question, over the pennas etc.

 

it's possible, but my lad said we booed Mitro at every opportunity and lots booed at the end, either way its a zombie crowd doing it all out of habit.

 

[TBG]

Funniest thing is the most likely chain of events is nothing happening.

 

Such a fanciful article from the Mirror.

 

It's the same paper that happily writes shite about us going in for £20M+ plus players, knowing fine well we will never spend that sort of money.

 

Would love to know how much ad revenue they make from us compared to other clubs.

[Sean]

He's gone at the end of the season. He's becoming disillusioned with the (home) supporters now which was probably the only reason he's still here. Now the cracks have started to surface in that bond he's probably thinking there's nothing left here for him now and he can move on to a bigger club in the summer.

 

Yep, I also think its aimed at the fans booing the team off after a draw against Fulham....what the f*** were they expecting? That we should batter teams at home because we're Newcastle? In peoples minds they still expect us to be competing for Europe because thats where we should be, but they're unable to step back and look at the bigger picture as to why we're not very good. I'll give them a hint...its not Rafa and it's not the players' effort or commitment. It's that bloke you're giving your money to.

 

A home crowd that didn't see a shot on target and has seen us win only twice in 10 games, losing 6.  Can't blame them tbh.

 

Its pretty tragic all round tbh. The football at home has been shite admittedly, but its clear as day lots of our players aren't very confident and aren't able to ignore the crowds frustrations with them so they shrink. Just seems like a never ending circle 

 

No one wins apart from the fat cunt at the top.

 

Yep, and no ones responsible apart from the fat cunt at the top too.

[tmonkey]

I suspect Rafa is too afraid of getting the team to attack because on the one hand our attacking quality is so low that we're not likely to make use of more numbers getting forward, and on the other hand if we open up we leave ourselves exposed to counter attacks. Combine the two (shiite attack, open defense) and it's high risk to go gung ho at home.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He’s pragmatic as well, if he feels a win isn’t going to come then he’ll sit on the point and keep the scoreboard ticking over. I imagine the plan against Fulham was to hit them later in the game but the players just couldn’t make it happen.

 

Won’t be pretty but he’ll get the job done over the season.

[Gallowgate End]

I suspect Rafa is too afraid of getting the team to attack because on the one hand our attacking quality is so low that we're not likely to make use of more numbers getting forward, and on the other hand if we open up we leave ourselves exposed to counter attacks. Combine the two (shiite attack, open defense) and it's high risk to go gung ho at home.

 

Only time Rafa decided to go hit for hit like these moaners want was at home against West Ham and we got ripped to absolute shreds it was like watching a Jokanovic Fulham side.

We’d have absolutely no chance staying up playing that way.

Credit to Ranieri he came up and did a Rafa gameplan on us and got them their first clean sheet they have a semi chance now they’ve ditched the attacking Jokanovic.

 

[triggs]

I think people struggle a bit with there being a fairly large middle ground between being a bit more ambitious in games and going fully gung ho attacking

[Guest ElCid]

I think people struggle a bit with there being a fairly large middle ground between being a bit more ambitious in games and going fully gung ho attacking

 

Exactly

[Kanj]

I may not agree with some of the stuff Rafa does but I know ultimately he’s got far more reasons and stats and experience to back up whatever the fuck he decides to do with the team. So at end of day I always defer to the legend.

[Yorkie]

I may not agree with some of the stuff Rafa does but I know ultimately he’s got far more reasons and stats and experience to back up whatever the fuck he decides to do with the team. So at end of day I always defer to the legend.

 

If you don't believe in the overall plan then I can only assume you've not been watching for the last two seasons. The man gets the job done and he will again this time.

[Kanj]

I may not agree with some of the stuff Rafa does but I know ultimately he’s got far more reasons and stats and experience to back up whatever the fuck he decides to do with the team. So at end of day I always defer to the legend.

 

If you don't believe in the overall plan then I can only assume you've not been watching for the last two seasons. The man gets the job done and he will again this time.

 

It won’t be pretty but he’ll work every last minute to do that FOR US. If he didn’t care as much for us he’d walk on his contract or negotiate a way to get it bought out etc by whoever has been courting him. Yet some of his critics don’t seem to think about any of that.