Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[GavMcEl]

34 minutes ago, STM said:

Modern day mount rushmore:

 

Keegan, Howe, SBR and Rafa.

100% agree, I know he's not in the same bracket as the above, but I have to give Chris Hughton credit when where talking about former managers... just going about his business in the summer of 09 when the club was an absolute shambles, then that season in the championship, winning the title with ease, then them few months he was in charge in the prem, thumping villa and the Mackems and winning at the Emirates before Ashley shafted him... and always handling himself in an honest, dignified and professional manner in the process.

[andycap]

Missing Joe Harvey off the list for Mount rushmore. 

[Dr.Spaceman]

Hughton was great for where we were at the time. It felt like he didn't over manage the side and I enjoyed listening to him speak. Plus he had black and white hair.

[SteV]

5 minutes ago, huss9 said:

i reckon Cox would have been up there if he hadnt spat his dummy out - or maybe there was more to it. too young to remember what actually happened but i was gutted.

Pushing the ‘modern day’ bit mind! 

[Yorkie]

Absolutely adored Rafa; I probably have an even greater affection for him than even Eddie Howe tbh. That's not a slight on Howe, I love him and wouldn't swap him for anyone, but the context is what elevates Rafa for me. His 'difference' is what puts him on a pedestal for me, whereas Howe is a very well-fitting component in a slick operation. 

 

Rafa was a rare beam of light in an otherwise dark, dark time; a figure of ambition and excellence in a sea of contentment and incompetence. It meant the world to me to have someone like him cut through all the gaslighting, and everything else that characterised the Ashley era.

 

We also weren't a bad side under him. He got a tune out of a very mixed bag of players. 

 

I don't know how tangible his role in the takeover was but, at the very least, if he didn't get us promoted that year then I'd put good money on us not being where we are now. 

[Superior Acuña]

Rafa was managing us in the Championship less than a year after managing Real Madrid. It was really quite extraordinary that he stayed to get us back up.

[TomYam]

8 minutes ago, huss9 said:

i reckon Cox would have been up there if he hadnt spat his dummy out - or maybe there was more to it. too young to remember what actually happened but i was gutted.

I understand Cox walked out on the club after the first round of negotiations. Unlike many others, the club didn't have a wealthy benefactor and the board was conservative and risk averse. Cox wanted a fat new contract as a reward for achieving promotion as well as quality investment in the team. His stock was high so as soon as he met some resistance (which he doubtlessly anticipated), he walked.

It was a real missed opportunity for the club as Cox was a good team manager and the team could have competed at the top of the league with 2-3 good additions (esp goalkeeper and CF).

[Facundo Ferreyra]

Would love to see Rafa back at the club one day, not as manager but working in the background somewhere. 

 

Still gutted we never got to see what he could really do here with proper backing, and I hated that people accused him of leaving Newcastle to go to China for the money. He'd have stayed if Ashley wasn't such a greedy dickhead. 

[PauloGeordio]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

Absolutely adored Rafa; I probably have an even greater affection for him than even Eddie Howe tbh. That's not a slight on Howe, I love him and wouldn't swap him for anyone, but the context is what elevates Rafa for me. His 'difference' is what puts him on a pedestal for me, whereas Howe is a very well-fitting component in a slick operation. 

 

Rafa was a rare beam of light in an otherwise dark, dark time; a figure of ambition and excellence in a sea of contentment and incompetence. It meant the world to me to have someone like him cut through all the gaslighting, and everything else that characterised the Ashley era.

 

We also weren't a bad side under him. He got a tune out of a very mixed bag of players. 

 

I don't know how tangible his role in the takeover was but, at the very least, if he didn't get us promoted that year then I'd put good money on us not being where we are now. 

Believe he was very instrumental in selling us to Amanda and Co. Loved that front 3 of Miggy, Rondon and Perez.

[huss9]

22 minutes ago, SteV said:

Pushing the ‘modern day’ bit mind! 

some of us are closer to 60 than 50 so its all relative 

[Conjo]

3 hours ago, Yorkie said:

Absolutely adored Rafa; I probably have an even greater affection for him than even Eddie Howe tbh. That's not a slight on Howe, I love him and wouldn't swap him for anyone, but the context is what elevates Rafa for me. His 'difference' is what puts him on a pedestal for me, whereas Howe is a very well-fitting component in a slick operation. 

 

Rafa was a rare beam of light in an otherwise dark, dark time; a figure of ambition and excellence in a sea of contentment and incompetence. It meant the world to me to have someone like him cut through all the gaslighting, and everything else that characterised the Ashley era.

 

We also weren't a bad side under him. He got a tune out of a very mixed bag of players. 

 

I don't know how tangible his role in the takeover was but, at the very least, if he didn't get us promoted that year then I'd put good money on us not being where we are now. 

 

Not only did he stay here to get us promoted, he got us promoted while drilling a side he knew would be limited in the PL into a system that would make us hard to beat and dangerous on the counter against tougher opposition. Had we gone for a more attacking strategy against lesser opponents while in the championship, I'm not sure that group of players would have managed to stay up.

[Wandy]

3 hours ago, Yorkie said:

Absolutely adored Rafa; I probably have an even greater affection for him than even Eddie Howe tbh. That's not a slight on Howe, I love him and wouldn't swap him for anyone, but the context is what elevates Rafa for me. His 'difference' is what puts him on a pedestal for me, whereas Howe is a very well-fitting component in a slick operation. 

 

Rafa was a rare beam of light in an otherwise dark, dark time; a figure of ambition and excellence in a sea of contentment and incompetence. It meant the world to me to have someone like him cut through all the gaslighting, and everything else that characterised the Ashley era.

 

We also weren't a bad side under him. He got a tune out of a very mixed bag of players. 

 

I don't know how tangible his role in the takeover was but, at the very least, if he didn't get us promoted that year then I'd put good money on us not being where we are now. 

 

Without Rafa, there would have been no Amanda Staveley. For that fact alone he deserves his place in the NUFC hall of fame. That invite to the Liverpool match changed the course of history.

[Paully]

Absolutely adore Rafa - brought Amanda to the table and constantly had a go at Ashley!

 

The 2nd half of season 18-19 was a joy to watch as well! 
 

As others have said, I wish he had a role at the “cloob”! 
 

Need him and KK back at one game together! Last game of the season to celebrate a CL place would be nice! 

[Kanj]

I love Rafa so much, but he's not in the same planet of love I have for SBR and Howe. 

[STM]

3 hours ago, andycap said:

Missing Joe Harvey off the list for Mount rushmore. 

That's why I said modern day.

[STM]

3 minutes ago, Kanj said:

I love Rafa so much, but he's not in the same planet of love I have for SBR and Howe. 

 

But then you've missed off Keegan, so really can't be taken seriously. 

 

If forced to name an order:

 

Howe

Keegan

SBR

Rafa

 

That's from someone who named his son after SBR and his dog after Rafa.

 

The only reason why Howe is top, is because he's my manager. I was very young for Keegan and I could barely shave for SBR. Also Howe had the benefit of following Bruce, which is like having a blowjob after being punched in the face.

[Cf]

3 hours ago, Superior Acuña said:

Rafa was managing us in the Championship less than a year after managing Real Madrid. It was really quite extraordinary that he stayed to get us back up.

 

I remember add the time all the speculation of would he stay with us. All of my mates said no chance. 

 

I never had any doubt. I just knew he was in it for the long term with us. 

[STM]

Id love to see him on a few Newcastle podcasts.

[James]

4 hours ago, GavMcEl said:

100% agree, I know he's not in the same bracket as the above, but I have to give Chris Hughton credit when where talking about former managers... just going about his business in the summer of 09 when the club was an absolute shambles, then that season in the championship, winning the title with ease, then them few months he was in charge in the prem, thumping villa and the Mackems and winning at the Emirates before Ashley shafted him... and always handling himself in an honest, dignified and professional manner in the process.

I see Hughton, Rafa and even Pardew as being essential in stopping the club from collapsing at various points, Ashley lucked out with the first two in particular 

[HaydnNUFC]

On the topic of managers, one of my favourite Athletic articles from back in the dark Bruce days. Some of the quotes from Roeder and Hughton.  

 

https://archive.ph/0ki7B

[BUJ]

5 hours ago, STM said:

Modern day mount rushmore:

 

Keegan, Howe, SBR and Rafa.

You know Bruce over 2 seasons was statistically as good/bad as Rafa?

 

Rafa was nothing but a chancer. Statistically as big a chancer as Bruce was. 

[Kanj]

55 minutes ago, STM said:

 

But then you've missed off Keegan, so really can't be taken seriously. 

 

 

No way, I love Keegan but was never able to see any press about him, sky interviews etc over here in Florida in the early to mid 90s. So its far different to have that  connection. When SBR was our manager, we had quite a bit of coverage and I was able to follow us better with the internet and official site. 

[HaydnNUFC]

12 minutes ago, BUJ said:

You know Bruce over 2 seasons was statistically as good/bad as Rafa?

 

Rafa was nothing but a chancer. Statistically as big a chancer as Bruce was. 

 

Very poor ragebait, this.

[Unlucky Luque]

16 minutes ago, BUJ said:

You know Bruce over 2 seasons was statistically as good/bad as Rafa?

 

Rafa was nothing but a chancer. Statistically as big a chancer as Bruce was. 

Straight to the ignore list. Don’t even care if this is wumming

[Yorkie]

6 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

Very poor ragebait, this.

 

if only it was.