Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[themanupstairs]

Shelvey;

 

 

“Rafa is very tactical.

 

“He’s a very detailed coach, yesterday he kept the four midfielders after training to do a passing thing where you’re looking over your shoulder to see if the opponent is coming.

 

“It was weird, he was using bibs up in the air and you had to shout out the colour of the bibs. It was something I’d never done before but you can tell it’s paying off.

 

“He pushes us every day. He’s always on to us in training about stepping up a gear, and you’d think being on 38 points it would come down a notch, but the tackles are still flying in and everyone still wants to win, which is good.

 

“I think he has been good for my career. He’s made me understand the game a lot better, and tactically. I owe that to him.”

 

He's looking to improve peripheral vision for our midfielders to give them more space and time on the ball. Brilliant stuff as he just gets better and better.

[Yorkie]

He's desperate to keep Kenedy, like.

[xLiaaamx]

It's all for Kenedy's benefit. He's making it so the player can see in public how much his manager wants him

[Optimistic Nut]

Committed, or just honouring his contract?

[Menace]

Pessimistic Nut

[greydos]

Committed, or just honouring his contract?

 

Aren’t you meant to be “Optimistic”, Nut?

[Optimistic Nut]

He might get a new contract yet but just saying, all he'd be doing by staying on another year is honouring the 3 year contract he signed after relegation.

[TRon]

Shelvey;

 

 

“Rafa is very tactical.

 

“He’s a very detailed coach, yesterday he kept the four midfielders after training to do a passing thing where you’re looking over your shoulder to see if the opponent is coming.

 

“It was weird, he was using bibs up in the air and you had to shout out the colour of the bibs. It was something I’d never done before but you can tell it’s paying off.

 

“He pushes us every day. He’s always on to us in training about stepping up a gear, and you’d think being on 38 points it would come down a notch, but the tackles are still flying in and everyone still wants to win, which is good.

 

“I think he has been good for my career. He’s made me understand the game a lot better, and tactically. I owe that to him.”

 

He's looking to improve peripheral vision for our midfielders to give them more space and time on the ball. Brilliant stuff as he just gets better and better.

 

This is what we stand to lose if he leaves. I don't think we've ever had a manager so tactically switched on. If we don't get to see him handling a Newcastle side with some genuine top class players, it will be one of the biggest regrets.

[ponsaelius]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/14/rafa-benitez-newcastle-united-mike-ashley-spend-some-money

 

Rafa Benítez’s content at Newcastle comes with a warning to Mike Ashley

With his side close to Premier League safety, the Spaniard has spoken of his satisfaction on Tyneside but stressed the club must spend money

Rafa Benítez spent three evenings watching televised transmissions of Champions League and Europa League quarter-finals this week but did not pine for the days when he was at the centre of the action.

 

“I’m enjoying things here now, we’re doing well and my team’s improving,” the Newcastle manager says. “You want to see your players growing, learning things and getting better. Sometimes that’s the best thing, the thing you most enjoy as a coach.”

 

Despite his enduring political battles with Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s idiosyncratic owner, the manager who won the Champions League with Liverpool, the Uefa Cup at Valencia and the Europa League with Chelsea still harbours hopes of leading the Tynesiders into European combat.

 

More immediately, Benítez is aiming for victory against Arsenal at St James’ Park on Sunday. Doing so would erase any lingering relegation fears by lifting his team to 41 points, but he would derive no extra pleasure from defeating Arsène Wenger.

 

The Spaniard has fallen out with some high-profile rivals – most notably Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho and Sam Allardyce – but has always liked and respected Wenger. “I have a good relationship with him,” he says. “I like the way Arsenal play and his behaviour. He’s someone who respects others, his approach has always been nice and positive. He gets upset, like everyone, when he loses or when he thinks something’s wrong, but, for me, there’s still a big difference between him and the others.”

 

After 22 years in north London it seems Wenger’s tenure is running out. “When you’re at a top side you know you have to win,” says Benítez. “Everyone’s expecting you to win the League or the Champions League. It’s not easy but, at a top side, you know it’s part of the job.”

 

Part of Benítez envies his achievement in remaining at Arsenal for so long. “I was thinking about staying at Liverpool for 20 years because everything was going well and I would have been happy, for sure,” he says. “But when the owners changed, everything changed.”

 

If his relationship with Liverpool will always be special, he has fallen more than a little in love with Newcastle. “You can see the similarities between the Liverpool fans and the Newcastle fans, between the cities,” he says. “When you have all these things in place and you’re winning, you want to stay forever.

 

“I need a project. A project’s nice. I like to work with young players, I like to improve them but I also like to win. I want to be competitive and I want to win. You need a mix of youth and experience. You have to sign some senior players to give confidence to the others and to make the difference. You have to spend some money.”

 

As he elaborated on his blueprint for success, the warning to Ashley contained in its subtext was crystal clear. Benítez is widely coveted and should the owner fail to finance his ambitions the former Real Madrid manager could depart Tyneside this summer. “You have to invest in your academy and your training facilities, do everything to improve the club,” he cautions. “You have to create a structure that will get you one player for the first-team squad from the academy every year.

 

“That’s the key if you want to save some money and with your local homegrown players have some heart and passion. But, ideally, you spend the money you save from not having to buy so many players on signing Europe’s top scorer. That’s a project.

 

“If your scouting department digs for diamonds and finds free transfers you can save a lot of money but you still need the £25m striker who can make the difference. That’s having a proper project.”

[Si]

Give this magnificent bastard whatever he wants.

[UncleBingo]

Give this magnificent bastard whatever he wants.

 

[Guest neesy111]

Give this magnificent bastard whatever he wants.

 

This.

[astraguy]

I'd cum over his glasses before they reached his pocket tbh

[ponsaelius]

yikes

[Bizza]

I'd cum over his glasses before they reached his pocket tbh

 

[samptime29]

Rafa man you delish legend! 

[ExiledGeordie]

 

If he's backed with even a mediocre budget in comparison to what he's had recently we'll become a really good side under him. God knows what he could do with a proper budget or more.

[morla84]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/14/rafa-benitez-newcastle-united-mike-ashley-spend-some-money

 

Rafa Benítez’s content at Newcastle comes with a warning to Mike Ashley

With his side close to Premier League safety, the Spaniard has spoken of his satisfaction on Tyneside but stressed the club must spend money

Rafa Benítez spent three evenings watching televised transmissions of Champions League and Europa League quarter-finals this week but did not pine for the days when he was at the centre of the action.

 

“I’m enjoying things here now, we’re doing well and my team’s improving,” the Newcastle manager says. “You want to see your players growing, learning things and getting better. Sometimes that’s the best thing, the thing you most enjoy as a coach.”

 

Despite his enduring political battles with Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s idiosyncratic owner, the manager who won the Champions League with Liverpool, the Uefa Cup at Valencia and the Europa League with Chelsea still harbours hopes of leading the Tynesiders into European combat.

 

More immediately, Benítez is aiming for victory against Arsenal at St James’ Park on Sunday. Doing so would erase any lingering relegation fears by lifting his team to 41 points, but he would derive no extra pleasure from defeating Arsène Wenger.

 

The Spaniard has fallen out with some high-profile rivals – most notably Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho and Sam Allardyce – but has always liked and respected Wenger. “I have a good relationship with him,” he says. “I like the way Arsenal play and his behaviour. He’s someone who respects others, his approach has always been nice and positive. He gets upset, like everyone, when he loses or when he thinks something’s wrong, but, for me, there’s still a big difference between him and the others.”

 

After 22 years in north London it seems Wenger’s tenure is running out. “When you’re at a top side you know you have to win,” says Benítez. “Everyone’s expecting you to win the League or the Champions League. It’s not easy but, at a top side, you know it’s part of the job.”

 

Part of Benítez envies his achievement in remaining at Arsenal for so long. “I was thinking about staying at Liverpool for 20 years because everything was going well and I would have been happy, for sure,” he says. “But when the owners changed, everything changed.”

 

If his relationship with Liverpool will always be special, he has fallen more than a little in love with Newcastle. “You can see the similarities between the Liverpool fans and the Newcastle fans, between the cities,” he says. “When you have all these things in place and you’re winning, you want to stay forever.

 

“I need a project. A project’s nice. I like to work with young players, I like to improve them but I also like to win. I want to be competitive and I want to win. You need a mix of youth and experience. You have to sign some senior players to give confidence to the others and to make the difference. You have to spend some money.”

 

As he elaborated on his blueprint for success, the warning to Ashley contained in its subtext was crystal clear. Benítez is widely coveted and should the owner fail to finance his ambitions the former Real Madrid manager could depart Tyneside this summer. “You have to invest in your academy and your training facilities, do everything to improve the club,” he cautions. “You have to create a structure that will get you one player for the first-team squad from the academy every year.

 

“That’s the key if you want to save some money and with your local homegrown players have some heart and passion. But, ideally, you spend the money you save from not having to buy so many players on signing Europe’s top scorer. That’s a project.

 

“If your scouting department digs for diamonds and finds free transfers you can save a lot of money but you still need the £25m striker who can make the difference. That’s having a proper project.”

Sounds like he is trying to sell the club here, hoping prospective buyers are listening, outlining his dream of how we can develop the club to the top

[Robster]

The more popular the manager becomes, the bigger the cunt Mike Ashley is.

We all get lost in the moment when things are going well (relatively), and sometimes it feels like people forget what Ashley is like.

I don't have any faith that Rafa is going to be given what he wants.

[Mike]

I love him so much.

[Disco]

Just can’t stop putting those glasses in his jacket pocket after a job well done.

[Pilko]

Spectacular today like. Played it perfectly.

[Shak]

[Guest alijmitchell]

Fucking great again. Has us playing some very good football going forward when we get it. Clinical, positive, organised and fighting for everything! Well done Rafa!

[Twinport53]

Considering he plays turgid football, both our goals were sex.