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Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)


Greg

Would you have Rafa back?   

463 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you have Rafa back?

    • Yes, as manager, immediately
    • Yes, as manager, but at some point in the future (eg if relegated)
    • Yes, in an advisory or DoF role
    • No, not in any meaningful capacity

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He has done a fantastic job but a long way behind Dysche and Pep. Hughton may beat him out for third.

Agree with this. O0

 

Dyche has done tremendously well as has Hughton. I would put both slightly ahead of the job Rafa has done this season.... And no I wouldn't take either over Rafa.

(Pep will win it most likely, that tends to be the form doesn't it?)

 

Rafa has done excellent in keeping us up with all the crap from the top and the shenanigans re signings etc. Let's hope next season is his time (with us obviously)

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I don't think that's right Wiki has him managing over 1000 games. He managed more than 500 games just at Liverpool and Valencia according to wiki

 

Today was his 300th PL game he's managed

 

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I don't think that's right Wiki has his managing over 1000 games though.

 

Today was his 300th PL game he's managed

 

Said 500th in English football on my stream so assume it’s for us, The Chels and Libpewl

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https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/i-want-know-can-win-14622474?s

Rafa Benitez wants the Newcastle United hierarchy to “clarify” that they share the same ambitions as supporters and himself “as soon as possible” - if he is to commit his long-term future to the club.

 

The Spaniard’s representatives have been locked in talks with Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley for a fortnight, discussing a potential contract extension for the Spaniard.

 

But the discussions are far more wide-ranging than merely Benitez’s own personal situation; he wants assurances over future transfer budgets, the control he will have over football operations, and whether the club’s aspirations match his own.

 

It is unclear exactly what stage negotiations with the club are at, but Benitez’s tone and his implication that Newcastle have not yet made it clear they share his own ambitions suggest he is yet to be delivered the promises he requires.

 

Asked if he could provide an update on how talks are progressing with the club following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Watford, Benitez replied: “It is more or less the same situation with the contract.”

 

Pushed as to whether there would come a point in the summer when Benitez would need clarification from the club as to their future direction, Benitez suggested he would like an answer before the end of the season.

 

He said: “Maybe before the summer, I don’t know. But as soon as possible.”

 

Newcastle secured safety with five games to spare after passing the 40-point mark with victory over Arsenal last month.

 

But the Magpies have since suffered three straight defeats and, if he is unable to invest this summer, Benitez fears another relegation battle next season - something he believes can be avoided with shrewd transfer activity.

 

“To do the right things, as I have said many times before. That means to clarify our ambitions going forward,” Benitez responded when asked what must happen in order for the club to be more successful going forward.

 

“I have to say what I have to say, and that is very clear. Everybody, and all the fans, they have the same feeling as me. So it is something we need to clarify.”

 

One of Benitez’s deep frustrations this term has been the fact he has fielded teams at grounds such as Anfield and the Etihad where he has been unsure if they are even capable of claiming victory; instead, keeping the scoreline down has been viewed as an achievement in order to protect the Magpies’ goal difference.

 

The Spaniard wants to construct a squad he is confident can “compete” in every match and knows have a genuine chance of claiming victory.

 

“I have had three challenges since I came here: the first one was to try and keep the team in the Premier League, but we couldn’t do it,” Benitez said ahead of Newcastle’s final two matches, against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday and Chelsea at St James’ Park on Sunday.

 

“The second one was to go up at the first attempt in the Championship, and we did it. The third one was to stay up, and we did it, and we did it early.

 

“So I am quite happy overall with the challenges but still I would like to compete for something more to be sure that we can come here and win.

 

“It’s not that we want to come to places against a top side and think that if we lose 1-0 we can protect our goal difference. That is what I don’t like to do, I want to know we can win.”

 

Clubs such as Watford, AFC Bournemouth and Southampton have invested heavily in their squads in recent years, while Benitez was only afforded a moderate £45million budget last summer.

 

Citing Newcastle’s ability to sell out St James’ Park in the Championship, as well as their vast away following in the second tier last term, Benitez stresses that the club must strive to compete for a top-eight finish as a minimum, as well as compete for trophies.

 

He continued: “What I will say is this, and I have said it many times before: this is a massive club. If we want to compete in the Premier League, and at a good level, then what we have to do are the ‘right things’ - and that’s it.

 

“Then we cannot be thinking that our position is: ‘Oh, we are safe, great.’ No. We have 52,000 fans at St James’ Park, between 3,000 and 9,000 fans at away games in the Championship.

 

“That shows that this club has to be competing to be in the top eight or higher.”

 

At Vicarage Road, Newcastle were made to pay for an abject first-half display. Roberto Pereyra and Andre Gray put the Hornets 2-0 ahead inside 30 minutes, while Martin Dubravka made a string of excellent saves, including denying Troy Deeney from the penalty spot.

 

Ayoze Perez did pull a goal back for United, who were far better after the break, but Benitez is refusing to allow his players to use speculation over his own future as an excuse for their opening 45 minutes in Hertfordshire.

 

“No. Imagine that in the first minute of the game or the second minute of the game, when we made a mistake, nobody would be thinking about my contract then,” Benitez said.

 

“We made mistakes, we were not focused, and that is it.”

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First parts sound a bit worrying to me.

Seems like they are fucking around again. He won't put up with their bullshit again imo.

What an utter pair of fucking cunts MA and Penfold are.

 

I really hate to hate people but they are slime of the highest order. Ebola is to good for the bastards.

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With the way Rafa's is phrasing his questions to Mike Ashley, if he does leave, it will tantamount to Ashley saying that he has no interest in competing or trying to win things.  We all believe that anyway but with Rafa being so specific about what he is asking for, there can be no misunderstanding about Ashley's response should he leave.

 

Good luck on getting £400m for the club then or anything like was offered before.  It would be a bleak future indeed for the club as the fallout will be massive.

 

 

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The annoying thing if he does go is some PFM wanker will get a chunk of cash to  spend.

 

Personally I think Rafa will see out the final year of his contract even if he doesn't renew, so it'll get spent by him most likely.

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The annoying thing if he does go is some PFM wanker will get a chunk of cash to  spend.

 

Doesn't matter to me because if Rafa leaves, I'm officially out and not bothered anymore. Might even be a nice feeling moving on with my life without this constant shit fest :lol: :(

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The fallout won't be massive. We'll get about 46k a week and life will go on. People will moan but there'll be no real action, some will just stop caring. He's been here 11 years, he knows he'll never get a proper revolt and Sky will protect him.

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The annoying thing if he does go is some PFM wanker will get a chunk of cash to  spend.

 

Doesn't matter to me because if Rafa leaves, I'm officially out and not bothered anymore. Might even be a nice feeling moving on with my life without this constant shit fest :lol: :(

 

It depends on how and why he leaves, but aye. Totally my sentiment as well.

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If he leaves would be very difficult to care albeit the manner is important. If he gets offered the Arsenal job and is lured by a proper budget and better squad it'd dissipate some of the fury. I suspect I'd stop attending games, step back a bit and I would finally look for a nearby non-league team to get involved in

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Guest chopey

TBF if Ashley really has any thoughts on selling us then why would he go to the bother of giving Rafa a new contract ? he still has 12 months left on his current deal.

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TBF if Ashley really has any thoughts on selling us then why would he go to the bother of giving Rafa a new contract ? he still has 12 months left on his current deal.

 

Because he doesn't have any real thoughts about selling us.

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TBF if Ashley really has any thoughts on selling us then why would he go to the bother of giving Rafa a new contract ? he still has 12 months left on his current deal.

 

Because he doesn't have any real thoughts about selling us.

 

And it's been stated a number of times that Rafa being manager adds to the value of his asset. If he wants to sell, giving him a multi year contract extension makes perfect sense, if he doesn't then he's already seen this season, that he can save millions in investment with the right manager in place. From either stand point, it should be a no brainer for Ashley.

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