Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[James]

What happened to his thumb?

[Bimpy474]

What happened to his thumb?

 

Wore it out pointlessly setting up transfers this summer.

[Greg]

What happened to his thumb?

 

Tendonitis from lining up so many transfers.

[Crumpy Gunt]

You would think he was playing for the sack...the team, the tactics were fucking embarrassing.

[Amir_9]

Sorry but he is also to blame today, how could you allow a player who had a stinker take the penalty..

 

That Cardiff side does not have a chance in hell to stay up. They were there for the taking.

[TRon]

Considering we've spent two seasons honing our style of football, if that's the end result it makes you wonder why we bother.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

These are the games where I’d really like to see us play someone like Ki, no target man and just dominate the ball. I know Rafa doesn’t have time to work on two different styles though.

[Amir_9]

Do we do much penalty exercises in training, because I can't remember the last time we inspired any sort of confidence when we were given a penalty..

[Shearergol]

1 goal in the last 5 games is a massive concern. We just don’t look a threat but I assume he’ll bring Rondon in to change it.

[TRon]

These are the games where I’d really like to see us play someone like Ki, no target man and just dominate the ball. I know Rafa doesn’t have time to work on two different styles though.

 

One style is fine, but with all the prep you would expect us to execute it a lot better as all the players are well drilled in it by now.

[HaydnNUFC]

It's well documented I love the man and want him to stay here until he retires (which won't happen whilst the fat cunt above remains but that's another thing) but I wish he would start some of the new signings earlier instead of being overly cautious. Tottenham threw most of their WC players into the starting XI against us whilst we didn't start any new players.

 

His interview on now, fuming with the ref like. Get in.

[Stottie]

All the long aerial balls we hit today just played into their hands.

 

We had it last season too, but it looks like our only ability is as a team who plays on the counter. We need the other team to come onto us. We can't take the ball that Cardiff has just hoofed up our end and work it in stages up the field to create an opening. Defence connecting to midfield and midfield connecting with the strikers. The only chances we created today were from long through-balls. We were incapable of playing a possession game against even the weakest team in the league.

[TRon]

All the long aerial balls we hit today just played into their hands.

 

We had it last season too, but it looks like our only ability is as a team who plays on the counter. We need the other team to come onto us. We can't take the ball that Cardiff has just hoofed up our end and work it in stages up the field to create an opening. Defence connecting to midfield and midfield connecting with the strikers. The only chances we created today were from long through-balls. We were incapable of playing a possession game against even the weakest team in the league.

 

I thought we overdid the long ball stuff today. I don't know if it's because Rafa doesn't trust the football ability of our players, but it was like watching two Warnock teams struggling to control the ball all game.

[George Bailey]

All the long aerial balls we hit today just played into their hands.

 

We had it last season too, but it looks like our only ability is as a team who plays on the counter. We need the other team to come onto us. We can't take the ball that Cardiff has just hoofed up our end and work it in stages up the field to create an opening. Defence connecting to midfield and midfield connecting with the strikers. The only chances we created today were from long through-balls. We were incapable of playing a possession game against even the weakest team in the league.

 

And that falls down to recruitment and yet again the lack of investment in the squad and 1st team.

And everyone knows who is to blame for that state of affairs.

 

We simply do not have players who can run a game that way. We are at best a competent battling side who will obtain draws due to organisation and superior coaching to what many other sides have.

Our 'threat' will come from long ball or counter attack from width imo. Despite his poor (piss poor) showing today young Kenedy will be key to much of that.

 

 

 

[xLiaaamx]

We dont know what to do without Lejeune back there.

 

Need to bring in Schar or Fernandez needs to be good on the ball because Clark just wont work.

[Big Geordie]

What's Rafa had to say?

[Shearergol]

We dont know what to do without Lejeune back there.

 

Need to bring in Schar or Fernandez needs to be good on the ball because Clark just wont work.

 

Yep, shelvey and Diame having to come collect the ball really doesn’t work for us.

[Stottie]

I understand that we have a poor squad and that Ashley is to blame, but it was disappointing to see us play long ball against such bad opposition.

 

[Guest]

He'll be at West Ham with his new £40m centre-back Lascelles this time next year.

[sbnufc]

Off to China in the summer (probably not)

 

 

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is a target for Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian next summer.

 

Top clubs in China have been closely monitoring the uncertainty over Benitez’s future.

 

And mid-table Quanjian, where the Portuguese former Leicester, Swansea and QPR boss Paulo Sousa has been in charge since last November, are prepared to wait for Benitez.

 

The Spaniard is in the final year of his Toon contract and has still not agreed a new deal – despite being offered fresh terms.

 

Benitez, 58, has said he would be happy to stay at St James’ Park for up to a decade given certain assurances, and all the indications are he will at least see out his current deal.

 

But funding for transfers remains a fundamental issue.

 

With Magpies owner Mike Ashley keeping a tight control on spending, Newcastle made a profit of more than £20million on deals this summer.

 

Chinese sides have been interested in Benitez for around 18 months and the former Liverpool and Chelsea boss could expect an astronomical salary in the Far East, possibly as much as £30m a year.

 

The hire-and-fire approach in China means big-name managers are always in demand.

 

And a source close to the Chinese game said: “Tianjin Quanjian could be interested in Rafa at the end of the season when he would be free as things stand.

 

“Clubs in China are still monitoring his situation, especially with him not signing a contract. A manager here can lose two games and be out, so any of the top clubs could be interested.’’

 

Shanghai Shenhua’s Chinese boss Wu Jingui is one of the managers under pressure after only one win in six games.

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/newcastle-boss-rafa-benitez-lined-13102061

[r0cafella]

Here we go again, it’s quite simple our team is below par and most games will be a struggle. The players we bought are squad players at best and only loanees can be considered as improving the starting team. That’s without mentioning how late we got most of our business done rendering us unprepared.

[hoppaz]

I don't know what he has against Richie at the moment but he took off our best attacking threat against Spurs which effectively ended any chance of getting anything then took off our number one penalty taker yesterday which again ended up losing 3 points.

[Guest ElCid]

I don't know what he has against Richie at the moment but he took off our best attacking threat against Spurs which effectively ended any chance of getting anything then took off our number one penalty taker yesterday which again ended up losing 3 points.

 

Think he wanted the upgrade with Townsend in the Summer. Ritchie was subbed a lot last year also.

[tinoasprilla]

If he had left Ritchie on as a RWB yesterday his lack of pace would have been exposed even more. I doubt we would have been level or created the pen if he was on the pitch.  As good as he was vs spurs he was garbage yesterday along with Dubravka, Manquillo, Clark, Dummett, Kennedy, Perez, Joselu, Hayden and Benitez (team selection and subs were just odd)

[Paully]