Jump to content
Newcastle-Online

Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

Greg

by Greg
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

mrmojorisin75

mrmojorisin75

Posted
Posted

Who's downgrading anyone like?

Well, fucking exactly. I started this by saying I think he's the best coach we've had and I didn't mean it to become a pissing contest between managers. I stand by the Rafa thing because I've always been a fan of the defensive side of the game and it's something I always look out for in games. The level of detail and quality you can see in his coaching of very average players is insane.

 

That said as others have started it my most active time as a fan was the Keegan years I'll always have great fondness for the man but you're talking about 25 years ago now ffs. We now operate in the richest league in the world where more money is spent than at any time in history and Rafa is keeping us in the league making profit.

 

He's doing a fucking outrageous job.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Yorkie

Yorkie

Posted
Posted

It's impossible to measure Rafa's NUFC against Keegan and Robson imo. Those two were supported by their Chairmen, and were provided with the resources they needed to build a team in their image.

 

Rafa hasn't been allowed anything like that; he's been battling against circumstance ever since he got here. Even during the Championship season; that summer window only represented a massive reshuffle operation. It was more about binning the waste and finding suitable replacements than sitting down and thinking, 'right, what can I do here...' Then January came and he wasn't allowed to make the additions he'd identified. Since then, every transfer window has been a farce, unworthy of any more critique.

 

You can identify Rafa's traits and managerial characteristics, of course. Defense and organisation come first, that much is obvious. He likes players with stamina who are intelligent and tactical. We'll always have one up top and we'll always have someone who's main job is to tackle hard and break up the play. But who's to say, with proper backing, he wouldn't have us playing attractive football that didn't depend so much on the rigidity of the set-up?

 

Keegan and Robson were allowed to express themselves and are comparable to one another. But I don't believe you can compare either of them to Rafa, because the contexts are so different.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest ElCid

Guest ElCid

Posted
Posted

It's impossible to measure Rafa against Keegan and Robson imo. Those two were supported by their Chairmen, and were provided with the resources they needed to build a team in their image.

 

Rafa hasn't been allowed anything like that; he's been battling against circumstance ever since he got here. Even during the Championship season; that summer window only represented a massive reshuffle operation. It was more about binning the waste and finding suitable replacements than sitting down and thinking, 'right, what can I do here...' Then January came and he wasn't allowed to make the additions he'd identified. Since then, every transfer window has been a farce, unworthy of any more critique.

 

You can identify Rafa's traits and managerial characteristics, of course. Defense and organisation come first, that much is obvious. He likes players with stamina who are intelligent and tactical. We'll always have one up top and we'll always have someone who's main job is to tackle hard and break up the play. But who's to say, with proper backing, he wouldn't have us playing attractive football that didn't depend so much on the rigidity of the set-up?

 

Keegan and Robson were allowed to express themselves and are comparable to one another. You can't compare either of them to Rafa when the contexts are so different.

 

Agreed as I said the set ups were totally different from each - we don't know how either one would have done during their respective eras if you replaced each with another. Each would have had their own ways and methods for example I don't think Rafa would have tolerated Ginola, Robert or Albert and I don't think Keegan or Robson would have purchased some of the players Rafa has either.

Link to post
Share on other sites
TRon

TRon

Posted
Posted

Who's downgrading anyone like?

Well, fucking exactly. I started this by saying I think he's the best coach we've had and I didn't mean it to become a pissing contest between managers. I stand by the Rafa thing because I've always been a fan of the defensive side of the game and it's something I always look out for in games. The level of detail and quality you can see in his coaching of very average players is insane.

 

That said as others have started it my most active time as a fan was the Keegan years I'll always have great fondness for the man but you're talking about 25 years ago now ffs. We now operate in the richest league in the world where more money is spent than at any time in history and Rafa is keeping us in the league making profit.

 

He's doing a fucking outrageous job.

 

:thup:

 

I am not enjoying watching us at all at the moment, but the defensive discipline fascinates me as well. Nothing will ever match Keegan's era for sheer joy, but we did get found out a few times tactically. One of my greatest regrets will probably be never getting to see what Rafa could do with a Newcastle team of genuine quality, because I have always said he's the ideal coach to win cup competitions. Not so much title wins, at least not the Premier, but he would be CL every season.

Link to post
Share on other sites
mrmojorisin75

mrmojorisin75

Posted
Posted

Who's downgrading anyone like?

Well, fucking exactly. I started this by saying I think he's the best coach we've had and I didn't mean it to become a pissing contest between managers. I stand by the Rafa thing because I've always been a fan of the defensive side of the game and it's something I always look out for in games. The level of detail and quality you can see in his coaching of very average players is insane.

 

That said as others have started it my most active time as a fan was the Keegan years I'll always have great fondness for the man but you're talking about 25 years ago now ffs. We now operate in the richest league in the world where more money is spent than at any time in history and Rafa is keeping us in the league making profit.

 

He's doing a fucking outrageous job.

 

:thup:

 

I am not enjoying watching us at all at the moment, but the defensive discipline fascinates me as well. Nothing will ever match Keegan's era for sheer joy, but we did get found out a few times tactically. One of my greatest regrets will probably be never getting to see what Rafa could do with a Newcastle team of genuine quality, because I have always said he's the ideal coach to win cup competitions. Not so much title wins, at least not the Premier, but he would be CL every season.

There are moments under Rafa, even with this group of players where they break out and play some of the attacking football he coaches and it's lush like. It's totally different from KK or Robson but if he had good quality attackers we'd be good to watch imho.

 

Was just thinking of an example and even leaving aside the obvious Wolves/Fulham spend Leicester, for example, are playing a £25m number 10 who is totally unproven at the top level. Rafa is playing £1.5m Ayoze Perez and getting him close to double figures over a season. It's lunacy.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Zero

Zero

Posted
Posted

I genuinely don't think we would play better football (or more entertaining football to be precise) if Rafa is backed.  You are talking about something that he has never done throughout his career, no matter in Valencia and Liverpool.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Yorkie

Yorkie

Posted
Posted

We scored 100 goals in the Championship season, including a couple of 6-0s and a couple of 4-0s. I think the football would be more palatable if he was given the resources to be competitive in the top half of the Premier League.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Tubestationatmidnight

Tubestationatmidnight

Posted
Posted

"Altough Ashley feels Benitez hasn't shown enough appreciation of the financial situation at SJP"

 

What fucking financial situation  :lol:

 

Ashley definitely wants to keep him as he knows he will keep him on the gravy train on a shoestring. If there was no funds last summer or this summer then why would there be in January? Unless they did that to make even any moderate funds in January seem like a big change.

 

Surely he won't be fooled into signing a new deal by getting say 50m to spend in January for example then the tap gets turned off again for the next 2 summers. Surely they can come to a deal where they both are happy and have it wrote into a contract.

 

But yet again that's on the basis of having a reasonable owner, anything that comes out or happens now shouldn't change a thing. He could give Rafa 100m in January and it wouldn't change a thing as we all know there's a sinister ulterior motive behind it always.

Link to post
Share on other sites
ToonArmy1892

ToonArmy1892

Posted
Posted

I genuinely don't think we would play better football (or more entertaining football to be precise) if Rafa is backed.  You are talking about something that he has never done throughout his career, no matter in Valencia and Liverpool.

 

Are you saying his Liverpool team weren't more entertaining than us like? :lol:

 

If you sign better players you will play better football, naturally, even if the coach is defensive, which i don't think he is with good players, he's balanced.

Link to post
Share on other sites
TRon

TRon

Posted
Posted

I genuinely don't think we would play better football (or more entertaining football to be precise) if Rafa is backed.  You are talking about something that he has never done throughout his career, no matter in Valencia and Liverpool.

 

Are you saying his Liverpool team weren't more entertaining than us like? :lol:

 

If you sign better players you will play better football, naturally, even if the coach is defensive, which i don't think he is with good players, he's balanced.

 

I was thinking that, my memory of Liverpool under Rafa was they looked pretty fucking good like. :lol:

Link to post
Share on other sites
Paully

Paully

Posted
Posted

They really parked the bus that time his Liverpool side beat us 5-1 at SJP, though Rafa was in the Directors' Box with Sammy Lee on the touchline so maybe that was why they played like that.

 

Liverpool were a ridiculous price that day too – 5/4 rings a bell!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest firetotheworks

Guest firetotheworks

Posted
Posted

Liverpool were mint to watch in 08/09 imo. They thrashed us, Man United, and Villa, and I remember being really impressed with the Man United win in-particular. That season aside I never liked Liverpool's huff and puff style of play. I said this early on when Rafa became our manager though, it's a completely different feeling when it's your own team doing the huffing and puffing. I'm sure a lot of people think we're absolutely awful to watch, including the Championship, but I've largely enjoyed us being no one's whipping boys and looking well-organised, it would be a really solid base to push on if we weren't being deliberately hamstrung by the person so petty that he's standing in the way of his own financial gains.

Link to post
Share on other sites
TRon

TRon

Posted
Posted

Liverpool were mint to watch in 08/09 imo. They thrashed us, Man United, and Villa, and I remember being really impressed with the Man United win in-particular. That season aside I never liked Liverpool's huff and puff style of play. I said this early on when Rafa became our manager though, it's a completely different feeling when it's your own team doing the huffing and puffing. I'm sure a lot of people think we're absolutely awful to watch, including the Championship, but I've largely enjoyed us being no one's whipping boys and looking well-organised, it would be a really solid base to push on if we weren't being deliberately hamstrung by the person so petty that he's standing in the way of his own financial gains.

 

I give some of the defenders stick for not being able to bring the ball out, and we do suffer from poor technique in those areas, but you have to feel for them too. There's no easy out ball like there was with the Dyers, Roberts and even Ba. Must be a bit grim having to defend constantly because we don't have the class in forward positions to offer some relief. Kenedy made a big difference last season, but he's looked fed up this time round.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...