Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[mickthemagpie]

Pochetino?

[joeyt]

O'neill?

 

There it is. Now let us never speak of this fiasco again

[xLiaaamx]

Party with Marty

[Ikon]

Wut Thought it'd be someone much more unlikely by the sounds of it

[Ikon]

Paypal me now competitors

[ToonArmy1892]

The main man has just been on SSN. 

[joeyt]

 

Love how he knows Dad's Army catchphrases. Wonder what other British sitcoms he's seen

[Guest firetotheworks]

Allo Allo presumably.

[joeyt]

I was thinking Fawlty Towers for Manuel

[Jaqen]

 

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has spoken of his love for English sitcoms, and sent a Dad's Army-style "don't panic" message to his players.

 

The Spaniard said he listened to the Beatles and watched Fawlty Towers to help with his English when he first moved to England.

 

Newcastle did not win any of their first 10 league games of the season but have now climbed to 14th in the table.

 

"We have to stay calm, don't panic - like Dad's Army," Benitez said.

 

The 58-year-old first managed in England with Liverpool from 2004-10, winning the FA Cup, Champions League and Super Cup.

 

"My English was poor when I first arrived - as it still is - but I used to listen to the Beatles to improve it," he said. "I watched the sitcoms for that as well."

 

And Benitez echoed the much-loved Dad's Army character Corporal Jones, played by the late Clive Dunn, in the build-up to his side's match against bottom side Fulham on Saturday.

 

"Don't panic and carry on doing your job because it's a long, long season," he said. "I see a lot of sitcoms, which I enjoy. I love the 'Don't panic! Don't panic!'

 

"When I first came, I enjoyed watching Father Ted, Fawlty Towers - with the waiter who was supposed to be Spanish but sounded more Italian. Only Fools and Horses is a big favourite of mine.

 

"I used to watch My Family, Blackadder, and the Vicar of Dibley, I watched them all. They were great fun. They helped me relax and now I watch them all."

 

Newcastle, who have 16 points from their opening 17 matches, travel to Benitez's former club Liverpool on 26 December and are away again three days later - at Watford.

 

Asked about Christmas at St James' Park, he said: "Normally I give presents to all the staff and they give presents back.

 

"They are killing me, because what do they give? Wine - I don't drink. Or chocolate - and I don't want to eat more chocolate or ice cream."

[wormy]

That last paragraph. It's the third Christmas he's been at the club. You'd think people would know what he doesn't want by now.

[joeyt]

Shame I think Dad's Army is properly overrated. He's gone down in my estimations

[Guest firetotheworks]

I'd have immediately registered rafaout.com if he'd mentioned Mrs Brown's Boys.

[ToonArmy1892]

Shame I think Dad's Army is properly overrated. He's gone down in my estimations

 

Stupid boy.

[wormy]

I'd have immediately registered rafaout.com if he'd mentioned Mrs Brown's Boys.

 

I'm still tempted due to My Family tbh.

[sbnufc]

[HaydnNUFC]

Reads/sounds like he's fed up and who can blame him.

[Greg]

Full quote:

 

The Spaniard said: “Even if we strengthen in January it will be a miracle if we stay up. I think everyone knows what we have to do.

 

“Does Mike Ashley know? I hope so. We are doing what we have to do and now we wait to see what will happen.

 

“We have the targets, the names, so we have to do what we have to do.

 

“I am trying to tell everyone, realise where we are. Realise what we have to do and if we do well, fine we can finish 10th or whatever.”

 

“If we think we can beat these teams that have spent £100 million, every one of them, every game, there is no chance. We are wrong, 100 per cent.”

 

“I like the challenge and we will try to do our best. If you lose or cannot win, you cannot enjoy it, but I know it is my job and I have to be sure I make the right decisions all the time.

 

“We try to manage and correct things but sometimes in this league, which is so difficult, it is not enough.

 

“We have to be realistic and understand we will be in the half bottom for the whole season. If we can be better than three teams it will be another miracle.

 

“We can try make things happen in January, we will see what happens. It would be a miracle to stay up, yes.

 

“For me it is very clear. I know what is coming now and I know where we are. You can see the team is trying a lot of things but still it is not enough to get the points. It will be like that.

 

“If we are under pressure and feel this pressure we will not better and we can make more mistakes.”

 

 

[Robster]

“We have to be realistic and understand we will be in the half bottom for the whole season.

That'll have Ashley on the vinegar strokes.

[Guest neesy111]

Can see rafa starting to up the ante on Ashley soon as he'll be leaving in the summer in anycase.

[thomas]

Kind of makes me want to cry

[KaKa]

Just trying to make sure we get players in January and not mess about with it. Will be interesting to see what happens with that.

 

I think in the next month and then coming up to the end of the season it is going to be very clear where things are with the club.

 

Think the fans are going to end up all being on the same page against Mike Ashley, finally, if he mucks about in January and if Rafa ends up leaving at the end of the season.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He was saying similar things this time last year, I think it’s another we need to bring some new players in again message which is obvious and must happen. Even if we don’t I think Rafa will find a way somehow to just keep us up, but it’s going to be 50/50 all the way, every game.

 

I doubt Rafa or his staff have ever had to work so hard, do so much or even think so much in his and their entire careers to put some points on the board.

 

If we do stay up, we stay up thanks to Rafa’s coaching and his staff’s input. I don’t want to lament the players, but at home to Fulham we witnessed a team and players that has exuasted itself and themselves as much as they can and now all they have to give is their commitment in terms of spirit, fight, togetherness and work ethic because all ability is below the ability of the opposition, never existed in the first place or has been totally used up over the last few seasons.

[Raconteur]

Aimed squarely at Ashley, with no hint that someone else might be responsible for January signings. Rafa knows, and he’s striking a significantly more bleak tone here, which we can expect to see all the way until Feb 1...

[Disco]

White Mike though, support the regime not the team.