Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[mrmojorisin75]

and he's not willing to put any more of his own money in.

 

[Guest chopey]

Ashley will take another £33 million this year

[ExiledGeordie]

It's hard to see how this is going to get resolved. It's not as though each party was unaware of the other's basic position before the meetings started.

 

I suspect that Rafa has a genuine vision whereby if there is investment that brings the squad up to, say, a Leicester / Everton like level, he would be able to over achieve from then on. With the crowd behind the team at home, and Rafa's ability to organise a defensive performance away, we could do very well.

 

The stumbling block is probably this idea of a one-off investment which brings the squad to a certain point, and thereafter becomes self-sustaining. Generally speaking, that doesn't seem to work in the Premiership. Once you start spending, you usually have to continue spending to maintain position. It's difficult in practice to reach the kind of 'plateau' that the strategy suggests.

 

What Rafa has to do is sell the idea that his idea is the exception, and that in the case of our particular club with him as the particular manager, it will all work. Rafa believes in it for sure.

 

Ashley's view - and don't shoot the messenger - is that he saved the club from administration and financial collapse, and he's not willing to put any more of his own money in.

 

Is he going to blink first? I've really no idea. Rafa's vision makes sense, but Ashley can be a very tough nut to crack.

 

Or maybe Rafa can convince Ashley in so many words that’s he’s fucked if he brings some two bob manager in because he’s going to have to spend anyway and there’ll be the threat of relegation. Rafa guarantees Prem status and with just a modicum of change in terms of ambition and spend the manager and fans will be relatively happy. Ashley is such a stubborn fuckwit though god knows what he’ll do.

 

[Guest chopey]

That's the major problem tho, Ashley does not want success, he wants his place on the Premier league gravy train as cheaply as possible and nothing else, the fact is that he has told us this several times

[Scoot]

Dunno if this deserves a thread on it's own.

Question...

If Rafa goes are you still gonna go and renew?

 

Me..definitely NOT

 

I'm not being a petulant child I just see no point in supporting a club run like this.

 

I renew in March so I'm already in for next season. Paid it all in 1.

 

Bought it totally in the hope that Rafa stays.

[Guest chopey]

Rafa to Juve

 

Hughes to NUFC

 

[Menace]

Hughton to Juve

 

Allegri to Brighton

[Danh1]

Dunno if this deserves a thread on it's own.

Question...

If Rafa goes are you still gonna go and renew?

 

Me..definitely NOT

 

I'm not being a petulant child I just see no point in supporting a club run like this.

 

Not a chance, it’s more than Rafa. If Rafa goes then it is further proof (not that any was needed like) that the club has 0 ambition. Rather spend £630 a year on something else.

[Sir Toon]

Wouldn't be surprised if we hear nowt until the end of June or anything at all because if Rafa doesn't sign a new deal then the default plan for Ashley's NUFC is to do nowt, say nowt and hope things sort themselves out.

 

One thing is certain, Ashley has never been interested in bettering the football club and wont start now.

[Guest godzilla]

Wouldn't be surprised if we hear nowt until the end of June or anything at all because if Rafa doesn't sign a new deal then the default plan for Ashley's NUFC is to do nowt, say nowt and hope things sort themselves out.

 

One thing is certain, Ashley has never been interested in bettering the football club and wont start now.

 

Think if there is no deal then Rafa would possibly make an announcement to that effect (or make sure the press do it for him) as he has too much respect for the fans.

[Sir Toon]

Hopefully he hasn't signed any legal documents to stop him telling it like it is but with Keegan's court case win and his ESPN reveal, we all know the score anyway. Question is, how much longer is this shit going to go on for?

[Guest godzilla]

Hopefully he hasn't signed any legal documents to stop him telling it like it is but with Keegan's court case win and his ESPN reveal, we all know the score anyway. Question is, how much longer is this s*** going to go on for?

 

Rafa said 10 days last weekend so would expect something coming out early this week.

[Ikon]

Funny thing is that IF we'd promise him (in writing) full control as well as a "tiny" 60m+ every season plus player sales I'm pretty certain he'd stay. Thats something we could easily do and afford.

It's not as much as other clubs have to spend, but I'm sure Rafa would build us into a pretty strong force within time. Plus being able to offer competitive wages as well of course. With no shit like not being able to use the money we get in installments from sales.

 

Rafa himself has said that sometimes selling a player for massive amount of money can make your team stronger in the long term if that income is spent wisely on new players. There's only a handful clubs (if that) that are able to keep their absolute best players. Real Madrid, Barcelona and maybe another one or two.

[Paully]

Absolute travesty if we lose this man

 

The Academy master plan that Rafa Benitez is trying to sell to Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/academy-master-plan-rafa-benitez-16295141#ICID=ios_ChronicleNewsApp_AppShare_Click_Other

[Matt]

Funny thing is that IF we'd promise him (in writing) full control as well as a "tiny" 60m+ every season plus player sales I'm pretty certain he'd stay. Thats something we could easily do and afford.

 

How is £60m plus sales tiny? That level would require MA putting more cash in, which is never going to happen.

 

I don't think the big issue here is about transfer funds. It's about building the infrastructure and allowing Rafa to manage the sporting operations without interference.  Totally against Ashley's usual MO of micromanagement (which is why he has family & friends as lackeys in all of his businesses).

[mrmojorisin75]

Funny thing is that IF we'd promise him (in writing) full control as well as a "tiny" 60m+ every season plus player sales I'm pretty certain he'd stay. Thats something we could easily do and afford.

 

How is £60m plus sales tiny? That level would require MA putting more cash in, which is never going to happen.

 

I don't think the big issue here is about transfer funds. It's about building the infrastructure and allowing Rafa to manage the sporting operations without interference.  Totally against Ashley's usual MO of micromanagement (which is why he has family & friends as lackeys in all of his businesses).

 

aye tempted to agree, lot of people get carried away with the TV money thinking it's infinite or something and that every club but us is spending £100m every season, but i would argue the bigger issue is that ashley will seemingly never allow the club to spend based on future guaranteed income

 

say we've spent £30-40m this summer but a player comes available in january who rafa is desperate for then we should be able to loan the money against PL TV cash to come in but he'll never do that kind of thing...the almiron one was different but suspect it was only cause he feared relegation again...not explaining that well probably

 

roughly how much cash could we spend (excluding sales) on players that wouldn't require loans or cash injections, anyone know?

[Guest]

[Matt]

roughly how much cash could we spend (excluding sales) on players that wouldn't require loans or cash injections, anyone know?

 

I reckon about £40m, but it's hard to tell exactly due to the timing of payments for both incoming and outgoing transfers. Of course would be more if the club had a proper commercial strategy rather than their current zero-effort approach.

[mrmojorisin75]

 

EDIT: that was at the caulkin tweet not you Matt

[Ikon]

I said "tiny", as in relatively speaking. Thought it would be pretty obvious for most people. No way would Ashley have to put in his own money for us to afford it. I mean I'm by no means an expert when it comes to finances but I doubt the fat cunt would have to put his own money in for us to afford that, or at least close to that. Also, the transfer funds isn't the biggest issue, I know it aint because Rafa has said this a hundred times, but he has also said that he doesn't even know what his budget is, and I'm pretty sure he would like to know what money he has available to do his job, and most importantly spend it how he sees fit. There are so many things Rafa wants to change, from top to bottom. He wants a clear idea what the ambitions are for now and the near future, both for the senior team and the infrastructure of the whole club.

[mrmojorisin75]

roughly how much cash could we spend (excluding sales) on players that wouldn't require loans or cash injections, anyone know?

 

I reckon about £40m, but it's hard to tell exactly due to the timing of payments for both incoming and outgoing transfers. Of course would be more if the club had a proper commercial strategy rather than their current zero-effort approach.

 

i could live with that myself tbph as long as we were investing in the academy etc. as well

[Matt]

I said "tiny", as in relatively speaking. Thought it would be pretty obvious for most people.

 

Relative to what though? In 17-18 the club went from a net cash position of -12.2m to +29.6m.  Now obviously there will be other variables this season, but it's a good indicator of the sort of cash the club would have generated this season and what would be stable if there were no other changes.

 

 

[Ikon]

Other clubs spending.

[xLiaaamx]

There'll be a negative net spend.

[Guest]