Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[duo]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

[Crumpy Gunt]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

[duo]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

In Joselu's defence whilst he cannot hit a barn door, he works hard and tracks back.  Unfortunately what we gain in defence we loose in attack as he is just so poor in front of goal.  But Rafa wasn't able to buy who he wanted - so we can't blame him for that.  He needed players simple as that. 

 

Diame I agree he's hopeless but he tends to play the '10' role and I think we're splitting hairs with him or Perez, they're both not suited to the role.  But who else would you play there?

[Guest ElCid]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

In Joselu's defence whilst he cannot hit a barn door, he works hard and tracks back.  Unfortunately what we gain in defence we loose in attack as he is just so poor in front of goal.  But Rafa wasn't able to buy who he wanted - so we can't blame him for that.  He needed players simple as that. 

 

Diame I agree he's hopeless but he tends to play the '10' role and I think we're splitting hairs with him or Perez, they're both not suited to the role.  But who else would you play there?

 

Same argument peddled out what is the point in buying players if they are shit. Rafa should have done what Keegan did with John Hall when he put the block on players and walked out - Hall soon changed his mind. Rafa has been totally fucked over everyone knows that but I still cannot understand why he settled on players who were so far down his list. You cannot polish a turd and you may as well not buy players than buy players who are plainly not good enough. The biggest gripe I have is these players keep on getting played and that is the reason we are sinking like a ship. Ashley is the biggest cunt going we all know that and I do wish Rafa had stood up and said fuck you instead of accepting 5th, 7th, 7th choice players. If this takeover didn’t happen the one person who can get that abominal fat cunt out of this club and get the fans into action is the manager but he may have to walk to do it. I’ve heard people call me a WUM and such but I’m telling it as it is. No owner, manager or player is bigger than the club and that’s what should be first in all supporters mind. Hopefully the takeover will see the club come out of the dark as currently this is the darkest period it’s been at since the McKeag days and it’s only not worse because we were not even a mid table second division club then.

[xLiaaamx]

Hardy's article is gutter press and so is his reasoning. Saying he hears people complaining after games. Of course people complain in frustration when they've just lost a game man. That's human nature ffs.

[Wilson]

Changed my mind about Hardy after reading a bit of that.

 

Hit him with htt's post.

[Jesse Pinkman]

Pardew got less stick. PARDEW. Just f***ing hell

 

I presume you weren’t at the Stoke game...

[Dave]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

In Joselu's defence whilst he cannot hit a barn door, he works hard and tracks back.  Unfortunately what we gain in defence we loose in attack as he is just so poor in front of goal.  But Rafa wasn't able to buy who he wanted - so we can't blame him for that.  He needed players simple as that. 

 

Diame I agree he's hopeless but he tends to play the '10' role and I think we're splitting hairs with him or Perez, they're both not suited to the role.  But who else would you play there?

 

Same argument peddled out what is the point in buying players if they are shit. Rafa should have done what Keegan did with John Hall when he put the block on players and walked out - Hall soon changed his mind. Rafa has been totally fucked over everyone knows that but I still cannot understand why he settled on players who were so far down his list. You cannot polish a turd and you may as well not buy players than buy players who are plainly not good enough. The biggest gripe I have is these players keep on getting played and that is the reason we are sinking like a ship. Ashley is the biggest cunt going we all know that and I do wish Rafa had stood up and said fuck you instead of accepting 5th, 7th, 7th choice players. If this takeover didn’t happen the one person who can get that abominal fat cunt out of this club and get the fans into action is the manager but he may have to walk to do it. I’ve heard people call me a WUM and such but I’m telling it as it is. No owner, manager or player is bigger than the club and that’s what should be first in all supporters mind. Hopefully the takeover will see the club come out of the dark as currently this is the darkest period it’s been at since the McKeag days and it’s only not worse because we were not even a mid table second division club then.

 

Am I reading this right? Rather than seeing these players you genuinely would rather have seen Benitez walk out?

[Dave]

Fairly ironic that you mention Keegan as well, considering that's literally what he did and Ashley is still here fucking managers over a decade later.

[Guest ElCid]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

In Joselu's defence whilst he cannot hit a barn door, he works hard and tracks back.  Unfortunately what we gain in defence we loose in attack as he is just so poor in front of goal.  But Rafa wasn't able to buy who he wanted - so we can't blame him for that.  He needed players simple as that. 

 

Diame I agree he's hopeless but he tends to play the '10' role and I think we're splitting hairs with him or Perez, they're both not suited to the role.  But who else would you play there?

 

Same argument peddled out what is the point in buying players if they are s***. Rafa should have done what Keegan did with John Hall when he put the block on players and walked out - Hall soon changed his mind. Rafa has been totally f***ed over everyone knows that but I still cannot understand why he settled on players who were so far down his list. You cannot polish a turd and you may as well not buy players than buy players who are plainly not good enough. The biggest gripe I have is these players keep on getting played and that is the reason we are sinking like a ship. Ashley is the biggest c*** going we all know that and I do wish Rafa had stood up and said f*** you instead of accepting 5th, 7th, 7th choice players. If this takeover didn’t happen the one person who can get that abominal fat c*** out of this club and get the fans into action is the manager but he may have to walk to do it. I’ve heard people call me a WUM and such but I’m telling it as it is. No owner, manager or player is bigger than the club and that’s what should be first in all supporters mind. Hopefully the takeover will see the club come out of the dark as currently this is the darkest period it’s been at since the McKeag days and it’s only not worse because we were not even a mid table second division club then.

 

Am I reading this right? Rather than seeing these players you genuinely would rather have seen Benitez walk out?

 

What I’m saying is that he shouldn’t have accepted those players and then say to Ashley and the media if you don’t get me the players I’m wanting I’ll walk. Keegan done it to Hall and look what happened. There is no point in settling for shit players as if you do you’re in trouble as we are. It’s not about wanting Rafa leaving it’s about taking this cunt ruining the club to task and putting him under the spotlight.

[Dave]

Eh, can't you remember the media coverage of us during the summer? Every day almost he was briefing them that he might walk. He even publicly questioned Ashley's integrity ('hopefully if Mike keeps his promises' etc).

 

Didn't do a thing.

[Guest ElCid]

Eh, can't you remember the media coverage of us during the summer? Every day almost he was briefing them that he might walk. He even publicly questioned Ashley's integrity ('hopefully if Mike keeps his promises' etc).

 

Didn't do a thing.

 

Did he actually say if I don’t get the support not whispers not rumours actually say it as Keegan did.

[Collage]

From the other thread:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/dec/15/isaac-hayden-newcastle-arsenal-flamini-premier-league

To Hayden, Wenger was difficult to read; his style slightly off the cuff. The contrast to Rafael Benítez is vivid. When Newcastle were made aware Hayden was available, Benítez watched 12 videos of him overnight before deciding to sign him, and the Spaniard made quite an impression on Hayden during their first meeting.

 

“It was at the Rosewood hotel in London and there was a big bowl of chocolates on the table,” Hayden says. “All of a sudden, he got two big handfuls of them and he lined them up in formation. He started asking me questions. ‘Right, if the ball came in from here and the centre-halves are here, where would you be?’ Sometimes, he said: ‘Brilliant.’ Other times, he said: ‘No. That’s a very English answer.’ It was like a coaching session at the first meeting. After it, I told my agent: ‘I don’t care what it takes. I just want to make this transfer happen.’”

 

Benítez takes meticulous to the next level. According to Hayden, the manager has written a thesis on the holding midfield role – a comparative analysis of the position across five countries, including England and Spain. Hayden thinks Benítez studied it at university in Madrid.

 

“He’s literally obsessed with it,” Hayden says. “He played that position himself. He wants to talk non-stop. I could play really well and he’ll never say: ‘Well played.’ He will always tell me I was out of position by two yards in a particular situation. It’s just how he is. You have to be bang on it in every way.”

 

When Hayden moved to Newcastle, he lived in the same apartment block as Benítez. “I’ve moved out now,” Hayden says. “I’d get my dinner from a restaurant around the corner, which did lovely chicken and pasta dishes, and I’d collect it after training. He’d come home at the same time and he used to catch me as I got out of my car. One time, I was sitting in the car, waiting and waiting for him to go up in the lift but he was waiting for me. My food was getting cold. He’d just want to talk about football for half an hour.”

 

 

What a guy.

[emoji38] What a fantastic interview that is.

Brilliant.

 

[Dave]

Eh, can't you remember the media coverage of us during the summer? Every day almost he was briefing them that he might walk. He even publicly questioned Ashley's integrity ('hopefully if Mike keeps his promises' etc).

 

Didn't do a thing.

 

Did he actually say if I don’t get the support not whispers not rumours actually say it as Keegan did.

 

I don't think so but it was basically an open secret. What he definitely did say publicly on multiple occasions was how hard this season was going to be, especially without sufficient backing in the transfer market.

 

He could have easily walked a number of times already during his short tenure, and I wouldn't have blamed him if he did. But to criticise him for not doing so seems very strange to me.

[LV]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

In Joselu's defence whilst he cannot hit a barn door, he works hard and tracks back.  Unfortunately what we gain in defence we loose in attack as he is just so poor in front of goal.  But Rafa wasn't able to buy who he wanted - so we can't blame him for that.  He needed players simple as that. 

 

Diame I agree he's hopeless but he tends to play the '10' role and I think we're splitting hairs with him or Perez, they're both not suited to the role.  But who else would you play there?

 

Same argument peddled out what is the point in buying players if they are s***. Rafa should have done what Keegan did with John Hall when he put the block on players and walked out - Hall soon changed his mind. Rafa has been totally f***ed over everyone knows that but I still cannot understand why he settled on players who were so far down his list. You cannot polish a turd and you may as well not buy players than buy players who are plainly not good enough. The biggest gripe I have is these players keep on getting played and that is the reason we are sinking like a ship. Ashley is the biggest c*** going we all know that and I do wish Rafa had stood up and said f*** you instead of accepting 5th, 7th, 7th choice players. If this takeover didn’t happen the one person who can get that abominal fat c*** out of this club and get the fans into action is the manager but he may have to walk to do it. I’ve heard people call me a WUM and such but I’m telling it as it is. No owner, manager or player is bigger than the club and that’s what should be first in all supporters mind. Hopefully the takeover will see the club come out of the dark as currently this is the darkest period it’s been at since the McKeag days and it’s only not worse because we were not even a mid table second division club then.

 

Am I reading this right? Rather than seeing these players you genuinely would rather have seen Benitez walk out?

 

What I’m saying is that he shouldn’t have accepted those players and then say to Ashley and the media if you don’t get me the players I’m wanting I’ll walk. Keegan done it to Hall and look what happened. There is no point in settling for s*** players as if you do you’re in trouble as we are. It’s not about wanting Rafa leaving it’s about taking this c*** ruining the club to task and putting him under the spotlight.

 

To have not brought any new players in at all for a Premier league campaign would have been absolute lunacy. I cannot see how Rafa could have done anything in a better way than he did. He knows what was needed but wasn’t allowed to spend the money required so HAD to settle for inferior players for the sake of having a squad. He’s blameless here.

[Darth Crooks]

Mike Ashley isn't sir john hall. You just end up with Barry fry because they shared a kebab once.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Growing movement? Its a few pissheads at the match and some numpties on here. Growing movement man... talk about sensationalism. If anything it shows how much fans think of Rafa because someone other than him would be getting much more stick, at the match, in the media, on here and on social platforms.

[Dave]

Mike Ashley isn't sir john hall. You just end up with Barry fry because they shared a kebab once.

 

Exactly, there's literally nothing to suggest Benitez walking would have done us any favours at all. Last time we replaced Keegan with Joe Kinnear ffs.

 

In fact I'd go further and say that Benitez staying on despite everything is what led to Ashley's admission to Sky that we couldn't/wouldn't compete under his ownership and directly led on to him deciding to sell IMO. Combine that with suggestions that the Staveley interest was helped along by Benitez himself and we're looking at the club potentially being saved due to the fact he didn't walk.

 

But hey, Diame's shite so fuck him.

[Guest ElCid]

Eh, can't you remember the media coverage of us during the summer? Every day almost he was briefing them that he might walk. He even publicly questioned Ashley's integrity ('hopefully if Mike keeps his promises' etc).

 

Didn't do a thing.

 

Did he actually say if I don’t get the support not whispers not rumours actually say it as Keegan did.

 

I don't think so but it was basically an open secret. What he definitely did say publicly on multiple occasions was how hard this season was going to be, especially without sufficient backing in the transfer market.

 

He could have easily walked a number of times already during his short tenure, and I wouldn't have blamed him if he did. But to criticise him for not doing so seems very strange to me.

 

Open secrets mean nothing I’m talking about the effect and pressure actually coming out snd saying it would have done. I remember the effect it had when Keegan done it maybe you were too young for remembering. I’m criticising for settling for players he was obviously not happy about getting. In my opinion the actual threat of saying do this or I walk would have put the necessary pressure on. I still say if you buy shit you get shit and it’s the reason we are where we are. All we can hope is the takeover will change this time will tell.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

What Rafa did with his meagre summer budget was buy players that we needed, his job is to manage the club and to keep us up. He had to buy what he did, the only other option was to not buy at all. You can’t blame Rafa for how shit Joselu is. I agree if you buy shit you get shit, but if you buy nothing at all, you’ve got nothing. We have a fighting chance of staying up, had the owner released more funds and Rafa was allowed to strengthen the positions he wanted to, you would be looking at a comfortable mid-table type of season. Had he spent zero, we’d be rock bottom no doubt.

[Bimpy474]

Rafa could walk out this afternoon. Any talk of that putting pressure or putting the spotlight on Ashley is fanciful. Ashley simply doesn't care, the last 10 years should be all you need to know that.

[Greg]

Rafa knew the areas we needed to strengthen - Ashley ignored and that is why we are in this mess - not Rafa.  There is no magic wand he can wave, the fact we are not already in the bottom 3 is down to Rafa.  Individual mistakes are costing us atm and no manager can account for those.

 

The biggest individual mistake is that Joselu and Diame constantly get picked.

In Joselu's defence whilst he cannot hit a barn door, he works hard and tracks back.  Unfortunately what we gain in defence we loose in attack as he is just so poor in front of goal.  But Rafa wasn't able to buy who he wanted - so we can't blame him for that.  He needed players simple as that. 

 

Diame I agree he's hopeless but he tends to play the '10' role and I think we're splitting hairs with him or Perez, they're both not suited to the role.  But who else would you play there?

 

Same argument peddled out what is the point in buying players if they are s***. Rafa should have done what Keegan did with John Hall when he put the block on players and walked out - Hall soon changed his mind.

 

That is literally what Keegan did and Ashley told him to fuck off.

[Kanj]

Still trying to wrap my head around why Martin hardy would write that article

[Stottie]

Still trying to wrap my head around why Martin hardy would write that article

 

I've not read it, but I thought the last book he wrote meant he must have an inside track, that he is not just a random journo. So yeah, I don't know what to make of this article either.

[Sean]

Mike Ashley isn't sir john hall. You just end up with Barry fry because they shared a kebab once.

 

Exactly, there's literally nothing to suggest Benitez walking would have done us any favours at all. Last time we replaced Keegan with Joe Kinnear ffs.

 

In fact I'd go further and say that Benitez staying on despite everything is what led to Ashley's admission to Sky that we couldn't/wouldn't compete under his ownership and directly led on to him deciding to sell IMO. Combine that with suggestions that the Staveley interest was helped along by Benitez himself and we're looking at the club potentially being saved due to the fact he didn't walk.

 

But hey, Diame's shite so fuck him.

 

This is my worry tbh, Rafa's backed him into a corner, lined up a new owner and put the pressure on him to sell or run the club properly. The most typical Ashley thing to do would be to play along with this for a while in order to keep Rafa here, spend no money in Jan and hope to still survive. Not saying thats whats happening only I wouldn't put it past the cunt.