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Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

Greg

by Greg
in Football

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Would you have Rafa back?   

463 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you have Rafa back?

    • Yes, as manager, immediately
      101
    • Yes, as manager, but at some point in the future (eg if relegated)
      97
    • Yes, in an advisory or DoF role
      74
    • No, not in any meaningful capacity
      132

This poll is closed to new votes


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HaydnNUFC

HaydnNUFC

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, Dr Venkman said:

Which bit did you really like then? The obvious bit about us getting relegated when he had 8 games to keep us up or the bit where he told us we're not living inside a computer game?

 

He said that he doesn't blame Benitez for that nor should. It was 10 games fwiw.

 

But he also did struggle at times in his two years in the PL with largely the same squad of players. 4 wins in 24 in 2017-18, no wins in the first 10 losing all home games in that 10 in 2018-19. Its the same squad who are older and have regressed, plus we have 2 weeks of the transfer window left. 

 

I did fear that this would happen as @reefatoon said back in early December. Benitez' shadow is so big over this fanbase that it adds pressure onto a manager who didn't even succeed him and is trying to rectify 2 and a half years of a complete lack of effort and nous in coaching a PL football team. Should Howe be doing better? In terms of results, probably yeah. But if you take a step back look at the games in isolation you can take positives. Aside from these last 2 games. These last 2 after the great performance v Man Utd following a decent break should give the owners the onus to splash and get the players we desperately need, rather than getting rid of a manager who has only had 10 games in charge. 

 

 

Edited by HaydnNUFC

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Hanshithispantz

Hanshithispantz

Posted
Posted (edited)
15 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

That something needs to be recognising the shortcomings in the squad and rectifying them by paying for the top targets. Not hanging onto the romanticisation of a manager who was last here 2 and a half years ago and has failed in both his jobs since in that time.

I'm not hanging into any if that. Rafa has worked at Madrid, Napoli and Liverpool. He will have a lot of ideas that could help any club tbh. He will have extensive contacts in the game too. He could no doubt help us in numerous ways but the main one would be identifying a midfielder, defender and a forward.

 

Getting a proper scouting network in would be the best bet but I get the feeling the people running the club aren't too comfortable in picking that stuff out and won't be until the summer when we bring in our DoF. Hence I'm at the point of 'bring any cunt in who might have a clue'[emoji38]

 

The fact we can all see the glaring shortcomings of the squad yet we cannot seem to identify any solutions to them should be worrying© to anyone. It's not going to miraculously fix itself.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Hanshithispantz

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Kid Icarus

Kid Icarus

Posted
Posted
Just now, SUPERTOON said:

Agreed, however I’m thinking purely who I feel would give us a better chance over the next few months at keeping us up.

So difficult to answer, but what I'd also say is that despite Howe not getting us hitting the heights we'd like, instant impact is definitely not one of Rafa's strengths, we saw that in 15/16 and then we saw how our full seasons with him peaked at the very end after months of the players having his demands drilled into them. He's much more a project man, than a galvaniser.

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HaydnNUFC

HaydnNUFC

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Hanshithispantz said:

I'm not hanging into any if that. Rafa has worked at Madrid, Napoli and Liverpool. He will have a lot of ideas that could help any club tbh. He will have extensive contacts in the game too. He could no doubt help us in numerous ways but the main one would be identifying a midfielder, defender and a forward.

 

Getting a proper scouting network in would be the best bet but I get the feeling the people running the club aren't too comfortable in picking that stuff out and won't be until the summer when we bring in our DoF. Hence I'm at the ooint of 'bring any cunt in who might have a clue'[emoji38]

 

The fact we can all see the glaring shortcomings of the squad yet we cannot seem to identify any solutions to them should be worrying© to anyone. It's not going to miraculously fix itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with the being at the point of bringing in any cunt tbf. :lol:

 

Bringing Benitez in in any capacity undermines Howe, as the moment bad results occur as they are at the moment the speculation will be 'will Benitez succeed Howe, ready made replacement to come in already there' that wouldn't be there with any other CEO or director. The owners just need to spend.

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TRon

TRon

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Kid Icarus said:

So difficult to answer, but what I'd also say is that despite Howe not getting us hitting the heights we'd like, instant impact is definitely not one of Rafa's strengths, we saw that in 15/16 and then we saw how our full seasons with him peaked at the very end after months of the players having his demands drilled into them. He's much more a project man, than a galvaniser.

 

Also I'm not sure he'd be welcomed back by a lot of these players. Some of the worse ones who's failings got covered by defending in numbers maybe, but most of them I would guess didn't really enjoy his management style. Would they really pull their fingers out at this stage of the season? 

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The Prophet

The Prophet

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

So difficult to answer, but what I'd also say is that despite Howe not getting us hitting the heights we'd like, instant impact is definitely not one of Rafa's strengths, we saw that in 15/16 and then we saw how our full seasons with him peaked at the very end after months of the players having his demands drilled into them. He's much more a project man, than a galvaniser.

 

Howe could be exactly the same, but there won't be many willing to give him that chance. That's not saying that Howe is immune from criticism, but it's way too early to be taking about moving him on.

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Paullow

Paullow

Posted
Posted

It's not like for like, as the team was better then, although you could also say so were our rivals, but Rafa came in with 10 games to go, and ended up with 13 points, a +4 GD, 1.3 ppg which averages out at 49.4 points per season - he just came in too late, but while a couple of disappointing results, he did well in the short time he was here, especially as 3 of his 10 games included the future champions Leicester away in his first match, as well as draws at home to City and away to Liverpool. Howe, in contrast, has had Burnley, Norwich, Brentford, Watford at home, bread and butter stuff where you'd hope for 9 or 10 points just to stay on course for a modest season. Obviously a couple of unfortunate issues like contracting covid, and Clark being an idiot, but 1 win from those 4 isn't great, and then the hammering in the others as you would expect, but 1 win in 9, and an embarrassing cup exit, 7 points from 9 games (29.5 points per season) and -11 GD - their respective initial periods have been very different.

 

It's never going to happen anyway, and I'd still be inclined to keep Howe, and stick with him if we go down, but I also do think there would be more chance of actually getting the 'bounce' we never really got, certainly results-wise, even if performances and mindset are a little better, if we were to bring Rafa in.

 

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St1pe

St1pe

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Heron said:

Anyone seen the shit Luke Edwards is spouting (again!). 

 

How that bloke remains in his job I do not know. 

I really didn’t want to look after I read this but I did. 
 

Him blaming Rafa and not Bruce for drilling a negative team is ludicrous. Look at the state of us since Rafa left and he’s still managing to back his pal Bruce. 

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Minhosa

Minhosa

Posted
Posted (edited)

I was a HUGE Rafa fan when he was here, firmly believe he should have stayed, wanted him back when the takeover happened and would've taken him when we appointed Howe etc etc.

 

HOWEVER, I have great reservations around the famed Rafa Politics that just seem to follow him everywhere. Shipping out Graham Carr, working the fans against Ashley here and then similar at Everton with Digne, Brands etc.

 

He seems to demand the wind blow in his direction on every issue and the unity we now have absolutely doesn't need that drama. He never seems happy unless he's railing against his bosses tbh.

 

I'm conflicted because I think he'd have been a great appointment on day 1 of the takeover as he'd be great to build the infrastructure the club so badly needs and I also think he'd 100% have kept us up from Howe's starting position, on top of that, I think he's far superior to Howe.

 

All in all, I'd not want Howe to stay if/when he takes us down but I do feel we should be looking for the next Rafa and perhaps not this one.

 

A difficult call all around because I loved him at NUFC.

 

 

Edited by Minhosa

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