Rafa Benítez (unemployed)

[D. Yimentov]

I don't see how even with all the money in the world you could instantly build a title trophy winning team anyway. The league has changed so much from when say Chelsea "bought" success. Even newly promoted teams can spunk 30/40 million on a player. You need a boss who can manage and gel together a pampered lot into a unit. We aren't needing 1 or 2 additions. Years of under investment has seen clubs pass us by. With every window they too strength widening that gap. We need a long term plan to get a core team together and then add those quality players in window by window  cycling out failed and aged acquisitions you know like a good/normal club should.

 

Simple answer , you can’t and we won’t .

 

It’s not what we want , FCB gone then a club that tries, job done.

 

I think you absolutely can. Football's rotten. If these blokes want to come and throw silly money around, I can't see anyone stopping them. They might have to pay fines or take some hits, or they might just bribe someone off and do whatever the fuck they want, but if they're in it for a dick measuring contest, they shan't be stopped.

 

Time will tell.

[ATF]

I know I have said I wouldn't mind getting a more attacking manager in next, but I do have another theory about this now. Rafa is one of the most intelligent football managers I have ever come across, and if football has moved on to a  more pressing, front foot style, and the likes of Klopp are succeeding with it, I have a feeling that Rafa has already probably adapted mentally, and would just need the funds to buy the right players to implement it.

 

We tend to forget he was out of British football for some time, we don't really know what his style would be now with a quality squad.

Rafa for most of his career has preferred a pressing style anyway. I know that's not his reputation but he did at Valencia, he did at Liverpool, he was trying to instill that at Inter. Arrigo Sacchi is his idol because of the compactness and pressing of his Milan. That's Rafa's ideal. He's just not an ideologue; if, as has been clearly seen at Newcastle, he thinks his team has to drop off and cut off the space behind, he'll do it.

 

When he can though, the basics of his teams are obvious - an 'elastic' defensive line that moves up and down with the ball, holds the offside line if they can. No space in midfield or between the lines, quick in transition but always organised and balanced. It's definitely not as attacking or aggressive as Klopp or Guardiola - he's more overtly keen on shape and balance, sometimes to a fault. But listen to him talk about coaches like Sacchi or Francisco Maturana; it's all about compactness in midfield, high defensive line when possible, zonal defence and pressing in midfield.

[Kanji]

There is a fantastic interview on the Athletic podcast with Rafa where he discusses all of this.

[Paully]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

 

[TRon]

I know I have said I wouldn't mind getting a more attacking manager in next, but I do have another theory about this now. Rafa is one of the most intelligent football managers I have ever come across, and if football has moved on to a  more pressing, front foot style, and the likes of Klopp are succeeding with it, I have a feeling that Rafa has already probably adapted mentally, and would just need the funds to buy the right players to implement it.

 

We tend to forget he was out of British football for some time, we don't really know what his style would be now with a quality squad.

Rafa for most of his career has preferred a pressing style anyway. I know that's not his reputation but he did at Valencia, he did at Liverpool, he was trying to instill that at Inter. Arrigo Sacchi is his idol because of the compactness and pressing of his Milan. That's Rafa's ideal. He's just not an ideologue; if, as has been clearly seen at Newcastle, he thinks his team has to drop off and cut off the space behind, he'll do it.

 

When he can though, the basics of his teams are obvious - an 'elastic' defensive line that moves up and down with the ball, holds the offside line if they can. No space in midfield or between the lines, quick in transition but always organised and balanced. It's definitely not as attacking or aggressive as Klopp or Guardiola - he's more overtly keen on shape and balance, sometimes to a fault. But listen to him talk about coaches like Sacchi or Francisco Maturana; it's all about compactness in midfield, high defensive line when possible, zonal defence and pressing in midfield.

 

Agree, he cuts his coat according to his cloth. My abiding memory of his Liverpool side was of a very compact side which used Torres as a fast raiding striker on the break, and he did seem to prefer that here as well, more out of necessity than ideal. I just think it's probably doing him a disservice to  think that's all he can do though. The game has moved on a lot since his Liverpool days, and he's probably absorbed a lot of the newer methods and what is effective since then.

 

The bloke is one of the cleverest managers out there, why would he be stuck in a time warp? We'll never really know until we see him being backed properly and then see what he comes up with. Something most of us were really looking forward to before he was hamstrung by Ashley.

 

 

[huss9]

i think there'll be plenty of opposition amongst the masses to the return of Rafa.

Loads of buggers out there saying Bruce has us playing better football. Not saying they wouldnt want Bruce gone, but many wont want Rafa back.

[TRon]

i think there'll be plenty of opposition amongst the masses to the return of Rafa.

Loads of buggers out there saying Bruce has us playing better football. Not saying they wouldnt want Bruce gone, but many wont want Rafa back.

 

That's why the Daily Star is still in circulation.

[manorpark]

i think there'll be plenty of opposition amongst the masses to the return of Rafa.

Loads of buggers out there saying Bruce has us playing better football. Not saying they wouldnt want Bruce gone, but many wont want Rafa back.

 

That's why the Daily Star is still in circulation.

 

True, so true.

[Disco]

i think there'll be plenty of opposition amongst the masses to the return of Rafa.

Loads of buggers out there saying Bruce has us playing better football. Not saying they wouldnt want Bruce gone, but many wont want Rafa back.

 

I’m very much not in that camp but I wouldn’t bring him back. I loathe Bruce as much as Pardew, Carver and Ashley and largely despise the matchgoers but I think a fresh start is called for as much as I enjoyed the reign of Rafa and the professionalism and authority he brought.

[HaydnNUFC]

i think there'll be plenty of opposition amongst the masses to the return of Rafa.

Loads of buggers out there saying Bruce has us playing better football. Not saying they wouldnt want Bruce gone, but many wont want Rafa back.

 

I’m very much not in that camp but I wouldn’t bring him back. I loathe Bruce as much as Pardew, Carver and Ashley and largely despise the matchgoers but I think a fresh start is called for as much as I enjoyed the reign of Rafa and the professionalism and authority he brought.

 

I kinda agree with you here. Who'd you gan for then Disco? Allegri, Pochettino or someone else?

[Disco]

i think there'll be plenty of opposition amongst the masses to the return of Rafa.

Loads of buggers out there saying Bruce has us playing better football. Not saying they wouldnt want Bruce gone, but many wont want Rafa back.

 

I’m very much not in that camp but I wouldn’t bring him back. I loathe Bruce as much as Pardew, Carver and Ashley and largely despise the matchgoers but I think a fresh start is called for as much as I enjoyed the reign of Rafa and the professionalism and authority he brought.

 

I kinda agree with you here. Who'd you gan for then Disco? Allegri, Pochettino or someone else?

 

Absolutely no idea tbh. It’s hard to say or guesstimate as there’s so many variables involved. How ambitious are they going to be from the off? What model do they want (manager v coach/DoF)? Is potential legacy or their status/name more important? How big a name will genuinely be interested?

 

Off the top of my head maybe someone like Marco Rose would seem realistic and attainable, regardless of budgetary concerns.

 

Don’t get me wrong, if Rafa was reappointed I’d be behind it 100% and can see all the logic for it.

[St1pe]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

Not surprised at any of that but it’s yet another example of why this deal needs to happen.

[Cronky]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

Not surprised at any of that but it’s yet another example of why this deal needs to happen.

 

Tin hat on, but if Chelsea are in for a player, it's difficult for us to compete.

[gazza ladra]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

Not surprised at any of that but it’s yet another example of why this deal needs to happen.

 

Tin hat on, but if Chelsea are in for a player, it's difficult for us to compete.

 

Initially, sure. But if they want Champions League football...

[Pandamninator]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

Not surprised at any of that but it’s yet another example of why this deal needs to happen.

 

Tin hat on, but if Chelsea are in for a player, it's difficult for us to compete.

 

Not when it is starting in the Premier League vs sitting on the bench behind Courtois when you're fighting for your spot in the Argentinan National Team.

 

But I'm glad to see not even Coronavirus can get in the way of you valiantly defend wor Mike.

 

 

[Greg]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

Not surprised at any of that but it’s yet another example of why this deal needs to happen.

 

Tin hat on, but if Chelsea are in for a player, it's difficult for us to compete.

 

But you miss the point entirely. Chelsea weren't even in for him. Rafa and his team had agreed pretty much everything with him, handed it over to Lee Charnley to get it done and he did nothing. Literally did nothing. A number of weeks later he signed for Chelsea to sit on their bench and play a few cup games.

 

It's not about him picking Chelsea over us, it didn't come to that. It was as good as done. It's about the broken promises - the same shit Keegan had to deal with. Promise one thing, do another.

[xLiaaamx]

Even if Rafa won't leave his contract and the likes of Allegri and Poch don't see it as a big enough job yet we should still make a change. Even someone like Martinez or Marco Silva would be a big step up.

[New Beginnings]

I disagree

 

All of the top managers will have an eye on us if this comes off.

Favourable FFP

Plenty of backing

Fanbase behind new owners

Foundations of squad

 

One of the only teams in prem capable of upsetting the apple cart.

 

Our next manager will be someone with pedigree and a world class CV

[TRon]

I disagree

 

All of the top managers will have an eye on us if this comes off.

Favourable FFP

Plenty of backing

Fanbase behind new owners

Foundations of squad

 

One of the only teams in prem capable of upsetting the apple cart.

 

Our next manager will be someone with pedigree and a world class CV

 

100%

[Happinesstan]

"One person familiar with the conversation" They've invented a new way of saying "our source".

[Cronky]

From the Athletic piece I’ve posted in the Ashley thread;

 

At Sports Direct headquarters, Rafa Benitez was in full flow. In typical style, this most meticulous of managers had studied Newcastle’s last published accounts, their commercial and match-day income, and had married them with his first-hand knowledge of the club. He was now making a presentation to Ashley. The gist: this is how we can succeed as a football team and this is how you can turn a profit.

 

Benitez was trying. He is not a naturally clubbable man, but he is pretty decent at his job. A year on from relegation, Newcastle had been promoted to the Premier League as champions for the 2017-18 season. There had been some tension in January when Benitez’s attempts to strengthen his squad hit a buffer, but he remained convinced that progress — namely, the top eight — was possible “if we do things right”. Those five words became an anguished mantra.

 

This was early summer, 2017. “Rafa had all the details,” one person familiar with the conversation tells The Athletic. “He talked at length about the balance between making money and competing as a team, about how you make a difference in the transfer market. He said you can’t have a chief scout in Graham Carr who was 72 and supposedly didn’t use a computer when you pay all these companies to furnish you with sophisticated statistics about players.

 

“He talked about creating a structure, a proper scouting department that follows players, collates all the information. He talked about how difficult it was in the Premier League, so you have to work quicker, work smarter, but you can still be profitable. You could tell Ashley was impressed because he turned to Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, and told him: ‘He’s right — the numbers are right’.”

 

They got down to the nitty-gritty of budgets. Benitez would be furnished with £70 million over two years, plus whatever he could generate himself. They spoke about details. If Benitez wanted to use that budget to buy one player for £50 million, did he need to consult with Ashley? Yeah, for a transfer that big. But if it’s five players for £10 million each, “then you and Lee can do it,” he was told.

 

That June, Carr left Newcastle by “mutual consent”. As well as identifying signings like Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sissoko, the Geordie was close to Ashley, but the power base was shifting. Newcastle’s model — young players of value but often “rascals,” according to one ex-manager — had contributed to their demotion and Benitez was now in charge. His first target: Willy Caballero, the goalkeeper, available on a free from Manchester City.

 

Newcastle already had four senior keepers on their books. The club did nothing. Benitez, who didn’t just want another body but someone who would change the way his side played, waited and fumed. Caballero joined Chelsea. Trust was cracked and that crack became a schism, the starting point for the manager’s departure at the end of his contract last summer, when he complained in a column for The Athletic of “three years of unfulfilled promises”.

 

The meeting at Shirebrook is a small anecdote, but in many ways it characterises Ashley’s 13 years at St James’ Park. His ownership has not taken Newcastle to the brink of financial oblivion. They are in the Premier League, which leads some observers to point out that things could be worse, yet his tenure has been peppered with sliding-door moments and toxic outcomes. Benitez was a Champions League winner, a garlanded coach and a genuine chance for the club to kick on. When it mattered most, he was ignored.

 

Not surprised at any of that but it’s yet another example of why this deal needs to happen.

 

Tin hat on, but if Chelsea are in for a player, it's difficult for us to compete.

 

But you miss the point entirely. Chelsea weren't even in for him. Rafa and his team had agreed pretty much everything with him, handed it over to Lee Charnley to get it done and he did nothing. Literally did nothing. A number of weeks later he signed for Chelsea to sit on their bench and play a few cup games.

 

It's not about him picking Chelsea over us, it didn't come to that. It was as good as done. It's about the broken promises - the same shit Keegan had to deal with. Promise one thing, do another.

 

I don't know where that information comes from, but it's not very convincing. You say that 'Rafa and his team had agreed pretty much everything with him', but negotiations with players were Charnley's responsibility, not his. And a player nearing the end of his contract has every incentive to keep all his options open for as long as possible. He can say 'yes, I'm interested' to as many clubs as he wants.

 

Caballero would have been 36, coming to the end of his career, so a final big pay day with Chelsea and the prospect of at least some European football might well have been more attractive than what we had to offer at that time. Plus London is often a bigger draw for a player, or their spouse.

[Lush Vlad]

Greg’s info isn’t convincing. But your whole load of assumptions is?

 

I don’t know what stage it ever got to. But I think whether he was close to signing or whether he preferred Chelsea is irrelevant. If it is yet another case of the Ashley and co just hanging a manager out to dry and ignoring them. Then it is amateur as fuck and just sums up Ashley’s time at the club.

 

Sounds similar to the Hypia deal, when KK was manager. I’m sure I read another one where it was a case of them just ignoring the manager’s requests and moving the goalposts last minute. Probably happened quite regularly.

[Mr Logic]

A trip down memory lane.

 

 

Louise Taylor

 

Sat 19 Nov 2016 21.00 GMT

 

 

If Isaac Hayden required proof of the benefits of “Rafaology” he received it after rejoining the England Under-21 squad during the international break. “The England staff have really picked up on the change in me,” reports the Newcastle United midfielder. “They say that, compared to last season, my ‘game understanding’ is massively different. They say it’s obvious it’s down to Rafa’s tutelage.”

 

Rafael Benítez’s transformative impact in the north-east can hardly be overstated and his Championship topping side will arrive at promotion rivals Leeds United on Sunday seeking to an extend an eight-game winning run. Hayden attributes much of Newcastle’s success to their manager’s alliance of a forensic eye for detail, an assured grasp of broader strategy and excellent communication skills.

 

“The England coaches want you to come up with ideas about how we’re going to beat varying types of opponents,” explains the 21-year-old Arsenal academy graduate, who spent last season on loan at Hull City. “They seemed really pleased with me this time, they said: ‘You’re coming up with different ideas from everyone else.’ Again, that’s down to working with Rafa. He loves his little details and they transfer to us players.”

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The cult of the manager can sometimes be overplayed but it is no exaggeration to say that, at St James’ Park, the Benítez effect has been extraordinary. Indeed after simultaneously “taming” Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s maverick owner, bonding the club with its previously disillusioned fans and revitalising a squad which had looked lost as it tumbled out of the Premier League last season, it would be no surprise were the Spaniard to be spotted walking on the Tyne.

 

Although undoubtedly a consummate politician who, crucially, commands the respect from both boardroom and dressing room which Steve McClaren, his predecessor, lacked, the manager has surprised many people with his consistent warmth.

 

“You might think a manager of his calibre might not be like that – some high-level managers and even some top players can be quite distant – but the gaffer’s warm,” says Hayden with the thoughtful intelligence which distinguishes his tactically articulate game. “Rafa’s so easy to talk to, you can speak to him about anything and he’s the same with everybody: players, support staff, fans. It doesn’t matter who you are, he’s as friendly as anything and that’s really helped the lads.

 

“He’s reconnected this club to the fans and the city and united it. There’s no unrest anywhere. The manager, players, staff, owner and supporters are all pulling in the right direction and, at the minute, that’s having a massive impact on our football. Everyone’s united and it shows on the pitch.”

 

Arsène Wenger has imbued Arsenal with similar dignity and class but Hayden, who parted with the Frenchman on excellent terms and admires him immensely, feels the pair could not be more different. “They’re polar opposites,” he says. “Two totally different people. Arsène doesn’t really say much, when he’s at training he just watches and you might hear his voice three or four times a session. Max. He sees absolutely everything, though, every mistake you make.

 

“The gaffer here is much more hands on. He talks us through sessions and helps us out. I prefer that style of management. It gets the best out of me; I know exactly how he’s feeling about me and what he wants me to improve on.”

 

Hayden fully buys into Benítez’s love of squad rotation – something which proved controversial in his early days at Liverpool before winning the Champions League. “The big difference between being here and at Hull last season is that no one’s certain to play any game under this manager. Everyone’s on their toes, there’s a lot of competition for places, everybody’s fresh, working hard in training and doing the right things and, touch wood, we haven’t had many injuries.”

 

Last season Hull started strongly, with the side under Steve Bruce looking near certainties for automatic promotion before suffering an alarming February wobble and going up via the play-offs. “The difference was that Steve essentially utilised the same players all the time and it got to February and March and then the lads who’d played Saturday-Tuesday all season hit a brick wall,” says Hayden. “They were knackered.”

 

Meanwhile the understudies were losing heart. “In October and November Steve played the same starting eleven nine games in a row. It got to the point where some players didn’t even bother bringing their wash bags any more – you knew you weren’t going to get a game.”

 

Even so he enjoyed working with Bruce, now Aston Villa manager, who helped him grow up. “Steve’s easy to talk to. You could knock on his door and chat to him,” he says. “But he had a lot more of an old school mentality and was very demanding.

 

“Hull’s training was vigorous. It wasn’t uncontrolled but it was very intense, less controlled than here or Arsenal. We had lots of double sessions, lots of gym work and running. It was my transition to the real adult professional game and it taught me the importance of a hard-working mentality.”

 

On top of that are the benefits of harmony. “Steve was very good at setting us up to deal with different opponents but it didn’t help that Hull’s owners wanted to sell and the fans didn’t like the owners and would show their disgruntlement,” says Hayden. “That filtered through to the manager and on to the players. At times it wasn’t the nicest feeling. In April, when we played Brentford at home and were still in with a chance of finishing second, only 15,000 turned up and they were waving placards and shouting ‘Allams out’.”

 

With the days of anti-Ashley and anti-Alan Pardew protests a receding memory, Newcastle is very different. “We get more than 50,000 every home game,” says Hayden. “It helps that we’ve got the biggest crowds in the Championship, the best atmosphere and the best fans. They’re so loud some of our away games feel like home matches.”

 

Elland Road is a 38,000 sell-out on Sunday. “It’s a hostile ground, not the nicest place to go,” he acknowledges. “But I don’t think it’ll be a problem for us.” 

 

 

[Mr Logic]

A trip down memory lane cont:

 

 

 

Rafael Benítez baffled but unbowed by dysfunctional setup at Newcastle United

Manager insists ‘we’ll do our best’ on return to Premier League, despite minimal transfer budget and a lack of communication from owner Mike Ashley

Louise Taylor

 

Louise Taylor

 

Sat 12 Aug 2017 22.00 BST

 

 

The mood inside the room had turned as gloomy as the dark clouds on view through the windows when someone attempted a joke. “It’s North Korea v the United States,” they said, deadpan. “Just without the nuclear weapons.”

 

It got a laugh, yet Mike Ashley v Rafael Benítez is a little bit different; less Kim Jong-un v Donald Trump and much more a particularly capricious brand of shortsighted parochialism against a worldly wise grasp of the bigger picture.

 

Benítez appreciates that the current Premier League transfer-market inflation is “crazy” but believes that if Newcastle United are to prosper on their latest return to the top tier, they must speculate to accumulate.

Newcastle’s Mike Ashley: ‘I don’t have the cash to compete with top clubs’

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Very possibly disappointed at his failure to sell the club this summer, the owner is not prepared to banish the threat of a relegation battle by borrowing against future broadcast income. Cue an impasse that has left Benítez fearing a relegation skirmish.

 

“For us, this summer was crucial,” said Newcastle’s manager, whose side, supplemented by some motley-looking cut-price recruits, face Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon. “We needed to bring more players in but we couldn’t get them. This has been a problem; now we have to find solutions.

 

“We cannot compete against some clubs. Players we were considering buying are going to bottom-of-the-table teams for £20m-25m. To me it’s crazy, but that’s the market. If you want to compete, you have to go into it. We’re in a worse position than I expected, but I still have confidence everything can be fine. I don’t want people panicking if we lose some games at the beginning. We’ll work hard and become better.”

 

Extraordinarily, Ashley has not spoken to the much-decorated former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager since the pair met in May for their first face-to-face chat of 2017, and this most dysfunctional relationship took another bizarre turn on Friday. While Benítez highlighted his concerns at Newcastle’s training ground, Sky released excerpts from an interview with the Sports Direct owner in which the billionaire said his money was tied up and a lack of “cash in the bank” dictated that he could not bankroll the team.

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Benítez never imagined he would be given carte blanche, but did envisage being allowed to spend significantly more than the £30m profit he made on player trading – specifically from Moussa Sissoko’s sale to Spurs – last summer. So far, though, Javier Manquillo, Florian Lejeune, Jacob Murphy, Mikel Merino and Christian Atsu have arrived for roughly that sum, and the manager has been told he must sell before buying again.

 

Perhaps the biggest mystery is why the 57-year-old remains in his post, but while he is clearly “not happy”, Benítez says he remains fully committed to the challenge ahead.

 

For the moment at least, an amalgam of loyalty to players, staff and adoring fans is the tie binding him to the peculiarities of Ashley’s regime.

 

It is the owner’s good fortune that the determination of Benítez’s wife and two teenage daughters to live on Merseyside precludes a move abroad – and that a gifted coach has traditionally performed best when backed into corners.

 

Yet if his successes at Tenerife, Valencia and Liverpool came at clubs with appreciably smaller budgets and less starry squads than their principal rivals, Newcastle are starting from an infinitely more modest base.

 

Moreover the increased involvement of Justin Barnes, an abrasive lawyer and long-term Ashley ally, has disrupted the previously harmonious relationship between Benítez and Lee Charnley, the club’s managing director.

 

Matters came to a head when Charnley failed to secure a loan deal Benítez had arranged for the Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham. Briefly, resignation became an option. “I was working very hard and when we couldn’t do it I was asking why,” Newcastle’s manager said. “Then I said [to myself]: ‘We have this problem and this one and this one, so what do I want to do?’ And I said: ‘I want to stay.’

 

“We have a whole city behind me and the team. So I said: ‘It’s a pity, but we’ll try our best’ – and we’re still pushing, still trying to change things, to do things in a normal way.”

 

He is puzzled at Ashley’s lack of faith in his ability to ultimately bring success – and money – to Tyneside. “We want to replicate successful things we’ve done in the past,” said Benítez. “If I’m here and they pay me this salary, it’s surely because they trust me? It’s because I’ve won things and do things professionally.

 

“We’re not demanding crazy things – we’re just demanding to do things in a professional way, like we did with Liverpool or Chelsea. I was hoping it could be like that here, but, now, it’s not exactly what I was expecting.”

 

For the moment, though, Benítez’s loyalty remains undimmed – even if his frustration is palpable. “I don’t want to be egotistical,” he said. “But I had two or three players who came here because of me. I can’t let them down.

 

“I decided to stay in the Championship – a massive risk, because I wanted to be in the Premier League at a massive club like this one and compete at the top of the table. But I don’t know if we can do that now. It’s a problem that teams like Crystal Palace are spending more.”

 

When Benítez emerges from the tunnel on Sunday memories of a balmy May afternoon in 2016 will come flooding back. After replacing Steve McClaren, he narrowly failed to stave off relegation, but as his doomed side thrashed Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs 5-1, St James’ serenaded him, nonstop.

 

“Rafa, we want you to stay,” they chorused as the watching Ashley prepared to give his Champions League-winning coach the same message. “It was a massive day,” recalled Benítez a tad wistfully. “It was the day I was talking with Mike about the future – and it was all so positive.” 

 

[Mr Logic]

A trip blah blah cont:

 

 

 

Louise Taylor

 

Sat 8 Dec 2018 22.00 GMT

 

 

Rafael Benítez has urged the quartet of potential bidders considering buying Newcastle to seize “a unique opportunity”.

 

Mike Ashley is desperate to sell up and last week indicated that a takeover could be close. Although no exclusivity deal has yet been signed there is apparent interest from the United States – with one transatlantic consortium led by Peter Kenyon, the former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive – Turkey and the Middle East. While much could go wrong before any sale is completed – and some observers remain sceptical as to Ashley’s true intentions – the manager believes Newcastle are well worth buying for an asking price around £350m bracket.

 

“I don’t have much information about a takeover but it’s very clear this club has the potential to be one of the top sides,” said Benítez as he prepared for Sunday’s meeting with Wolves at St James’ Park.

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“For me, Newcastle has to be in the top six or, easily, the top eight and play in Europe again. You can attract anyone here. I’ve seen some people criticising the north-east but it’s an area with great potential. For sure, Newcastle can be mentioned in the same breath as the other clubs I’ve managed, there’s massive potential here. Newcastle is similar to Napoli in terms of everyone in the city supporting one club. When you have that, it’s positive and unique.”

 

Despite the 52,000-capacity St James’ city centre location in one of England’s major regional capitals, some analysts have claimed that Newcastle is too far north to be attractive to major investors.

 

Benítez shakes his head at that notion. “I am here because I can see this great potential,” said Benítez, who won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool. “You don’t have too many big cities with massive clubs like Newcastle [for sale]. The fact is, it’s a great opportunity.”

 

Although the 58-year-old’s contract ends in May, Benítez would hope to extend that agreement if the ownership changes. “In my head I’m still a young manager,” he said. “I want to keep on managing for a few more years, but, in the future, I would like to maybe become involved in a small club, to give them some advice.

 

“I like to see players coming through the academy into the first team and to teach them the principles of the game. Sometimes you see top-class footballers but they still do not know how to use their left foot or things like that.”

 

Asked if that club might be Tranmere, the nearest team to his family home on the Wirral, Benítez said, jokingly: “I didn’t say the name – but close.”

 

Warming to his theme, the Spaniard said he would not be averse to offering his expertise at grassroots level. “I coached the lads at my daughter’s school for a bit and I was impressed,” he said. “When I asked the kids questions they put their hands up. That was very respectful. In Spain, they would be talking all the time.”