Rafael Benitez

So in summary, something is going to happen.

 

I can confirm this.

 

Anyway, back to the bed wetting.

 

We're not wearing dipers so maybe that's why we're not as ice cool

Fuck are dipers? 

diaper

Nappies in English.

#wait

Nappies in English.

Oh, i had no idea

I'm not surprised, just disappointed.

 

Not in the club, mind, but in myself for ever entertaining the idea maybe they weren't complete and utter f***ups.

So you've always had your doubts?

So who do people think our next manager will be? 

I don't care as I will have no interest in the club.

So who do people think our next manager will be? 

now that martin hardy has written his piece, there can be no doubt that we are heading for crisis.

none of the journalists around here are as close to rafa as he is.

he's not going to spout bullshit after the help rafa gave him for his book.

So who do people think our next manager will be? 

 

The sooner he finds a new job the better.

Could just imagine the club doing a little blurry unveiling of him on twitter

I can understand your worries and frustration but I think some of you need to calm down a wee bit. I wouldn't say Rafa is 100% happy but currently I would say your situation is DEFCON 4.

When it hits DEFCON 2, you will know - Articles will come from at least 6-12 journos from England and Spain including the national ones with the same message.

When the situation is DEFCON 1, you will truly know. That is the time to truly panic. Rafa is no coward. When he is genuinely unhappy, he comes out swinging at the owners. He made the following statement to the press against Moratti "There are three possibilities for the club. One, 100% support for the coach and buy four or five players to build a stronger team with competition among the players to be able to carry on winning matches and trophies. Two, carry on like this without a project, without planning, and go ahead with one person to blame, for the whole season. The third," he added, "is to speak to my agent to reach an agreement if there is not this support. Simple." Against his Valencia bosses "I was hoping for a sofa and they've brought me a lamp." He has made similar statements against LFC bosses.

Do you think he will have any qualms about openly attacking Ashley?  When he is unhappy to the point of being ready to walk away, there wont be any ambiguity in the message. Until that happens, no point worrying and perusing each statement in local journos articles.

Reassuring words at last.

Think people will leave in droves if Rafa goes all hope will be lost.

I honestly don't think the situation is changing from day to day.

 

There was obviously some frustration a month ago when it was clear we were missing out on 2 or 3 targets but I don't think anything has changed since then.

 

I mean, the main change day to day is that we're another day closer to the start of the season without the players we need to compete in the league.  "Nothing changing" from a month ago is exactly the problem.

I can understand your worries and frustration but I think some of you need to calm down a wee bit. I wouldn't say Rafa is 100% happy but currently I would say your situation is DEFCON 4.

 

When it hits DEFCON 2, you will know - Articles will come from at least 6-12 journos from England and Spain including the national ones with the same message.

 

When the situation is DEFCON 1, you will truly know. That is the time to truly panic. Rafa is no coward. When he is genuinely unhappy, he comes out swinging at the owners. He made the following statement to the press against Moratti "There are three possibilities for the club. One, 100% support for the coach and buy four or five players to build a stronger team with competition among the players to be able to carry on winning matches and trophies. Two, carry on like this without a project, without planning, and go ahead with one person to blame, for the whole season. The third," he added, "is to speak to my agent to reach an agreement if there is not this support. Simple." Against his Valencia bosses "I was hoping for a sofa and they've brought me a lamp." He has made similar statements against LFC bosses.

 

Do you think he will have any qualms about openly attacking Ashley?  When he is unhappy to the point of being ready to walk away, there wont be any ambiguity in the message. Until that happens, no point worrying and perusing each statement in local journos articles.

I don't doubt rafas relative tolerance, just as I don't doubt the endless capacity to fuck things up.

I can understand your worries and frustration but I think some of you need to calm down a wee bit. I wouldn't say Rafa is 100% happy but currently I would say your situation is DEFCON 4.

 

When it hits DEFCON 2, you will know - Articles will come from at least 6-12 journos from England and Spain including the national ones with the same message.

 

When the situation is DEFCON 1, you will truly know. That is the time to truly panic. Rafa is no coward. When he is genuinely unhappy, he comes out swinging at the owners. He made the following statement to the press against Moratti "There are three possibilities for the club. One, 100% support for the coach and buy four or five players to build a stronger team with competition among the players to be able to carry on winning matches and trophies. Two, carry on like this without a project, without planning, and go ahead with one person to blame, for the whole season. The third," he added, "is to speak to my agent to reach an agreement if there is not this support. Simple." Against his Valencia bosses "I was hoping for a sofa and they've brought me a lamp." He has made similar statements against LFC bosses.

 

Do you think he will have any qualms about openly attacking Ashley?  When he is unhappy to the point of being ready to walk away, there wont be any ambiguity in the message. Until that happens, no point worrying and perusing each statement in local journos articles.

Enjoy your Rafa related posts. He is the best thing to happen to Newcastle United since Kevin Keegan so the thought of losing him and essentially our big chance of going anywhere because of Ashley being his usual self is an awful prospect.

I can understand your worries and frustration but I think some of you need to calm down a wee bit. I wouldn't say Rafa is 100% happy but currently I would say your situation is DEFCON 4.

 

When it hits DEFCON 2, you will know - Articles will come from at least 6-12 journos from England and Spain including the national ones with the same message.

 

When the situation is DEFCON 1, you will truly know. That is the time to truly panic. Rafa is no coward. When he is genuinely unhappy, he comes out swinging at the owners. He made the following statement to the press against Moratti "There are three possibilities for the club. One, 100% support for the coach and buy four or five players to build a stronger team with competition among the players to be able to carry on winning matches and trophies. Two, carry on like this without a project, without planning, and go ahead with one person to blame, for the whole season. The third," he added, "is to speak to my agent to reach an agreement if there is not this support. Simple." Against his Valencia bosses "I was hoping for a sofa and they've brought me a lamp." He has made similar statements against LFC bosses.

 

Do you think he will have any qualms about openly attacking Ashley?  When he is unhappy to the point of being ready to walk away, there wont be any ambiguity in the message. Until that happens, no point worrying and perusing each statement in local journos articles.

 

Enjoy your Rafa related posts. He is the best thing to happen to Newcastle United since Kevin Keegan so the thought of losing him and essentially our big chance of going anywhere because of Ashley being his usual self is an awful prospect.

Sir Bobby like?

Straight out the Ashley playbook. Start rumor about take over. Bring in a new middle man to take the flak. Go on holiday.

 

Barnes = Tony Jimenez (2017 Edition)

Incorrect. Barnes' niche is attracting investment or finding ways to raise cash. He won't have any impact on blocking Charnley, if anything he's there to ensure that Charnley is doing things by the book and avoiding any more tax drama.

Straight out the Ashley playbook. Start rumor about take over. Bring in a new middle man to take the flak. Go on holiday.

 

Barnes = Tony Jimenez (2017 Edition)

 

Incorrect. Barnes' niche is attracting investment or finding ways to raise cash. He won't have any impact on blocking Charnley, if anything he's there to ensure that Charnley is doing things by the book and avoiding any more tax drama.

I reckon he's there to make sure the club does everything it legally needs to do in order to avoid another constructive dismissal claim in the courts.

It's not that people are defaulting to negative in the absence of information.

We have 10 years of experience of Mike Ashley. We've endured two relegations, several more relegation battles, and seen Keegan walk under similar circumstances. Past experience tells us to be very suspicious when things go quiet because it usually spells trouble. We also know that it's the middle of July and we have a Championship squad that's 4 weeks away from playing Spurs, so every passing day is another day of pre-season lost for half the first-team players that we hoped (and still hope) to sign.

We also know that Mike Ashley simply uses Newcastle as a vehicle for free advertising. His aim is to finish 17th - stay on the Premier League gravy train at minimal cost. If he can do that and break even it's a successful season in his eyes because his Sports Direct brand - which is his main concern - gets global TV exposure for free. Most people figured this out years ago. The arrival of Rafa raised questions and hopes - had the big TV money turned Ashley's head and persuaded him to give things a go? Or does Ashley just see Rafa as someone expendable who will make a cheap squad overperform for a while? You cannot blame people for fearing the latter, given everything Ashley has done over the past 10 years and given that Rafa called the club about the job and not the other way around. That's not bedwetting, that's 10 years of following NUFC under the current owner and considering all the context we know.

There's still time to build a PL squad but the signings need to happen now if Rafa's gonna integrate half a new team. Yes, Brighton have done little either and their fans will be worried. As for the rest of the league, they either have a better squad than us, or in Huddersfield's case are giving it a good go.

Straight out the Ashley playbook. Start rumor about take over. Bring in a new middle man to take the flak. Go on holiday.

 

Barnes = Tony Jimenez (2017 Edition)

 

Incorrect. Barnes' niche is attracting investment or finding ways to raise cash. He won't have any impact on blocking Charnley, if anything he's there to ensure that Charnley is doing things by the book and avoiding any more tax drama.

Much like Barnes another conduit (between management & ownership) to oversee deal making, both have been/were described as Ashley's Mr Fix Its.

If anything (along with the foreign investment angle) he'll ensure that the club doesn't hang itself this time by providing the manager with giftwrapped brief of evidence, for a constructive dismissal case. They'll be doing shit by the book this time, and he'll see to it ie. no more conference calls, with directives to deliberately underbid for players, ala what Keegan had to contend with.

Hmm Branes,  getting things in order?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/06/15/mike-ashley-drafts-trusted-abrasive-lieutenant-help-run-newcastle/

Got to say that Rafa's commitment is admirable. We can't compete with even the middle tier of PL clubs for players any more, Rafa is having to scout championship players to fill positions at the moment. This is a world class manager basically trying to keep a newly promoted club in the top division on a budget. He must really want to be here.

Maybe Rafa's been told the club will be changing hands in the near(ish) future so he's hanging on for a brave new world.

Maybe Rafa's been told the club will be changing hands in the near(ish) future so he's hanging on for a brave new world.

Hope you're right. Another more probable guess is that he is realistic re the different stages of his project. He knows the game (on and off the pitch) inside out and is planning to do what he can to consolidate our position in the Premier League on a sound performance and financial footing. Next stage improve our standing. Next stage push in among the big hitters again. Hope he is given what he needs to do this because I firmly believe he is just the man for the job.