Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has said today he expects a bigger challenge for a top-four position next season, and thinks Newcastle could be one of the contenders.
Rafa Benitez - expects Newcastle to have strong team next year
Benitez spoke today of the challenges that lie ahead next season in the Premier League:
“You can see Newcastle, Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton spending money and having strong teams.”
“It’s not easy to be in the top four and be contenders, but because we have a young squad we can try again.”
“Clearly it’s more difficult here than in Spain because the top sides spend big, big money.”
“This year we have improved a lot. We signed two or three really good players, and also players who’ve been good for the squad.”
“But every year you must improve a lot because the other teams are doing the same”
Newcastle have slipped back badly since Bobby Robson left the club, and our managers since then in Souness, Roeder and Allardyce have been unable to halt the decline.
Indeed, in three of the last four seasons, we have achieved our lowest-ever points totals in the Premier League, so Newcastle fans are hopeful, once again, that next season is the season we can break back to the top.
To say sacking Bobby Robson was a huge mistake in 2004 by Freddy Shepherd and Douglas Hall, would be a huge understatement.
But that just about sums up their ability at managing the club, they didn’t have a clue.
We have as good a chance as ever now we have a great manager in charge again in Kevin Keegan, but we know it will not be easy with many more teams also rebuilding to challenge for the top four next season.
Comments welcome.
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82 responses so far ↓
1 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 14:37
rafa always has good things to say about us, he dont mention the dirty rotten spuds does he??
2 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 14:42
The Daily Star Sunday says Liverpool have had a players-plus-cash offer for Milner rejected by Newcastle.
Gerard + torres for milner ?
BTW ed , he says it every season.
3 ELFER // May 26, 2008 at 14:46
Well, that must have been crouch/kuyt and I’m glad we did not accept and hopefully will never!!
4 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 14:50
and i just read in tribal that real will swap ronaldo with diarra , robinho , ramos and cash
TRIBALFOOTBALL is worse than THE SUN.
5 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 14:56
its 100 times worse than the sun
6 The Entertainers // May 26, 2008 at 14:58
With all the uncertainty at Pool, Rafa is doing what he does best and playing mind games with his board. By stating this season will be harder for the top 4, he is basically stating he wants funds. I dont think anyone truely believes Newcastle or anyone else will challenge top 4. As much as it hurts to say so, i believe a top 8 finish for us would be an achievement, after watching so much rubbish the last 3-4 years. As KK has already mentioned, this time the revoultionary wheel at Newcastle will turn slower.
7 michaelknowin // May 26, 2008 at 15:07
we can play well enough in a few games to appear like a top 4 side, no doubt. but we lack the depth that everton have, let alone liverpool, man utd etc… i agree with the entertainer , top eight would be fantastic.
8 NUFCFAN // May 26, 2008 at 15:11
When you compare the liverpool team to ours although I don’t think its great. Its still way better than ours,
Which like I said yesterday we need to spend the same amount they do this summer and anothe 40 million for the catch up so not far off 100 mill this summer to be a real challenge
9 Bill F // May 26, 2008 at 15:16
Well I would have Crouch and Kuyt for Milner, no problemo.
10 Stami // May 26, 2008 at 15:28
yeah i would take Crouch an Kuyt for Milner. Provided we could get SWP in to cover the right wing! Crouch would be an amazing addition to our team! Kuyt, well he can run…and, uh, thats about it!!!lol!
11 geordie in taipei // May 26, 2008 at 15:32
Tribal football and the sun eh , which is worst???? Its like saying shite is worse than shite !
12 Bobby Ollox // May 26, 2008 at 15:36
Well, I cant see where he thinks we are going to get strength from - we havent bought anyone yet, and anyone half decent is waiting to see if anyone else asks them to the prom first.
You know your right about SBR - it wa a crying shame what we did to that man - he deserved better, but there is absolutely no point in going on about it - he have had to stand down soon anyway - he got very sick very quickly. Good luck to him- he gave everything for this club
13 Ross // May 26, 2008 at 15:39
quite a few papers reporting today that chelsea are looking to take torres from them in a 50 million pound deal, ridiculous.
14 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 15:50
not ridiculous i dont think, torres is amaising
15 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 15:55
we cld swap deal ameobi + smith + cacapa for torres ?
16 toonbully // May 26, 2008 at 15:57
aye apparently chelski are going to buy Ronaldinho , Ronaldo , Torres ,Rooney and Messi , for £200 million
theyr’e going to get to the final of the champions league play Barcelona , and they’ll use a centre back to take their penalties someone like . oh I know John Terry and lose because this time he hits the bleeding bar , and Newcastle win the last game of the season to get into the inter toto…, same as ever eh !,…..
17 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 16:00
Dont even try and compare Newcastle to Liverpool.
You have got no chance of ever catching up to the “Big 4″. even if you spend £200 million ye still wouldnt win anything. great support but crap club.
18 toonbully // May 26, 2008 at 16:01
Anyway what do I care what a portuguese manager thinks of toons chances . Tell him to keep his eye on his own game and stop looking over the wall at our players ! …
19 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:05
rafa benitez is portuguese ??
-THE SUN or Tribal stuff
20 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 16:07
i hope torres does go to chelsea, he deserves to be at a good club
21 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:10
wow a scouser with an internet connection .
22 toonbully // May 26, 2008 at 16:13
Okay he’s maybe spanish but really they are all from the same language area really , and he tries and tells us how to run our league as usual we lack any english managers of substance , and end up listening to garlic breaths at the end of each match , que passo amigo ?
23 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 16:14
must be robbing some poor old ladys house, who just out of luck had her internet turned on.
24 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 16:15
shoch number 2.
I HAVEA JOB AS WELL
put ye bellies away!!!
25 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:16
No Hablo Espanyol !
if kk had the money benitez gets season in season out alon g with gerard , kk wld have won us the champions league by now !
26 Hadrian // May 26, 2008 at 16:16
quick lads , nail down anything of value .
27 tommyy // May 26, 2008 at 16:17
I wonder where he stole a computer from?
28 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 16:17
very funny Geordie Gerrard
i havent heard that one before
your sense of humour tickles me
29 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 16:18
dont go given your adressed away, he will have all his smackhead mates down your house to nick our plasma’s, and by the way you scouse fool. Community service doesnt count as a job
30 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:18
and how about a life ?
31 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:19
Hadrian , he must be worth some quids now .
32 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 16:20
(if kk had the money benitez gets season in season out alon g with gerard , kk wld have won us the champions league by now !)
you have won nothing in 50 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!
like i said before. ye still wouldn’t win anything with £200 million. At leaest Middlesbrough have won a trophy
33 toonbully // May 26, 2008 at 16:21
Toonoholic you talk some sense , but not totally , money is important , but cohesion , passion , a youth squad and continuity are important . HOW stupid are Chelsea , they are like TOON but with real money , and so they discard managers like shedding their summer plumage . Its ridiculous , what continental manager wants to come to chelsea , if 2nd in the premiership and finalists in the euro cup is not good enough what do I do ? I’ll take the fat payoff Abramovitch and move on to Barc cheers !! See money is NOT everything , loyalty and dedication , we should have stuck with sir Bobby …
34 9 Shearer // May 26, 2008 at 16:21
He is scared
35 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:22
atleast we try and end up above boro and sunderland every season.
remember that season when everton finished above you ? and ull scrapped in for champions league ?
36 Punk Skunk // May 26, 2008 at 16:24
Write to benitez lfc4never!..
37 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 16:24
scouse are getting f*cked by the yanks. hows your little petition for your fans to run your club going? you debt riddled ba*stards. oh i wonder if liverpool fans did buy the club, how much money would be legitimate and actually legal?
38 Hadrian // May 26, 2008 at 16:25
back to article , i think benitez is shitting bricks myself .
liverpool are just top 4 worthy , and look the easiest to catch up out of all the champions league teams . without some major aquisitions liverpool are vulnerable to villa and everton .
pool need to do enough this summer tobe able to contend with arsenal , and that all depends on how well arsenal add’s to their squad .
with a bit of luck i think teams could break the top 4 this year , with liverpool and arsenal the teams having to watch over their shoulders the most .
beyond torres and gerrard i dont rate them .
39 toonbully // May 26, 2008 at 16:25
who is lfc anyway ??
40 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:26
i never argued toonbully. Money is definitely not it . I dont stay in newcastle , infact i am on a different continent and i have been supporting nufc for 7 years now . Reason being passion.
The continental managers , bring in more flair in their play but thats my personal opinion . And Avram would have been sacked anyways , even if they wld have won the cups and the league .
Abram had Avram as Plan B.
We were lucky KK was ready to manage us when sam was sacked , coz our Plan B was ARRY REDKNAPP!
41 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 16:27
what sort of reply is this!
remember that season when everton finished above you ? and ull scrapped in for champions league ?
we WON the champions league.
42 rem // May 26, 2008 at 16:30
The funny thing is liverpool fnas think they can win the title! lol. they are more deluded than us. every year they say how they can win it and i neva believe them and they are never near.
43 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:31
luck won it for ull.
End of discussion.
44 rem // May 26, 2008 at 16:31
Even the year they won the champion league (even thou chelsea should have been in the final) they didnt even qualify for it the next season!
45 Tom_Toon // May 26, 2008 at 16:33
lfc4ever - Arent you meant to be out thieving hubcaps?
46 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:33
the funnier thing was when gerrard said liverpool need to spend more this season.
47 toonoholic // May 26, 2008 at 16:35
Tom Toon, they call it a JOB
48 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 16:36
go and stroke rafa’s little nonsy beard
49 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 16:50
ye all at it now. Hubcaps??? that was in the 80’s lad
in Liverpool we have alloy’s now.
no need to be bitter ye starting to sound like the blue sh*te.
dont think we will win league next year ,real chance year after if the board get their act together
and back Rafa. Wouldnt mind going back to Rome next year though. (ye now we always win in Rome)
50 Ross // May 26, 2008 at 16:53
lol, i didnt mean the pice was ridculous GG7, i think torres is comfortably worth 50 million!, i just find it ridiculous they think liverpool would sell up.
“schoh number 2″-lfc4ever?
howay mate, you’ve gone to the trouble of stealing the keyboard, at least learn to spell so you can use it properly.
51 chuck // May 26, 2008 at 17:04
Dont know who the player swap involved, but he is right on the money(no pun intended)
regarding spending in the EPL.
TV has injected so much cash into the clubs, they are spending like drunken sailors, sucking in talent from every part of the world.
The EPL is the most watched league, getting stronger each season.
The danger lies in the difference between the wealth and spending of the top teams, compared with the teams who are up for a cup of coffee,then back to the Championship league,
it causes a stratification that results in, same old, same old .
Its what was described as boreing by KK, meaning not the actual games but the overall results throughout the season.
The EPL forces all teams to spend big, simply to survive, the cash inducements are overwhelming, it becomes a rat race for both those at the top and the teams trying to simply survive.
So in fact theres truth in what Benitez is saying.
52 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 17:07
as ron bergundy would say “When in Rome” ey? lfc4ever
53 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 17:12
Sebastian Giovinco- this guy we should snap up, qaulity. juve are trying to sell him. could be the toon version of zola
54 scottish mag // May 26, 2008 at 17:23
gg7 we have no chance in getting giovinco, but imagine if we did ( imagine )
55 Punk Skunk // May 26, 2008 at 17:27
lfc4ever,
what do y’want man?..
…If you’ve just come here to antagonize, don’t be surprized or complain if we tell you to F*** off!..What the hell do you expect?..
56 Leo // May 26, 2008 at 17:49
wow when i looked at the article and read 50odd comments i thought, oh there has obviously been some smelly little scouser on hear letting his mouth go, not to be suprised i was not wrong
go rob some old lady on the streets to get your crack money
57 Robbie // May 26, 2008 at 18:33
So is Owen returning home?
58 craig chisholm // May 26, 2008 at 18:39
rafa has finaly lost his marbles, what on earth makes him think we will be strong next season? christ, i bleed black and white and i am scratching me head wondering what the hell is going on like! i think we are going to be weaker at this f’ing rate! the few things i am hanging onto is that we tie dowm martins and at last give the left or middle left to the zog. to have zogs play every game for us would be like having a 20 million player. that lad is class. just want him, martins to stay. let milner keep the right too. he’s good enough, dont want that arsehole SWP. dump viduka nad his stupid salary and lets go in for crouch and start him every single bloody game. owen and martins will have to share it around a bit. i know that crouch looks like a right donkey but he is shit hot really. midldle of the park is the big problem, barton is well christ, where do you start with him!! emre only plays for turkey and spends his time with us getting full body massages or whatever, cos he never fooking plays, always sumthing wrong with the little fella. its gona have to be butt again as our defensive man and somneone else with the flair next to him… who though??? we should still get dunne too, he is top draw no matter what the detractors say!! oh yeah, sign taylor down too ffs!.
59 Robbie // May 26, 2008 at 18:39
So is Owen returning home?
60 Toonboy // May 26, 2008 at 19:35
Its prob Joey Barton lol
61 lfc4ever // May 26, 2008 at 20:54
are you lot for real. the mancs have got a better sense of humour than you. Surley ye can come up with something different to write about scousers.
ye cant take the true facts that Newcastle are shite and always will be. Thats why you all strarted getting on the offensive about scousers. Ye jelous of our sence of humour, our history , our buitiful girls, our successful football teams oh and not to mention our wonderful city (CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2008).
Do us a favour lads Put your black and white shirt on, go on a diet and say goodbye to Michael Owen. Goodbye
62 JC // May 26, 2008 at 21:24
lfc4ever you r from a club that it’s fans steal from thir players. no matter about your team being good or bad at football. That is just not on. You bunch of thugs doing that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
63 ronaldeano // May 26, 2008 at 21:29
LFC4EVA, did you nick my plasma? !
you theiving Joey Barton loving mong!!!
Is he related to you by any chance!
64 ronaldeano // May 26, 2008 at 21:41
lfc4eva, Im suprized you lot have any hubcaps left in your stinkin little city! Your women are filthy and your mam is a hooah!
65 Davies // May 26, 2008 at 21:43
Now now gents, let’s remember what Liverpool has done for us!
They grew a talented striker in our Captain. I am, however, a little less thankful for Joey Barton. I know he never played for you, but I understand he’s from round your way.
Don’t suppose you’d take him off our hands. We’ll pay you. You can even have Milner!!!
66 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 21:49
some toon fans need to go on a diet, but the only reason most of yours aint is because you are all on heroin. dirty scouse bastards
67 ronaldeano // May 26, 2008 at 21:51
GG, il second that mate!!!
68 ronaldeano // May 26, 2008 at 21:54
Now now lads, caam down caam down!
69 brad // May 26, 2008 at 22:03
dont take it to heart lfc4eva. The geordies think that newcastle is a mecca of football and dont realise that the rest of the country think they are a joke.
No trophies in 50 years and you mugs try to belittle a liverpool fan. You wont even be in the top half of the table next season. You wont even finish above sunderland who have more ambition.
And by the way, the turkish winger you have all been praying you sign is joinng spurs for 14 mill. 2 mill more than your tight chairman offered
70 vin // May 26, 2008 at 22:27
dont forget that lfc fans could be considered murderes as well. im very thankful that i am jealous of such great humour as Jimmy bloody Tarbuck. Tit.
71 JJ // May 26, 2008 at 22:38
lfc4eva - Sorry mate, we all know there are no beautiful girls anywhere in the UK, its unfortunate. Unless they are tourists of course.
Liverpool is a good side, they will probably finish 4th next year. But honestly I just dont ever see them doing better than that.
Not from the UK obviously, (Im South African), but supported Newcastle for 14 years.
Its only a matter of time before the club forms the big “5″ in the league.
And I look forward to a few more 4-3 title deciders. (only hope this time they go the other way).
All KK needs is to get us into Europe once and the top players will be attracted to us like flies to a scousers arse.
72 5 times // May 26, 2008 at 23:28
lfc4ever, some good points, think rafa was taking the p*ss mentioning the bar codes as champions league contenders.
There as much chance of newcastle breaking into the top 4, as there is of geordie gerrad7 scoring in a brothel with a fiver hanging out of his back pocket
73 domtoon // May 27, 2008 at 1:12
we need to be patient. top 8 for us next season would be immense, considering our recent few years sucking it in the bottom half of the table. we need to give kk and the board time to get a few decent players in, maybe not spend quite no much but still bring quality. we must then let kk do his thing and make the toon play some decent football from september onwards and then, maybe from setp 2009, start seeing some real superstars come in. hell, if we can pick up a domestic cup along the way then all the better. the point is, we need to look to further into the future before we can start dreaming of hitting the top 4 again. we’ve fallen a long way since robson and it’ll be a while before get back to where we were. but we will do it in time!!
74 Scott // May 27, 2008 at 6:02
lfc4ever - You always win in Italy cause you kill everyone there???
Murders, hows that for banter?
75 Bobby Ollox // May 27, 2008 at 7:39
Ed - can you do something about that comment from MunichToon Hamas. It has no place on this site, and anyone who thinks that it is remotely funny has no place on it either.
76 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 27, 2008 at 8:19
hamas is always straight there whenever abit of controversey is here. he tries to shock people with the things he says. i think abit of an attention seeker, but when there is no controversy being thrown around he does come up with good points about the team
77 brad // May 27, 2008 at 8:52
Hamas is the scum of the earth and should be deported back to where he came from.
78 Leo // May 27, 2008 at 10:09
how is hamas back on hear? i thought he had been blocked???
79 toonoholic // May 27, 2008 at 11:05
’sunderland who have more ambition’.
yup they signed our rejected striker for 5 mn.
if thats ambition , i did rather not be amibitous
80 ToonDaft // May 27, 2008 at 12:18
MunichToon - shame, shame, shame on you for that comment - you absolute piece of inbred scum. Go back to your filthy council estate and buy more scratchcards with your giro. You bring us all doon you complete and utter bitter s**t-bag.
81 gutted // May 27, 2008 at 12:24
Ed - I can’t believe you let comment 62 stay….get rid!
82 TOONADDICT // May 28, 2008 at 8:46
Alex ferguson is on about buying three players for 50 million before everyone starts buying. thats how man u have become such a good team, if we are just waiting to the last minute to sign shit players like luque and rozenhal then we are just gonna finish bottom half again like last season. and all this talk about thierry henry is crap why would he want to swap champions league for no champions league?????????
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