The Chronicle is reporting today that sources close to Rafa Benitez have confirmed that some kind of enquiry as to whether he would be willing to come in and mange Newcastle has been made by the Tyneside club.
The report suggests the Board are now willing to fire McClaren (well that didn’t take long did it?), but want a replacement lined up before they do that.
But there’s no real reason to do that – and McClaren should be fired to give the players and the fans a sign that some decisive action is being taken by the club in an attempt to save our Premier League status.
No such sign has come out of Newcastle since our humiliation against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Rafa Benitez – obviously he wants to join Newcastle
🙂
We are in real danger of being relegated – in fact it will now be a surprise if we remain a Premier League club come May.
As far as the polls go on who Newcastle fans want to replace Steve McClaren – the two big favorites in every poll we have seen are Rafa Benitez and David Moyes.
And it’s Rafa Benitez who is at the top of our poll and in other polls we have seen too.
McClaren took training this morning and what a bizarre situation the Newcastle Board have allowed to develop since Saturday night – when Steve should have been fired.
Freddy Shepherd fired Ruud Gullit in August of 1999 after we lost that home game to Sunderland 2-1 and he did it an hour after the game finished – and that’s what we mean by decisive action.
Swansea Chairman Huw Jenkins fired his manager in december long before he brought in a replacement for Garry Monk – and they are now 9 points above Newcastle in the league.
Poor Garry had such a better record than Steve McClaren at Newcastle that it’s almost embarrassing the way he was ruthlessly fired by Jenkins.
Newcastle don’t have much time of course, but they need to fire McClaren – the sooner the better – there’s no way fans will allow him to remain in place.
And we’d be very surprised if Rafa would agree to come to Newcastle, but David Moyes may be willing to come in and help save us.
But in either case they would need to control the transfers at Newcastle.
They wouldn’t come in with Graham Carr in charge of transfers, which is the ridiculous situation at the club right now.
Here’s something that may cheer you up …..
Just imagine this afternoon that Newcastle announce that Steve McClaren has indeed been fired and that Rafa Benitez will be coming in to take over and he says he is confident he can save Newcastle from relegation.
Wouldn’t that be something.
However, it’s equivalent to believing in the tooth fairy when you were a youngster.
Damn it!
🙂
Comments welcome.
105 comments so far
sweendog
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:05 PM
Comment #1Hope so, excellent choice
Graeme
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:05 PM
Comment #2Brilliant – if its true!!
Rotonda heights
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:06 PM
Comment #3old ed’s click bait in overdrive, like charnley would even know who he was
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:07 PM
Comment #4logically speaking to pick the next head coach in this crucial stage with only 10 games to go there’s only 3 head coaches to pick from
Moyes
Rogers
Pearson
BUT Rogers may want to be a manager and not a head coach with the incident with Liverpool.
AND Moyes doesn’t have a style to play with!
But Pearson though could do the job but his attitude towards players and the higher power could see him gone in the short time.
BENITEZ is a manager not a head coach and all these allegations are false.
sweendog
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:07 PM
Comment #5With Benitez we are staying up, he needs to be here ASAP as the Leicester game is THE game to work out what he has and what he needs to do before the derby.
magscar
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:09 PM
Comment #6BandB@61 last thread
Geez?!?
I was on your side on that point.
sweendog
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:09 PM
Comment #7NezzaNUFC .. true but he is the best man for the job, tactically aware, good manager.
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:10 PM
Comment #8sweendog
Benitez couldn’t handle the pressure at Newcastle, he’s not that type of manager who would takeover a relegation threaten club nor have others bring in players without his saying.
This headline is farce!
James RS
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:11 PM
Comment #9Not sure about Rafa Benitez I remember the Liverpool fans wanting him out. Hes good with the cups though. I think David Moyes would be a better long term choice… did better than Martinez at Everton on less funds and equally as well as Van Gaal at Man Utd on virtually no funds there either.
wolfshead@toon
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:12 PM
Comment #10i have to agree with rotonda even if it were true rafa would give more thought to what he is going to have for lunch than coming here
magscar
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:13 PM
Comment #11Mind I don’t think Ashley will go but nothing short of real measurable change will do.
We are way beyond Cosmetic change and PR polish
Tsunki
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:13 PM
Comment #12Great to have you on board at last Rafa! Can we have some Albondigas, Patatas Bravas, Pimientos Padron, dos Estrellas, Por Favor ha ha and ooh yes a coke float for little Bobby.
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:13 PM
Comment #13Benitez would be better if Newcastle got him start of next season but again it will never happen and he would never come here.
Benitez is a smart man and not only does he look into players but also staff and board members and that’s us shit out of luck!
BlacknWhiteBarmy
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:14 PM
Comment #14Perhaps Penfold needs to borrow Jokeinhere’s phone book – remember he stated that he could pick up the phone and call anyone in the world of football !!!
Mourinho would be a good start
sweendog
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:14 PM
Comment #15NezzaNUFC .. can’t handle the pressure, he has had a few high profile jobs, including Real, agreed a risk but he had his teams playing as teams
We have the players, barring injuries at LB and CB, just need someone who knows how to manage 90mins+ on a sat.
Tsunki
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:16 PM
Comment #16I though Benitez handled pressure at Liverpool and Chelsea ok didn’t he? He would have nothing to lose here. Except his dignity of course 😉
yorkshire_magpie
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:17 PM
Comment #17NO CHANCE Benitez would come to Newcastle. As everyone is saying on here… he’s a Manager not a Head Coach
LGFUAD21
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:18 PM
Comment #18I hope they have made a decision and this wait is about securing a replacement.
I can only think of two that would come in with 10 games to save a team:
Redknapp and Pearson
Regardless of what league we are in, things need changing in the summer. Starting with Charnley and Carr gone.
LGFUAD21
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:21 PM
Comment #19I cant imagine Benitez coming.
But he would be decent.
He carried himself with dignity at Chelsea and Real Madrid. Where he was chased out by the unrealistic fans and media. His pragmatism was what Real needed but they’d rather stroke the egos of prima donna stars.
He did a brilliant job at Napoli and Liverpool.
sula
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:21 PM
Comment #20Can anybody believe its been three days and this clown is still in charge. With the tv rights for next season wouldnt any owner spend whatever money to secure safety do these fools really want us to get relegated. How does ashley employ such incompetent people to run a club.
The club we love is sinking i would have sacked this fool on the pitch on saturday infront of 52000. After last season i honestly thought they would have learnt and it looked like ashley changed his ways spent money for a change but to go with this guy and not bring in an experienced manager showed once again we are way behind. As we sit in anxiety for this circus to play its final act i truly hope its one to remember.
BandB
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:21 PM
Comment #21I’m happy for Bishop to raise my hopes with this latest dangle.
I trust it completely, and reserve the right to be proper hacked off if it turns out to be yet another sop.
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:24 PM
Comment #22I would have Rogers at first choice then Moyes second choice.
Rogers had Swansea playing fantastic football something we all enjoyed when he was at Swansea (be honest now)good at organizing defenders, passing play with attacking options, and don’t forget Swansea were on tight budget at the time he was in charge and one of the reasons why he left for Liverpool.
Moyes on the other hand offers more at the back compare to Rogers but nothing up top, he may offer stability at Newcastle keeping us mid table every season (bit like what Pardew tried to do) but offers no style at all and easily be classed as a Dinosaur manager, unlike Rogers Moyes has been in this situation before with Everton when he first took over but that was 11 years ago so football then was different compare to now,did anyone watch him over Spain for Real S? he had them playing poor with no style at all, many people call his style a ‘scrap goat’style.
I would suggest more about Pearson but I can’t compare him to these two as there’s little to build him on.
Jib
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:25 PM
Comment #23http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/in/news/rafa-benitez-meets-globall-coach-again/3520
Rafa is in the UK
Globall is a software company based in Liverpool
sickandtired
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:25 PM
Comment #24None of them. I’d tell Jose 100+ million is his to rebuild with if he keeps us up and he’ll be free to actually manage the club.
Sadly, fatty dislikes qualified and successful people, particularly foreigners.
Schteeve won’t be sacked. he’ll move ‘upstairs’ to join the other clowns full time and we’ll get another dinosaur english ‘coach’ in his place. Obviously, being sacked from a lower league club is a pre-requisite as is having to be overseen and managed by a Boardroom of failures.
Average_Contents
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Comment #25I also understand there is a long list of people who have shown an interest in the position should it become vacant, but Newcastle United are only considering 2/3 candidates seriously. I also understand there is ONE standout candidate.
One standout candidate.
Wasn’t shteve the one standout candidate when the idiots appointed him.
So basically we’re ferked then.
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:29 PM
Comment #26sweendog
I should of said Newcastle’s pressure lol
Moonraker15
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:30 PM
Comment #27I would love Benitez but it smacks of “we tried to get him, but couldn’t get him over the line” I’m afraid. Once again too little action too late! Fcukin wnkers.
BandB
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:32 PM
Comment #28AC
It would be unreasonable to expect them screw it up overnight.
It took six months and two refusals before they were able to fight off the competition to sign McClaren.
Measured and prudent, remember.
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:33 PM
Comment #29All these names coming out of the woodwork but where’s MONK lolol
Don’t worry guys FDB and Laudrup will be tomorrows headlines.
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:36 PM
Comment #30I bet Lee’s only concern is this
‘if we sack McClown, then we need to let his staff go as well, and we could lose 2-3 million in compensation’
But the thick twat doesn’t realize there’s over 100+million at stake keeping these daft twats on!?
BandB
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:38 PM
Comment #31BREAKING NEWS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Charnley has stepped on and crushed a snail.
Apparently it had been following him since Saturday.
Ron Knee
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:39 PM
Comment #32A_C@25
It all sounds horribly familiar to last year!
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:41 PM
Comment #33Rotondo
previous thread
A boycott or a mass walkout DERBY DAY surely would give Ashley the message that ‘The three stooges’ and McClown must go.
And that he ha got to change direction
Lets hope this Benitez rumours are true – but you cannot believe out at the TOON
NezzaNUFC
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:42 PM
Comment #34Is this going to be another Pardew fiasco?
After every defeat a manager is lined up to take over Newcastle but guess what Pardew is still here 4 years later!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nightfa11
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:44 PM
Comment #35Wouldnt mind benitez at all.. I didnt like his operation when he was at Liverpool when he brought 30 spaniards with him.. But hes the Best of managers linked to us..
No to moyes..hes An ok manager, but not really a person Who can take us above mediocracy..
Bobbybee
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:47 PM
Comment #36The last person we need is a bully boy like Pearson. It simply won’t work. The dressing room is in enough disarray without him going in and telling the players how hard he is and what’ll happen if they mess with him! We’ve got a decent team in there somewhere and we need a manager who can convince them they’re good enough to stay up. Benny would be ideal, but I can’t see him needing employment that much. Moyes is damaged goods after Manure and his stint in Spain and he hardly inspires free flowing football. Rodgers may be our best option, but everybody will have their own opinion. The delay is simply down to incompetence and the boards failure to acknowledge we were in a relegation fight when the rest of the world knew it, resulting in having no plan b. I imagine Cathro will be in charge for the Liecester game, to take the pressure off whoever comes in, with the new manager taking over for the derby. Would be nice to do to the mackems what they’ve done to us the last few seasons. I still believe a new manager can keep us up and a win against the mackems paints a whole new picture on the bottom three, but sticking with McClaren can’t work as his position is the epitome of untenable. He’s lost the players and the fans, it’s time to go. Even he must see this? Don’t boycott the derby. We’ll have a new manager and a fresh (ish) start and he needs to know we’re behind him, not against him. None of this will be his fault and he shouldn’t be blamed for it, whoever he is. None of us really wants to be in the Championship next season surely? We made our point last week and it appears to have worked. Don’t give the mackems the satisfaction of seeing us turning on each other. Whoever is in charge will need our support if we are going to beat the drop – even if it turns out to be Pearson!
Graeme
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:47 PM
Comment #37BandB @ 31 – and the snail was only out for a gentle stroll!!!
BandB
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Comment #38The manager is, despite his many and obvious faults, the only person with top level football management experience left at the club.
He’s the one being sacked.
Meanwhile the fans continue to blast away at the chaff Bishop throws up to protect his boss from the blame for his own decisions.
Ash chose the right club when when he picked us.
Ron Knee
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Comment #39night
Thank you for a new word – mediocracy. That’s exactly what we have at SJP.
sparky55
Mar 8, 2016 at 1:49 PM
Comment #40nezza and moonraker
You both exactly right…if he does go I can’t see anyone but Cathro taking over