It’s been reported that Rafa Benitez signed a contract that could keep him at the club through the end of June, 2019 and his annual wages are as high as £6M a year and he stood to get a bonus of £3M if he’s able to keep Newcastle in the Premier league.
If he’s not able to do that it’s likely he will activate the release clause in his contract at the end of the season and leave the club.
🙁
So that’s about £21M Newcastle will invest in the new manager over the next three years if we survive relegation this season.
And our reading of that is – he’s worth every penny.
Rafael Benitez with his wife Moutse
In the grounds of their home in Caldy on the Wirral
First of all it’s a massive ask for Rafa to keep us in the Premier League after Charnley allowed Steve McClaren to remain in the job for nine months as he took us closer and closer to relegation.
Rafa has only 10 games left and we are second bottom of the league and still 9 points behind 5th bottom Swansea although we now have two games in hand.
But if he does save us, that guarantees Newcastle at least £150M in May next year for still being in the Premier League.
When you take into account some parachute payments from the PL for relegation and payment from the Championship that’s still well over £100M Newcastle will lose next season alone if we are relegated.
So the bonus is about 3% of the money we will lose if relegated – a very good deal for Newcastle United.
And his yearly wages of £6M a year are cheap at the price too.
In this last year of the current three year deal PL clubs get anywhere from £60 to £100M a year with Newcastle getting close to £80M a year.
That will increase by at least 70% next season with the new £5.1B TV rights deal, so let’s say clubs will get anywhere from £120M to £170M – if Newcastle finish mid table that’s about £155M.
And assume just for estimating purposes that each position higher in the league table next season is worth about (170-120/20) – £2.5M.
If Rafa can get us one place higher in the league that’s an extra £2.5M in the Newcastle coffers.
So how many places higher in the league can he get us compared to a lesser coach (like Steve McClaren?) – once you have that number multiply it by 2.5 and that’s the extra money that Rafa can bring in for Newcastle in £M – because he’s such a top class manager.
Notice the almost polar opposite is true for McClaren, who has lost Newcastle money this season and it could become a catastrophic loss if we get relegated.
So it was a very poor business decision by Lee Charnley last June to hire McClaren – it could cost the club big time.
The other thing is that we already have too many high paid stars who don’t produce – and there’s a few of them who certainly haven’t produced this season.
A good coach gets the best out of the players he has – and a poor coach doesn’t.
So if Rafa can get the very best out of our players their wages now become worth it to the club – and that’s more reason Rafa deserves big wages as Newcastle’s investment will get a payback also from the players.
We wont even mention that Rafa in the next three years could get us back into Europe and there is extra money the club gets from that – a massive amount if it’s the Champions League.
We’ve always thought the manager is the most important person at a club because he is in charge of all the players and he has the most responsibility.
That at least is how it works in the outside business world that people with increasing responsibilities get higher compensation.
And if Rafa is still the manager at the end of May the season tickets will be sold out rather quickly for next season at Newcastle – no struggles to sell the season tickets with Rafa Benitez in charge.
We have a feeling that Benitez, Ashley and Charnley have already talked about some of the things they will do in the summer, if we survive relegation.
One of those will be to build the world-class training facilities at Benton that have been held in abeyance for over a year now because of the threat of relegation – mainly due to the very poor choices of John Carver and Steve McClaren as our most recent head coaches.
So once the fans hear about what Rafa’s plans are – including maybe which players he wants – and also just as important which of the current lot he doesn’t want – we expect season tickets to sell like hot cakes.
The truth is that Benitez has electrified the Newcastle fans in the short two days he’s been on board.
One thing that’s abundantly clear is the biggest star in the Newcastle dressing room will be Rafa himself and not any of our players – unless we bring in Ronaldo or Messi for next season.
But maybe they are getting a bit too old at 31 and 28 respectively?
🙂
Comments welcome.
185 comments so far
Lindisfarne
Mar 13, 2016 at 3:49 PM
Comment #41Glad to see the pundits have as little idea as us about which players and formation we are likely to go with against a well drilled Leicester, playing 442 at #1.
Jib
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:19 PM
Comment #42Not that it is particularly important – but – Rafa’s wife’s name is MONTSE.
Short for Montserrat
toonking
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:36 PM
Comment #43With chelski being knocked out on saturday and arsenal getting knocked out today, pardue’s crystal palace could give us toon fans a serious embarrassment.
A game against watford and he’s got a great chance of FA cup final.
He’s doing his eruopa league newcastle season only this cup is FA cup and the reason he’s doing it now is because he’ll be sure to get sacked during his first relegation battle early on in a season.
this year’s bottom 5
Us
Palace
scums
norwich
villa
Jib
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:43 PM
Comment #44I can’t wait for McClaren to start at Boro so we can all talk about him 😀
toonking
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:44 PM
Comment #45I saw a poll on the last page asking what people thought would happen at leicester and was a bit suprised 30% win and 29% draw.
Think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We’ve now got a great manager but even he’ll not have the expectation of getting a victory. A loss would be what most expect if it were an away gam to Arsenal, spurs or man city and leicester city aren’t much different themselves this season.
Laurent Robert 32
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:45 PM
Comment #46It’ll certainly be interesting seeing Rafa’s team selection. It might be that he picks them just on the three day’s training (maybe prompting the treatment players to join in) or maybe have it similar to what has usually been playing, bar the odd change, or a bit of both.
Kane just scored. Good goal.
toonking
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:46 PM
Comment #47Will he even get another appointment?
toonking
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:46 PM
Comment #48Will he even get another appointment?
toonking
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:47 PM
Comment #4929% lose*
SPRINGY
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:52 PM
Comment #50has boro’s boss quit…thought he thru a strop thats all?
hibbitt
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:52 PM
Comment #51bladeuser
those sheep as you put it are one of the reasons he came here ……….dickhead
hibbitt
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:56 PM
Comment #52SPRINGY
gone mate…….. guess who’s in for the job
SPRINGY
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:57 PM
Comment #53toon king
think its more hope then actual belief,think thats all it is ….although leicester have wobbled a little of late and a the “new manager” scenario…i personally still think we’ll get beat but im a lot more optimistic of maybe getting something then i ever was under macca…..but you never know.
hibbitt
Mar 13, 2016 at 4:59 PM
Comment #54Jib
there’s a very good chance he had lunch with gibson on friday………….. make of that what you like
SPRINGY
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:00 PM
Comment #55hibbitt
bloody hell that slipped under my radar!….pardews arse will be twitching then….may well of been orchestrated so he can go else where??
Jib
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:07 PM
Comment #56Since big mouth Downing returned in the Summer things have been strained.
SPRINGY
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:09 PM
Comment #57so what happened with karanka then?…thought he just had a strop coz they had a couple of dodgy results?….bloody good job he was’nt at newcastle this season!!
Jib
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:12 PM
Comment #58Downing “See me – I’ve played for West Ham Villa and Liverpool me”
SPRINGY
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:14 PM
Comment #59it would be nastily ironic if we go down and boro came up with macca in charge!
Rotonda heights
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:16 PM
Comment #60shadow
if you think eliot has been dodgy of late i don’t think darlow is the man to replace him as he looked nervous as a kitten last time he played.
433
eliot
janmatt lascelles MBemba? MBabu
Sissoko Shelvey Saviet
Perez Wijni Aarons / Townsend?
toon kk
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:19 PM
Comment #61Springy
Apparently Karanka has had a bit of a bust up with Boro’s board due to recent results and not playing their new 9 mil signing Rhoads enough.
SPRINGY
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:19 PM
Comment #62toon kk
cheers mate
Mashley u Batfastard & lambiarse u Cupid stunt
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:23 PM
Comment #63If Steven Taylor plays 2mo we will lose by a margin worst CB in the premier mbabu should play hopefully
Rotonda heights
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:28 PM
Comment #64Jib
Montse as you probably know is a popular catalan name for girls.
WWSBRD
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:33 PM
Comment #65The Lecister nose bleed will start soon so why not against us? They struggled against Norwich after all
This Rafa coming in has rather affected my outlook
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:36 PM
Comment #66Dimitri Payet signing of the season…what an offing goal that was…
welshgeordie9
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:37 PM
Comment #67Why didn’t we sign payet, what a cracking goal that was against United.
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:39 PM
Comment #68Interesting developments. I must admit that I never ever thought that we’d see the appointment of a genuinely world-class manager at our club.
My reading of the situation is that it is a fantastic appointment that has been made a few months too late. Rafa does have the quality to keep this sorry sack of shits in the Premier League but will he have the sort of instant impact that we need to stay in the league? I’m not convinced.
We face a top side in Leicester City tomorrow evening and I don’t think we’ll get anything from them. Then 6 days later Rafa’s first home game is against a Sunderland team on the up and up. If we lose both of the next two games, I’m sorry chaps, it doesn’t matter what Rafa does or doesn’t do – we’re relegated.
Also, no one is highlighting the fact that Rafa has never had to deal with a relegation scrap ever in his managerial career.
That being said, if he does manage to keep us in the PL he’ll be an excellent long-term appointment.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:39 PM
Comment #69Mashley u,
That pairing relegayed us in 2009 but were excellent in 2012 and woeful again in thrir few games this season, hopefully Collo will remove his head from his ar$e and start turning up, hopefully Taylor is up to speed, he’s far from being the worst in the league.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:40 PM
Comment #70He’s too old welsh me old mucker!
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:40 PM
Comment #71“Why didn’t we sign payet” because we signed Thauvin O_o
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:43 PM
Comment #72Martial scores a typical Manure messy filthy goal….so sickening…
welshgeordie9
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:44 PM
Comment #73Jail, I’m not a cockney.
welshgeordie9
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:45 PM
Comment #74That was a quality finish by martial.
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:45 PM
Comment #75Wow manure are so so so so so average…..its insane they are even in the upper half of the league…
hibbitt
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:48 PM
Comment #76because mr carr signed us a world class winger from france Florian Thauvin
Goofy
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:49 PM
Comment #77Owen is the most annoying manure biased commentator, hate the little sick note merc pr1kc.
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:49 PM
Comment #78Foul by Scwein to enable the goal typical…lying cheating manure..
Jail for Ashley
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:52 PM
Comment #79Ruddy,
He was promoted then relegated with Extremadura back in his early days, so he’s got quite a wide scope.
Disclaimer,
I didn’t know that until I Googled it!
toonking
Mar 13, 2016 at 5:55 PM
Comment #80springy
probably right, being in such a happy mode what would be better than to get ourselves atleast a draw against leicester city
RH
4-3-3 is the last thing you want to use against leicester city. they’ve been a low possession and fast counter attacking football team all season and that’s the last thing needed when your team is very attacking with a bad back four. Each and every time we miss the chance you’ll get leicester city boot the ball long towards vardy and marez who’ll take advantage of the space created as they attempt to score a goal themselves.
It might sound like a boring thing but 4-5-1 is most certainly what’s best if we are to get anything from leicester City