Rafa Benitez wants to manage Newcastle and wake what he calls the sleeping giant and put us on the path to greatness again – but he will only do that if he can save Newcastle from relegation this season – and if not he will leave the club and some other top club will become the beneficiary of Benitez’ undoubted football management and coaching skills.
We hope he keeps Newcastle up and stays at the club and if he can get Newcastle playing together after almost two weeks preparation for the game at Norwich then a win at Carrow Road could set us on the road to safety – but we needs wins – draws are not good enough given the terrible position we were left in by former head coach Steve McClaren
Rafa Benitez – at St. James’ Park on Sunday
Rafa has already made changes at Newcastle and has made the U-21 players and coaches train on their Academy pitch away from the first teamers – since Rafa needs more room to coach the players and doesn’t want to be distracted by the Development players.
He has also cancelled all days off for the squad, apart from the days to recover from actual matches – so this week and next should see a lot of work done by Benitez, his coaches and our players who are not away on International duty – and so most of the squad will be available.
Jonjo Shelvey seems excited to have such a top manager at Newcastle and he has said this today on BBC Newcastle:
“You’re always being watched – you feel like you’re on trial if you like.” “Everyone’s looking to impress and being a lot busier than normal.”
“But that’s part and parcel of football, you need to show what you’re about.” “When a new manager comes in, it’s like going to school again.”
“People are listening to what Benitez says. His record speaks for itself.” “The break will be a good chance to really knuckle down.
“We’ve not had much time since he’s come in because everything has been a bit rushed.” “Rafa will come up with a game-plan because that’s what he does.”
“I’m sure we’ll go to Norwich and give a very good account of ourselves.” “We’ve not had much time since he’s come in because everything has been a bit rushed.”
Newcastle can still avoid the drop with Rafa in charge and our next game at Carrow Road a week on Saturday is really vital.
But if we can win that game – it will give everybody associated with Newcastle a huge boost – so that has to be the aim and Rafa has time to fully prepare the lads for that game.
We need to start winning these games and as we said draws will not be enough – not with only 25 points from our 30 games this season.
Rafa is due a win too – here is his record so far from the two games he managed in his first 9 days at Newcastle.
[table “50” not found /]Comments welcome.
52 comments so far
Ian Toon
Mar 22, 2016 at 6:16 PM
Comment #41The 33% fall in SD. Share price is only a paper loss. The” worst fears” only arise in the event that were relegated. I prefer to focus on staying up and will countenance the alternative if and when! It just an excuse for many ( I’m not pointing the finger) to have a go – he’s not the first sacrificial lamb for me.
Ashley is rightly standing up to the likes of The Beast of Bolsover. Why should he be answerable to those MPs that know nowt about business and the link into NUFC is a diversionary tactic. He’d had a harrowing day.
I’ve just listened to talk of us being relegated, on the business news and that Ashley won’t have as large a transfer kitty. Time will tell.
Ashley recognises he knows nowt about football – it has been an expensive experience , right back to Fat Sam.
Ian Toon
Mar 22, 2016 at 6:17 PM
Comment #42For you Tsunki.
Jib
Mar 22, 2016 at 6:28 PM
Comment #43lochinvar // I wonder where our pre-season tour will be ?
Can you keep a secret ?
Well I have a cousin who lives in Greenhaugh who works at Kielder (taps side of nose )
jimiley
Mar 22, 2016 at 6:32 PM
Comment #44I have run out of straws to grasp. We are going down. Self inflicted wounds caused by our ” management” and nobody can say it has not been coming since we last got relegated. If you whirl around the plughole long enough, eventually you go down it. Even Rafa will not reverse the curse of the Toon. It will a supreme irony that we get a decent manager but only for 10 games. He will not be able to turn around our wasters in such a short space of time.
Harley
Mar 22, 2016 at 6:48 PM
Comment #45We’ll beat Norwich next Saturday then palace at home. The players will have their tails up after the 2nd half against Sunderland.
Mitrovic will be full of confidence, Cisse is back, colback is banned for 2,games, everything is looking good.
Bambams said it just there. We need to support them to the very last day.
We will stay up.
John Akomfrah
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:00 PM
Comment #46colo to stroll back in we are doomed
21st Century Schizoid Man
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:04 PM
Comment #47Ian Toon // Mar 22, 2016 at 6:16 PM
The 33% fall in SD. Share price is only a paper loss.
Really, the share price should reflect the value of the company. All shares have some element of ‘hope value’ , some like the dot.com boom were entirely hope value which is why it crashed – and 95%+ of share trading is speculative anyway, so it is a casino loss – but as that is how the shares accumulated value in the first place he is simply playing mind games with the stock market – though his employment and trading practices have come under scrutiny recently and that may easily cause a share price drop. I agree he is pretty poor when it comes to personal PR and verbatim quotes.
Ashley is rightly standing up to the likes of The Beast of Bolsover. Why should he be answerable to those MPs that know nowt about business.
Firstly, Dennis Skinner is NOT on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee/.
Secondly, Select Committees do NOT have coercive powers to call witnesses.
However, as they have an investigative role, to protect the public from various kinds of wrong-doing – including illegal phone taps, supermarket market rigging by pricing etc., it can be classified as contempt of Parliament not to be a witness to a committee – as it makes the person appear above the law. No legal enforcemnt action has ever been taken as we do not have a written constitution and Selcct Committees are relatively recent, so there are no legal precedents.
However, it may well affect hios reputation by refusing to appear.
As for your uncritical support of him “he’d had a harrowing day”- yeh life’s a bitch for the mega rich isn’t it ?
Ian Toon
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:06 PM
Comment #48Hibbitt- Your comment on Moncur mentioning that Benitez wanted to stay.
Was that on Radio 5, Garry Richardson sports programme?
9
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:08 PM
Comment #49There can be no sensible doubt we’ll go down. We were in serious trouble 3 matches ago, but losing to Bournemouth and Sunday’s “effort” (My God!) confirms this. While our next opponents have been improving, and are at home, we have shown nothing, and are away: look at our away record, always remembering “the table doesn’t lie”. Of course, we all hope NUFC can win and will stay up, but most people are sensible and can see straight – I believe Mr Shearer fits into this category, though it makes no difference to my point whatever you think of him. We are, effectively, down. Mr Benitez’s team on Sunday were pants(see how polite I’m being). Mr Ashley has spent very big money – disgusting to read all the neggers dreaming away conspiracy theories about him in the face of this investment ( there’s none so blind as them that won’t see) but clearly, for whatever reason, his millions, coming so late (but more money than anyone in England spent this season, I read) have failed, and failed spectacularly. It was embarrassing for a NUFC fan to see Sunday’s effort. I wish I could believe in a magic wand (AKA Rafa – an inspired appointment) but
it’s way too late. We go down, Rafa waves bye-bye: then what? Any ideas, lads?
Jail for Ashley
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:11 PM
Comment #50I was very hopeful we’d stay up, unless Rafa and the players are in the loop and the interview was a sham, I really don’t know what it’s intentions were, all a trifle bizarre!!
Jail for Ashley
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:15 PM
Comment #51Mashers might actually be seething that he’s had to get a proper manager in, he doesn’t like losing and has lost his little Trading places type bet with Levy that you could hire a sacked lower league manager and stay in the PL for five years. It’s not the pound he’s lost he’s gutted about, it’s the losing to one of his chums.
Ian Toon
Mar 22, 2016 at 7:25 PM
Comment #5221- Select Comm’ s I am very familiar with them and the role they fulfill . Forgive me for not sharing your enthusiasm but I have little respect for MPs feeding the media- Skinner Specialises in nothing but feels free to speculate. As you point out it is uncertainty that can impact a share price. Just as it does the exchange rate hence the £ is weak against a multitude of currencies because of possibility of brexit. Finance isn’t my chosen field but I did study Economics at A level.
Again I thought the whole phone tapping saga was a waste of public money and had more to do with politics than social justice. Just another diversionary tactic to draw attention away from the state of the economy. Did you know that the last time we had a balanced budget was in 2001. Check it out on ONS.
I sense your doing a power to the people salute as you read this.