We are hoping against hope that Rafa Benitez can do what is looking increasingly like a miracle now – and that is to save Newcastle United from the drop.
If that happens and he is either not offered the Spain National manager job in the summer, or is offered it and turns it down to stay at Newcastle, then we will be back in business big time.
But everything has to line up like that for Rafa Benitez to stay at Newcastle.
He´s too good a manager and in too much demand to stay on if we are relegated and manage a Championship club.
Rafa Benitez and Newcastle
Could have been a match made in heaven
So if we do down it is almost certain (only 99% certain so there´s still a chance) he will leave and Newcastle will be back where we were in May 2009 and back in the oblivion of England´s second division where we get £20M from the league every season.
If that happens then Newcastle will lose a lot of fans – some in Newcastle and England because they will simply give up and end their pain until we can get back into the Premier League.
But for fans like us away from home base in places like America, it will be more difficult to stay in touch because we do not get the games on TV in the Championship.
So if we are relegated – and it´s looking more and more certain with every game we don´t win – things will be very tough for the club.
But even more so for the lifeblood of Newcastle United – the long suffering fans.
The best thing the club can do, as we pointed out yesterday, is to quickly appoint a top manager like David Moyes in the summer who can then bring in the players he wants and start preparing to get us promoted straight back to the Premier League.
But we are not holding our breath with the way the club has been run this last year or two – and we think there is no chance at all that Newcastle will suddenly become a well-run club this summer with lots of initiative, verve and ambition.
In short – everything we haven´t had for some time now.
As Alan Shearer has rightly pointed out – the club is a mess from top to bottom – and in business believe us, it´s always very difficult if not impossible for those who get a business into a mess to get them out of it.
Unless Mike Ashley brings in some very good people to run the club – including a top manager like Moyes as one example – we could be down in the wilderness for a number of seasons.
Newcastle United Football Club has been destroyed by these guys running the club – and Ashley should step up to the plate and start fixing things in the summer and stop screwing the Newcastle fans.
Excuse my language.
Comments welcome.
85 comments so far
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:24 PM
Comment #41Also take it we have no left back available again this weekend?
Should be putting Lascalles or Mbemba out on that position and just have them defending or even go 3 at the back and have Townsend and Janmaat as wing backs ?
I can just see what Southampton will do before I even watch the game Mane or Long will be on the right hand side constantly hounding the left back and Pelle will be all over Colo like a rash
bettyswallocks
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Comment #42LCBP…… I agree but even with McClaren as coach and the money spent we should have been capable of mid table. For some reason the players are not the right blend to be able to gel into a winning team.
Toonfan8
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Comment #43we don´t need to sell Wijnaldum if we go down, he can go on loan, I think anybody in the premier league would want him…but we should be fighting now and thinking what to do then, if we are relegated…we have to fight and we have to use best players available now…
………………darlow……………………
janmaat,mbemba,colo,mbabu
………wijnaldum….shelvey……….
townsend…..perez……..sissoko
…………….mitrovic…………………
……………………………………………..
that is our best line up, maybe De Jong in for Perez or Sissoko, but no to Cisse, Taylor, Anita…
Toonfan8
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:31 PM
Comment #44oh and I forgot Lascelles, he was our best defender, so put him there instead of Collo….
Jail for Ashley
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:31 PM
Comment #45No bettyswallocks they couldn’t. They thought we’d be tenth to fifteenth with maybe a quarter final to say they tried but this is exactly why we are where we are. If they had hired a manager capable of breaking the top six then failure would have been finishing tenth to fifteenth. When they hire a manager to do that then failure is relegation.
It was not rotten luck that they waited patiently for a failed Championship manager to be sacked while Klopp, Tuchel and FDB waited for the riches of the PL. It was not rotten luck that has allowed an elderly scout and a clerk choose the players and neglect vital areas, it was negligence of the highest order. We were making our own luck from last season and this is exactly what they made.
Jib
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:35 PM
Comment #46Mr Bunga Party
Like so many on here you have a very selective memory.
You slag off McClaren now.
However
Lee Charnley Bunga Party // Jun 6, 2015 at 12:50 PM
For me Mclaren is a massive improvement on Pardew no point in even mentioning Carver in that same breadth !!
We have a lot of technical players used to playing a pass and move game usually in a 433 system under Pardew we did play this a few times and had success but he could not help himself and would always go back to 442 hoofball whenever he got the chance !!
At Derby and Twente Mclaren played a 433 with pass and move football which if he even brings that surely it should represent at least a 20 or 30% improvement in some of our existing players seeing as they will be playing a system that they are used to and prefer playing ?
A backline of Janmaat , Colo , Dummett/Saylor and Haidara is actually not that bad and if we pressed higher up the field and kept the ball better it would mean they are not under as much pressure
I hope he brings in his own coaches though , I guess we will keep Carver and Stone but they might be useful when we need someone to go put the cones out or get the Greggs at lunch time …….
WWSBRD
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:45 PM
Comment #47I wasnt against McClaren coming in last summer and now I think it was a utter disaster…thats not short memory thats seeing what happened. McClaren was pathetic, on par with Carver and worse than Pardew and Hoots (both of which had worse hands that McClaren was dealt)
bettyswallocks
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:46 PM
Comment #48Jail……… We can only hope that this disastrous season has finally driven the lesson home that making do with failed personnel to run a big football institution with huge expectations from it’s huge fan base is not the answer. If they convince Rafa to stay and allow him to make the necessary changes then I assume Charnley will administrate and Carr will play a bit part scouting role with Rafa having final say.
They say you pay for you’re learning but we won’t know whether Ashley has learnt until next season.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:49 PM
Comment #49@Jib
I still stand by that Mclaren would be an improvement on Pardew but happy to admit that I was wrong that he would do well with the team as of June 2015!! Pardew is only a couple of points ahead of us despite having a fully fit team for most of the season and being allowed to pick his own players !!
At that time there was no hint that we would be spending near enough 100 million and if that figure was known then we should have been looking at getting a higher calibre of manager than Mclaren ! He still should have done a lot better with the team but its been a disaster this season from the very start !
Happy to admit I got it wrong Jib which is something you should start doing as you seem to go hiding when proved wrong……….
Jib
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:49 PM
Comment #50WWSBRD
I wasnt against McClaren coming in last summer and now I think it was a utter disaster
Me Too.
But for some reason you seem to think Charnley and Ashley (you know the guy who knows nowt about football) should have foreseen all this !
WWSBRD
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:53 PM
Comment #51Jib
Wow wow wow I wasnt against McClaren coming in but that was because of my incredibly low expectations, I saw him as the best of a very poor bag. I couldnt change the aim of the club because those two set it
If I give u the option of which gun am going to shoot u in the head with u may have a preference but its my decision to use a gun
Ashley and the tea boy could of and should of aimed higher and gotten a manager in the Rafa bracket then
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:55 PM
Comment #52It just seems everything the club tries to do it manages to make an arse of it !
Buy cheap sell high we dont even buy players that cheaply now compared to other teams ! Have not managed a decent transfer fee for a player since Cabaye and even then we got less than we should have !
Have youngsters who get a game do well and then are shunted straight away the second a senior player becomes fit so there is no chance of bringing through the player to sell on for a fee from the academy !?
hibbitt
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:56 PM
Comment #53so many on here say McClaren was Carrs choice
midweek weekend
Apr 7, 2016 at 12:58 PM
Comment #54@52
I think perez will definitely be sold spurs will be sniffing about he could go for over 12 million didn’t he cost less than 1 million, be a huge shame to lose him but that’s what relegation does
martoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:01 PM
Comment #55Jib – I think it’s fair to say that McClaren was not most people’s first choice (except Catchy 🙂 ) but most, including myself, thought he would be an improvement on Pardew. However history has shown us all to be wrong – thinking about it I think McClaren’s brand of football is nice to watch but I think his man management skills are poor – something Pardew was supposedly pretty good at. Maybe we need a hybrid of Pardew & McClaren 🙂
P.S. I haven’t seen Tuff around the blog for a while – have we scared him off?
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:03 PM
Comment #56There’s an interesting point.
Should we expect those charged with running the club to be able to foresee things better than the fans? Too right we should.
It’s their profession. Hence why it’s so important to get in the right people, for the right reasons.
Anyway, let’s go back to berating fans for their lack of knowledge, whilst showing unwavering support for our board…and their lack of knowledge.
STB
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:03 PM
Comment #57We will certainly lose some paying spectators in the championship but no fans, as the “fanatics” are like the ones who were there when we were struggling with ardiles’ team in the 2nd division and had previously put up with the dross served up by jack charlton and a few other legendary toon names – tony Cunningham, bobby shinton, frank Pingel who unlike Fumaca actually got regular games…
bettyswallocks
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:03 PM
Comment #58Jib…….. Ashley will be loathe to sack the whole board and start from scratch as he seems to need someone like Charnley that he feels comfortable with. Let’s hope he dilutes his input and allows a football person to make the important decisions. I also thought McC was an upgrade on Pardew and Charver only to be proved horribly wrong. To wait so long to replace him with a proper manager is unforgivable however and will be the reason for our relegation.
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:06 PM
Comment #59martoon…If I may point something out. You’ve been riding Tuff for his pursuit of certain posters, but now seem to be doing the same to him.
He’s not here, not doing anything, yet you mention him.
Easy trap to fall in to, when trying to provide some blog balance.
On McClaren, I think he was seen as an improvement on Carver, not so much Pardew. He was supposed to bring a better style of football than Pardew mind.
LGFUAD21
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:10 PM
Comment #60http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-newcastle-united-signed-deal-11149839
Ridiculous article.
Being realistic, we couldnt keep Forster on our bench. I remember him in that pre-season looking shaky and I think most agreed at the time that Krul was the better option.
The article seems to suggest that we wouldnt be in this mess had we kept him but that’s not true.
It was him or Krul and one had to go. Both have had injuries of late.
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:13 PM
Comment #61Betty…Is it that he’s comfortable with Lee?
An interesting article you’ve probably read before.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0638e934-f026-11e5-9f20-c3a047354386.html#axzz458rcWDjD
“Indeed, Dave Forsey, Sports Direct’s chief executive, told us his “primary function” was “to protect Mike”.”
I suppose that does offer Ashley some comfort.
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:25 PM
Comment #62LGF…It is a silly point, that for some reason keeps doing the rounds.
It even says it in the article, he wanted first team football, at the time Krul edged him.
Yes, it was a shame we couldn’t have held on to him, but it would have been viewed as silly to let Krul go at the time too.
For all the things the club have got wrong, this shouldn’t even be mentioned.
Despite our current injury problem, goalkeepers are one of the few good things at this club.
LGFUAD21
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Comment #63WWSBRD
I wasnt against Mcclaren either.
Despite his terrible end to his time at Derby. He also turned that club around.
Before him they were a lower mid table mediocre team. He got them playing some great football and challenging for promotion from the Championship which is not an easy task by any means,
I was talking to a coach at Parma once at he interestingly said about English Football
“I think the sacking culture is as bad in Italian football. However, if a coach gets fired in England they are written off. In Italy they don’t. In fact history shows that the best Italian managers around now are generally the ones that have failed multiple times at smaller clubs earlier in their career. The difference in Italy is that we see that as experience”
Very interesting point that no doubt was in my mind when we appointed Mcclaren. At the time I kind of sucked up all the positive messages from the club.
The reality for me is that I had a nasty feeling from the minute Cabella left and Thauvin came. Not quite a relegation feeling but certainly a “Somethings off”
Objectively I think Steve’s mistakes were the following:
– Too soft to correct the clear attitude problems in our squad
– Wanted to only play a certain way which was not possible with the psychological scars of previous seasons
– Too much belief in what he was doing to change.
– Too slow to react.
I also feel that all of the head coach nonsense undermined his authority. What Newcastle described as Head Coach is not unique, most English clubs will work the same way regardless of what the media say. So they might as well have branded him a manager.
I think Steve did well at Derby because he was a big fish in a small pond. In the premier league he was not. He gets a lot of praise for his time at Man U. Maybe his mild manners balanced Fergie’s tenacity.
It’s a shame because we would not have been here if Benitez came in the summer (I know he was at Real)
We wouldve picked up the odd few more points and wouldve been mayeb languishing around 16th and he wouldve ensured we got a defender. I think his training methods wouldve also prevented injuries in some cases.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Comment #64Ashley likes to be photographed next to Churners because of his gawd damned ugliness, Keith Bishop tells Mikey he doesn’t look as bad when pictured next to LC.
LGFUAD21
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:27 PM
Comment #65Ibizatoon
Aye. We’ve always had decent keepers.
I worried about that when Woodman left as he seemed to do a good job with Krul.
Hindsight is a gift and all that. We knew Forster was a talented lad but I dont think anyone predicted him turning into one of the leagues best (except those Genius Scouts at Southampton)
Jail for Ashley
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Comment #66I can catergorically state that I was dead set against a failed,sacked Championship manager coming anywhere near the club.
martoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Comment #67Ibiza- I wasn’t riding Tuff at all – I merely pointed out that imo (and some other blog users) he crossed the line with a couple of his comments that he should have apologised for.
The only reason I asked was I actually like Tuff”s contribution especially his xxx out comments and I noticed they had been missing for a while now.
LGFUAD21
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:32 PM
Comment #68I wanted Pardew gone but I was willing to give him a little credit for getting us on those runs.
We’ve seen a season of rubbish this year. At least under Pardew he was capable of putting those runs together to keep us relatively safe.
I am glad that his Palace are free falling though. Nothing against Palace but hated the way the media made all Newcastle fans out to be deluded morons for hounding him out. We all know what you’ll get with Pardew.
– Boring, ugly football
– winning runs
– loosing runs.
it was always extremes. Never just a gentle pace of WDLWDL but LLLLLL or WWWDDD
LGFUAD21
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:37 PM
Comment #69On the last article.
I wouldve thought that now would be a better time to buy Newcastle should we go down than before.
The relegation devalues the club especially in light of the TV revenues. BUT for a dedicated, smart owner this could actually be a great time to pick up one of the last remaining sleeping giants of English football.
Championship clubs are far more reliant on matchday revenues. That combined with Newcastle recent relegation (which will mean more TV than other championship clubs and more revenue) plus parachute payments means in the next 2 years we are in a unique position financially to get back into the Premier League (not saying it wont be difficult, but on paper we have the potential to blitz it with some smart recruitment).
Once we’re up, if we can stay up, we could be making huge profit for and owner in a matter of 3 years.
It’s counter intuitive but we’re actually a better proposition down than we are stable in the Premier League.
bettyswallocks
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:43 PM
Comment #70Ibiza……If Ashley is to be believed then he allowed the board to spend the money, choose the players and appoint the manager. None of the decisions have resulted in a successful team and it remains to be seen whether Rafa will stay on now that they have all surely realised the previous model has failed them.
Ashley needs loyal , obedient, sycophantic people around him but surely he has realised at last that a proper manager is required to manage all football matters which means Charnley could still have a role as administrator/ arse licker.
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:43 PM
Comment #71martoon…My apologies then. I had thought there had been more than just a couple of comments from you towards him the past little while.
I’m sure you can understand my confusion when you addressed the post to Jib, who clearly Tuff has a problem with and said “have we scared him off?”
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Comment #72betty…I imagine you guessed this already, but you lost me with “If Ashley is to be believed”.
Which bit? He wants us to win something? That he wished he never got involved? That there’s virtually no money left? That he doesn’t get involved in the decision making?
I suppose we’re leading up to another “Let’s wait and see what he does next” moment.
Let’s not forget, this wont be the first time we’ve heard that mistakes have been made and learnt from. Why for a minute does anyone think that another “re-structure” would bring anything different than what has come before?
Jib
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:51 PM
Comment #73Amazingly prophetic from Jail for Ashley
This was before we’d even appointed McClaren
Jail for Ashley // May 21, 2015 at 11:17 PM
Nothing official on McLaren sacking, only the Telegraph saying it. The same paper that reckon after Mikey got his fingers stung the first time round and couldn’t believe that none of the players were on relegation clauses still don’t have relegation clause this time we’re going down.
WWSBRD
Apr 7, 2016 at 1:52 PM
Comment #74LG
On paper he should of been alright for us, what they wanted atleast which was a steady eddy who wouldn’t rock the boat, but he wasn’t the right man to do it. I think there is plenty to point to as to just why he failed, tbh I don’t think he did much right
He will go back to the championship and be alright with someone I imagine
bettyswallocks
Apr 7, 2016 at 2:01 PM
Comment #75Ibiza………. If Ashley is to be believed on the board choosing the players, spending the money and employing the manager was the point I’m making.
He’s obviously sore and understandably so that the new players and new manager did worse than the previous mob despite a record spend.
If he continues to allow the club to spend the money it generates then we obviously need someone more qualified to spend it There will be more Tv money available to spend next season and a good manager to spend it wisely is the best we can hope for.
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 2:10 PM
Comment #76Betty…I think this comes down to me not liking to put limitations on what I can hope for and having to have an element of faith in Ashley.
Let’s see what Asheys biggest factor is. Is he outraged at the money wasted by those he employs, in which case, they wont be near the pot again, or will he, decide that they’re his best bet…for whatever reason, clearly not to do with football.
Many people claim he is a loyal man. That may well be true, but they have to be doing something right as far as he’s concerned, or they’d be gone.
martoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 2:19 PM
Comment #77Ibiza – no problem – I may have difference of opinions (arguments 🙂 ) with posters on the blog from time to time but I don’t hold grudges especially as it’s only a football blog when all said & done. I enjoy reading contributions from all including Tuff, Ian toon & Jib.
Ibizatoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 2:24 PM
Comment #78martoon…That is fair enough. I may be wrong, it’s just that I don’t seem to recall ever seeing you pass judgement on either Jib, or Ian, as he’s been mentioned too.
Just Tuff. Maybe it’s as simple as you think he should know better.
Anyway, whats worse than their bickering? You and I discussing the merits of such bickering.
martoon
Apr 7, 2016 at 2:25 PM
Comment #79Anyway to NUFC matters – any early contributions to the team against Southampton – If Colo plays I think I’d play Mbemba at LB and I’d like to see Cisse & Mitro up front together – we know we can’t defend so we may as well go for goals and hopefully outscore them – I can’t help but feel Forster will play a blinder against his old team to prove a point!
bettyswallocks
Apr 7, 2016 at 2:27 PM
Comment #80Ibiza…….. You don’t have to have any faith in Ashley as long as he allows the club’s money to be re invested in the team.
He must realise by now followng his statement on planet alignment etc. being required, that a football club needs football minded people to find a winning formula.
Charnley doesn’t pick or coach the team but is responsible for allocating the transfer funds and prioritising player signings or lack thereof and that has cost us dearly.
Carr choosing the players without any plan to structure a team from his choice of players is also a failed system.
Surely they must have learnt enough during 8 yrs. of making all the mistakes to allow Rafa or someone similar manage the club with a strategy to win football matches.