There are various reports coming through tonight that Managing Director Lee Charnley and Rafa Benitez held some good positive talks this afternoon on Rafa staying at Newcastle for next season.
They are said to have discussed what it would take to keep the world-class manager at St James’ Park for next season so he can start overhauling both the club and the Newcastle squad – and potentially return the club immediately back to the Premier League next May.
The report is that Benitez is going to make his decision a few days after Newcastle’s last game of the season on Sunday against Spurs after reviewing the situation.
Rafa Benitez – Newcastle manager
And further meetings with Lee Charnley before Sunday and it’s looking like he may even stay on Tyneside.
Owner Mike Ashley is also said to be very motivated to keep Benitez at the club, and that’s obviously because of the unnecessary relegation of Newcastle due to gross incompetence at the top of the club.
Charnley is said to talked through the key issues with Benitez on Thursday afternoon at the manager’s office at their Benton training ground.
As we reported earlier today these are the key issues:
- Full control of all transfers into and out of the club
- A complete overhaul of the Youth Academy
- A complete overhaul of the Benton Training Facilities
- Control of the medical department
And there are various other reports today that Rafa is seriously considering staying at Newcastle.
Rafa is savvy and smart and he wants the fine details of any agreement made with Charnley to be put in writing before he will agree to scrap the break clause in his contract.
Newcastle officials think the club is in a relatively healthy financial position to deal with next season’s precipitous fall in revenues.
The Mirror is reporting that players will be sold and Benitez will be handed funds to be able to rebuild his Newcastle squad.
We hope he stays – it will give the long-suffering Newcastle supporters some real hope for the future.
If you want to send a message to Rafa asking him to stay, here’s all the contact information for Newcastle United – here.
Here’s Rafa’s twitter account associated with his web-site.
It could be our last chance of being able to build a really top team again on Tyneside.
Go for it.
Howay The Lads!!
70 comments so far
Ibizatoon
May 12, 2016 at 7:20 PM
Comment #41Jib…You’re right, none of us know, but wasn’t the story that Rafas reps contacted the club, not the other way around?
Nufc-83
May 12, 2016 at 7:23 PM
Comment #42Ibizatoon stop being so single minded. Of course owner of the company on national tv will say the book stops with him but in reality it’s the people making major decisions or advising below that are more to blame. Ashley has pumped money in this year like he said he would when the club was stable and profitable do you think he expected relegation of course not. He is relying on idiots to advise him and as I said I don’t think he is a savvy clever businessman as people make out
Ron Knee
May 12, 2016 at 7:24 PM
Comment #43One of the board members was doggedly backing McClaren up to the end. Was it Charmless or Carr?
Nufc-83
May 12, 2016 at 7:27 PM
Comment #44Bandb im not sure what opinions regarding transfers you are referring to especially in regards to getting a lip on when people give a difference of opinion??
Skydog59
May 12, 2016 at 7:27 PM
Comment #45The usual Dr Harrison splurge of articles…he won’t stay…he is staying (the Daily Mirror says so..) you can be sure it will remain unclear until after Sunday to head off the protests that should take place, but won’t in the hope Benitez stays. And we’ll still be waiting into the summer when it will be too late to plan.
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:27 PM
Comment #46Nufc83 @27. Surely you’re not just talking about this season. Ashley has owned us for 9 years, in which time we’ve now had 2 relegations with many different players, managers, head coaches, board members, DoF, MD. You name it we’ve had it. And the overall picture for which Ashley is responsible is failure. The buck always stops at the top mate. Ashley is definitely to blame.
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:28 PM
Comment #47Likely it was both Charnley and Carr Ron mate. They both need to go.
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:31 PM
Comment #48It’s the big picture that matters. Ashley has been a disaster over 9 years. The facts support that. Others have come and gone but he is the constant factor. He used to speak about his plans for the club including how much he admired Arsenal’s methods. I guess we just had 9 years of Ashley showing us how good he is at implementing an overall plan for club success. How is everyone enjoying it so far?
Ron Knee
May 12, 2016 at 7:33 PM
Comment #49G2
It was in response to who contacted whom. If the Board wanted McClaren to stay then it could have been Benitez’s representatives who contacted NUFC in the first place.
Nufc-83
May 12, 2016 at 7:37 PM
Comment #50G2 it depends are we talking about overall success during his time then obviously if that’s the case he has been an utter disaster. For me I have concentrated more on this season and talked about who I feel are more responsible and I find myself getting a lot more angered at the players and Carr than I do Ashley.
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:38 PM
Comment #51We’ll never know for sure Ron mate. I’m not convinced Charnley would have the balls to contact Rafa. He’s just a timid little mouse hiding in his office according to many. Just a shy little man hoping to hang on to his pay packet. Not the right person to run a football club. Give him a job in the mail room Ashley, along with Carr, Beardsley and Moncur. That way they can only screw up the mail.
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:39 PM
Comment #52Fair enough Nufc83. Just trying to set the record straight. Ashley is, was, and will continue to be a disaster as owner. Only his personal greed might save us if he hangs on to the club.
Nufc-83
May 12, 2016 at 7:44 PM
Comment #53The real culprits in this mess for me are Carr and probably SM who was on the board and would have influenced transfers. I can just imagine carr telling charnley that they have identified gini as a top player who will transform the club for the better (was it mourinho who agreed and said he would get in Chelsea team). Charnley makes it happen and all of a sudden faces a backlash cos it never worked out (one of many transfers mitro etc)
Charlnley and ash are both to blame for not reacting but for me don’t hold the majority of the blame for this season.
Ron Knee
May 12, 2016 at 7:45 PM
Comment #54G2
My speculation (no more than that) is that Ashley told Charnley: ‘Get Benitez’, and that this week when he was in Newcastle (?) told Charmless: ‘Keep Benitez.’
Ibizatoon
May 12, 2016 at 7:45 PM
Comment #55Nufc-83…Leaving your rude “single minded” comment to one side.
“Of course owner of the company on national tv will say the book stops with him” Why “of course”? Because it does, perhaps?
“but in reality it’s the people making major decisions or advising below that are more to blame.” Day to day, yes (if you believe that is the real setup). However, as owner, it is him who decides to keep them in employment. If he hasn’t got what he wanted from them, you’d expect them to be fired.
“Ashley has pumped money in this year” Incorrect. Other than the purchase and early “loans” he has not put a single penny in to the club. Not one. He has finally allowed the club to spend it’s money, money it had previously not been allowed to spend. Hardly something to champion when the blueprint is to be self sufficient.
“like he said he would when the club was stable and profitable” We went 18 months, with money in the bank, without buying one player.
“do you think he expected relegation of course not.” I don’t know what he expected, nor do I care.
“He is relying on idiots to advise him and as I said I don’t think he is a savvy clever businessman as people make out” He’s relying on “idiots” that HE has chosen to advise him.
He’s worth several billion. Clearly he’s not a mug. The issue is, football clubs can’t be run as purely a business. Well, they can, and we have been. Long before Charnley and the players messed this season up.
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:46 PM
Comment #56A quote from NUFC.com. Words of sense at last:
“Make no mistake: this has been all of our own work; from Carver to McClaren, from Berahino to Doumbia, from Coloccini’s new deal to a ridiculous pre-season schedule. We did it all to ourselves. Again.”
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:49 PM
Comment #57Spot on @55 Ibiza. The clown has finally run out of tricks. Ashley is, was, and always will be a buffoon.
Average_Contents
May 12, 2016 at 7:52 PM
Comment #58Wow. Someone’s got a raging hard-on for our best ever owner.
How can it NOT be his fault.
His appointments (as pathetic as they’ve been) are only in place to deflect the blame away from him. Willing patsies.
It seems it’s worked hands down for some.
He’ll be loving it.
Very sad.
Ibizatoon
May 12, 2016 at 7:53 PM
Comment #59NUFC-83…SM influenced transfers as he was on the board? Maybe Shelvey and Townsend.
Can’t imagine he had too much input with the summer buys as they would have been scouted long before he arrived.
As for Carr, you have to wonder why a billionaire and the clubs MD would allow a scout to call the shots.
Not saying he hasn’t been, but why let him?
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:57 PM
Comment #60Another little tasty tidbit from NUFC.com:
“You’ve hit the nail on the head there, we certainly don’t deserve to suffer because a jumped-up office boy perpetually fails to do his job, abetted by a London PR bluffer with zero football knowledge.”
GeordieTwo
May 12, 2016 at 7:58 PM
Comment #61And this tells it like it is as well:
“This season’s squad was clearly ill-equipped for the Premier League challenge but it looks even less capable of mounting a realistic promotion challenge without a major overhaul – something that will be a substantial feat given the contracts handed out.”
Yo-yo
May 12, 2016 at 8:00 PM
Comment #62Ibiza
You can run a football club successfully as a business – but not with Ashley’s bargain basement model where the return in investment in players is measured in their resale and not really in their performances in the team.
Mister Tuff
May 12, 2016 at 8:03 PM
Comment #63I would sack all the board.
Old man Carr seems to be getting some flack with others being “absolved”.
Q. How many World class players did Carr reccomend to the club.
Q. How many World Class players whilst reccommended by Carr were deemed too expensive by other board members.
Q. In search of strikers – how far down the list of possibles was Mitrovic.
83 – a few questions for you.
Essex Geordie Bill
May 12, 2016 at 8:08 PM
Comment #64I don’t think Rafa’s reputations will suffer at all if he stays and fails to get promotion first time. Why would it, he can easily point to the short comings of the board with some justification.
I also wonder why everyone is so sure that Townsend wants to leave, from his attitude I reckon he’ll be keen to help the team rise again.
Thump
May 12, 2016 at 8:10 PM
Comment #65@Ibizatoon: Not only scouted, but deals all but agreed. Charver said that the summer window was very interesting, and he was right. Then he came out and said he knew we were looking at the likes of Gini and Mitrovic and that they were both interested.
So yeah, it’s safe to say that Smiler had sweet F.A to say in the summer window.
Ibizatoon
May 12, 2016 at 8:13 PM
Comment #66Yo Yo…Business is a huge part of the modern game. To be a successful club, you need to be smart with the business side of things.
I wouldn’t say it’s just that we’ve dipped in to the bargain basement though.
More that the footballing side of the club has simply been secondary to the business side. Which was my original, albeit badly made, point.
Nufc-83
May 12, 2016 at 8:13 PM
Comment #67Ibiza I am about to leave the sunshine and beers and so I havnt got time to respond to every point like you did then but trust me I would love to.
In summary my opinion is that Ashley is a clown and is not a smart savvy businessman that people say but more stumbled on a good model and had the correct people deliver it for him. This has not worked out football wise but the people delivering this advice are more to blame.
Carr and the players are more responsive for this seasons disaster than anyone.
In quick summary that is all
Ibizatoon
May 12, 2016 at 8:14 PM
Comment #68Thump…Thanks for the clarification.
“Smiler” 🙂
Ibizatoon
May 12, 2016 at 8:17 PM
Comment #69NUFC-83…All you had to do is refer me to your other posts stating the same opinion whilst ignoring the points put to you.
Maybe when you have the time?
Take care.
lesh
May 12, 2016 at 11:54 PM
Comment #70Charmless is following Bishop’s instructions to the letter.
Be seen to be negotiating with Rafa, spin it out till after Sunday, spin it out till the season’s over, fanny on, announce that terms couldn’t be agreed with Rafa (nasty greedy Rafa) and bingo, it’s the summer break.
Then, well well, Brucellosis is announced as our saviour.
Fcking amateurs!