Henri Saivet has given an interview in France Football today and he was not very happy during the eight months he had at Newcastle United.
It’s not nice, but if you really want to read what he said about Newcastle here it is – he was very frustrated on Tyneside.
That should come as no surprise to Newcastle fans, since Henri hardly ever played for Newcastle after his £5M move from Bordeaux.
Henri Saivet in pre-season
And after venting about his time at Newcastle he did talk a little about Rafa Benitez and he thinks Rafa is a great coach.
This is what he has said about the Newcastle manager:
“Benitez is a great coach. He talks a lot of tactics – a little too much at times, but he is a great coach.”
“When he was appointed the group (team) was lost, not confident and there remained ten matches to play.”
“It was complicated for him. The leaders had asked him to play the English way. It’s like that there.”
The suggestion there was that Rafa had been asked to play British players in the team because they knew what it was like to fight against relegation.
What Rafa actually did was to use the experienced players at Newcastle as much as he could and the youngsters didn’t get much playing time.
The new players – particularly like Henri who were not used to the English way of playing football, were also not used by Rafa.
But you get casualties when Newcastle got themselves into a complete and utter mess by early March …. and Henri was one of those casualties.
But so too were thousands and thousands of Newcastle fans who were basically screwed and let down completely by those running the club last season – and we are now a second division club.
But things have changed and they are now already a million miles better than last season – and that’s after Rafa has been here for only a short six months.
Things are improving quickly and we are very confident in the future of Newcastle United with Rafa Benitez in complete control of all football matters.
That’s the good news.
Comments welcome.
70 comments so far
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:44 PM
Comment #41Did Jesper leave the blog for ever?
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:45 PM
Comment #42Was it over that Spit Roasting Captains business??
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:45 PM
Comment #43Rotating. Sorry. Rotating captains. I often make that mistake.
Shadow_Shearer
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:53 PM
Comment #44Can u imagine pardew talking about tactics?? Give the ball to the wingers & cross to the big man, papis cisse! Now il give myself a pat on the back.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:55 PM
Comment #45The way I read the Henri Saviet situation, it seems that, since Rafa backed the experienced players last season, he was essentially frozen out. As a result, coming back this season to a relegated side probably felt futile. Even if he DOES have the ability to fit in, it’s unlikely he would have been motivated enough to show it in training, and therefore it’s better all round that he leaves. Good luck to him.
Spoof
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:57 PM
Comment #46It was unfortunate for Saivet but you would have thought that if he was good enough he would have shown enough in training to at least give himself a chance, the fact that he wasn’t given a chance does make you wonder, however exactly the same could be said about Gouffran, and he only got a chance due to Aarons being injured and with us not getting a LW on board when we really needed one so the Gouff was given a lifeline, at times lady luck can be on your side, but she can also be against you, the Gouff may have hit lucky whereas fortune never gave Saivet a chance.
Belfast
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:58 PM
Comment #47Spit roasting ?? lol
Aye he buggered off after that.
The overrated Frenchman
Sep 6, 2016 at 12:59 PM
Comment #48Jib@19. Fair enough. I’ll embrace the “pigs” analogy, which does appeal to me, and leave it there.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:02 PM
Comment #49Spoof
Goofy has an advantage in his attitude. He obviously isn’t the greatest, but he gives everything he has. So far he has turned in good performances, and is easily good enough for this league. I think while Aaroms is out, Goofy and Perez will be covering the left side AM role.
Our Toon
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:12 PM
Comment #50Spoof and YCMIU
Spoof you nailed it mate with that comment mate, gouffran got his chance through luck but has taken advantage of it.
Players play differently in training than in match days, to truly know if someone is good enough they must get game time if they were deemed good enough to sign. At the time we had colback…..not the best in his role and tiote who actually is the best of the lot in his role.
Obertan was the best player in training according to fergie, but come game time he was piss poor.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:15 PM
Comment #51Our toon
We used to hear the same about Shola. Used to tear it up in training, but gave us 1 good game in 15 or so.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:18 PM
Comment #52We haven’t had a surprise package in the ranks since the great Sibierski!
LGFUAD21
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:20 PM
Comment #53It’s a shame that I dont think this lad will ever get a chance to prove himself in this league.
He was hit and miss in his handful of cameos but sadly not really given the time or opportunity. Not that we could afford to give him that with the state we were in.
Always struck me as an odd player. I saw him play some solid games as a winger at Bordeaux but then he converted to DM where he was rated even higher.
As for Gouffran.
I often wonder about him. He was solid when he first came, then Pardew seemed to put the locks on him and turned him into a defensive wing forward. He looked a bit broken at times and definitely like he had lost his shooting boots. Hopefully he can be reborn in this league and do what Jonas did for us last time.
LGFUAD21
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Comment #54I do wish we had brought in another left winger though.
We cant really judge Atsu but we knew Aarons wasnt reliable and I really dont rate Perez out wide.
As good as Perez is and as great as he can be, he still has a long way to go to firm up his position in our starting line up. I think we need to start playing Murphy or Mitro to have a big man up top.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:27 PM
Comment #55LGF
If we start Mitro or Murphy, what do we do with Gayle. He surely can’t be dropped if fit. He has found his scoring boots early.
LGFUAD21
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:29 PM
Comment #56YCMIU
Gayle either play up top with them, number 10 or out on the left.
I think Gayle could be even better with a big man to help him out and support him.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:38 PM
Comment #57LGF
Yeah if we play 2 strikers then he fits in no bother. If rafa sticks to 4231 then i’m not sure if we will play a big man. I do like the idea, though. I think we’d carry more threat with Gayle and a big man playing.
Spoof
Sep 6, 2016 at 1:45 PM
Comment #58YCMIU
If teams continue to park the bus which is a very strong possibility then I can see Rafa abandoning his preferred 4-5-1 as 5 in the middle will not be needed and play a 4-4-2, I actually think that is why he desided to go for another striker as all we had was Mitro, Gayle and Perez, if your playing two then you could be short, but now that we have Murphy we are much stronger.
However looking at the fixture list coming up I expect it to be a 4-5-1 due to the opposition, it could be October before we see the 4-4-2, but I think we will see it, I’m convinced that’s why we bought Murphy, could we possibly keep 4 strikers happy if we only ever played one of them, even in this multi-games league they would be looking at an average 12/13/14 games depending how far we go in the cups, I think we will see 4-4-2 more than 4-5-1, but not just yet due to the fixtures.
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:08 PM
Comment #59I don’t think we have to change anything about the team. We played well against Brighton with the starting 11 that we had. Only change I would make is Lazaar for Dummett. Murphy and Mitro are good impact Subs because they will change the game entirely if it’s not working with Diame and Gayle.
Spoof
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:08 PM
Comment #60Upcoming fixtures
Derby v Newcastle
QPR v Newcastle
Newcastle v Wolves
Newcastle v Wolves
Aston Villa v Newcastle
Newcastle v Norwich
As I say, I expect a predominantly 4-5-1, but come October/November it could be 4-4-2 throughout.
Oct/Nov fixtures
Rotherham v Newcastle
Newcastle v Brentford
Barnsley v Newcastle
Newcastle v Ipswich
Preston v Newcastle
Newcastle v Cardiff
Leeds v Newcastle
Newcastle v Blackburn.
Tsunki
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:09 PM
Comment #61I’ve a feeling any chance of Jesper coming round and doing an about turn on his self-imposed exile will be slim now that Belfast has taken to spinning out his ribbing by posting that image on his name. It has the ring of bullying about it, even if it’s a circular way of doing it. Puts a bit of a negative spin on things really 🙂
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:10 PM
Comment #62Diame and Ritchie are our best signings this window in my opinion.
Spoof
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:10 PM
Comment #63YMFB
It’s Rafa don’t forget, as a result there will be changes lol.
Tsunki
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:11 PM
Comment #64Well I think I can afford a tenner watching the wolves cup tie on the 20th. Be good if the autumn weather hasn’t kicked in by then. That last cup match was surreal in a tropical feel kind of way.
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:13 PM
Comment #65Spoof, perhaps. But that’s down to the amount of games that we are going to be taking part in. I was thinking simply about our next game mate. Sure I agree that the teams going to change, but for next game I would keep it the same.
Tsunki
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:16 PM
Comment #66Rafas tactical prowess compared to McCardew is world’s apart. Rotation serves not just to ease the exhausting schedule but to continually confound opponents as to what shape they have to deal with. Even with a squad big enough at their disposal McCardew didn’t have strong enough elastic in his latex drawers to do anything but stick with what he knew week in week out.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:19 PM
Comment #67Spoof
as I said about after the Reading game if we can be in the top three at the end of September then we look like we will be in a very good position and set fair for the season – hopefully!!!
Anyway to Saturday evening what teamed you think he will start with…
could it be a team of 11 RAFA signings from this transfer window.
Also we have got to lay a few bogies this season – i.e.
Derby A – don’t know the last time we won
Norwich A – I think it was Keegan’s promotion season
Brighton A – Canny while since a win there too
Wigan A – bad record there too!!
Blackburn A – nowt clever there either
Forest A – Ain’t clever there too!
And there the ones of the top of my Heed!!!
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:23 PM
Comment #68Ymfb
Don’t forget Perez was leading the line v brighton because gayle and mitro were out with knacked bonces. I would think Gayle at least will return ve Derby.
Spoof
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:23 PM
Comment #69YMFB
It was a good perfofmance and result against Brighton but in all honesty Perez as the lone striker was like a fish out of water, and as we know that when it comes to being a lone striker we have Gayle, Mitro and Murphy who are all better equipped to do that role so for me it is almost a formality that there will be a change there, we also have Yedlin with more time to settle in and Atsu and Lazaar to consider, including Murphy I don’t expect to see any of then start, but at the same time I don’t expect to see Perez lead the line as a lone striker.
hibbit
Sep 6, 2016 at 2:29 PM
Comment #70ymfb
how many times have you seen Lazaar play to drop Dummett and slot him straight in ?
in the last game Dummett had possibly the best winger in the league under control why drop him
Lazarr time will come but Dummett did nothing to be dropped for