Rafa Benitez and his lawyers spent 10 days negotiating with Lee Charnley and Mike Ashley at the end of last season, so he could have all the control he wanted at Newcastle and it appears – at least from the outside – that he got everything he asked for.
Rafa is now called the manager at Newcastle and that contrasts with the head coach position that Steve McClaren had where other people – namely Graham Carr – was responsible for selecting the players who would come in during the transfer windows.
Rafa Benitez and Lee Charnley run the club
Rafa is both the coach and the manager at Newcastle and he has control of all football-related matters at the club, with Lee Charnley as head executive acting as his interface at the executive level.
And as far as we can tell these two men are completely running the club for Mike Ashley, with the owner not involved.
Graham Carr has gone back to being the Chief Scout at Newcastle and does the scouting, but Rafa picks the players who come in, which players can leave the club and who gets the wage rises and so on.
Rafa has talked today about the roles of coach and manager in football:
“When you start in Spain as a coach, you’re a ‘coach’.” “When you come to England, you’re a ‘manager’.”
“People think that the manager has to be outside just watching and not being involved in training.”
“So when I was at Liverpool, I liked to be a coach – and a manager – so that means you have to do both things.”
“You have to organize things in the office but you have to go out on to the training pitch as well.”
“I like to be on the training pitch every day, I like to be busy.”“My staff are very good and they can manage lots of things while I can do a lot of other things, but tactical things I like to be on the pitch for them so normally I control these things.”
“I prefer to be a manager because you can make your mistakes and then take responsibility, then that’s it.”
“If you’re the coach, then someone else above you might sign the players or something and then afterwards you will be blamed.”
“So it is better this way.” “It is not easy to find the balance but I prefer to take the responsibility.”
“I didn’t have full control at Liverpool, but I had a very good relationship with the chief executive – like I do have here with Lee Charnley – talking almost every day, what we want, what we need.”
“To be fair I didn’t need to do anything different because I had this communication and it was good.”
“It costs you more time to be a ‘coach’ and a ‘manager’ because you always have to be here and then there, but I like to do it.”
“I’m quite organised and I give responsibility also to my staff and you can see everyone doing their job, you can co-ordinate these jobs, and after you can talk with the rest of the staff about other things.”
“Then you can come back and analyse the players that you spent some time with.” “I like to be both a manager and a coach.”
“I like football and I like to be involved in all of the training sessions and obviously after the games.”
Rafa seems to have his perfect job at Newcastle since he has complete control and he can now not only build up a team that can hopefully challenge for honors in the future, but he is also responsible along with Lee Charnley for building the club into a top club in Europe.
Things like the facilities and interfaces to the local community will be improved and we should see the training ground at Benton get some big (massive?) improvements this summer.
It’s an exciting time for all associated with Newcastle United, including Rafa Benitez, whose stated goal at the club is to win some trophies.
Sounds good to us!
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
13 comments so far
Essex Geordie Bill
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:59 PM
Comment #1A good boss/manager/coach knows how to delegate, he seems to be very capable in that aspect.
Graeme
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:11 PM
Comment #2In Rafa we trust!!!
Long may it continue.
Mister Tuff
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:14 PM
Comment #33 -1 to the Toon.
Reading between the lines from what Benitez has said (if that is possible) Diame will start and Mitro won’t.
expatmag
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:16 PM
Comment #41-1 draw
Brentford are a good team and we tend to struggle at home a bit.
Essex Geordie Bill
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:20 PM
Comment #5If you don’t want to know whats happening in the Chelsea match don’t read on in this comment.
Leicester may well follow up being champions last season by being relegated this the way they are playing at the moment.
Blackley and Brownlie
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:21 PM
Comment #6International break. Old Blackas completely turns off from football. I wave to neighbour, an NUFC player, packing his kit bag in his car. Still don’t twig there’s a match on today until one of my sons asks what time I’m going. Completely turns off from football and forgets to turn back on.
Essex Geordie Bill
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Comment #7I tried to leave a big gap after the first sentence but it didn’t work.
Essex Geordie Bill
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:23 PM
Comment #8Wonder if this is the final thread prior to the match?
AndyMac
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:31 PM
Comment #9“Things like the facilities and interfaces to the local community will be improved” I’ve mentioned it before on Twitter but our training facilities, despite the upgrade over the summer, leave a lot to be desired. http://www.footballtraininggrounds.com/
Even the makem’s puts Darsley to shame.
If we go up this season Rafa needs to get Fatman to dig deep both in terms of squad and facilities
dannitoon
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Comment #10Any radio streams.. rediculous you cant listen to the toon on bbc radio necastle on line
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:57 PM
Comment #11Is the game being broadcasted.
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:58 PM
Comment #12?*
TyneMouth
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:04 PM
Comment #13A.f.A.
Rafa Bingo; Team sheet.
Sels.
Anita. Lascelles. Clark. Dummett.
Shelvey. Colback.
Ritchie. Diame. Gouffran.
Gayle.
VIVA BENITEZ!