Now Newcastle are back in the Premier League we are suddenly being noticed again by the national press after being in the wilderness for a year, when it was hard to even get a headline in the National sports pages even when we won 9 games in a row.
We did get a headline, but only when we were shockingly beaten at home by Blackburn Rovers and failed to create a new club record of 10 wins in a row.
The only way we would have had a major headline is if we were near the bottom of the Championship and that would have been great news for the minds of National journalists – the negative minds of National journalists.
Remember – good news never sells – only bad news.
These two men can make Newcastle great again
Things have gone very well this season for Newcastle and we could even win the Championship next Sunday afternoon, which would be more bad news for the national journalists.
If we win at home to Barnsley and Brighton don’t win at Aston Villa then we’ll go up as Champions.
One example of making bad news out of good news is pundit Paul Merson, who we remember criticized the Newcastle fans all during our relagetion season.
And would you believe he thinks that Rafa Benitez will walk away from the club this summer.
This is what Paul has said in the Star today:
“Without new signings they’ll finish 15th or 16th at best in the Premier league.”
Benitez might wonder whether it’s worth it if he doesn’t get a big transfer budget.”
“He could walk into another job fairly easily. He would be in demand.”
“Rafa Benitez can leave Newcastle a hero if he walks out this summer – and I think he will.”
“He can leave with his head held high.”
Why does Paul start with an invalid premise – that Newcastle we will not sign any players this summer?
The the inside news from our local journalists is that Rafa wants to sign at least six new players who can become starters next season.
So why even talk about the same team starting next season because it will not happen.
Merson seems upset that Newcastle fans may be really happy right now so he predicts Benitez will walk out on the club.
We often wonder what Rafa thinks of these kinds of comments?
He’s been a front-line manager for close to 30 years and a number of the pundits have never managed a game in their lives.
It’s true there is a chance there could be a blowup at Newcastle in the one-on-one meeting between Ashley and Benitez that will hopefully take place this week, but we don’t think that will happen.
Rafa has done the hard part – he’s got us back in one season from the wilderness of the Championship and that has been one heck of a management accomplishment right there – but Rafa will not get the credit for it.
Rafa sees Newcastle United as a sleeping giant and now he wants the full support to build Newcastle United into a European powerhouse, but he needs the resources and help from Mike Ashley to do that.
Ashley also needs to have the same ambition and get on the same wavelength as the world-class Newcastle manager.
But Mike Ashley will hardly want Rafa to leave the club after he has saved (and made him) him so much money in just one season.
Newcastle will get about £100M in additional revenues next season with our promotion back to the Premier League and the club is now worth at least £100M more than it was this time last year – so Mike owns a club growing in value, revenue and stature.
He knows all about money so why would he stop a manager like Rafa, who wants to make Ashley’s football club one of the most valuable in England and even in Europe?
That’s what Rafa wants to do – and as soon as he can – and the goal would be to win the Champions League – that’s the only reason he agreed to stay on and manage down below.
Mike Ashley is not as daft as some people think – especially where money is concerned.
Rafa basically wants to make Newcastle into a very rich club in both revenues and net-worth on the open market, should the club be sold.
Ashley has made a lot of silly mistakes in the past, but he has been in the background and let Rafa do the job all season apart from his unwanted interference in January.
We hear the two men even liked each other at their meeting a year ago after the 5-1 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur, and we think both men are savvy enough to know that one is very good for the other.
And that will be very good for Newcastle United Football Club.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
30 comments so far
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 12:49 PM
Comment #1Merson’s a joke! Remember his speech about Silva at Hull City, guy’s not got a clue.
I think Benitez will fancy creating something here, even within the restraints of signing under 28 year olds.
I also fancy the club will spend a bit, no way they’ll want to be around relegation again. My bet is any problems Benitez gets when it comes to backing will be in 2018 after finishing maybe 10-12th when he wants to push on further and is blocked… Reckon he’ll get close to what he wants this summer though
Jib
May 1, 2017 at 12:57 PM
Comment #2Merson is 100% Arsenal – yet he’s antiWenger.
He would love Rafa at Arsenal next season.
JamesToon
May 1, 2017 at 1:00 PM
Comment #3I do think there will be heavy investment this summer of upwards of £60million. It is all about making sure we have a squad to establish and stabilise ourselves as a premier league squad, i.e. strengthen the spine of the team. Add leadership, quality and experience coupled with youth and potential.
A proven goalscorer is vital in the prem, and pace is such an effective attribute for players, the options are wilson, king, gray, sturridge.
now my logic is why i keep banging on about josh king, and why i wouldn’t be surprised if rafa did get on the phone to bournemouth is that, you have andre gray who has 9 goals in what 22/23 games? That’s pretty much the same as mitro in prem, not great is it, he’s an off the shoulder striker but whoscored suggests he can be quite lazy. he would cost around £10-15million, i think he would be quite a risk for us, maybe with better service in our team he would improve and score a lot more but its still a risk.
You then got Wilson, who did his ACL after looking like a really hot young striker in the prem with bmouth, he came back, and looked a different player, and got injured again and isn’t back until july/august, bmouth fans say he’s lost a few yards of pace and would happily sell him and say king is miles better, he’d cost £10-15million, even more of a risk then gray as we could pay that sort of money only for him to be injured most the time. The same goes for sturridge.
Josh king, 14 goals this season, he hasn’t even played up front most of the time, either been on the wing or as a no10, strong, quick, can hold the ball up or get in behind, proven goalscorer, and works so hard off the ball as well. IMO paying an extra 5 or 10mil more than wilson for king would be worth it, he’d guarantee us goals and is an ideal striker for rafa’s system
toontaff2
May 1, 2017 at 1:06 PM
Comment #4Merson’s usual lines are to be snorted at!
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 1:24 PM
Comment #5@Jamestoon – King is a really interesting suggestion. My only fear for signing him would be his composure and actual finishing are utterly horrendous. Bournemouth sacrifice defence for attack, concede 3 a game but create 10 clear chances per game. At Newcastle rafa is kind of the opposite, I think a more prolific finisher would be required. Someone like Abraham would be nice, his box movement is really nice. Wonder if Carr will have the clout to move for Batshuayi who he scouted for years?
Personally I’d love the club to spend 20m+ on a statement #9 like Andre Silva or Timo Werner
Sav
May 1, 2017 at 1:28 PM
Comment #6Merson was a lot better player than a pundit. Shouldn’t he be concentrating on his old club Villa who need all the helpful advice he can give them? Compared to them, Rafa’s Newcastle have been exemplary. Same goes for Sherwood and Bellamy.
What about looking for Izzy Brown whose loan at Huddersfield is over next week? Like Abrahams, this lad is a skilful and powerful youngster who Wagner has been converting into an attacking midfielder.
firebug666
May 1, 2017 at 1:28 PM
Comment #7When Merson is belabouring on most people around him just nod sagely while snickering behind his back.
He is one of those people who thinks his opinion matters, but it doesn’t it really doesn’t.
Rafa will stay, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a nice new long contract.
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 1:32 PM
Comment #8I rate Brown really highly! Saw him play for Rotherham live and he looks a star..
Downside with Abraham, Brown, Solanke and Loftus Cheek is I’m pretty sure they all got 50-60k per week long term contracts at Chelsea to keep them there? I read somewhere that Loftus cheek is 80k a week??
Personally id take all 4 and play them. Being young and English, reckon they’ll all end up 20m + players in 3-4 years
beermonkey
May 1, 2017 at 1:36 PM
Comment #9like reading who and why we should buy certain players
because i havent got a clue
i have no clue on who rafa will keep either
it really is going to be an intresting summer
couple of questions why did bournmouth let ritchie go
will hayden make the step up
hibbit
May 1, 2017 at 1:38 PM
Comment #10jayphoto
would £50m buy the 4 of them ???
if it would it would be money well spent
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 1:41 PM
Comment #11Merson is a huge joke! Occasionally catch him on skys fantasy football.. comes out with some shockers… referred to anders limpar as an absolute genius the other day… aswell as saying arsenals alan smith should be talked about as being up there with shearer…
As a manager im pretty sure I remember seeing a fact that he spent only 1 month out of 22 out of the relegation zone.. keep in mind he managed a side that had been relegated that actually had a better squad than most of league 1.
Don’t know why sky persists in keeping with this dinosaurs like merson, phil Thompson etc
RolandoOverhead
May 1, 2017 at 1:42 PM
Comment #12Looking at the players Rafa bought while manager of Liverpool, I would be absolutely shocked if he doesn’t sign at least a couple of Spanish players, possibly 3.
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 1:44 PM
Comment #13@beermonkey – Bournemouth let Ritchie go because he’d been in and out the side anyway and they then went and added Ibe to their wings… think he lacked the pace for what Howe wanted to do. For us, I think he is the same player Benitez turned Kuyt into successfully. Love the guy, works tirelessly, has quality! His lack of pace isn’t such a problem in our system as long as we have pace up top
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 1:47 PM
Comment #14@Rolando – said this myself a few times. Benitez is crazily connected to the RM Castilla team which is responsible for a lot of la liga as though most don’t make it at Madrid, they usually get signed to other la liga sides. Rafa has big history in signing players with Castilla education
beermonkey
May 1, 2017 at 1:48 PM
Comment #15jay
kuyt was never blessed with pace but i thought he was miss used he had a good scoring recored till he went out to the right he was a grafter though
sing in the corner
May 1, 2017 at 1:56 PM
Comment #16Everyone’s talking transfers and the numbers ranging from 50-100 million quid as a ‘minimum’ spend. It’s ok to have wish lists I suppose, but a dose of realism now will save many posters acute disappointment in this window.
We can go out and blast a load of cash easily, but the point is:
Are the right players (who Rafa wants) going to be available? Are they going to want to come to us?
Their agents will trigger bidding wars once clubs are alerted of our targets’ availability?
We are going to be easily gazumped by clubs with Sky TV and PL money for the last few seasons. Good players may want to see how we pull up after promotion, where we are headed ambition-wise.
So it’s gonna be tough to get the quality we need in this window!
sing in the corner
May 1, 2017 at 2:01 PM
Comment #17Jay@13
Yeah I like Ritchie a lot too. Great signing. It’s true he hasn’t got killer pace but from a standing start he’s not bad over the first 10 yards. He’s got quick feet and good balance, decent with left and right and I think these things make up for him not being the quickest.
hibbit
May 1, 2017 at 2:06 PM
Comment #18sing in the corner
it’s going to be tough for for the next 3/4 windows
its definitely not going to happen overnight as some seem to think
Rafa’s a big plus but our reputation has been badly damaged it’s going to take a lot of fixing
sing in the corner
May 1, 2017 at 2:11 PM
Comment #19hibbit
Absolutely. But you just know there’ll people lighting the torches and taking up the pitchforks if we haven’t reinvented the squad a la Football Manager games when the new season starts, or we lose a game or two.
Jib
May 1, 2017 at 2:15 PM
Comment #20Remember the Croatian media saying Zagreb had turned down a £25 million bid from Rafa for their 2 wonderkids Filip Benkovic and Ante Coric ?
I wonder if Rafa will go back this summer?
WWSBRD
May 1, 2017 at 2:22 PM
Comment #21sing
We might not spend 60-100 mill in the summer? But I’ve seen all the math people have posted mate
Mister Tuff
May 1, 2017 at 2:23 PM
Comment #22Think Rafa is playing a cool game here by his zero comments about his future.
He will be aware that the hierarchy have the potential to pull stunts and are probably not very trust worthy.
Whilst he recently was interviewed by an Italian outfit he did comment on folk not keeping promises at Inter. Could that have been said for the benefit of Tubbs and Penfold?
I’ve always said we need half a team for the PL – Shearer reckons we need 8 at £150 million.
Tubbs has probably had a seizure at the thought of all that money. £150 million is not going to happen in one window.
Several windows perhaps???
This takes us into whether Rafa thinks he needs more time – will he want his contract extended.
Benitez is no mug -he’ll probably have everything he wants/needs sorted out already -in preparation with the showdown with Mr Tubbs.
toonincheek
May 1, 2017 at 2:45 PM
Comment #23Tuff –
Rafa is now playing the political game.
Reminding all that he left Inter when promises
were not met is a not-so-subtle reminder.
What Rafa wants and what he gets will be a compromise.
It depends on whether he sees that compromise as
acceptable in the light of what he wants to achieve.
AND – whether or not the talks with Ashley leave
him with a GOOD feeling he and MA can work
together for a common objectibe – or otherwise.
Wayayman
May 1, 2017 at 2:48 PM
Comment #24Japhoto from previous thread;
You don’t rate Hayden then? I think he’s the one player we could build a team around to be honest. He’s a ball winner, and you can see how much we missed him when he was out injured. He’s developed so much under Rafa in a short time.
Moonraker15
May 1, 2017 at 2:52 PM
Comment #25Mister tuff
Rafa never quits, he only drives a hard bargain with the owner and if he fails he blames him. Even at Inter, where they didn’t stick to promises, they had to sack him. So he will compromise but if he doesn’t get all he asks for he won’t throw his toys out! At Real Madrid the chairman picks the players to buy with a manager who can’t complain but still he didn’t resign!
Speaking of resignations wouldn’t it make our season if Wally was to replace Moyes ? Haha HWTL
Moonraker15
May 1, 2017 at 2:56 PM
Comment #26Hibbitt
I think you’ll find the wages will be a great incentive to players and we’ve always paid good wages !
Jib
May 1, 2017 at 3:02 PM
Comment #27One of the finest sets of Japanese prints is , 36 views of Mount Fuji , by Fugaku Sanj?rokkei.
No matter any other incidentals Mt Fuji is always the focus of each print
Sometimes I think this blog could be titled 500 different ways of saying – we really need Rafa and Mike Ashley to agree.
No matter how folk put it that’s all they mean.
It’s getting very boring.
toonincheek
May 1, 2017 at 3:06 PM
Comment #28Hayden is THE best deal we got last year.
He’s going to be a Meagstar. Just back from an injury
that held him back and showing what he can do.
Who is responsible for identifying him?
If it’ weas Rafa – yet another example of his worth.
toonincheek
May 1, 2017 at 3:14 PM
Comment #29Sorry for the typos
But
You can under k tand what I mean.
jayphoto
May 1, 2017 at 3:26 PM
Comment #30@wayaman – rate hayden really highly! Big fan, reckon we’ll strengthen centre mid as colback isn’t good enough and rafa loves rotation. Reckon Hayden will get a lot of minutes regardless but think we could do with an out n out defensive midfielder to compete!