Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez seems optimistic about next season, but he realizes there is still a lot of work to do with Managing Director Lee Charnley this summer – to ensure Newcastle can compete in the top half of the Premier League table next season.
But Rafa has made it clear he stayed on at Newcastle and managed in England’s second division only because he wants to build Newcastle into a top team that can challenge for trophies just as soon as possible – like next season foe example.
Rafa Benitez at his desk at Benton
We’re sure Rafa will try his very best to do well in both the League Cup and FA Cup next term as a means of breaking the 48 year long drought of trophies at the famous north-east club.
As usual Rafa was upbeat when talking to the Chronicle recently:
“We will have normal meetings, talking about ideas and things that will happen in the future.”
“We’re talking about a project and we’re not thinking about something that’s not possible.
“You have to start winning something and competing. We won something in the first year so you never know.”
“I think we have already made steps forward. We have put the foundations down to build something bigger.”
Benitez was responsible for getting us straight back to the Premier League last season and with Huddersfield beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-3 on penalties last night.
That followed a 1-1 draw after extra time (what a way to finish the season for Wednesday!) so the playoff final will be between Reading and Huddersfield Town on Monday May 29th at Wembley.
The winner will join Newcastle and Brighton in the Premier League next season and Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull will take the significant drop down to the Championship.
Everything seems to be working well at Newcastle at the moment for Rafa and the next job is to significantly strengthen the squad this summer and we expect some signings and announcements on players who will be released from the club coming very soon.
Rafa knows the players he want so let’s hope he can get them into the club with the help of Lee Charnley.
What do you think?
Comment welcome.
2 comments so far
Tsunki
May 18, 2017 at 7:59 AM
Comment #1Sorry manxpie etc but mitrovic hasn’t been starting for reasons Rafa knows better than us. This “hasn’t been given a chance:” nonsense is a myth. He’s been working with the first team for a few years now. He’s not that good, really he isn’t. Using a stat is utterly hopeless, you could use a sub once and he could score he’d be a goal a game player!
toon kk
May 18, 2017 at 8:26 AM
Comment #2I’m not sure why so many people have such a high opinion of Mitrovic? He was useless last time we were in the premier league and struggled to score in the championship, his hold up play was decent in the championship but will be exploited in the premier league.
Surely we should be setting our aims higher? Diame and Mitrovic should be among clean out crew.