Newcastle’s Rafa Benitez has been searching for a striker all summer, and yesterday the manager admitted he likes the Arsenal striker Lucas Perez who Newcastle has been linked with closely over the last several weeks.
Most Newcastle fans (including us) would be delighted if we can sign Lucas and he could do very well on Tyneside.
The word on Lucas is that he would like to return to Spain to continue playing his football – maybe even with his former Club Deportivo.
But linking up with a world-class manager who rates you has to be an attraction for any good player who wants to be successful.
28 Year-old Arsenal striker Lucas Perez
This is what Rafa Benitez told the Chronicle after the excellent 2-0 win against Hellas Verona yesterday at St. James’ Park.
“I like the player because I have good friends in A Coruna,”
“I know that he did really well. He’s come here and not played in many games, but I like the player.”
“We know what we need and will try to do it until the end of the transfer window.”
“We are now trying to work in different directions at the time.”
Then news yesterday in the Mirror that Rafa was frustrated – turned out to be correct.
But the source of his frustration was not owner Mike Ashley or Managing Director Lee Charnley but rather the very high fees and wages being asked by our transfer targets.
That’s one reason Newcastle have found this transfer window very difficult.
When you are a man like Rafa Benitez who is always driven to be successful – you are going to become frustrated at times as you try to give the Newcastle fans the best team possible for the coming season.
Rafa and the fans are very tight, and the Spanish manager knows if we can give Newcastle United any kind of success and in particular a trophy over the next few years there’s a statue waiting to be built at St. James’ Park in his honor.
Rafa is naturally driven to be successful, and he’s working his socks off to deliver the Newcastle dream for Geordie fans everywhere.
We wouldn’t bet against him.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
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12 comments so far
lochinvar
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:23 AM
Comment #1Meanwhile back at the ranch lazy journos are again stirring it with rumours of Everton and Palace after Woodman while Everton will pay £50m plus for Sigurdsson from Swansea. That’s a no to Woodman. If they want Sigurdsson then hope Swansea make them pay £60m with the outcome that Everton don’t finish in the top six and Swansea are weakened and become relegation fodder.
Just go and get Perez, a CB, LB and put Woodman out on loan to a Championship side or keep him on the bench.
toontaff2
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:23 AM
Comment #2I was sat in Dorothy Weale’s seat. Thanks Dot!
Great view. Bar on entrance was relatively busy, but the poor bar staff were clueless! Don’t blame them, some look like they should be at school. Probably change the staff every season, so clearly not trained.
Further along, past the food, was a smaller bar, quiet and loos right next to it.
Will remember to go straight there, next time.
Next to me could see the carpeted area of seats – on the way out a bairn was asking her dad what those funny ‘ashtray’ things were on some of the seats. She was about 7 or 8 and just did not get the ‘ashtray’ idea. How times have changed, from tabs everywhere and people peeing doon the back of your leg!
toontaff2
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:25 AM
Comment #3Mind £4-70 a pint of Coors -robbing barstewards 😆
toontaff2
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:30 AM
Comment #4Some must just turn up for the day oot. Old fart behind me was a reet annoying prat. Talked constantly, prattled on about anything/everything – did not have a clue, describing Verona as mid Championship in Italy and confusing Manquillo with Merino.
The Verona lot were a noisy bunch -only a handful in the corner.
The female lino seemed to be decent, too 😮 – think she may even have known the offside rule!
Unlike the late-arriving, early-leaving group of lasses in front of me, who appeared to have covered each other in fly spray! Would anyone like to know their shopping habits? 👿
The next Mike Williamson
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:30 AM
Comment #5I think most clubs are struggling to get signings right now because all the players and the agents know there is extra money and will be trying to hold clubs to ransom. Last time there was a big increase in money the players wages increases swallowed it all up. Average Joes will be asking for 60k a week just to sit on the bench, and if the clubs bow down and give it, then your Dummett’s and other players will want a 25% increase too and the clubs won’t be any better off. The longer the clubs stay firm and don’t give in the more realistic the players demands will come. So I expect lots and lots of signings from all teams near the end of the window. The same is going for selling clubs. they’re all hoping they can sell players for 3 times what they’re worth just because the top 6 clubs are throwing around silly money. If Joselu is worth £12m then god knows what a good player would cost. All our signings seem like bargains so far. Benitez is no mug, he won’t be ripped off.
toontaff2
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:34 AM
Comment #6Loch, WelshGeordie9 will be getting worried – the later he moves to Everton, the less time the Swans have of getting in any replacement.
Mind WelshPotter9 on that oatcake site for Stoke fans, was glowing in his praise for Joselu 😆
Woodman would be severelylimited, behind Pickford and Steklenburg at Everton, whilst didn’t his dad go to Palace as keeper coach? Obvious link to stir up a bit more unease.
toontaff2
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:43 AM
Comment #7Joselu for 12m, must mean Riverelinho is worth at least a tenner.
Surely Hanley at centre half and captain, would give a few Championship teams a better chance of promotion – Wolves, Leeds, Hull, Birmingham .
Krul, Haidara only have until next June left on their contracts, so that deal they were doing for Haidara, free but with 50% sell on fee due to us, seems our best bet, though 50%of nowt is nowt!
Henri Saivet will be a difficult one to shift anywhere.
mindshaft
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:49 AM
Comment #8@toontaff – Woodman was sacked by Palace once fat Sam took over – he was managing Whitehawk in non league after that so I guess we’re pretty safe betting he isn’t joining his dad anytime soon 🙂
Jib
Aug 7, 2017 at 7:51 AM
Comment #9Rafa at the end of the game yesterday
‘When I decided to stay, I was expecting another thing. Now we are where we are.
I decided to stay because of a lot of positive things I could see starting with the fans.’
Lots of the red tops have pounced on the above quote and expanded it into Rafa to have crisis talks with owner !
To me it sounds more like RB ,like a lot of managers, at the opening of the window had not envisaged how difficult things would be.
His statement seems to me more like him covering his arse in the event of a difficult season ahead
He goes on to say in the same interview which some of the tabloids slyly omit
‘Now I will try my best to ensure the team can compete and stay as high as we can in the Premier League.’
Jib
Aug 7, 2017 at 8:07 AM
Comment #10GK Elliot Darlow Woodman*
FB Manquillo Gamez Yedlin Dummett
CB Mbemba Clark Lascelles Lejeune
DM Hayden Colback Merino Saivet
AM Atsu Aarons Diame Shelvey Ritchie Murphy Barlaser*
SK De Jong Mitrovic Gayle Perez Riviére
*U21
You can see Rafa’s dilemma when you look at this
Bambams
Aug 7, 2017 at 8:15 AM
Comment #11Woodman snr I am sure is now at the Arsenal….or he was touted as going there.
aussiemag
Aug 7, 2017 at 12:10 PM
Comment #12Why are we chasing Shiite strikers for