Mike Ashley has not taken too long to put a wedge between himself and his latest manager, Rafa Benitez, and he still doesn’t like spending money as an owner.
While it seemed he had embraced Rafa’s blueprint for the way forward for the club – it doesn’t now look to be the case.
That surprised Rafa, who thought he got the owner’s buy-in for the blueprint he presented to him in early May at his meeting with Ashley.
The relationship between the owner and Rafa seems to be broken, and it may not even be able to be repaired.
But when Rafa looks at his situation at Newcastle over this weekend, he still has a lot of power – he still picks the players he wants, and he still identifies those who are surplus to requirements.
What hasn’t happened is that we have looked very amateurish in the last two transfer windows and have failed to bring in the players Rafa wants.
Some of that is that the club will not pay out the money, but this last summer – in all truth – was a weird transfer window.
Players were being transferred for close to £200M which is ridiculous and non-sustainable.
That cannot last – at least we hope it cannot last.
Rafa Benitez – Newcastle manager
Rafa should see he still has a lot of power at Newcastle and a set of players who just love to play for him – some of whom he has already made into better players.
Players like Matt Ritchie, Ciaran Clark, Jamaal Lascelles, and Isaac Hayden to name only a few.
And Mikel Merino, who had a great game for the Spanish U21 team yesterday, already looks a real star in the making – even though it took Newcastle almost two months to finally get him in on loan.
What hasn’t worked this summer is not only that money wasn’t available for the manager, but the way Newcastle do their transfer is painfully slow and based in the main on being far too frugal.
Some of that can be put right – but whether he can get the required funding from Mike Ashley – we don’t know.
The one big plus for him being at Newcastle – and maybe even staying on board – are the Newcastle fans.
The Geordie fans just love the man who is as daft as they are about football.
In fact, the whole City ebbs and flows with the tide of how successful the club are in their football matches.
Last season was great, and when we won the Championship, it was a taste of what Rafa Benitez can do at the club.
If Rafa stays for the season, the fans again have a chance to show the manager how much we trust in him as the leader of the club.
Maybe that show of passion for him could even be enough to get him to stay on at Newcastle and maybe somebody will miraculously come along and finally buy the club off Mike Ashley.
Please, somebody, buy the club off Mike Ashley who has been a disaster of an owner for Newcastle United.
Fact.
So there’s still some hope – although the way Mike Ashley is treating the manager it looks like it will now be even harder to keep Rafa at Newcastle.
But it’s still possible.
Howay The Lads!!
69 comments so far
Ron Knee
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:24 PM
Comment #1Clark starting for Ireland.
TEAM NEWS:
Ireland: Randolph; Christie, Clark, Duffy, Ward; Whelan, Arter, Brady, McClean; Walters, Long
BlacknWhiteBarmy
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:31 PM
Comment #2honesty throughout may also mean that expectations arent overly raised – although the ST may take a hit
Ron Knee
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:37 PM
Comment #3And Mitro starting for Serbia.
magspuggy
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:39 PM
Comment #4Clark @ 10/1 to score today howay bonnie lad. 🙂
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:39 PM
Comment #5It’s all HERE all 44 pages of NUFC financial and other info.
No secrets
All above board
Newcastle at the end of the season had £1.7 million in the bank
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:43 PM
Comment #6I think I’ve put the wrong year up
all the info is here
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02529667/filing-history
Clematis
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:55 PM
Comment #7Cannot wait for the Swansea game to get past all this doom and gloom.
Elliott
Manquillo – Lascelles – Clark – Mbemba
Mereno – Hayden
Ritchie – Shelvey – Atsu
Joselu
With any of the following to be added as subs:
Darlow/Woodman
Yedlin/Lejoune/Gamez
Aarons/Murphy/Perez
Gayle/Mitro (when not banned)
This is a transitional season. Anyone expecting a glut of £20 million signings is deluded.
Next season is different. Rafa spoke of a project. A project is not one/two seasons. He will fully expect a wodge of cash in his third full season, and he will get it I’m sure.
The next Mike Williamson
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:56 PM
Comment #8what i’d like to know is how people took these words “the manager can spend whatever the club generates from promotion & player sales etc” and arrived at the conclusion we had 80m to spend. i remember at the time thinking ashley is promising pennies. now he has broke his word – seems to me he offered little, delivered little.
i feel a little sorry for penfold. he did quite well last season (finally seeming to improve), acting fast and getting targets. ever since this barnes has come in, we’ve been sluggish to say the least. we need to get rid of him now.
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 4:57 PM
Comment #9The Georgians look a bit gobsmacked at the Irish support
rab
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:02 PM
Comment #10Interesting accounts, 1.7 million well done to the accountants, No was that is above board, Is it me or does it say we spent 114 million on players?
The next Mike Williamson
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:03 PM
Comment #11Clematis
i think he’ll rotate atsu & mbemba as theyve played two games in africa this week and will be tired. also he’ll probably go for shelvey for a similar reason. any idea when yedlin is back?
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:05 PM
Comment #12GOOOAAALLL EIRE
Clematis
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:19 PM
Comment #13TNMW:
I dunno when Yedlin’s back, mate. Who knows, but our back ups/alternatives are more than capable.
I reckon a 2-0 away win for us.
🙂
TyneMouth
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:31 PM
Comment #14Good to see Merino in a number eight shirt for the Spanish U23 team last night.
A very tasty goal, and a brilliant assist! Very promising.
There have been many famous wearers of the number eight shirt, Lampard and Gerrard for example, and Xavi and Iniesta at Barcelona, (and Spain).
And not forgetting a certain P Gascoigne at NUFC…
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:44 PM
Comment #15I think Cieran Clark played the Georgian onside 🙁
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:50 PM
Comment #16Jonjo Shelvey is number 8 for NUFC
MM is number 23
only one bobby robson
Sep 2, 2017 at 6:37 PM
Comment #17Transfer window over
Time to get behind the team and Rafa
People forget we have just come up with Rafa and players we have got and our great supporters who knows we’re we can go look at liecester they did it on a shoestring why can’t we let’s face it Rafa better manager than Ranieri toon toon black and white army
Worcs-Geordie
Sep 2, 2017 at 6:48 PM
Comment #18Mitro scores as Serbia win 3 Nil. .
He just needs to play alot.. Then he wouldbt be so frustrated and out to prove himself…
AncientC
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:09 PM
Comment #19Jib, you must have raised an eyebrow whence thy saw the accounts showing £1.7 million. May I refer you back to when you told me there was going to be £100 million for Benitez to spend this summer.
Accounting isn’t my “forté” indeed.
sparky55
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:10 PM
Comment #20I expect the announcement that Ashley is selling the club will be made shortly.
I think he was asked by the incoming owner to clear the decks hence the window we’ve just had.
somewhere in the order of 370 million
toon kk
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:18 PM
Comment #21Sparky
Don’t count on it, Mash will be around for some time yet.
I’m not sure if Rafa will stay come the end of the season but at least he’ll have more money to spend if he does. We’re starting from the very beginning again down to the disastrous running of our club.
This season is all about survival.
sparky55
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:20 PM
Comment #22Toon KK
Nothing else makes sense mate
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:21 PM
Comment #23Sean Longstaff scored again today; that’s 4 in 4 for blackpool.
Ron Knee
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:23 PM
Comment #24Mitro’s goal:
https://twitter.com/NewcastleToons/status/904044461130260480
Ron Knee
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:26 PM
Comment #25Clark versus Mitro on Tuesday evening.
beermonkey
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:29 PM
Comment #26cheers ron
toon kk
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:29 PM
Comment #27Sparky
Ever since MA took over the club Nothing has made sense. Apart from Rafa coming in and MA doing his best to mess that up.
Ron Knee
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Comment #28You’re welcome, beer!
Mister Tuff
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Comment #29Magscar again general post not meant for you others apart from you have suggested the language misunderstanding.anyway l normally do not read your contributions so I’m confident that you may not err again thinking my posts were for you.
damma99
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:35 PM
Comment #30All I want is a successful team. Not interested how Ashley has saved 20 grand on this and that. I a supporter not a bloody accountant. Get out you moron.
Mister Tuff
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:36 PM
Comment #31Ian Toon – read your earlier post.
Must say very gallant and decent of you to submit that post. Accepted.
It is a terrible thing – the unexpected death of a child.
Again very decent of you.
Currently stuck at Schiphol awaiting a flight back to the Toon and catching up on the blog.
Pootle2118
Sep 2, 2017 at 8:15 PM
Comment #32Jib
What PDF program are you using to view the accounts? For some reason the last 3 years are just loading as blank pages for me using adobe whereas all previous years are loading fine along with all other documents.
hibbit
Sep 2, 2017 at 8:18 PM
Comment #33toon kk from this morning
i defiantly did think we would have money to spend on Thursday
i honestly do get your point and do see the merits of it
my question to all not just you what is an achievable solution
check the toastie
Sep 2, 2017 at 8:37 PM
Comment #34Why does everybody think they are now millionaire businessmen with a grip of multinational company accountancy systems. Just support the team, and enjoy what you can.
Get a grip of what you are and what you most certainly aren’t.
A football fan? Or a political activist. Ffs
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 9:04 PM
Comment #35ADOBE READER 8
Keith in France
Sep 2, 2017 at 9:06 PM
Comment #36There are many clubs in PL who have had just as bad transfer results . I think that MA didn’t want to invest to make the club more attractive for potential buyers – watch this space !
lochinvar
Sep 2, 2017 at 9:07 PM
Comment #37Suggest we all take a long walk tomorrow to avoid the Sunday papers in the same way as The Likely Lads tried to avoid the England football score as they’ll be full of bile or Bilic stories and scaremongering. Don’t suppose they’ll have any facts or truth just conjecture, lies and fantasy.
Actually might get The Sunday Post to read the Broons and Our Wullie, much more fun.
OneAlanShearer
Sep 2, 2017 at 9:10 PM
Comment #38No matter what happens this season I see rafa leaving at the end of it. He’s always struck me as an intensely moral gent, he will try and keep us up then leave. You simply can’t mistreat a man of dignity and expect to be trusted again..
Enjoy it while it lasts.
I hope someone buys the club before he goes. Albeit unlikely
Jib
Sep 2, 2017 at 9:11 PM
Comment #39Bufon is some goalie for someone aged 93
Clematis
Sep 2, 2017 at 9:12 PM
Comment #40Check @ 34:
I couldn’t have said it better, mate 🙂