Rafa Benitez did his very best yesterday in the lead up to the game against Crystal Palace today not to talk too much of Newcastle’s possible sale before the end of the year.
It would be massive for the fans if Mike Ashley finally sells Newcastle after a dismal 10 years in charge.
The question will be how long will it take to get rid of all those Sports Direct signs at Newcastle?
And the next game on TV after that would see St. James’ Park back as it used to look before it became a worldwide billboard for Ashley’s company.
Rafa Benitez – secret sign it will take £500M to buy Newcastle?
Here’s what Rafa has said as reported in the Mail today:
“This is one of the top sides in England if you put everything together. The question is, is it reaching its level?”
“Obviously, no. Can we do it? I think so.”
“I think we can do better. I don’t want to say too much but this club has to be in the top 10. ” “When you compare to other clubs you can see the potential is there.”
“I decided to stay because the potential of the club, the city, it is massive.”
“But we have to do everything right. It’s not just if you have money, you have to have the right players with the right mentality coming here.”
“First of all, you have to look for the best players in the market. Afterwards, you think of the second, third and fourth options.”
“I know the fans will be excited. I know everything about the history.”
“But my opinion is quite clear, we have to play against Crystal Palace this weekend. It doesn’t affect me in any way.”
“I was talking with Lee Charnley and he told me everyone was talking about the takeover, but he doesn’t have much news.”
“There’s nothing I can do at the moment. If the takeover news is good or bad that doesn’t change my approach for the game.”
“We are talking about football and concentrating on that, where we have an influence.”
‘I obviously have some ideas about a takeover but what I have to do is make sure my players do what they have to do on Saturday.”
The Mail is reporting that one potential buyer, 44-year-old Yorkshire-born Amanda Staveley, is not expected to be at St James’ Park today – so we can all concentrate on the game against Palace.
It’s a game where anything but a win will be a (big) disappointment.
A win today, and we can celebrate for a full week before our next game.
Comments welcome.
11 comments so far
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:09 AM
Comment #1Seriously, though, when we had it all kicking off at that Hull game and lost 1-2, eventually that result was the difference between relegation and staying up. 2-2, would have done it!
Hope today the football is the main focus and we take it to the cockneys!
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:11 AM
Comment #2Sing, there’s always somebody worse off!
Usually a few miles further down the coast!
I think they’re playing Bolton, soon – so a royal battle for 23rd!
sing in the corner
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:16 AM
Comment #3Aye. Good time for a bit of form from the forgotten man, Adam Armstrong !?
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:18 AM
Comment #4From Rafa’s words, I get this picture of Penfold boiling the kettle, arranging the biscuits on a plate, whilst trying to listen with a glass against the wall – ‘he doesn’t have much news’ !
Update : Lee just told me the jammy dodgers are running out!
Jail for Ashley
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:20 AM
Comment #5Toontaff,
Was not that the third game in, so basically that result had sfa to do with relegation in the bigger picture? If you’re going to point to that result then surely the 0-1 Villa on the last day was more decisive.
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:22 AM
Comment #6Sing, watch it – Jazzy and Shire already have Brian to deal with, coming up the A1 👿
Don’t forget Sammy – all the Ameobis were banging them in, last week.
ShirebrookToon
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:22 AM
Comment #7Matchday woohoo. Toontaff, what times the happy clapper bus picking us all up? 😆
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:30 AM
Comment #8Jail, I joined in the demo, missed the first half – Ashley must have told his minions to stop us getting in! Head security said I was too drunk – I was usually far drunker than that, 😆 Was in Sgt. Peppers, lot of Hull fans in – then got caught up on way to SJP – had a load of the Ashley oot leaflets – sneaked in at half-time, when they let a disabled fan in and got to pass them out!
Bit simplistic, I know and all ifs and maybes.
I still have nightmares about the Villa trip! Older Villa fans, in a pub we went in, were really friendly and hoped we won! Group of young guns came in and started a brawl – we did get a free round out of it, because they pulled the shutters down on the bar before I paid! The game – happy days, not! Then we got pelted with rocks in the coach park – by the Villa fans.
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:32 AM
Comment #9Shire, we need to wake Magspuggy up – he’d better not be too drunk to drive!
Hope you avoid Brian or any other storms getting whipped up 😮
toontaff2
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:35 AM
Comment #10Just see 3 points there, for the taking, today. Saturday, 3PM, crowd up for it. If we score early, think they might collapse!
Christopher Asprilla
Oct 21, 2017 at 8:56 AM
Comment #11When put down on paper it really does look like Rafa’s straight batted any sort of takeover talk and he did a reasonable job of it. When seen live on the sky sports cameras with a bit more added than what Dr Ed has given there was an air about Benitez. A subtle but reassuring smile appeared with Rafa all through his conference which only seemed to enlarge at the talk of reaching potential. There were subtle hints to the effect of a guarded warning to Ashley about not selling up as if he wanted this club where it belongs and he’s not prepared to be part of its stagnation. The line ” this is one of the top sides in England if you put everything together right. The question is , is it reaching his level. Obviously no! Could it I think so!” really seems so one dimensional but when said by the great man with a reassuring and the only way I can put it is I know more than you do smile this from a man who rarely smiles his way through press conferences not this calibre it just seemed different. After he said I obviously have some ideas about the takeover yet again this awe striking smile couldn’t be stopped from his lips. He went on to say afterwards he has his own ideas and ways to move forward and to say Newcastle fans will be excited is just a quote on paper but when this man who strives for perfection that much you barely see a smile other than a rye one. I went to bed with this and I thought it was just myself getting carried away but No the Telegraph, the Mail amongst the Express and others including the Mirror they all pointed to Rafa seemingly confident and genuinely excited about the little he knows maybe being bigger than we think and considering he is a personal friend of Amanda Staveley’s who she talked to first before any of Ashley’s goons the man who gave her the Stoke and Liverpool tickets. I personally think he knows a lot more than he’s letting on and has done for months. Think about it 11.5 million net spend when coming back up from the Championship. The papers went ballistic he was walking everyday for about a month. The reality he had words because I think he knew it would be limited but not that much. He has maybe even part of the orchestration of this. Yes Staveley was first wooed by Newcastle fanatics like ourselves online through mostly twitter to intrigue her thoughts but who would be the first man she could go to on advice. I would happily put a tenner get on that she already had Rafa’s number in her phone and has for years since the twice failed Liverpool bids. DARE TO DREAM NEWCASTLE FANS WEVE EARNED THAT MUCH . A NEW ORDER IS IN THE OFFING AND MOMENTUM IS ONLY GROWING ANYTHING OTHER THAN TAKEOVER WILL LEAD TO TOTAL MUTINY FINALLY ARE WE GONNA BE RID OF THE PLASTIC COCKNEY MAFIA!