If and when Newcastle are safe in the Premier League this season there will be massive relief from the Newcastle fans.
We will no doubt be thanking our manager Rafa Benitez again – this time for keeping us in the Premier League.
Last season it was because he brought us straight back up from the Championship after he risked his career by staying with Newcastle while we were in England’s second division.
It turned out so very well last season and if our form this year is anything to go by we should be able to reach 40 points and safety.
That’s especially true if we can beat Huddersfield at home next Saturday.
Rafa Benitez – willing to stay at Newcastle if he gets some support
No apparent bidders are waiting to buy Newcastle for £350M this summer so Rafa will likely have owner Mike Ashley to deal with in the summer transfer window.
But we are hoping there is no dead time this summer and that Newcastle’s recruitment staff and Lee Charnley will get busy signing some good players and bringing them in early this summer.
Mike Ashley wants to sign Rafa himself on a new long-term deal – so that will help the owner sell Newcastle United – it’s not to make Newcastle great again.
But Rafa will not be messed around like he has been in the last three transfer windows.
We expect the manager to give Mike Ashley the names of four or five top players he wants to be signed this summer and he may give a deadline date to the owner to buy them.
If Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley do not come up with the goods, it may be the end of Rafa as the Newcastle manager.
Rafa doesn’t want to go through another season like this current one when the team is just not good enough.
We do expect Rafa to push Ashley this summer to support him, and we are hoping Ashley is wise and sage enough to get the players Rafa wants in and early too.
But we’ve misjudged Mike Ashley a number of times in the past; he turned out to be (a lot) worse than we thought he would be.
If Ashley doesn’t do what Rafa wants and needs, he will have messed up the best chance our fans have of a world-class manager in charge of building a top side at Newcastle.
We see the effort, organization, determination, and guts from our players this term – now Rafa will want maybe four top players to come in and make the Newcastle first team a lot stronger for next season.
If that happens, we should do well next term and be a match for any team.
But unfortunately, it’s all down to Mike Ashley supporting Mr. Benitez.
Will that happen?
We don’t know, but we are hoping (and praying) it does, and then we can all have a fascinating summer after another (very) difficult season.
I’m really looking forward to that.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
NUFC News 24/7 
80 comments so far
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 2:23 PM
Comment #1Rafa collects goalies like Ashley collects ……
Filthy fireplaces
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 2:42 PM
Comment #2Three weeks of no club football is pure hell…
I still have high hopes that Amanda Stavely and PCP were NOT simply wasting Ashley’s time late last year and once relegation fears are behind us will come back hard and fast with a new and improved bid!
toonluvva
Mar 24, 2018 at 2:49 PM
Comment #3If Mr Ashley sells up and ships out we WILL keep Rafa.
Mag52
Mar 24, 2018 at 2:54 PM
Comment #4The results are in for the ‘Rafa collects goalies like Ashley collects ………….’ competition.
First was judged to be Giimps with ‘chins’, closely followed as runner-up by Essex Geordie Bill with ‘crap managers’ (Rafa excepted).
Chicousa’s ‘filthy fireplaces’ got an honourable mention for subtlety.
Benton Toon Exile
Mar 24, 2018 at 2:58 PM
Comment #5Ashley must leave to keep Rafa…………..
Rafa collects goallies like Ashley collects zero hour contracts, and chatty lonsdale tracksuits.
Toonces
Mar 24, 2018 at 3:04 PM
Comment #6In regards to VAR
Why does the FA not look at its progression in Germany? It seems that over the course of the season they have worked out many if not most of the issues/growing pains. Try to build in their example and not start from scratch?
Also, does VAR need to be a 100% implementation right away in season 1? Why not look at a few areas where it should be able to aid a decision in seconds? Offsides, ball in or out of touch, did a foul happen in or out of the penalty area – these are clear cut right or wrong decisions and not subjective. The calibrated VAR system for offsides should get the decision within a few seconds. Why not agree that we can start with these ones and phase in the more difficult topics in time?
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 3:26 PM
Comment #7Question for Martoon if he is around:
So when I chose Mitro to be the leading scorer in the predictions poll for this season, does the fact that he scored most of them for another club disqualify that prediction? 😉
Munster Mag
Mar 24, 2018 at 3:51 PM
Comment #8Leave Lonsdale alone. I have some pairs of trunks from mikeys crappy shop and they do a fine job in housing the boys from the barracks
jazzyp
Mar 24, 2018 at 4:21 PM
Comment #9Leave
BANDWBURNABY
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:17 PM
Comment #10Ashley has to go but when something has been up for sale for 10 years & is still up for sale the seller does not want to sell. Ashley playing games with fans & managers. Never thought Raffa would be conned for 3 transfer windows & believe it will be any different for a 4th. Watch fatty grab t.v. money stuff it in his pocket & come up with more lies
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:19 PM
Comment #11zzzzzzzzzz
Any chance of anyone saying anything different or new ?
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:29 PM
Comment #12Wahay
The Falcons are wearing black and white stripes
beermonkey
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:31 PM
Comment #13what’s up jib can’t find anything new on Google
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:38 PM
Comment #14beermonkey
Mar 24, what’s up jib can’t find anything new on Google
your first post for 72 hours
a sneer at a fellow blogger and toon fan
you ain’t related to Jesper by any chance?
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:42 PM
Comment #15I’m not a religious fellow but in honor of Jib’s lament @11
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
giimps
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:52 PM
Comment #16Wow, who’d have thought Cashley “chins ” would be first at anything other than to the buffet table
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:56 PM
Comment #17Vereniki Goneva scores a try
and gives it a Shearer salute
excellent
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 6:04 PM
Comment #18Sorry Chico for talking Rugby
It’s like gridiron for real men
No need for helmets or shoulder pads
DaveD1000
Mar 24, 2018 at 6:14 PM
Comment #19just big swallocks
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 6:47 PM
Comment #20Jib,
No worries! I confess to knowing nothing about Rugby, but if it is sport, then it’s OK by me. I spent a few days this past week down in Phoenix watching a few spring training games just to get through this damnable three week football break! 🙁
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 6:51 PM
Comment #21You a diamondback Chico ?
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 6:55 PM
Comment #22Nope. Dodger fan, lifetime. We just missed our first World Series win in 29 years last season. Hopefully the 30th year will be the one!
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 6:57 PM
Comment #23Were the dodgers in Arizona ?
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:01 PM
Comment #24Chico you got one of these ?
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:01 PM
Comment #25Spring Training in Phoenix is where 15 teams do their preseason together, playing about 28 preseason “friendliest” against the other teams in what they call the “Cactus League”. The other 15 major league teams do a similar thing down in Florida in the “Grapefruit League”.
posada
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:02 PM
Comment #26Seems there is no interest in the Rugby.
Good, it’s a game played by toffs at public schools.
In this country we are so sports mad we take an interest in all sports. Even those we have no affinity with at all. Like the Boat Race.
Compared to my interset in NUFC these are of no consequence at all.
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:04 PM
Comment #27Something similar, but without the flat bill on the cap. I’m afraid the flat bill caps are a bit to new school for an old fan as me!
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:05 PM
Comment #28Bit too even
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:05 PM
Comment #29posada
Seems there is no interest in the Rugby
attendance 30,174
pilloch
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:22 PM
Comment #30I think I could become a Dodgers fan
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:25 PM
Comment #31Falcons back in the playoff zone
25 – 22
narrow win
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:25 PM
Comment #32Ah Jib, what can I say? Cue “California Girls” by The Beach Boys…
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:29 PM
Comment #33The East coast girls are hip I really dig those clothes they wear
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:35 PM
Comment #34Takes me right back
A Pain in the Blog
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:36 PM
Comment #35Oh to be there – Yasgur’s Farm, chicousa & Jib
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:41 PM
Comment #36The Beachboys
Stones
Led Zep
Beatles
all gave Woodstock a miss
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:44 PM
Comment #37Jib
Just been at FAlcons game
Weird to see Rugby Union at SJP
Great atmosphere second half
Mind you lacking a different song chant
Just Falconsss
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:45 PM
Comment #38https://uk.askmen.com/entertainment/austin_300/347_woodstock-who-cares.html
Jib
Mar 24, 2018 at 7:47 PM
Comment #39But Charlie you are a soccer fan
It’s a bit like showing a jet engine to an
Aborigine
chicousa
Mar 24, 2018 at 8:01 PM
Comment #40A Pain, Jib
Joni Mitchell, who wrote the song “Woodstock”, also missed the actual festival.