Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez and his young team have thrived this year, and we have now reached safety with 41 points from 33 games.
We are 10th in the league table with an opportunity to go as high as 8th place if we can continue to have good results in the final five games of the season.
Winning at Everton next Monday night and overtaking the Toffees in the league is key to that.
And Rafa has shown the pundits he’s as good as ever and by his own admission, he says he is a better manager since he came to Newcastle just over two years ago.
His strong character, massive experience, and excellent man-management skills have helped Newcastle win the Championship last year and now surge to safety in the Premier League with a young team.
Rafa has shown he is brilliant with young players and immediately brought the best out of 22-year-old Chelsea winger Kenedy when he arrived on loan in January.
And that could well help Newcastle get some top youngsters offered to us by the big clubs who want their youngsters to get Premier League experience.
Of course, as we become a better team, there will be less reason to do that, and Rafa always likes to get an option to buy with any loan move.
He didn’t get that with Robert Kenedy, but the youngster seems like a natural for Newcastle, and the fans just love the lad.
We’ll have to see if we can get him signed permanently this summer.
One player who is being reported who needs first team experience next season is Manchester City’s star young midfielder star Phil Fodem.
He is only 17 but one of the best young players coming through at City so we’ll see who Rafa will want to bring in on loan this summer.
This is all good for Newcastle, and we also know that Rafa has many contacts in football who alert him to good players who may be available this summer.
It’s an exciting time for Newcastle fans – let’s hope we can get Rafa signed on something like a ten-year deal.
That would be amazing.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
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8 comments so far
jazzyp
Apr 18, 2018 at 9:54 AM
Comment #1Click bait
Bobbybee
Apr 18, 2018 at 10:05 AM
Comment #2No need for Rafa to improve other clubs’ young players, we’ve got enough of our own he can improve.
Arma is a natural goalscorer. Improve him. Won’t take much, the natural ability is in bucket loads. Speed second to none.
Callum Roberts, Fernández… there’s a few to choose from. Get them training with the first team from the start of next season.
A Pain in the Blog
Apr 18, 2018 at 10:10 AM
Comment #3beefman (last thread)
“but changing the team by 5 or 6 players every games [sic] you cannot get any consistency, has it managed to get through to Rafa?”
To quote French & Saunders, “How very dare you?” You really think that you know better than Rafa? You have a nerve.
Rafa has been managing in this manner throughout his exceptionally successful career. He expanded the squad to overcome the effects of playing more games in the Championship. Why would he not then rotate the players to prevent overtiredness and injury?
By all means disagree with him but using a phrase like “has it managed to get through to Rafa?” doesn’t make you sound like a knowledgeable expert. Quite the opposite.
JohnJ
Apr 18, 2018 at 10:18 AM
Comment #4A Pain in the Blog
Apr 17, 2018 at 9:00 PM
Comment #92
Do you still sing around the North East Folk Clubs? I do!
JohnJ
Apr 18, 2018 at 10:27 AM
Comment #5Just a note to say how delighted I am that Newcastle will again be a premier league team next season – you can see by how tight it’s been in the league with everyone fighting very very hard not to take a drop into the Championship. So hats off to Rafa and like just about everyone else I hope that Mr Benitez is manager of our team for many years to come!
Sav
Apr 18, 2018 at 11:10 AM
Comment #6They should put a cap on how many players mega-rich clubs can own. Chelski have a full squad on loan across Europe, often preventing them from playing in the EPL. They are like puppy farms. Legislate.
beefman13
Apr 18, 2018 at 11:12 AM
Comment #7Yea Pain I know that sounded a bit naughty, Mad Frank oops i mean “Jail” would have had the his nostrals flaring, that said why has he all of a sudden changed that way of playing his teams in the bingo style?
widowmagandapoke
Apr 18, 2018 at 3:15 PM
Comment #8Pain in the blog
Kathryn Tate, not French and Saunders.