Chris Waddle, the former Newcastle United winger and now a pundit has been talking in the Express today about West Ham’s possible move for Rafa Benitez.
That’s after the Hammers fired David Moyes and his assistants yesterday, and that is said to have come as a surprise to Moyes after he saved them from relegation this season.
Chris Waddle is not fully convinced West Ham are the club for Rafa and he makes several good points in his comments to BBC Radio Five.
Chris Waddle – not sure Hammers are the club for Rafa
This is some of what Chris Waddle told BBC Radio 5 Live:
“Benitez might look at it and think, ‘You know at Newcastle, I’ve got that budget which is not obviously great’ and he wants more and rightly so,”
“But going to West Ham it might be a very similar budget and he stays at Newcastle, he’s absolutely loved, the fans love him, and rightly so, he’s done a great job.”
“He could go to West Ham, lose the first five games and it’s like, ‘What are you doing here?’”
“So for him to move it would have to be an unbelievable sort of deal.”
“It would have to say, ‘I’m allowed to spend a lot of money to bring certain players in I’ve identified who I’d probably like to bring to Newcastle, who are even bigger players.’
“Where do you wanna be? That is the question for any manager going into West Ham. – where do you want to be?”
“Will it be a relegation battle? Will it be a mid-table or where actually does the club wanna go?”
“If they don’t spend at Newcastle, then obviously to get the maximum out of thm (sic) players again is very difficult, that’ll be three years running, with the same basic squad,”
“That’s the reason they’re interested, – well, Rafa is allegedly interested – because of the budget talks with the owner.”
“Because you know he needs assurances, because he’s got them up there in a good position in the league and like I say – it’s a good position then to springboard and go up.”
“That’s what the Newcastle fans want.”
Newcastle have to give Rafa the tools and the money he needs to significantly improve the Newcastle squad this season.
Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley should know there are any number of clubs only too willing to pay Rafa a hefty wage and give him significant transfer funds to make their club a top club in the land.
We are still hoping that club remains Newcastle United.
Comments welcome.
77 comments so far
Ron Knee
May 17, 2018 at 2:18 PM
Comment #41lesh
According to George Caulkin, Rafa doesn’t know what his budget is yet.
lesh
May 17, 2018 at 2:21 PM
Comment #42Hibbit, yup, testing the water or calling Ashley’s bluff – same thing for me.
lesh
May 17, 2018 at 2:23 PM
Comment #43Ron Knee
Maybe they can’t tell Rafa what budget there is because they don’t know as the 2016/ 17 accounts may not have been signed off yet!
Ron Knee
May 17, 2018 at 2:30 PM
Comment #44lesh
I’m waiting for Ashley to say: “I have been clear …”
RUNAWAY777
May 17, 2018 at 2:31 PM
Comment #45We need to hold back on season ticket till this is sorted with rafa if we dont ashley wins and we my just lose rafa through our owen fault by rushing for season tickets make ashley sweet say no to season ticket .
posada
May 17, 2018 at 2:32 PM
Comment #46Did Waddler ever figure out that there is no such thing as a pellenty.
Not even for a foul in the box.
Will Gary Neville ever realise that a fowel if anything is a type of bird and not a reason for a free kick.
posada
May 17, 2018 at 2:33 PM
Comment #47Can’t hold out re my ticket.
If you pay by direct debit your payments for next season started in March.
lesh
May 17, 2018 at 2:35 PM
Comment #48Maybe they can’t tell Rafa what budget there is because they don’t know as the 2016/ 17 accounts may not have been signed off yet.
If that is the case and I’m speculating, might it be because the directors’ notes to the accounts (the impact of relegation) don’t comply with company law requirement on accuracy and compatibility with the numbers. We know how Ashley loves telling us fans fairy stories.
lochinvar
May 17, 2018 at 2:36 PM
Comment #49Now it is time for the owner Ashley to put his money where his mouth is, with the final reveal of the Premier League payments for the season just gone.
As confirmed by Sporting Intelligence’s Nick Harris via his official Twitter account, the Magpies have picked up the eighth most money from their top flight campaign with a stunning £123million windfall, and that will be a huge boost to keeping Benitez at the club – if Ashley lets him have access to the funds.
More than West Ham so ya boo sucks
lesh
May 17, 2018 at 2:38 PM
Comment #50posada
You can always ask the club to cancel your direct debit or if it’s been paid in full, ask for a refund. Just imagine if thousands of ST holders did that, how the media’d love it if they picked up on unrest among the natives.
lesh
May 17, 2018 at 2:41 PM
Comment #51Ron Knee
Oh yes, ‘Once upon a time ……… I have been clear………. And they all lived happily ever after’. It says here!
posada
May 17, 2018 at 2:43 PM
Comment #52Lesh
Once money is paid I don’t think you can get it back.
I pay monthly not in full.
So, I have probs paid three months worth.
25% of what I have to pay for next year.
Think that is how it works. If not I will be happy to stand erected.
I’ll still be going back anyway.
Ron Knee
May 17, 2018 at 2:47 PM
Comment #53lesh
“Every last penny” means “Not what you think it means”.
lochinvar
May 17, 2018 at 2:48 PM
Comment #54Maybe the club have prudently waited until the amount of TV was confirmed which would not be an unreasonable business practice , although they could have estimated the amount in advance.
Now they know they can work with Rafa on finalising the transfer budgets, remembering that the window is now open.
First in Dubrovka then we know that Rafa has plans for NUFC.
lochinvar
May 17, 2018 at 2:50 PM
Comment #55Posada – you might like to check the wording in your last post
LOL
Jib
May 17, 2018 at 2:52 PM
Comment #56posada
That extra vowel must be a Manchester
and area thing.
I have a very good friend from Bury
who has Arthur Rightus in his finger joints
Mag52
May 17, 2018 at 2:55 PM
Comment #57Lochinvar.
He’s referring to the statue, which not a lot of people know about, to himself for services to blogging – I think.
RobLeenio
May 17, 2018 at 3:09 PM
Comment #58Nice little article here celebrating the achievements of all three promoted sides from last season in staying in the Prem this season. It concentrates on NUFC and Rafa in the main
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/how-three-promoted-clubs-defied-the-odds-to-stay-up/1xbhmyrix14hc1s38gak4bgbsz
twotonearmy
May 17, 2018 at 3:16 PM
Comment #59People are asking about the budget and why we haven’t signed Dubrovka…
It’s the same old story. We have too many senior players (with players returning from loan) and we have 4 senior goalkeepers on the books (5 if you still count Dubrovka’s loan). The story is that we always have to sell before we buy. Ashley, or Barnes, or whoever is making these decisions above Rafa’s head will want us to subtract before we add. I have a feeling that after we magically subtract a few players that the small fees they go for will be our new transfer budget.
If we can offload atleast one goalkeeper and maybe consider another year long loan for Woodman then I think we can get Dubrovka over the line.
posada
May 17, 2018 at 3:30 PM
Comment #60Lochinvar
No I meant it. I will stand erected.
Might need one of my blue pills, but can still just about manage it.
posada
May 17, 2018 at 3:36 PM
Comment #61I don’t think Ashley or perhaps the middle men trust Rafa.
When he asked to sign a keeper it was mentioned that we already had three.
One he signed and had to ship out on loan.
Just as in days of yo, the board were scared of old big head ( Cloughie ) I think they are scared of Rafa.
Also, probably does not like the fact that he is hated and Rafa the opposite.
JFK anyone.
robertsleftfoot
May 17, 2018 at 3:39 PM
Comment #62I see the premier league payments have been released today!!!
Take the top 6 out and we have got the most money!!! £123 million. We dont have a huge wage bill and havent spent much in the last 3 seasons and yet somehow we cant compete for signings with Swansea, Crystal Palace and the likes.
I can see Rafa asking how much he will get of that £123 million and promptly booking a flight to London as no doubt the Dildo brothers at West Ammm will give him the lot
dig-n-dig22
May 17, 2018 at 3:40 PM
Comment #63Posada 52
I beg your hard0n
lochinvar
May 17, 2018 at 3:51 PM
Comment #64West Ham are a State subsidised club and if they were a cricket club or Bingo Hall wouldn’t have received tax payers money and would still be in the Annie Boleyn ground or whatever it was called waiting to be the next Leeds or Sunderland. As it is they are on a par with Fulham and Palace as a second tier London club after Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal. It must really irritate them that Tottenham will have the best stadium in the Country and Champions League football and a more genuine fan base. The Brady bunch will have to spend like there’s no tomorrow just to keep them in the Premiership and mores the pity that they didn’t get relegated and give everyone a more peaceful life.
As to soap bubbles polluting the environment don’t get me started.
lochinvar
May 17, 2018 at 3:53 PM
Comment #65Posada
You should be proud of your blog contributions…
hibbit
May 17, 2018 at 3:55 PM
Comment #66i can see Ashley rubbing his grubby little hands at the thought of getting £6m for Rafa
that’s the worry for me he would take the money
Ron Knee
May 17, 2018 at 3:59 PM
Comment #67hibbit
And there are plenty of desperate ex-managers out there who would take Rafa’s job.
Optimistic Panda
May 17, 2018 at 4:11 PM
Comment #68I can’t see any reason why Rafa can’t have a half decent transfer pot. £75m plus sales should be the minimum.
£123m tv plus gate money and all the transfer money we’ll be receiving from sales of Sissoko Winaldum should give the club a decent pot, well over £150m in the coffers.
Is half that out of the question?
Optimistic Panda
May 17, 2018 at 4:12 PM
Comment #69Should have put etc after W8naldum.
Sold a fair few players over last 3 4 years
dig-n-dig22
May 17, 2018 at 4:17 PM
Comment #70nezza 2
How the hell can we not be valued at £400Mill now, Ashley was holding out for £300Mill in December when we were facing relegation, IMO we were a big gamble at £250Mill, but now, If we keep Rafa, we are an established PL club down to our 10th place finish plus we have 3 assets in Mitro Lascelles and Shelvey that must have a combined valueation of around £100Mill that wasn’t there in december . As it stands now we are well worth 400Mill if we keep Rafa, the problem is no one has that kind of spare money to invest.
c-dog
May 17, 2018 at 4:17 PM
Comment #71But as Bobbybee says, them players were sold to balance the books. By books he means Ashley’s bank account. And by balance he means one pocket was full and the other needed filling as to evenly distributed the weight on both left and right side.
Lindisfarne
May 17, 2018 at 4:25 PM
Comment #72Payments to Premier League clubs 2017-18
Clubs by league position – No. of live UK TV matches – Prize money for league position – Total payment
Manchester City 26 £38.63m £149.44m
Manchester United 28 £36.69m £149.77m
Tottenham 25 £34.76m £144.45m
Liverpool 28 £32.83m £145.90m
Chelsea 26 £30.90m £141.71m
Arsenal 28 £28.97m £142.04m
Burnley 10 £27.04m £119.77m
Everton 19 £25.11m £128.01m
Leicester 12 £23.18m £118.17m
Newcastle 18 £21.24m £123.02m
Crystal Palace 12 £19.31m £114.31m
Bournemouth 11 £17.38m £111.25m
West Ham 17 £15.45m £116.09m
Watford 10 £13.52m £106.25m
Brighton 13 £11.59m £107.71m
Huddersfield 10 £9.66m £102.39m
Southampton 16 £7.73m £107.24m
Swansea 10 £5.79m £98.53m
Stoke 12 £3.86m £98.86m
West Brom 10 £1.93m £94.67m
Mister Tuff
May 17, 2018 at 4:32 PM
Comment #73Saw interview with Southgate on the news at lunchtime talking about Joe Hart. Gist was that if Hart was playing well for his club there was no reason why he couldn’t get another England call up.
So if the fact that you are playing well is a reason not to be overlooked -begs the question why therefore was Shelvey not given a chance – cannot have one rule for one player and another for someone else.
Double standards at play.
Online Guy
May 17, 2018 at 4:35 PM
Comment #74The Fat bloke away on Holiday at a time like this when the future for years to come for Newcastle United is at stake . The region, the fans, the culture …a British institution . It shows no respect towards Rafa .
What ever happens at this juncture will be the most important of decisions since he constructively dismissed Kevin Keegan . The Clubs future is in his hands.
An honest owner would have met with Rafa and gave him all he wanted if he had the club at heart , before going off on holiday.
Ashley is playing the same game he played when neotiations were going on with Amanda Stavely..he went off on a months holiday. No intention of selling . He is playing a game with our hearts and minds and I for one detest him .
Bobbybee
May 17, 2018 at 4:37 PM
Comment #75Some scrote decided to confiscate my rear windscreen wiper, so needed a trip to Halfords to replace it. Only a tenner ffs, buy your own!!
Anyone wanting a giggle, get onto Talksport. Seems Rafa is going to manage all over the place next season. Everton, West Ham, Arsenal and overseas clubs to boot. Newcastle don’t even have an option by the sound of it. 🙂 All these huge clubs being a much better option apparently. Seems not even Rafa has a choice lmao. Six million and he’s gone.
If they paid attention and didn’t just make things up, they’d know that currently he’s only talking to one club and if that one club agrees to his requests – I won’t call them demands – then he’s not interested in any other options.
He’s started his project very well, having got us promoted as Champions and pushed us onto tenth place in the PL. Now he wants to take us onto the next stage of his project – top eight.
He doesn’t want to move. He wants to manage NUFC and fulfill that potential.
Over to you Mike. You live or die by your next major decision. Get it right this time.
Online Guy
May 17, 2018 at 4:38 PM
Comment #76I think the West Ham pursuit of Rafa is all a Smokescreen
This time next week I expect Arsenal Wenger to be the new West Ham United Gaffa.
hibbit
May 17, 2018 at 4:51 PM
Comment #77Manuel Pellegrini team meet West Ham over vacant manager position
from Sky Sports News