We’ve been very impressed with former Newcastle midfielder and BT Sports pundit Jermaine Jenas when we’ve seen him on BT video clips.
Having played at the club he’s also following what’s going on at Newcastle.
And unlike other pundits, who seem to talk about what the papers say – without knowing really what’s going on – Jermaine knows what he’s talking about.
Jemaine seems intelligent and different and as well as being articulate he seems to know his stuff – at least about Newcastle.
Mike Ashley did not support Rafa Benitez in the transfer market once again last summer – for the fourth window running.
Jermaine Jenas – BT Sports analyst
And it looks like the manager’s first job is to keep Newcastle a Premier League club – much like he did so well last season.
But Jermaine thinks it could be tough for Rafa to leave the club next June when his contract runs out.
Here’s what Jenas said on BT Sports:
“Look, Premier League jobs don’t come easy and he’s got one. There are plenty of managers out there who haven’t and are chomping at the bit to get one.”
“I don’t see him walking away or the club sacking him because I don’t think they can – he is key to this team staying in the Premier League.”
“The thing with that style of play at Man City is that Rafa is that type of manager – where ever he’s been, that has been his style.”
“That’s how he likes to manage a club. I don’t think it’s just down to personnel.”
“The Cardiff result is disappointing but it’s been as tough a start as possible. There have been some positive things in that start.”
“I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom for Newcastle United FC.”
Our thinking is that Rafa Benitez will find it very difficult to walk away from the Newcastle fans and the players he has brought to the club and/or developed at the club.
Those are players like Jamaal Lascelles, Martin Dubravka, Ayoze Perez, Ciaran Clark, DeAndre Yedlin, Paul Dummett, Mo Diame, Matt Ritchie, and lots of others.
Every one of those players listed above is now a better player than when Rafa arrived at the club on March 11th, 2016.
While Rafa would prefer to be helped and assisted by the owner, he may take the negatives associated with the owner and think there are a lot more positives on why he should stay at Newcastle.
Newcastle United is an excellent club with a great history and the best supporters anywhere – and Rafa is acutely aware of that.
It’s also close to his home in the Wirral, Cheshire and supporters love the man on Tyneside.
And let’s face it – we all like to be liked – Rafa is both loved and appreciated by our fans as one of the best managers we have ever had.
So there are quite a few positives there.
The manager hasn’t always had the support of the fans when he was at clubs like Inter-Milan, Real Madrid and of course Chelsea.
When he returns to Stamford Bridge the fans still boo the man who won the Europa League title for them in 2013.
That’s how much they appreciate Rafa.
It may take him longer than he would have liked to build a good team at Newcastle, but we think the team will be better this season and again finish somewhere in the top ten.
And who knows Ashley may even give the manager some money to spend in some upcoming transfer window, maybe even in January to try to keep Rafa at the club.
After all – wonders never cease.
So there are several reasons why Rafa may want to stay at Newcastle even with Mike Ashley still the owner.
Maybe the major concentration of the Magpie Group could be on trying to get a new owner rather than trying to force the very stubborn Mike Ashley out.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
5 comments so far
A Pain in the Blog
Sep 6, 2018 at 9:20 PM
Comment #1catchy in norway #25 last thread
So your test results make you a Debater type, which seems to have pleased you greatly. Thanks for sharing that with us.
You boast that, with this particular personality trait, you are “the ultimate devil’s advocate” and that you don’t do it because you are “trying to achieve some deeper purpose or strategic goal, but for the simple reason that it’s fun”.
Well, if you are playing devil’s advocate then that means that you argue against something without actually being committed to the contrary view and you will argue tirelessly for something you don’t actually believe in. That is what playing devil’s advocate actually means.
The obvious conclusion therefore is that you actually do support Rafa – have done all along – and are only presenting the opposing view (which you don’t actually support) in order to stimulate debate. Wonderful. Welcome home, Catchy, to the Pro-Rafa Brigade.
Optimistic Panda
Sep 6, 2018 at 9:31 PM
Comment #2Bobby
Keys and Jordon are cut from the same cloth!
Catchy
The great debater, hahahahahahahaha, give it a rest you clown, to debate you need to answer questions aimed at you.
Deluded is a better fit!
lesh
Sep 6, 2018 at 9:35 PM
Comment #3Repost from previous
Catchy
Don’t take the results of that test as gospel. There are good and bad indicators among a raft of personality ‘tests’ and trust me, that one ain’t one that’s widely used by professionals. And anyone qualified to deal with such tests as I was when I was working on Tyneside, uses them as tools, not toys!
My advice would be that you and your daughter treat your resultant profile as a bit of fun, a dinner-party conversation topic.
By the way, how did you get hold of the test questions and who analysed your responses? The answer to that should reveal all you want to know
toon22
Sep 6, 2018 at 9:43 PM
Comment #4Its Never Ashleys Fault
Decided to jazz it up a little
lochinvar
Sep 6, 2018 at 9:44 PM
Comment #5R.I.P.
The Bandit