Newcastle United midfielder Gini Wijnaldum was one of the stars to leave Newcastle when we were relegated in May 2016 for the second time under owner Mike Ashley.
Having signed him for about £14M in the summer of 2015, we sold him for a decent enough profit to Liverpool for £25M one year later.
That was a good deal for Newcastle and Gini was an outstanding player.
But that deal was nothing compared to the £30M we got from Tottenham for Mousa Sissoko who has been unimpressive at Spurs since he signed for them on August 31st of 2016.
Newcastle fans thought Christmas had come early that year.
Even Steve McClaren couldn’t watch it – it was so bad
Gini Wijnaldum has been interviewed on the Liverpool FC website, and he has said he was devastated when Steve McClaren was fired.
He has praised the work of Rafa when he came in to replace McClaren on March 11, 2016.
This is what the Dutch International has said:
“I was devastated that Steve McClaren left because he brought me to Newcastle and he was great to work with and deserved way better from us as players.”
“But I was also happy that I could work with Benitez.”
“In the beginning, I was playing as a No.10 for Newcastle and with Rafa Benitez, I played a few games as a No.8 and a few as a No.6, and right midfield and left midfield.”
“But a lot of games I also played as a left-winger because we were playing 4-4-2.”
“It was great playing for him, I learned a lot, a lot.” “When he came we collected a lot of points.”
“He is really good at making a team with the type of players he has and he is also a man who knows how to get every bit of potential out of you.”
“I was happy that he was there.”
Steve McClaren was never up to the job at Newcastle, and you have to have a strong character to deal with all the goings on at the club.
But he seems to be doing quite well managing QPR, and he has them in 10th place after they were struggling with relegation early in the season.
QPR won four of their five games in October and drew the other one and Steve McClaren was named the October Manager of the Month.
Good for him.
But he was an awful choice by Lee Charnley for the Newcastle job after Alan Pardew left in December 2014 to manage Crystal Palace and John Carver did not fare well as the interim manager.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
11 comments so far
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 4:39 PM
Comment #1If folk want to see Piatek , he should be playing
for Poland this evening vs Portugal at Estadio
Dom Alfonso Henriques in Guimaraes 19.45
in a UEFA Nations League A tie.
He’ll be wearing number 23.
They are calling him the new Robert Lewandowski
if we sign him Essex might shut up about Sorensen
😛
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 4:55 PM
Comment #2Avram Glazer meets Saudis but a takeover is still denied.
The Glazers in their 13 years at Old Trafford have taken out approx.
£1Billion (about the same as the Mansours have put into City)
I think it would have already been a done deal
if not for what went down in Turkey with Kashoggi.
RobLeenio
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:14 PM
Comment #3Can you imagine if Ashley has turned away first the Mansours and then the al Sauds from the doors of NUFC? I mean, just take a second to process that.
And he then says that he’s had no credible enquiries for the club and that previous bidders have failed to prove they have the funds to take the club forward? Does this include two of the richest (and, granted, most corrupt and morally questionable) families in the World?
Why? So he can sell a few more pairs of Donnay trainers.
The guy is a snake in the grass of the first order.
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:29 PM
Comment #4Ruben Loftus-Cheek to seek a loan move in January after lack of game time for Chelsea
hibbit
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:31 PM
Comment #5RobLeenio
the mans lower than a snakes belly,
hibbit
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:32 PM
Comment #6we’re full no more uk loans
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:41 PM
Comment #7Nope
Rondon is loaned from a Championship club
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:43 PM
Comment #8I think we may buy Kenedy in January
Tsunki
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:46 PM
Comment #9I miss those “Head in Hands McLaren” pics.
Oh no….wait… I don’t.
😐
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 5:54 PM
Comment #10https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1064846002262282241
Jib
Nov 20, 2018 at 6:01 PM
Comment #11Tsunki
By gum your snide sarcasm and nothing
good to say about anyone – is a miss .
Oh no….wait… it isn’t.