Sky Sports has shown the following footage of Rafa Benitez returning to the Benton Training Ground, which was provided on Twitter by NUFC fan Robin Verhagen:
Footage of Rafa Benítez at #nufc training ground. Live on SSN! pic.twitter.com/O3bEC9fTtG
— Robin Verhagen ?? (@robinnufc) June 10, 2019
This is the first time the manager has been seen at Newcastle since his final press conference after the season’s final game at Fulham.
With less than three weeks remaining on his current contract, the speculation is vast as to why Rafa has returned.
Could there be significant progress on his contract talks? Is he there to do photographs with a new transfer?
Or maybe he there on routine business.
Let’s just hope we don’t get follow up footage of Benitez carrying a box of family photos and “How to Defend Corners” props back to the car.
Then there will be a Chernobyl level meltdown in Newcastle.
With the current level of communication from the club being sub-zero, all we can do is speculate.
It is really sad that the simple act of the manager returning to his club has resulted in mass confusion on Tyneside.
Keith Downie has sent out the following tweet on the return of Rafa:
Lots asking: Our pictures show Rafa Benitez back at NUFC training ground today. There is, however, no developments positive or negative on his future. There’s nothing significant about him being there today #NUFC
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) June 10, 2019
Maybe it is just nothing. But how are we to know at this point.
141 comments so far
Ron Knee
Jun 10, 2019 at 6:58 PM
Comment #41‘The Magpies have declined to comment on Benitez’s visit to the training ground, opting against clarifying why the 59-year-old was back at Benton,’ writes @ChrisDHWaugh #nufc
Jib
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:02 PM
Comment #42Benitez’
DubaiMicky
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:04 PM
Comment #43Why would NUFC refuse to comment on why their manager was at their training ground?
Methinks something is afoot….
hibbit
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:05 PM
Comment #44Ron Knee
that’s about par for the course wit this lot 😉
johnboy
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:05 PM
Comment #45Jib
CS01 has only been required from 2015/16. Previous to this an AR01 (Annual Return) was filed.
Ron Knee
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:08 PM
Comment #46It’s odd, hibbit. Why couldn’t they give some anodyne reason?
Tramp
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:09 PM
Comment #47There will be news at 10pm on SSN.
Binney
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:14 PM
Comment #48No there won’t
The mighty wyn
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:14 PM
Comment #49Come on tramp don’t keep us in suspense.
Is it takeover news or Rafa contract news
ChicagoToon1
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:15 PM
Comment #50Tramp,
Where did you hear that? Surely any announcement would be made during the day and not so late at night. I do think something will happen soon, definitely not tonight.
Optimistic Oryx
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:15 PM
Comment #51Maybe no one at Nufc knew Rafa was going to Benton!
Maybe he went to steal bog rolls or hi viz vests, or he left his watch in the bathroom, I do that all the time.
I doubt he’s there to tell the players about the sale, the fans deserve to know before them, they’re just employees the fans are the club.
Optimistic Oryx
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:18 PM
Comment #52If Jack Colback gets told about the sale before me then me and the Sheikh are gonna start off on the wrong foot.
Ron Knee
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:19 PM
Comment #53@47
Like every evening at 10pm.
geordietom
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:37 PM
Comment #54been reading loads of articles about the take over . a lot of people are saying its a hoax …
ok if it is a hoax who would have the time and the inclination to set it up . why go to all the lengths of naming a Sheikh ( my way of thinking if it’s not the sheikh from BZG he would of came out and said so ) losing face in the Arab world is a big thing . so in my eyes its just journo’s with nothing better to do . infact they know nothing. they know as much as us in this moment in time nowt nothing nada zilch . common sense tell us something is going on at wor club . hopefully something breaks this week . i’m off to Benidorm on wednesday and yes OO i gonna keep my phone turned off . no need theres tons of bars with big tv’s so i’ll be looking as i walk past the pubs …
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:43 PM
Comment #55Benitez
Oh he’s waiting to meet his new masters tomorrow!??????!!!!!!!????!
Essex Geordie Bill
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Comment #56As far as I know the only player back in training is Jonjo, perhaps it was a one on one training session.
I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong!
The mighty wyn
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:46 PM
Comment #57Is that a guess Charlie or do you know something
RobLeenio
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:46 PM
Comment #58Micky #43
Thinks????
RobLeenio
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:48 PM
Comment #59Oh Charlie of the super post match player ratings and mystical reading of the beer kegs as a fortune telling medium, do you have foresight or merely having a punt?
😉
Mister Tuff
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:49 PM
Comment #60Hahahaha. Jib making a backside of himself again trying to delve into things he does not understand.
Jib – I warned you about this previously. Oafs delving into matters they know nothing about is a danger and gets other oafs wrongly excited.
Toons fans are getting a bit anxious with the waiting and wondering.
To abate the boredom I think a blog competition would be appropriate.
Simple competition. Which one is Jib in the image below – left or right?
https://cdn.nashvillescene.com/files/base/scomm/nvs/image/2010/04/960w/68593_hillbillies.jpg
Jib
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:51 PM
Comment #61Oaves
Mister Tuff
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:52 PM
Comment #62Jib’ll be on in a flash shouting ” the handsome one is me”.
Return of the Geordi
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:52 PM
Comment #63Rafa there for 2 hours finalising his transfer list Charmless there for 20 minutes putting red lines through them
Essex Geordie Bill
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:55 PM
Comment #64When I read comments like 47 I think OK, whatever!
I’ll start getting excited when it’s official and out in the open, till then, err, whatever!!
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:55 PM
Comment #65Rob
I’ve been running the magic lamp
To be honest like everyone else
I haven’t a bloody clue!
Jib
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:57 PM
Comment #66Try rubbing it
Shadow_Shearer
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:58 PM
Comment #67Rafa was at the Benton because he was there to steal the toilet roll. Hes taking everything he can get for free off Ashley before he leaves.
Benitez thinking that’s what chubby gets for not giving me money to invest in the team.
oldarse
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:58 PM
Comment #68Charlie in the Gallowgate
Yeh been masturbating my self a lot lately the same answer
Bambams
Jun 10, 2019 at 7:59 PM
Comment #69Sky or whoever were definitely tipped off Rafa would be at the training ground.
Jib
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:02 PM
Comment #70Mr Tuff the mockery kind of falls flat when
I was the first one to mock meself for the
bollock dropped.
You really are as thick as pigshit aren’t you ?
Bambams
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:03 PM
Comment #71Return of the Geordi
#63
If it was about transfer targets you hit the nail on the head !
Nothing new about Charnley filter system, either they are;
1. Too expensive transfer
2. Too expensive wages
3. Not under 26
He has three chances to bin the player – fact
Keeps his ‘Master’ happy
chancel be a fine thing
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:03 PM
Comment #72I posted a twitter link earlier from Mohsin Khan, a Toon fan from London who lives in Dubai. Is he a friend of yours Micky? I noticed you follow him.
He says why he thinks this ‘sale’ is different from the others, giving some areas of comparison. One of these is BZG’s willingness to give 2 years free sportsdirect ground advertising until the final payment is made to Ashley. I was wondering if Micky had heard any of these details.?
ChicagoToon1
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:05 PM
Comment #73Regarding the Rafa sighting, does anyone know if it was Sky cameras there (which suggest they were tipped off) or if it was just a fan/worker that filmed it and sent it to Sky (which doesn’t mean anything really)
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:08 PM
Comment #74Can you imagine if everyone used the old ‘no comment’ every time they didn’t fancy having a conversation?
Maybe I am cynical but I feel it’s utterly deliberate as they know fans want to know, typical of Ashley and Lee who makes the tea to treat us all with utter contempt.
lesh
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:10 PM
Comment #75Ron Knee
Why the hell would the club decline to comment about Benitez’s visit? All they had to do was say something like ‘nothing special, he just dropped in to catch up with his mail’ or something equally neutral.
Rather than keep things simple, they’ve stirred up conjecture. They’re really excelling themselves in the incompetence stakes. If there’s not, there should be an annual award for such behaviour – The Ashley Communication Trophy?
Are they clueless or just showing total contemptuous for their customers – which is it?
Jib
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:14 PM
Comment #76I think everyone at the club has been told there is an NDA
in force
say nowt
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:14 PM
Comment #77Lesh
Tell me that was sarcasm.
It’s contempt and nothing more, they are an absolute joke.
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:14 PM
Comment #78Lesh
Tell me that was sarcasm.
It’s contempt and nothing more, they are an absolute joke
Optimistic Oryx
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:17 PM
Comment #79Who’s Rafa Benitez and where was he?
Toon44
Jun 10, 2019 at 8:27 PM
Comment #80Sky Sports Breaking News
BIG BIG TAKEOVER NEWS AT 10.00pm