The Sun are reporting today that Lee Charnley was surprised by Rafa Benitez’ visit to the Benton training ground on Monday and that he wasn’t expecting the manager.
There is a contract on the table for Rafa to sign, but the news has been the Spaniard has been unable to make much progress in getting owner Mike Ashley to give him the assurances he wants – to stay on at Newcastle.
Ashley seems to want to continue running Newcastle with a tight financial fist.
It has never brought success to Newcastle for 12 years and never will for that matter.
Rafa Benitez – 18 days left on his contract – now Newcastle suddenly worried
Rafa talked to Lee at the training grounds briefly at the beginning of the week but gave the Managing Director no hint on whether he would sign his new deal.
Now the Sun is reporting the (incompetent) Newcastle hierarchy are increasingly concerned that nothing will happen and Rafa will simply see out his contract at the club through the end of this month.
Then he will become a free agent.
With only 18 days left to go in Rafa’s contract isn’t a bit late to think he may just be seeing out his contract?
And in their wisdom, Ashley and Charnley have put all their eggs in one basket, and if Rafa doesn’t stay at Newcastle, they have nobody lined up to take over.
They have no plan B.
If this was a proper business – and had gone public – then Mike Ashley could have been fired a long time ago because of the gross incompetence he shows in the way he has run the club.
But Rafa Benitez is not going to sign any deal with Mike Ashley until he knows what’s happening with the proposed takeover.
We would be stunned if it’s true, as is being reported in the local press, that Rafa has not spoken with Sheikh Khaled.
That seems like a natural thing to do, and maybe the pact between the new owner and Rafa is to wait, and they will give him a new contract once the takeover is complete.
But the big problem with that plan is that we are already losing some of our top targets to other clubs in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Other clubs are buying players while Newcastle are in a complete deadlock – and not for the first time with Mike Ashley in charge.
We suppose the disaster scenario could happen – after all, Mike Ashley is still running the club.
The disaster scenario is that Rafa doesn’t sign the new deal and Mike Ashley shifts the goals posts, so Sheikh Khaled doesn’t end up buying the club after all.
And Ashley once again remains the owner.
We have realized over the 12 years we have run this blog that anything is possible when you have somebody like Ashley running this club.
Comments welcome.
135 comments so far
RobLeenio
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:30 PM
Comment #81chancel, I don’t know, not so much of a long shot, otherwise what has happened to Loris Benito, who seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth.
Kilian Mbappe seems to have been very quiet also 😉
jazzyp
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:34 PM
Comment #82Anyone heard that fake account that everyone was pinning there Hope’s on has been took down by Twitter.
Hope because of my brain trauma I suffered years ago I haven’t offended anyone with spelling mistakes.Or are we still tracking flight paths
chancel be a fine thing
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:36 PM
Comment #83Rob,
By long shot, I mean if i was a selling club and Penfold offered me more than half of what I was asking, or my player would cost more than 25M, or Penfold was trying to get the deal done before the end of the window and not haggling until the final day; I would immediately become suspicious and smell the Arab money.
jazzyp
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:37 PM
Comment #84Reported the fake MidhatKidwaiUAE account this morning, it’s now renamed to
@DavidCunn1978
. Supposed to be a #NUFC fan
Nostradamus the Geordie
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:37 PM
Comment #85My iPhone is starting to feel like Aladdin’s lamp, every-time I swipe it nothing happens.
I just want to swipe one time and Ed being the genie makes one of my wishes come true.
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:38 PM
Comment #86Is anybody watching the women’s world cup?
It is sort of like Aussie Rules Football where you don’t know any of the players but cheer for your local team.
Phil Neville’s dad is called Neville Neville. It is true, you can look it up.
chancel be a fine thing
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:40 PM
Comment #87Jazzy, Someone on twitter contacted him on LinkedIn and he confirmed it was a fake.
I guess the guy who created years ago must have been laughing when the takeover started happening. Surely can’t have been in the planning all these years.
oldarse
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:41 PM
Comment #88Neville Neville parents had a sense of humour or a stutter
Online Guy
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:45 PM
Comment #89Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when your always afraid
You step out of line , the man come and take you away
It’s time we stop , hey , what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
oldarse
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:46 PM
Comment #90Sounds like a spliff talking
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:47 PM
Comment #91Neville Neville. I hate Phil Neville and think he is the worst commentator ever.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Neville
stan anderson
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:48 PM
Comment #92Surely no players can be sold by the slug to line his own pockets if a deal has been agreed with anyone.
I certainly hope this thing is happening,but it is the slimy slug we are owned by.
ASHLEY OOT.
oldarse
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:49 PM
Comment #93Hate is a disgusting word unless it’s aimed at MA
stan anderson
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:50 PM
Comment #94I wouldn’t trust him if he had been deceased for at least a week or more
RobLeenio
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:50 PM
Comment #95There’s some shenanigans going on with that Twitter account – mentions of 4chan and God knows what else.
It was 7 years old, email address was linked to the company’s website. Very well done fake, must have taken a long time to set it up.
Anyway, here’s the link to the LinkedIn post for those who can see it. It does seem to confirm that the Twitter account was fake for anyone who cannot.
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:51 PM
Comment #96Doing the Chicago 1968 Democrat convention.
Tsunki
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:51 PM
Comment #97Forgive me if I’ve missed something here but is the Twitter account recently fully endorsed and reasoned as genuine now a complete fake?
chancel be a fine thing
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:52 PM
Comment #98Did you see this Jazzy:
https://twitter.com/jamie_jhnstn/status/1138831398821924864?s=20
Looks like the same guy. Surely not……..
RobLeenio
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:52 PM
Comment #99https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6544277414330097664/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(activity%3A6434272024193003520%2C6544277299750109184)
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:53 PM
Comment #100Oldarse: I use the word “HATE” very sparingly. Only Piers Morgan and Phil Neville.
JP...from The Rock
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:56 PM
Comment #101I’m starting to get worried again. So many twists on this takeover saga is making me doubt it’s authenticity. Can’t wait till all this is over.
oldarse
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:57 PM
Comment #102#100 you mean not MA
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:57 PM
Comment #103Phil Neville is the worst commentator ever. In the history of commentating! Worse than McMamanamamanman. Worse than Robbie Fowler. Worse than Michael Owen.
If you do the opposite to what he says you will be correct.
chancel be a fine thing
Jun 12, 2019 at 4:59 PM
Comment #104Tsunki, yes the Midhat fella’s twitter is a fake. Not sure if it had a blue tick though. See my previous link for a scary claim, but don’t tell toon22.
bettyswallocks
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:00 PM
Comment #105Rob…….. What are the implications of the fake Twitter account? Have we all been taken as mugs again?
lochinvar
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:00 PM
Comment #106No comment
toon kk
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:02 PM
Comment #107Asi and Tony
I understand everyone’s curious, and we are all in the dark. But we all know how the club is run.
MA is crafty, atm it’s keeping the Rafa singing a new contract down a step. The sale won’t be straight forward Mash will want SD adverment clause no doubt .
We’ll find out in due course.
Could all end in tears. I’m Loosing no sleep over it. The club ait going anywhere.
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:03 PM
Comment #108Who cares about a fake twitter account? Did anybody believe it was real to start with?
You would have to be a bit of a moron (or Lee Ryder) to be taken in by a fake twitter account.
Online Guy
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:04 PM
Comment #109Anyway , on to Football matters…
I was talking to sec at FA Premier league this morn
“Hi, I’m ( ) smalltalk then, can you give me any update on the sale of Newcastle United to BZG group” ?
“How long before you announce it ” (loaded Question) “are you going through the process” ?
Answer “I’m sorry I’m not allowed to say anything ”
“Is the process a lengthy one” ?
“I can’t say anything ”
“I suppose it’s unfair to ask and putting you on the spot ”
“If I knew anything I would not be able to tell you ”
“OK , OK , I understand… tell you what if I count to 5 and you stay silent , not saying anything, I will take that as good news for Newcastle United Supporters. ”
1! Silence 2! Silence! 3 silence! 4 ! ..She then broke in and said sorry can’t say a word .
Didn’t get to 5 , Of course I was having a laugh and treating all this lightly ..we had a conversation about the weather ,,as you do, then about me having Flu in the middle of summer .
” Will Newcastle United fans have reason to be Happy and smiling in near future” ?
She then sez ” Well You will be feeling a lot better soon I hope” !
I surmise all calls are recorded so fair play to her .
Make of it what you will but that’s the fun conversation I had earlier today.
Optimistic Oryx
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:04 PM
Comment #110Is there a black hole at the club?
People talk about buying it and are never seen again.
No ones seen Peter Kenyon for 9 months, that Midhat bloke has been wiped from the internet, so we’ll not see him again.
I hope the Sheikh doesn’t disappear, everyone in the western world hates Nufc and I don’t want to add the middle east to that.
Talk about cursed.
Tsunki
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:08 PM
Comment #111I don’t track Twitter but I’m sure that medically it doesn’t put me in the moron category. Well at least that doesn’t. 🙂
However I believe I’m right in saying that there were blog enquiries as to this accounts veracity and replies that justified how it was genuine. Euphoria undoubtedly had something to do with it. Naughty Euphoria!
🙂
magscar
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:08 PM
Comment #112Chancel@79
Interesting take – It was Ashley spurring on leak. Hmmm I must admit i originally give that thought short thrift when news broke and in the days after so haven’t reurned to it.
It would explain BZG being forced into open and making clarifying statements and also have the impact you have indicated and suggested was Ashley’s intention.
So if you suppose correctly that Ashley has brought deal into the light what are we to make of where are are now and what is likely to follow?
Was it perhaps a joint ploy to avoid/deflect the contract and transfer speculation that was inevitable in June whilst deal finalised? Of course it has in someways hightened that as well as initially quelling it.
Needs thinking through – other than the obvious frog take which is they are complict in another hoax – not buying that.
Rafa’s demeanor is to me that of a manager waiting for events beyond his control to coalesce (rather than awaiting another club) and presumably he has until end of June to sit tight on an Ashley contract.
It would be possible for him to work without a contract after that but whilst improbable under Ashley may be a temporary fix under BZG
Tsunki
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:09 PM
Comment #113I know you probably won’t believe me but I dread the frog being right almost as much as anyone else. However it’s heavily weighted on his side atm.
Tony Baloney
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:16 PM
Comment #114Whenever Ed posts twitter links it is like a bunch of 7 year olds seeing who can p!ss up a wall the highest.
Frank pingles come sock
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:17 PM
Comment #115So that guy is saying the whole lot was a hoax from the outset and all the journalists fell for it
Website , linked in , twitter , what’s app
All fake
Tsunki
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:20 PM
Comment #116Seems pretty elaborate.
Bills Son Is Back
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:22 PM
Comment #117Ed says Ashley has no plan B if the takeover falls through and Rafa leaves.
I doubt that.
MA and Charnley will have known for a good while now that Rafa might leave and its naive to think other names haven’t been bandied about.
Those names might not be able to hold a candle to Rafa on proven ability at the highest level but there will be no shortage of ambitious experienced managers who would snap MA’s hands off at the opportunity to manage a sleeping giant, with 50,000 fans every game and a £50M transfer budget.
I desperately hope the takeover happens and Rafa stays, but those saying we are doomed if neither happens are expressing an understandable opinion… but not a fact.
Asi Fish
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:22 PM
Comment #118Business as usual…………
Tsunki
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:23 PM
Comment #119Is this going to be the “Fake Sheikh ‘n’ Bake”? Or is the scurrilous additional stuff all built on a genuine initial leak? Hmmm…
Ron Knee
Jun 12, 2019 at 5:24 PM
Comment #120Are we reduced to: 1) Sun article & 2) no comment from Ashley? Anything else?