Today is the day. June 30th. The final day of Rafa Benitez as Newcastle manager. A day that we all know has been brought about by the underhanded doings of owner Mike Ashley.
Though in true Mike Ashley fashion, he will not accept any responsibility and does not care who or what he destroys in the wake of his actions.
Yesterday, it was reported that Mike Ashley has laid the blame of Rafa’s departure squarely at the feet of the Bin Zayed Group.
This has to be seen as a public relations move due to the tsunami of rage that has been directed at him by not only Newcastle fans but also by general football fans and media alike.
Rafa Benitez– Rafa’s time is sadly up at Newcastle
If Mike Ashley is to be believed that it was the Bin Zayed Group that have ended the tenure of one of the most beloved manager’s in our history, then Ashley should have no problem with giving Rafa a call and conceding to his demands if the takeover falls through.
Of course Mike Ashley would never do that and there’s probably no way that Rafa Benitez would come back to Newcastle to work under Mike Ashley again. But Mike Ashley should not be let off the hook with his assertion that BZG are the culprits here and not him.
We are also concerned that Ashley may have sabotaged the takeover by making these possibly slanderous claims about BZG. If this takeover falls through in the next few weeks, which Ashley has also reportedly set as a deadline, he should be asked by the press if he will now contact Rafa Benitez.
Because we all know that with Charnley in charge there will be no manager appointed by then.
39 comments so far
Rotonda heights
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:29 PM
Comment #1Bairstow really shoved that up Vaughan’s proverbial
DubaiMicky
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:31 PM
Comment #2England could get near 400 here.
Rotonda heights
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:33 PM
Comment #3DM
Especially if Butler is in form
Jib
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:37 PM
Comment #4https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:39 PM
Comment #5MA and his goons have lie so much and for so long I doubt they have any idea what the truth actually is
Who do you think he will pretend to sell us to next time?
Chancel My MBembaship
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:42 PM
Comment #6More juvenile name calling by the same people this morning I see. And one of them even has the cheek to accuse others of being immature from time to time. Nothing changes on here, does it?
Hoping to hear something from Rafa either tomorrow or in the near future. He’s such a classy bloke that he’ll probably keep a dignified silence though. Or maybe he’s saving it for his autobiography?
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:43 PM
Comment #7JIB
How many of your alt accounts are pro MA too ?
Singinginthecorner
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:44 PM
Comment #8Chancel any tips for hotstar they’ve changed there signup to phone verification
catchy in norway
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:46 PM
Comment #9Seriously, why is Rafa held in such high regard, its like everyone has taken leave of the senses and doesn’t want to pay any attention to how he was at other clubs,
Both Steven Gerrards and Carras books they state he creates tension with the owners, his 2 years at Napoli was a disaster and they didn’t renew his contract, his time at Milan he went to war with the team and the board wanting full control and to replace most of the team because he thought they were to old.
I don’t think Mike is lying about this one
c-dog
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:46 PM
Comment #10@munster
How did you get rid of us English after 700 years of oppression and war crimes? Maybe we could use that Irish firey attitude to help rid us of Ashley.
Mister Tuff
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:47 PM
Comment #11Jib
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:11 PM
Comment #176
“Why did I open my gob ?”
Probably because you are a slack jawed gobshite.
I’d love to tighten it up for you – couple of jabs and a left hook.
Tony Baloney
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:47 PM
Comment #12Is Charnley really in charge of hiring a new Manager?
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:48 PM
Comment #13Maybe we should try and get the share holders of SD to see how much better it would do with MA anywhere near it
He’s showed himself to be utterly clueless at running a football club. All he does is asset strip without any clue as to how he would actually build the business
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:48 PM
Comment #14Catchy
Bollix
It’s never MAs fault
Jib
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:50 PM
Comment #15out on Nelson
Tony Baloney
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:53 PM
Comment #16I think Rafa is held in high regard because he has a zero net spend during his time at NUFC and crappy teams like Bournemouth and Watford have outspent us by millions. Eddie Howe is the media’s favourite and spent much more than Rafa and we still finished above them. Brighton came up with us and have even outspent us by a substantial amount.
I might agree with Catchy if we had Rafa 1st half of the season for the full season, but we didn’t. It looks like Rafa was building a good base but has not been allowed to see the fruits of his labour.
Genjikai
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:53 PM
Comment #17Still think a 50k sit in on the pitch would be mad.
They would never move us.
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:54 PM
Comment #18How many of MAs other businesses would benefit if MA wasn’t anywhere near them ?
LoL
He’s showing he’s got no clue whatsoever at Newcastle
Rotonda heights
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:54 PM
Comment #19Twatchy
I don’t know who is more ignorantly repugnant, you or Richard Keys.
Genjikai
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:54 PM
Comment #20Tont first half of last season the fixture list was a kick in the balls. Think sky wanted us to rebel they were adding to the pressure.
I sometimes think they are using us as an experiment to see how far they can push people before they break and riot.
mactoon
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:55 PM
Comment #21As if Ashley would agree to any demands from ‘time wasters and tyre kickers’ when he hasn’t even been shown proof of funds.
The BZG agreed terms with Ashley back in mid May so if that’s the case why was Ashley working hard “to extend Rafa’s contract over a significant period of time” leading up to their last reported contact in late June when he knew BZG didn’t want the manager as part of the agreement?
Do me a favour!
I doubt BZG will think too much of being used as a scapegoat. I seem to remember he messed with this family before and that sale fell through
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:55 PM
Comment #22Catchys posts are typical PR
Lay the blame away from MA , and cause a distraction with strange opinions
Genjikai
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:55 PM
Comment #23Catchy you need to get yourself back from norway so you can see the real passion of the fans over here.
Maybe then youd understand what rafa ment to this city.
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:57 PM
Comment #24MA didn’t like Rafa funny how Catchy didn’t too isn’t it
He seemed to love Purdue , MA seemed to agree
See the pattern?
Genjikai
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:57 PM
Comment #2550000 toon fans with frog masks on jumping all over the pitch.
Or do it in stages.
One on, then 2 then 10 then 100. When they are removed same again.
Over and over again.
Ashleys tactics of rinse and repeat.
toon22
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:58 PM
Comment #26Catchy
You think you’ll be blaming Redfern next season ?
Genjikai
Jun 30, 2019 at 12:58 PM
Comment #27Swing low sweet chariot
Coming forth to carry me home.
c-dog
Jun 30, 2019 at 1:03 PM
Comment #28Send Moggey back to Ireland
Useless
catchy in norway
Jun 30, 2019 at 1:06 PM
Comment #29Tony
Good to see you prove my point, very seletive.
Take just one position, left wing, in just one season he spent 8million on Atsu and 11.5 on Murphy, only to realise he made a mistake and get in Kennedy on loan for 1 and a half seasons, not one negative said about Rafa only negativity towards the players, Kennedy goes from a crowd fave to the worst player and we should send him back.
Nothing said at all about coaching or tactics
chancel be a fine thing
Jun 30, 2019 at 1:06 PM
Comment #30singinthecorner, Obviously you need a vpn set to Indian server. Go to hotstar.com, select and play any premium content, you will the get a sign up page. Choose one of the sport/all options. On the next page, bleow where it says phone signup there is a box which says sign up with email or facebook.
MarkBro
Jun 30, 2019 at 1:07 PM
Comment #31Rafa is loved by the toon. Not just because hes a classy guy, hes the best we’ll ever get under fatty. We’ve been punching above our weight for 3seasons having Rafa here. All toon fans knew things would go tits up as mike only knows tits up.
Only thing that can make it better is a take over.
Then maybe someone like wenger, i wouldn’t be disappointed
Zele
Jun 30, 2019 at 1:23 PM
Comment #32I’m not a supporter of Ashley but the editors statements are becoming more and more shrill and extreme without little or no explanation or proof. It feels like the Daily Express has taken over. I expect eulogising over the Tories and Boris next followed by slavvering over Trump.
‘… true Mike Ashley fashion, he will not accept any responsibility and does not care who or what he destroys in the wake of his actions… ‘.
How do you know he won’t, have you asked him, has he publicly said as much ?
‘..it was reported that Mike Ashley has laid the blame of Rafa’s departure squarely at the feet of the Bin Zayed Group…’.
Exactly who has reported it ?
‘… if Mike Ashley is to be believed that it was the Bin Zayed Group that have ended the tenure of one of the most beloved manager’s in our history ..’.
What official statements are there from either party to corroborate or deny this ?
‘…We are also concerned that Ashley may have sabotaged the takeover by making these possibly slanderous claims about BZG….’
Where is the new evidence ? Has BZG refuted these claims ?
A manager has walked / sacked like 99% of them do. It ain’t the end of the world as we know it.
BarcelonaMag
Jun 30, 2019 at 2:00 PM
Comment #33Nobody knows if BZG even exist. It’s almost certainly just another one of Ashley’s smokescreens. Ever noticed that Sheik whatever-his-name-is is always smiling in the photo? It just may be because he’s one of Ashely’s mates who’s in on it. They probably bought the Saudi headgear in a joke shop.
sam down south
Jun 30, 2019 at 2:03 PM
Comment #34The clubs value since the end of the season has now gone down – lost a good manager (lost continuity, style, momentum) and lost Rondon (large, fast, skillful loan striker) – so club needs to spend on getting a new manager with a budget and even after spending we are a big risk for relegation. The ball is in Ashley’s court: agree a price with BZG or get a new manager in and give him time to prepare for the season.
PS. Ashley’s PR stunt to say a French consortium are now interested! Any interested party would have made their move April/May to give themselves time to be ready for the new season. Any financial advisor would tell BZG to drop their price as the asset (nufc) is now worth less and more at risk of relegation.
ArtyH
Jun 30, 2019 at 2:13 PM
Comment #35” If Mike Ashley is to be believed that it was the Bin Zayed Group that have ended the tenure of one of the most beloved manager’s in our history, then Ashley should have no problem with giving Rafa a call and conceding to his demands if the takeover falls through “. It would be very difficult to engineer a more insulting way to drive off the BZG takeover. I believe he is expecting the BZG lot to be so insulted they pull out of the take over so he wins on all sides, gets rid of Rafa because he has exposed the way the club is run and gets rid of those involved in the take over! How very convenient! Poor old FCB he has no friends, and is let down by everyone.
If there is anyone who supports the team cannot see how this has developed they need medical help! If anyone attends games as long as this regimen are holding all the cards, again they need medical help!
toonedout
Jun 30, 2019 at 3:39 PM
Comment #36Maybe he is held in such regard because most of us are not the completely deluded fans we are made out to be in the media and actually have followed football for a long time and understand the game . Under Ashley we will never have a better manager than Rafa, not perfect but not Pardew, Kinnear or Carver. His downfall is he is not a yes man and the fans are on his side because we know we are punching above or weight with him as manager. Ashley wants a manager that can just keep us up, out of the europa league and act as a buffer between him and the fans – Pardew was his perfect manager in this regard as we spent most of our time, energy and abuse directed at him. Additionally I have never understood, as Ashley is almost never present at home games and Charnley is, why does he never get any abuse – sit’s there with that smug look on his face, getting paid thinking yeah job done, just staying up with 52,000 bending over again buying it again. Time to make life as unpleasant as possible.
toonedout
Jun 30, 2019 at 3:41 PM
Comment #37Maybe he is held in such regard because most of us are not the completely deluded fans we are made out to be in the media and actually have followed football for a long time and understand the game . Under Ashley we will never have a better manager than Rafa, not perfect but not Pardew, Kinnear or Carver. His downfall is he is not a yes man and the fans are on his side because we know we are punching above or weight with him as manager. Ashley wants a manager that can just keep us up, out of the europa league and act as a buffer between him and the fans – Pardew was his perfect manager in this regard as we spent most of our time, energy and abuse directed at him.
toonedout
Jun 30, 2019 at 3:45 PM
Comment #38Additionally, how does Charnley get away week in week out whilst present at the home games. Sit’s there with that smug look on his fat face thinking this is great – nice lunch, glass of wine, team just above relegation, another pay check and 52,000 bent over saying thanks for the privilege
peterk3
Jun 30, 2019 at 5:06 PM
Comment #39chancel be a fine thing
I just tried to sign up to hotstar but visa debit cards are not valid for the transaction, grrr.