It may be that the discussions are not going well for Rafa Benitez at Newcastle.
There seems to have been no progress made in the discussions over this past week between Lee Charnley and Rafa’s representatives.
We say that because the manager keeps saying he is fighting to do what the fans want and that he didn’t just come to Newcastle to say OK – we’ll see what happens.
Those comments may reflect some resistance he’s getting from Ashley – and that wouldn’t surprise us too much.
Rafa wants cast-iron guarantees about sufficient money being available in the transfer windows, and he wants the owner to share his big ambitions for the club.
The manager may not get that from Mike Ashley.
Mike Ashley – he needs to sign Rafa quickly
Benitez wants to win titles, and it could be he is having trouble persuading Mike Ashley to support him in all the things he wants to do at the club.
That could be a worrying situation and as we’ve said before – only Newcastle and Mike Ashley could screw up this incredible opportunity the club has to become one of the best teams in England.
Rafa wants to stay Newcastle, but he won’t stay if he has to go through another season like this one when we seemed to be like the paupers of the Premier League.
We don’t blame him for that – it shouldn’t happen to a world-class manager.
This is some of what Rafa has said as reported in the Northern Echo today:
“I don’t really enjoy the negotiating.”
“I would be happier just thinking about my team, my players, the tactics, analyzing other teams and improving players.”
“But in modern football and especially in the Premier League, the budget is crucial.”
“When I say I have ambition and I want to win something, it is because the fans also have that ambition to win something.”
“I did not come here after so many games and so many titles just to say, ‘OK, we will see what happens’.”
“I want to compete, try to win and everyone has the same feeling. We have the potential to do that.”
“So I fight to do the right things.”
“The ideal situation is to have around 22 players maybe, and then three players from the academy that have the potential to do well,”
“That is the ideal situation. Can we do that? I don’t think we can do that at the moment, so we have to manage.”
“Some of the players that are already here, they have to stay.”
“But what you need is more quality in the squad to be sure you have 20 or whatever that can play any game.”
“It’s not that it’s a big difference between them.”
“Some of the players will need some time if they are young players during the season. But you have to have more players now that they can play.”
“And because we know the players much better, we can make the right decision with this group of players.”
What Rafa is trying to do is precisely what the fans want and what is best for the club.
The problem, as it’s always been over the last eleven years is that Mike Ashley is stubborn and may throw away this opportunity.
Only Mike Ashley is capable of doing that.
Maybe Rafa should detail to Ashley just how much the club will go up in price in two years if he fully supports the manager.
That may finally get through to the Billionaire.
Comments welcome.
7 comments so far
Tosun A. Wobbler
May 5, 2018 at 10:41 AM
Comment #1Assume the second line of that headline was Ed’s. Rafa didn’t actually say “Negotiations may not be going well”.
Jib
May 5, 2018 at 10:55 AM
Comment #2https://apps.facebook.com/barclays-football/barclaysmotmnov-dup-dup-dup-2278073-2282036
Jib
May 5, 2018 at 10:55 AM
Comment #3Please vote
DaveD1000
May 5, 2018 at 10:58 AM
Comment #4No brainer….done
Reilly
May 5, 2018 at 11:02 AM
Comment #5edline
davetoon
May 5, 2018 at 11:40 AM
Comment #6We’re 5/2 to win tonight against a poor Watford side. Got to have a piece of that!
Tosun A. Wobbler
May 5, 2018 at 12:38 PM
Comment #7Done.