Since Mike Ashley bought Newcastle eleven long and painful years ago, he has managed to create uncertainty at Newcastle.
Today we have uncertainty on lots of things, including who Rafa is able to bring in this summer, whether he will be backed in this summer’s transfer window and if we can unload several high earners this summer.
Players like Chancel Mbemba, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Matz Sels, Henri Saivet and others need to go before August 9th when the window will slam shut.
But the biggest uncertainty of all is Rafa himself and whether he will sign a new contract to stay at Newcastle long term.
Rafa Benitez – are negotiations continuing on a new deal?
It’s now 6 weeks since the Premier League ended and next Monday the players start arriving back for preseason training.
Rafa has several demands before he will sign a new deal and since it’s taking a lot of time, we assume Newcastle are not prepared to give him the level of control he wants and needs.
His vision and blueprint is to make Newcastle into a great club with a top team in Europe – not to be struggling in mid-table anonymity.
If things are to continue as in the past, then Rafa will not be around long.
So even when Ashley is given the opportunity of a lifetime to get a world-class manager like Rafa in long-term – who wants to stay at Newcastle – he drags his feet.
With the current uncertainty, it could cause some problems in the transfer window with top players unwilling to come to Newcastle if Rafa is likely to leave the club.
Rafa has one year left on his three-year deal, and he will almost certainly stay until next summer.
What happens then we have no idea, but it could be catastrophic for Newcastle if he leaves.
But Ashley continues to create uncertainty at Newcastle, and we never hear from him, and he doesn’t attend any games these days.
He should sell Newcastle and relieve the fans of significant pain, but it doesn’t look like he really wants to.
So if that’s the case why isn’t he going all out to get Rafa signed permanently.
Rafa can raise the price of the club significantly by putting together a top side.
And Ashley can even attend games when we will be winning rather than losing – that will be a nice change for the owner.
But it’s difficult to know what Mike Ashley is even thinking these days.
He’s never been the type of owner Newcastle needs but Rafa is the perfect manager for us.
That’s the conundrum right now.
Comments welcome.
17 comments so far
c-dog
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:30 AM
Comment #1It’s painful and can’t help but doubt our great manager will stay for much longer than another year given the massive difference between his ambition and that of our owner.
Rotonda heights
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:34 AM
Comment #2Bus moved !
I know everyone is raving about Mitro but in a way the game against Switzerland which Serbia lost, kind of showed me exactly why Mitro isn’t Rafa’s main man. Serbia started off at a gallop and looked great for 20 mins but gradually they became so one dimensional and started hitting more and more longer, aerial stuff while the Swiss started to get the ball down and really play. Mitro is great in an Iceland, Sweden, Serbian type team but if you are a pass and move team then not so much.
I think I’m the only person who thinks King for Ritchie would actually be a good move. King would certainly be an upgrade on any of our other strikers and if we can get Kennedy back and Murphy progresses on then I think we could cover Ritchie going.
martoon
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:37 AM
Comment #3I’m clinging on to a feint hope that with Ashley seemingly to spend more time in the States and apparently moving there he will want to sell NUFC as it will be a distraction he doesn’t want or need!
JP...from The Rock
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:37 AM
Comment #4What a soap opera this club is. Always a drama every day of the week. I used to like that dact but now I hate it. Why can’t we just be run like a normal successful club. Why did we have to have such a tight arsed billionaire owner that just makes matters worse and does not care one bit for the club. This could be the time we can really push on as a club but yet again the club is riddled with question marks. What is going on and what will eventually happen no one knows but I for one am sick of the fat slug dragging his feet and been so aloof every damn year. Always crushing our hearts and hopes for progress and success.
I really really hope (as that’s all we can do) that Rafa is backed enough to improve on our squad and gradually make us a real force in the Premier League. With Rafa in charge there really are no limits but with Ashley there always will be. Let’s see what happens this summer.
Rotonda heights
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:43 AM
Comment #5superb post JP. I don’t think even the most ardent Ashley apologist could argue with that.
Graeme
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:45 AM
Comment #6Rafa will be here until the end of the season, then, unless Ashley has a serious epiphany, Rafa will leave at the end of his contract.
Who can blame him? He sees a project, with amazing potential – as do all the fans – and therein lies the problem!!
Ashley only sees unlimited world wide advertising, every time a game is shown, anywhere – He’s probably had his money back in advertising, several times over. He has NO interest in football, other than as an advertising medium. He has no interest in NUFC, other than as an advertising medium. He has no interest in the fans, except they contribute to the running costs of the advertising medium!!
posada
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:47 AM
Comment #7If you play Mitro you can only play one way. You have to set the whole team up to play to his strenghts.
Same was true of Shearer in his last five years. SBR bought Belamy as he had the pace Shearer then lacked. Robert and Solano to provide the crosses etc.
Worked for us, although I would say that 90% of the time the top teams were able to counter it.
mactoon
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:52 AM
Comment #8The silence from Rafa is deafening too to be honest.
JP...from The Rock
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:55 AM
Comment #9Thanks Rotonda. Let’s see if after the world cup we get moving in the transfer market.
RobLeenio
Jun 25, 2018 at 9:55 AM
Comment #10Cor blimey, some doom and gloom on here this morning.
Keep the faith lads and lasses, at least we’re not Sunderland…
😉
hibbit
Jun 25, 2018 at 10:02 AM
Comment #11JP…from The Rock
i think it’s more likely that the transfer window will pick up when sky release the first payments next monday
yorkymag
Jun 25, 2018 at 10:02 AM
Comment #12For goodness sake give it a rest
It’s the summer holidays,the World Cup is on and the transfer activity is pretty dead ,give it 2 weeks . And then things will start moving
Ed ,love him ,is simply making up fake news
There is nothing happening because nothing is happening
Stop please making doom and gloom headlines just for the sake of it
runheed
Jun 25, 2018 at 10:03 AM
Comment #13… yet Rob, we’re not Sunderland yet.
Jib
Jun 25, 2018 at 10:07 AM
Comment #14What do you call a person
who is happy on a Monday ?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Retired
😀
Jib
Jun 25, 2018 at 10:10 AM
Comment #15If there’s nothing to report say nothing
Mike Ashley says nowt and he’s a fat
horrible Toon hater
Rafael Benitez says nowt and he’s a
geet lush manager
Nowt funnier than folk
mactoon
Jun 25, 2018 at 12:15 PM
Comment #16@Jib comment #14
That’s me, that is 🙂
Moonraker15
Jun 25, 2018 at 2:04 PM
Comment #17Jib
It’s the fact that there is nothing to report that’s the problem! Same old same old! How you keep on supporting Ashley is beyond me! He’s gonna let Rafa go and then we’re back to square one! Heading back to the Championship!