Here is Rafa’s BBC interview after what was a very strange game against Cardiff City in South Wales today.
We had Isaac Hayden sent off, Manquillo injured and Kenedy missed a penalty after 96 minutes that could have gained us all 3 points.
Who wants to be a football manager?
But it was not to be and maybe a draw was a fair result.
Rafa Benitez in the touchline this afternoon
Here’s how Rafa summed up the game when interviewed by BBC Sport after the game.
Loading ...Comments always welcome.
276 comments so far
Toondog2
Aug 18, 2018 at 3:57 PM
Comment #1It’s going to be another nail biter of a season
All seems very disjointed
Why didn’t our new signings start ?
RUNAWAY777
Aug 18, 2018 at 3:59 PM
Comment #2Rafa just take the blame for today and why did you take ritchie off again you are not invincible
Munster Mag
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:01 PM
Comment #3Why buy muto and rondon and give them about 20 mins? What is the love for Joselu
TomaKaThor
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:04 PM
Comment #4Shame if he kept Ritchie on he most likely would of buried the pen, was genuinely couldn’t get much more of a worse taken pen, just like his free kick earlier on… Shelvey should of obviously taken it.
And p.s Kennedy you don’t have to faf around with the ball everytime you have it, you can just pass it.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:04 PM
Comment #5Honestly didn’t see us beating Cardiff before the season kicked off these were the type of games we have struggled to win last year and the championship season and we started with the same team pretty much who struggled against the likes of Brighton and West Brom last season!
Glad we didn’t get beat though although Chelsea and Arsenal with a make shift defence is not what we need really
Ron Knee
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:04 PM
Comment #6Showing your true colours, Munster?
jezza442
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:05 PM
Comment #7I thought Perez was doing ok,getting into his usual scoring positions and connected great for that shelvey cracking cross from deep,I think a better change at that time would have been Joselu for rondon but nevermind
FollowFollow
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:07 PM
Comment #8Stop taking Ritchie off.
Worthy of my first post in about 6 months
cyprus
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:08 PM
Comment #9He’s not exactly vincible either :).
Guess there is after all a positive side. Played a lot of time with just ten, held off the opposition, completely. Even if it was just Cardiff.
There you go.
Next game. Please!
cyprus
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:08 PM
Comment #10Yes, keep Ritchie on man.
shaun83
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:09 PM
Comment #11Sure Rafa has to take part of the blame. Although no-one has any idea how a different line up would have done. We also have no idea why our new signing didn’t play longer, it has been referenced that they aren’t ready due to late arrivals.
The reality is we have a world class manager who could manage any of the top four teams, in fact has and has done a great job at some of them. What we also have is a bottom 1/4 of the table squad, you can argue the 1/4 but it is definitely bottom half. And that is down to the Ashley factor, I can’t beleive he is still here, still not investing, how it looked so different for a few weeks last season
Munster Mag
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:12 PM
Comment #12Ron stop being a knob. Can we have your match analysis please and critique of the manager today please? Or will you just laughably blame Ashley for a flat performance against a team of lumpers. Now that was a proper championship team.
jezza442
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:12 PM
Comment #13Take your point about not taking Richie off,but we did seem to play better overall when Murphy came on,but I think that was more down to the fact that they attacked more when we went down to 10 men and it opened the game up ,we always play dross against dross but when they played we played.
chicousa
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:12 PM
Comment #14And Mitro scores against Spurs…
TomaKaThor
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:13 PM
Comment #15Rafa is a stubborn man that’s why he continually plays the totaly useless Joselu, he literaly is so bad is unreal, he has no redeeming qualities, some seem to think because he is quite tall he has okay hold up play, in reality it’s terrible, he is weak as a kitten and his touch is shambolic… Simply put he genuinly isn’t good enough for professional football lol its baffling
shaun83
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:13 PM
Comment #16It’s sad that the younger enervation of supporters up to 18 have really only known this Ashley era, none of the robson days, let alone the Keegan ones, Ashley has stolen our club and our youngsters of seeing what Newcastle should be; exciting and ambitious, bigger than the sum of our parts.
Jib
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:13 PM
Comment #17Danny Ings scores for Soton vs Everton !!!!!!
the white tino
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:15 PM
Comment #18How come RAFFA was harassed about decisions referee made by sky interviewer yet warnock wasn’t asked once about Harry artas tackle on joselu??
Ron Knee
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:15 PM
Comment #19Thanks, Munster!
dig-n-dig22
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:17 PM
Comment #20Mitro scores at Spurs, Gayle brought down in the box at West Brom, Pen converted.
crawfordm
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:17 PM
Comment #21Mitro for fulham – bring on the doom metchants !!!
Essex Geordie Bill
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:19 PM
Comment #22Is it worth reposting or should I wait until Ed finally gives us the chance to get a decent thread going.
In the end a good point, it would have been really hard on Cardiff to lose in the last minute although I’d have been delighted if they had.
Ritchie was handicapped by that strange ref’s decision to yellow card him when it was he who clearly was fouled.
The Hayden red should have been a yellow, definite foul but no worse than Arter’s.
Funnily enough I thought we played better with 10 men and at one point thought they were hanging on more than us.
I said at half time we were playing against 12 men with the ref favouring the home side big time.
So a point out of the game is a good result in the end.
Essex Geordie Bill
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:21 PM
Comment #23JP I did say it earlier but once again, congrats on your big day, enjoy it. This is more important to you than a disappointing football match.
TomaKaThor
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:21 PM
Comment #24Mitrovic has hit the Post and scored against Spurs, never should of let him go, one of the decisions Benitez defo got wrong in my eyes, always rated him since we bought him and never wanted him sold… Is a handful… Makes Joselu look like a scared useless child
Essex Geordie Bill
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:24 PM
Comment #25Jezza @ 7
Agreed, I was a bit puzzled at the decision to take Perez off instead of Joselu.
manxpie
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:25 PM
Comment #26Surely the fa cant ban kenedy from the referee report after the ref gave arter a yellow for an even worse kick on joselu?
And as for hayden he shouldnt be anywhere near the squad let alone getting on the pitch! Sterry surely deserves a chance instead of a guy who doesnt want to be here!
bill
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:25 PM
Comment #27The problem is that we have very few players of real quality. To get quality players you have to either spend lots of money, have a great scouting set-up and have an academy that will nurture players. Unfortunately, we have none of these things. I think Ashley is here for the long term, so, get used to it.
Get up salmon
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:26 PM
Comment #28Rondon cant just walk into the team what sort of message does that give him rafa does right with joselu vs rondon an muto vs perez rondon will start next week muto may not
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:26 PM
Comment #29Toma
Spot on about Rafa being stubborn
Does my head in at times in
Jib
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:32 PM
Comment #30I blame the result on Mike Ashley being overweight
dig-n-dig22
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:32 PM
Comment #31Gayle scores for West Brom
thevoiceofreason
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:33 PM
Comment #32Is Rondon not match fit?
Why is Kenedy the number 2 penalty taker? He was according to BBC text commentary having a shocking game so why let him take the penalty… Jonjo would have buried it… for that matter so would Dummett…
Why buy new players if you are not going to play them?
Why take Ritchie off, which last week clearly upset the lad… why not bring him on… if you only want to play him for half the match.
Why not play three at the back with wing backs if we now have an issue.
Why are we playing Joselu… at all! Especially if he cannot take penalties!
Why did we sell Mitro…
These are manager issues not player issues… not yet watched the game ( recording it) but I have never been a huge fan of Benitez. To me as well as the fact that Ashley will not spend anything there is a problem with some of the choices Benitez makes
chicousa
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:39 PM
Comment #33Today’s performance shows what a net transfer profit of 20M £+ will buy you!
Jib
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:42 PM
Comment #34thevoiceofreason
not yet watched the game
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
this blog is like an idiot magnet
Jib
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:43 PM
Comment #35Nah
on reflection it’s a non-mag on a wind up
(quite a good one as it happens)
Jail for Ashley
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:48 PM
Comment #36Jibbers @30,
At last we agree on something.
Belfast
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:50 PM
Comment #37Munster this squad has been clubbed together, supermarket sweep style, due to Mike Ashley’s unwillingness to spend money. So I don’t see how the mediocre performances have nothing to do with him to be honest ?
Have you ever heard the saying – If you pay peanuts you get monkeys ?
Or in our case Joselus and Manquillos lol
Belfast
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:51 PM
Comment #38So how long do we think McLaren will last at Qpr? Haha
manxpie
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:51 PM
Comment #39At least west ham are losing again i can see it going proper tits up for them this season which will be good for us
Mcclarens qpr 7-1 down!
c-dog
Aug 18, 2018 at 4:59 PM
Comment #40At least everyone agrees our squad is weak