Rafa Benitez’ contract runs out at Newcastle this summer – something every Newcastle fans knows about.
we are hoping that Rafa will agree to stay on Tyneside even though Mike Ashley – a very miserly owner – will be in charge of the club in the medium term.
One of his former clubs Valencia will shortly be celebrating their 100th anniversary and Rafa has said he will not be returning to the Spanish club; he is the most successful manager in their history.
Rafa has often said in the last few months that he sees himself in management for ten years at least.
Rafa Benitez – Newcastle manager
This is what the Newcastle manager has said in Marca when asked if he wanted to manager Valencia again:
“I feel emotion and pride because in the end they were years with triumphs, and some lows and adversity,”
“The second year when we won was special because we didn’t have money and it is very complicated to surprise the big teams.”
“You can do it in the Champions League or the Copa del Rey – but to do what Leicester did was an immense achievement.”
“I remember when we first won the league, I told the dressing room we were going to do it and I had confidence because we had brought in players of quality.”
“We had professionals in that team who stayed after training simply to talk about football and that makes a difference.”
“I have a lot of respect for the coach of Valencia (Marcelino García Toral). I have 10 years of football left and you never know where I will end up,”
“So far in my career, I have never returned to an old club because the circumstances to do so have never transpired.”
“Picking between the trophies though, I can’t do that. I left Valencia with league titles and a UEFA Cup.”
“Then I reached Liverpool and won the Champions League, I’ll keep the two!”
Rafa has so far had a barren time of it at Newcastle over the last three seasons.
We were relegated after Rafa came on board – promoted immediately back to the Premier League and have spent the last two seasons fighting relegation.
You often wonder if this is what Rafa wants to do long term.
We hope he will stay with Newcastle but he’s giving nothing away on whether he will indeed stay on Tyneside.
Winning more trophies aa the Newcastle manager could prove difficult as long as Ashley is the owner.
Comments welcome.
166 comments so far
Pain in the Blog
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:09 PM
Comment #121Magscar #116,
I was born in ‘52 so you’ve probably got a couple of years on me. Totally insignificant now but vitally important in the mid 60s.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:14 PM
Comment #122Magscar
I was there first night
4 hours of magic brilliant
Still got my sweatshirt from the night – few sizes too small now
Also remember seeing
Little Steven and the disciples of Soul at the Hofbrauhaus – good live act but weird venue
magscar
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:18 PM
Comment #123Pain
1950 so only 2 years but as you say in your mid teen years a big gap 🙂
Think Ron and some others probably a little older from their posts but us 60 somethings quite a significant part of Blog.
magscar
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:25 PM
Comment #124Charlie
Couldn’t believe he started with Born In The USA rather than play nearer end and he and band excelled.
Drank in Hofbrau oompah night but never saw bands. Odd place used to be strippers on Match days back in 80,s? – just to being back around to NUFC before I bid goodnight all 🙂
lesh
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:42 PM
Comment #125Jeez
I seem to have looked in on a convention of faded flower people and geriatric hippies…….. Ommmmmmmmm
Aside from the music, were any of you gentle folk able or even wanted to get to the Morden Tower. All to sit there, at peace, smoke in hand and the poetry of Basil Bunting, Tom Pickard, Alan Ginsberg and his protege Tony Jackson?
Or, The New Orleans, The Downbeat where you could catch the then Alan Price Combo and whichever blues man they’d backed at the agogo. No drink allowed unless you were prepared to pay 3/- for a bottle of brown that would magic itself from under a side room counter.
Van the man with Them, The Yardbirds, Nashville Teens, John Mayall Blues Breakers – each backing long gone blues men.
Hey ho, time to dust the hair of the gramophone needle, find an lp sleeve…..…and enjoy some Tomita, Snowflakes are Dancing.
lesh
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:45 PM
Comment #126Nearly forgot
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/241584
#nufc
Howay the lads
Pain in the Blog
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:51 PM
Comment #127Lesh,
Don’t get me started on Tomita. Big fan. Especially Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.
lesh
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:57 PM
Comment #128Pain
Oh yes, relax, close eyes and float in the colours that Tomita painted with his music.
Wonderful stuff.
TyneMouth
Mar 21, 2019 at 10:59 PM
Comment #129Over two million petition votes and counting!
The end of MAYhem is in sight…
Munster Mag
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:10 PM
Comment #130First album: 12 gold bars status quo
Best concert: Bruce at thomond park
Best gig: Lloyd Cole in dolans limerick
Fav bands: beautiful South, Lloyd Cole and the commotion, catatonia
Munster Mag
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:15 PM
Comment #131I think it will happen tynemouth. For some reason the opinion that people had two years ago is more valid than the opinion now. What??!!??
RobLeenio
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:25 PM
Comment #132First album: Give My Regards To Broadway (Paul McCartney)
First Single: No Sleep Till Bedtime (Beastie Boys)
First Gig: Rev Hammer at Nottingham Rock City
Best place I ever bought music was The House on the Borderland in Peterborough, it was a massive open warehouse full of dusty racks of old vinyl and rare comics, down an alleyway past a dodgy tattooists. You had to be shown where it was as you’d never find it on your own. Great place, used to spend hours in there digging through old LPs
RobLeenio
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:28 PM
Comment #133Oops, Beastie Boys No Sleep till Brooklyn, the ‘bedtime’ version was of course the spoof by Morris Minor and the Majors.
😐
lesh
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:31 PM
Comment #134Tynemouth
How’d the democracy loving Brexit headbangers argue against the petition if it were signed by 17.5m?
It wouldn’t be representative of opinion because it could have been open to manipulation? It wasn’t based on facts such as those presented on the side of a bus in 2016?
Sadly, we’re still hearing people coming out with those mantras and racist posturing still being peddled via the Weatherspoons Times, Farage, The Express, Sun, Fetc etc
It’s a sad state of affairs, really sad.
Never mind, we can all look forward to a Britain of old – village greens, bustling high streets, Vera Lynn, everybody happy at their work and Newcastle United virtually owning the FA Cup
GS
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:41 PM
Comment #135Dave Davies is touring this year.
I will also do a Jib although I didn’t have to Google it. Ray Davies came out a few year ago and said his name is pronounced DAVIS after he let it go for 30+ years.
Online Guy
Mar 21, 2019 at 11:54 PM
Comment #136Yes Pain, it’s been a trip down memory wassits name reading tonight’s posts ..Great , and some fine thought out recollections .. what a good night ..strayed from football a little but it’s only what we might have ventured I to in the pub if a mate brought the subject up.
If you still have the Vashti Bunyan album Pain then it’s worth around £1200 to £1400 ..I think on Philips label , although I know you will hold the thought and the feeling that made you buy it in the first place and never sell it.
Jib , kinks , Stones , Beatles ..all good choices mate …Disraeli Gears .
I just got given this very day Ginger Bakers Bio
Lesh I’m off to look up some of the people you mention ..Bloody marvelous .
Mind the Bonzos were worth any ticket price..
Magscar you could write a book on it mate great stuff.
What I want to know is where is British Music going next . Folk is holding out, always will .
Apparently we are about to go all American country. Mmmm, small doses.
I will say that when it comes to Music lovers of the North east we do like the real deal, roots, blues and off of the wall .
Chicory Tip have no chance in wor neck of the woods ..shame, the Guitarist was not too shabby.
lesh
Mar 22, 2019 at 12:49 AM
Comment #137Online
You’ll be telling me you’ve got one of the best albums ever made – Black Lace’s Greatest Hit. Wonderful and worth a fortune.
Of late, I’ve been listening to a four disc set – How Britain Got The Blues. It covers the old blues that hooked a lot of us whities in the 60s through the American black music that was picked up by British bands onto the stuff that morphed into the jazz-blues based stuff enjoyed bg mods. It’s worth looking out for.
Anyway and in the words of PC George Dixon, g’night all.
lesh
Mar 22, 2019 at 1:05 AM
Comment #138Or was it ‘mind how you go now’?
lesh
Mar 22, 2019 at 1:17 AM
Comment #139Online
Couldn’t resist it… Bonzo Dog, a gem
http://tinyurl.com/yy3n49av
carltoon
Mar 22, 2019 at 1:30 AM
Comment #140Roy Orbison the city hall. A little unknown group bottom of the bill called the Beatles were on. Missed the last bus home and had to walk home. Wasn’t allowed out for months.
carltoon
Mar 22, 2019 at 1:35 AM
Comment #141Seen the Beatles again City Hall top of the bill. Gerry and the Pacemakers same night. I remember sitting on the seats at the back of the stage. It was great. Managed to catch the late bus home.
Nostradamus the Geordie
Mar 22, 2019 at 2:49 AM
Comment #142I’m sick to death of will he, won’t he, wish I could sleep until June.
Honestly this is going to go on and on until one party openly says something, wish either Rafa or Dumbledick would just speak to sky news and put it into the public eye.
For the love of god, just let the fans know where they stand, we ain’t asking much.
DubaiMicky
Mar 22, 2019 at 5:00 AM
Comment #143Morning all, well cos I missed last night’s trip down memory lane, first gig was Sammy Hagar at City Hall January 29th 1982, best gig would be David Byrne at Cambridge Corn Exchange Sept 24th 1994, although The Macc Lads at The Mayfair 8th November 1987 was certainly the most memorable, best stadium gig is tricky, could be Prince at NEC or Queen at SJP. Worst by a long way was Beautiful South at NEC Arena Birmingham, out of their heads on coke, half the audience walked out, I was told the second night was even worse.
First singles and albums – no idea.
DubaiMicky
Mar 22, 2019 at 5:01 AM
Comment #144Oh, and my memory isn’t that good – thanks to http://www.setlist.fm
Optimistic Panda
Mar 22, 2019 at 6:23 AM
Comment #145Beer
I’ve mentioned Laird before, you a oak island fan.. Only show I watch on TV.
Lindisfarne
Mar 22, 2019 at 6:34 AM
Comment #146Very embarrassing but here goes:
First single – Liquid Gold, Dance yourself dizzy
First album – Showaddywaddy greatest hits
First Live act – Deee lite supported by PM Dawn at Manc Academy
lesh
Mar 22, 2019 at 6:38 AM
Comment #147Cartoon
For what it’s worth, I saw the Beatles at the then Majestic (now the O2 Academy?) in 1962 or 63. Love Me Do had just been issued. It wasn’t too long after that the queues for their next visit to Newcastle, the queues for tickets for the City Hall formed overnight with people kipping out on the pavement.
beermonkey
Mar 22, 2019 at 7:49 AM
Comment #148panda
yes and i have just watched the curse of civil war gold
different lot but sponsored by marty lagina
have to say i dont think they will find anything i think the slave who lived on the island round it all
lesh
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:03 AM
Comment #149Rafa’s words (‘I have a lot of respect for the coach of Valencia (Marcelino García Toral). I have 10 years of football left and you never know where I will end up. So far in my career, I have never returned to an old club because the circumstances to do so have never transpired.’) suggest to me that Rafa’s open to the idea of going back to an old club of his – if the circumstances are right. Valencia could be another challenge for him.
It’s up to Ashley to be flexible in his recruitment policy but for that to work, he must feel able to trust Rafa and he to trust Ashley. The only way that could happen is if they stopped setting their negotiating positions via the media and sat down with the genuine aim to develop a mutual respect. The old adage applies here – if people are negotiating, they’re not doing so as friends yet if they sit down to discuss possible outcomes, there’s a good chance those discussions’d work.
It’s a bit like the UK/ EU disharmony which all goes down to the aggressive and disrespectful language used by the likes of Johnson before any talks had even begin.
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:05 AM
Comment #150Forgot to say last night
I saw Dylan at the Odeon
First set him on his own with guitar
brilliant
Second set with the Band
brillianter
Some booing and folk shouting “Judas”
and walking out.
I was in the front row , he was quite elfin
with an afro.
I must have been the youngest there was with
my gf also from Dame Allans
(she was a vicars daughter and hot as hell)
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:11 AM
Comment #151I have it from someone who is in a position to know
that Agata and Claudia Benitez have become big
Toon fans and have fallen for Newcastle(the city)
in a big way and have quite an influence on their
doting dad.
hibbit
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:13 AM
Comment #152a night to remember
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZbZ9YjCyqk
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:19 AM
Comment #153Cheers for that Hibbit
Never heard that recording before
bettyswallocks
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:27 AM
Comment #154Keep up the good work Lesh. Karl would be very proud of you.
Ron Knee
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:28 AM
Comment #155Listening to Family Favourites – back in the day – somebody requested “Positively 4th Street” for their “loved ones”. The song faded out with “You don’t what a drag it is to see you …”.
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:29 AM
Comment #156Betty I think you mean Groucho
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:30 AM
Comment #157Ron did Cliff Michelmore host that ?
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:35 AM
Comment #158The squad are back to work at Benton today
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:38 AM
Comment #159Just checked it was Mitchelmore and Jean Metcalfe
presented 2 way family favourites a link between
the BeeB and BFBS with the British forces in Germany
Ron Knee
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:42 AM
Comment #160Yes, Jib. He also hosted Tonight – when Sonny Boy Williamson used to play live on the show!