There were some shocks yesterday when L’Equipe reported that Rafa had asked an agency to looks into management jobs in Ligue 1 – Rafa was said to be interested in managing in France for next season.
A few hours later the Chronicle reported the French article was not accurate and that Rafa’s first priority was to manage at Newcastle; he would give the club every chance to meet his demands and sign for the next three years.
It looks like our goals of having Rafa sign up at Newcastle for say 5 years or even 10 years will not happen.
Not with Mike Ashley still the owner.
There’s a report in the Chronicle this morning that the main area that Rafa wants sorted out is in the transfers.
That will not come as a surprise to Newcastle fans.
He wants to ensure he will get ample transfer funds in the future – including this summer something he hasn’t had in the last three years.
He also wants more control on the players he will sign and especially on Ashley’s policy of signing players under 26.
Rafa doesn’t want to have to keep going back to Ashley via Lee Charnley to seek permission to sign players – it takes too long, and it’s got to be frustrating for the manager.
Rafa also wants to sign older players when it makes football sense.
Two examples of that right now are Salomon Rondon and Mo Diame.
Rondon will cost around £16M and he turns 30 in September and Ashley is also not willing to give Diame a two-year deal to keep him at the club; Diame turns 32 in June.
The time-frame of the next contract for Rafa seems to be being reduced; the Chronicle is reporting today Newcastle have recently offered him a new two-year deal to stay on board.
A two or three-year deal is too short – we should be trying to keep Rafa on Tyneside for at least five years.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
3 comments so far
lochinvar
Apr 5, 2019 at 10:02 AM
Comment #1No one in their right mind would sign to work for Ashley for 5 or 10 years.
3 years with the right assurances about investment in players, Academy, Training Centre and SJP seems fair enough.
runheed
Apr 5, 2019 at 10:04 AM
Comment #2Absolutely. It’s a no brainer. Unfortunately Ashley has no brain, he has a piggy bank for a head.
BeeGuy
Apr 5, 2019 at 11:27 AM
Comment #3We need to ask “How long do most managers last with a club, even good ones?” SAF was one, but most of the top tier managers are “in and out” in 5 years. Is it likely Rafa grow stale at NUFC? I’d like it if Rafa was as long on the job as SAF, but that might not be realistic.