Rafa Benitez has just finished his press conference for the match at Brighton in the leat kickoff game tomorrow afternoon.
If we can win this game we will equal last season’s points tally of 44 with still two games to play.
Rafa Benitez – meeting with the press
Here’s some of what Rafa has said this afternoon in his press conference:
“For me the potential is there, it’s a massive club and city. Home and away the support is massive.”
“My memories at Liverpool and Chelsea are Newcastle are massive and should be in the top 10.”
“We’ll let you know later on (about negotiations). It’s football. We’re professional. If the club has an idea, we have to be sure we have the same idea.”
“If we have any news, you will know, from me or the club. We have had more conversations, but that’s it”
“I don’t say now that we should be competing for 7th-10th only now; I said this 3 years ago.”
“Another manager may be happy with 15th”
“It’s important to do business early, especially with the prices in the market. Sometimes you try to do things early and you can’t.”
“But we have to be sure we are ready to do what we want to do. The club has an idea, and we have to be sure we have the same idea.”
The majority of fans think we can win this game tomorrow afternoon.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
21 comments so far
Just a fan
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:02 PM
Comment #1Paul ince former football great.
Now that’s funny
carltoon
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:03 PM
Comment #2Does Raffa sound more positive.
Jib
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:11 PM
Comment #3https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-benitez-offers-diplomatic-answer-16185977
Hail Wor Ashley
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:11 PM
Comment #4Muto has to come in ahead of Atsu tomorrow.
I’ve written about Atsu and his positive impact mid-season, but he is limited and his main asset – pace – has been diminished by injuries.
Muto was performing very well and beginning to make his claim before he jetted off to play for Japan in January.
He has the energy to press and win the ball back high up the pitch like Perez and Almiron, when he started as a ST against Man U back in October him and Perez absolutely terrorised the Man U defence for the first 45, not giving an inch and he got a goal.
Give him these 3 games, with Rondon to play off and I back him to get a goal or two.
carltoon
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:14 PM
Comment #5Oh Lascelles injured. Schar is back though. So we won’t know till June if Raffas stays.
Hail Wor Ashley
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:24 PM
Comment #6Bet Rafa is sick to back teeth of having to repeat himself every week, sometimes on multiple occasions. What part of “You’ll know when there is news to speak of.” don’t the press and some fans understand?
Probably that more than anything which is making him consider going elsewhere. Nice to be appreciated, but when that appreciation becomes neurotic neediness it’s definitely a turn-off.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:30 PM
Comment #7I wouldn’t think the club will want to announce Rafa is gone till the last game they won’t want any bad publicity in the Liverpool game seeing as it will be the most watched game of the season!!
If Rafa has signed a new contract then it would make sense to announce it for that game to make a big statement!
Carefully planned PR for either outcome!
giimps
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:40 PM
Comment #8I didn’t like the “maybe another manager will be happy with 15th ” …….sounds ominous , I just hope the FCB will do the right thing for his business, ,after all, if Rafa goes, the value of his business will drop ,Rada is the duck tape holding the whole thing together, lose that and not only will the horse bolt, the wheels and seats will come off, there won’t be a place on the cart which won’t give you very painful and expensive to put right splinters.
Come on Mikey, make the right decision, don’t risk another Debenhams by p!ssing off everyone again…….bully boy tactics don’t work everywhere
Jib
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:40 PM
Comment #9It hasn’t taken long for OGS to become very defensive and
apologetic talking about Manure – way out of his depth I fear.
Hail Wor Ashley
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:41 PM
Comment #10For what it’s worth I think he is 90% certain to stay.
I think he will get £60m plus player sales which will be satisfactory enough.
He will look at our form 2nd half of the season (we’re about 5th I believe) and think we have a good settled system and base of players to work with going forward.
He wants at least one VAR season with Newcastle!
Jib
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:41 PM
Comment #11duct tape
Jib
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:41 PM
Comment #12Rafa now on Sky sports news
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:43 PM
Comment #13@Giimps
There will be a massive queue of people who would take the job for 6 million a season!
Job requirements will be having a massive ego to take the abuse from fans ,be prepared to lie on camera, accept players that the club provides and football knowledge is not essential to do the role!!
hibbit
Apr 26, 2019 at 2:57 PM
Comment #14LCPB
the next manager wont be on any were near £6m a year. £2m a year yes man and no ambition will be the first credentials Charnley looks for on there cv and a club saving of £4m a year for brownie points
Jail for Ashley
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:07 PM
Comment #15LCBP,
I doubt very much if he’ll be paying any footer £6M a year again.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:09 PM
Comment #16hibbit,
I hadn’t refreshed when I typed that, great minds 😀
Jib
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Comment #17Hibbit and Jail for Ashley
great minds
ha ha ha ha
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:16 PM
Comment #18@Jail and Hibbit
The thing is yeah they might be able to get someone for 2 million but if they want someone really compliant who wont relegate them Big Sam will be wanting 5 million a season!!
Be interesting to see who they would approach when Rafa leaves !
Lindisfarne
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:35 PM
Comment #19Guardian – Brighton rejig can help Murray and Gross fire again
Brighton’s plunge into relegation trouble has coincided with a dramatic collapse in their home form. Before February, Leicester were the only team outside the current top four to have won a league game at the Amex. Burnley, Bournemouth, Southampton and Cardiff have all won there recently. It’s tempting to blame nerves, but Chris Hughton’s switch to a 4-3-3 formation may be equally the issue. Brighton have become defensively vulnerable at the Amex without increasing their attacking threat. Pascal Gross and Glenn Murray have seen their influence diminished and Murray is without a home league goal since December. Switching Gross back to a supporting role, or deploying a second striker, could be key to securing a vital home win with games against Arsenal and Manchester City to come. NM
Tsunki
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:37 PM
Comment #20“It’s important to do business early, especially with the prices in the market. Sometimes you try to do things early and you can’t.”
It might be a mistake to think Benitez only has training facilities and a player budget to negotiate. He also must be finding it tough to get round the “NUFC player appraisal, purchasing and negotiation team” a collective of fudging bumblers and professional procrastinators with Charnley – the man with the day of the week printed on his underpants – as the executive decision maker ensuring that the best (most expensive) targets are protracted sufficiently for them to die in the water, and the third choice (budget buy) comes in to the despair of the manager tasked with fashioning a footballer out of a third tier chugger.
Lindisfarne
Apr 26, 2019 at 3:38 PM
Comment #21The Guardian concentrates on the potential for Brighton to change formation in order to change their fortunes in the third last game of the season. However, how likely is it that Rafa will change too much particularly due to the resent injuries and the lack of window appearances by those players that may be ready to be moved on.