As someone aptly pointed out on this site yesterday, Newcastle United now have FACT the most successful manager in English football at the helm. With Champions League titles and domestic titles galore, Rafa is taking a job he is clearly over qualified for but perhaps it was Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley who helped the Spaniard see the bigger picture.
On paper, we along with Aston Villa and Norwich City will be competing in England’s second tier next season. There’s no getting away from the fact we won’t be appearing on Match of the Day next season (perhaps for the best given recent results) and there’s also no getting away from the fact, the awe-inspiring terraces (I’m talking about the ground itself not the mute prawn sandwich-munching fans) of Old Trafford will now be replaced by the likes of Rotherham’s New York stadium. There’s also no getting away from the fact that the revenue we miss out on this season due to our relegation to the second tier will be quite detrimental financially.
But what about that bigger picture I was talking about? At risk of using a tired cliche, Newcastle is a sleeping giant. Our fan base is huge for a City which is roughly 25 times smaller in population than London for example. Despite a lot of our recent transfer activity not garnering great results, there is no denying that we have a board headed up by Ashley that have money to spend.
The bigger picture is, that Newcastle can become a great club again and Rafa clearly wants to be part of that. For all the unfathomable decisions those at the top have made in the North East in recent times, those in charge at the club have done a stellar job making sure Rafa stays at the club and they should, at least for the time being be commended for that.
Good read Andy. It’s a fact we will walk the Championship. I don’t expect fireworks when we get promoted to the PL but anything other than relegation battles and a few good cup runs would be lovely after the nonsense we have been exposed to in recent years. Credit to Ashley and Charnley for taking notw of what the fans want and delivering it for a change. Onwards and upwards.
Shamrock(Quote)
Good article Andy the magpie. I agree Ashley and Lee deserve credit for signing Benitez. The fan’s deserve some credit as well. I just hope this is Ashley finally coming to his sense’s. As for you last article I agree Colocini, Taylor and Riviere need to go. Didn’t take much interest in the Townsend thread because I ignore speculation and paper talk until a bid has actually been made. All for bringing new bloggers to the blog
Terry(Quote)
Thanks Andy,
Yeah they do deserve credit but I reserve the right to jump on their sorry arses again should they renege on any agreements with Rafa 😉
Kimtoon(Quote)
Andy good read ? and I agree with you.
For me Rafa staying on to help rebuild our once great club his way has been worth the disappointment of relegation.
And yeah I think Jabba deserves credit for finally catching on that his way ( the sports direct model ) of running a top football club wasn’t and never would work.
Big Dave(Quote)
Icedog(Quote)
Well written Andy. We finally have some good news to celebrate. I’m looking forward to our first full season with Rafa even though I will have a difficult time getting to see any of the matches. I think we can go up on first asking but it will be a battle. The club has to prove itself once again.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I’m less willing to give Ashley and Charnley any credit. They were in a desperate situation, had fouled the nest for several seasons and really had no other decent option but to go for Rafa as hard as they could.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Rafa said in his press conference yesterday that he decided to stay at NUFC because it was a different type of challenge for him to take on.
Promotion is a must, but for me Rafa has to be aiming to finish top spot. But I would like to see us go one further and set a new record for points achieved.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-md-lee-charnley-good-11388177
With regards to the question of the article – yeah, I posted last night, but clean slate for Ashley & Charnley for me. This appointment is an admission of their mistakes for me & im big enough to forgive.
And the above link has a poll attached which suggests that most of the Geordie faithful think the same.
Has there been any news on Graham Carr?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Has it been reported how many games that Mitro has been banned for??
Icedog(Quote)
SHARPY no news on Carr only that there could be news on it next week
Icedog(Quote)
Ice I haven’t heard owt more about Mitro
Big Dave(Quote)
Ice – he’s probably turned his phone off, knowing what’s coming mate.
Either that or the collection envelope is still being passed round the office 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ice – Mitro should be a 4 match ban mate. 3 for the red card and an additional because it was his 2nd of the season.
I can’t see the FA extending it now, and nor should they IMO. It wasn’t a great tackle, but the pundits went way over the top in their review of it.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Just catching up on some of the transfer talk, and Fulham are reported to have bid £1.5m for Grant Hanley.
Well firstly, Fulham have a transfer embargo – so that journo wants shot with **** 😆
But secondly, I’d like to see us go and buy Grant Hanley from Blackburn – he’s a proper no nonsense defender.
Sharpy17(Quote)
SHARPY I cannot comment on him as I haven’t seen him play,how many times have you seen him play??
Icedog(Quote)
Dave you let me down I was sure Dave would have the gen lol
Icedog(Quote)
By the look on J J face Rafa is telling him where he’s going wrong looks a pee-ed off
http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/in/news/rafa-benitez-gets-straight-back-work/3550/
Icedog(Quote)
SHARPY talking defenders there’s a MUST buy out there DUNK big beast of a defender good on the deck great in the air and a big plus is he knows every striker in the ccc and knows how they play only 24 he’s a MUST imo
Icedog(Quote)
Hi Andy,
Good read and have to agree, after all the stick and rightly so, this time have really done something right, so only fair given some credit for it. Lets just hope its a start and more to come from Ashley. I’m looking forward to the new season, 1 step at a time but sure we will get promoted straight away, then sure things will really start to look good. Be good to see what players, maybe coming to end of career are willing to come and work for Rafa and get us up, maybe with coaching roles for them as well. Contacts he has could be some good big players I hope
Simon(Quote)
Ice – sorry mate I got caught up on a call from my mam – Christ they can bloody talk!!.
I’ve seen Hanley afew times – admittedly maybe not enough to be 100% sure on him. But the games I’ve saw him he’s a physical presence there. He’s not a footballing CB, but more like a James Collins, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth type defender.
I think he’s good enough for the championship up to mid premier league level and is only 24.
He’s not top class, but is still fairly young & would be better than Colo or Saylor I reckon.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ice – I’d take Dunk in a heartbeat. I did see him quite a bit too & he looks very reliable.
I think he might get picked up by a PL team this summer to be honest – and if not, I think Brighton may look to charge us a canny amount for one of their better players as they will see themselves as promotion rivals & will be desperate not to strengthen us whilst weaken themselves.
He’s contracted to Brighton til 2020 as well.
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/05/26/newcastle-fans-compare-players-to-burgers-with-hilarious-results/
ha
Kimtoon(Quote)
I have to say, I am still baffled by people saying we will walk the Championship next year. It makes no sense.
Rafa staying increases our chances, yes but he cannot work miracles. It will not be easy. I’d take a play-off promotion now if offered. I have no illusion we will be too big for the division.
It is the same false logic people were using thinking we would stay up last year in the last month. I was proven right then and I will be this time. The Championship is far harder than the Premiership.
funkyjesus(Quote)
As most here know, I am Scottish so I’ve seen more of Grant Hanley than pretty much anyone here. He isn’t flashy, he isn’t particularly skilful. He is like Steven Taylor if Steven Taylor could batter Andy Carroll.
He’d make a good “heavy” to play alongside a more skilful centre back. I suspect he’d immediately be hated here by pretty much everyone. “He’s like Williamson” they’d cry.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Aye, well done the club I say. Well done to Charnley for having a relationship with Rafa that he enjoys and well done to Ashley for realising his way doesn’t work and letting a football man of the highest, highest calibre run the club.
Rafa is not Ashley’s puppet – he’s our man and that means everything!
Stuart79(Quote)
Funky – he is a heavy, you’re right mate. It’s a perfect description of the kid – that’s why I was trying to compare him with a James Collins or Robert Huth type CB – I think they are that kind of CB.
That’s the type of defender I would like to see in though. Defend first. Knock it into row Z and get everyone back behind the ball over trying some kind of suicide pass which gets us into trouble.
I would probably still go with Mbemba & Lascelles as 1st choice CBs, so Hanley would come in as a back up to them.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Funky – I would say that I think Hanley is better than Willo – and that’s not to take a cheap shot at Willo. But I think Hanley is more mobile that Willo. He’s better on the turn – Willo was like a tank at times, and he’s a better tackler than Willo.
I’d take Hanley ahead of Saylor or Colo – what about you mate?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Funky we will walk the Championship. Not sure we will beat our last points total but we will get automatic promotion. Look at our last 6 games and then our last game. Different circumstances due to different manager, who we have retained and who now will command even more respect from his squad with the power he has. We have nothing to fear.
Shamrock(Quote)
Absolutely. Even with our major improvement under Strachan, the most enjoyment I get from watching Scotland games is seeing who Grant Hanley is trying to maim this time. It’s funny in its slasher movie-esque nature.
funkyjesus(Quote)
I hope you’re right and Rafa offers us our best hope but….. yeah, this is Newcastle. Easy isn’t our nature state of being.
funkyjesus(Quote)
4
Darestobedifferent(Quote)
Mitro has a 4 game ban.
Darestobedifferent(Quote)
Yeah, it’s true.
I was a bit sceptical at first because I couldn’t find any reports about it (just a lot of speculation that it would be 4 games) but there’s confirmation here on the FA website:
http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/suspensions
Chris G(Quote)
If the likes of Gini & De Jong do end up leaving, I’d like to see us get Alan Judge from Brentford – 14 goals & 11 assists as an attacking midfielder last season. He only has a year left on his contract too so could be got at a fair price.
I think McCormack is clearly a good forward at championship level, but £12m seems a lot IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Thanks guys, for all the stick they get, I believe they do actually care – Rafa must have been signed for a fair wedge! The best thing about the appointment is the momentum from the last 5 or 6 games we can take with us for next season.
Kemar Roofe from Oxford anyone?
Andy Magpie(Quote)
Andy, not seen much of him due to the league he plays in but he has got a few goals this season apparently.
The Toon could do worse than take a look at Lb Derrick Williams down at my local club Bristol City, he was an ever present in the team when City secured record points promotion back to the championship. Tidy player who was on the books at Villa after turning down Manure contract at 15. He can also work well in a back 3 which he did at City, Good appearance record too.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Aaah I’ve not heard of him but it shows the sort of talent around in the football league.
How about Will Grigg? Anyone seen that Will Grigg’s on fire song going around lately?!
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
Scum are also trying to do a player swap plus cash for Aden Flint Bristol City’s CB, but the locals are up in arms about it as he is highly rated.
Kimtoon(Quote)
From Reuters:
Roy Hodgson will consider Andros Townsend for selection even if the winger spends the next season in the second-tier of English football with a relegated Newcastle United, the England manager has said.
Townsend was one of the standout performers for his club, scoring four goals in 13 Premier League appearances, but that was not enough to save Newcastle, who finished 18th.
The 24-year-old, who is part of England’s 26-man provisional squad for Euro 2016, has been linked with a move away from St. James’ Park by the local media.
“It doesn’t impact on his (international) career in any particular way,” Hodgson said.
“But for him to be in the (England) team he needs to be the Townsend we’ve seen in the past.”
Townsend signed for Newcastle from Tottenham Hotspur in January, after making three league appearances for the London side last season, and falling out of favour with manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“I picked him when he wasn’t playing for any senior team at all– he was just sitting on the bench or in the reserves at Tottenham Hotspur and I’ve done that for a few players,” Hodgson said
Shamrock(Quote)
Andy for me a proper manager should cost a good wedge, as he is the most senior and important man at the club. What talk I have heard he is supposed to be on £4 mil a yr
If for instance you take Colo the clown for all the talk he is on £80 k a week which works out at over £4 mil a year, Then for me it’s a no brainer.
As for the momentum yeah we need to build on that and I’m sure Rafa will incest on that as I don’t think he will accept slackers in the team, which has been my main gripe.
Big Dave(Quote)
A a bit confused by that statement. He says it does not matter what league he is in so long as he is playing well but goes on to say he has picked before when he was not even playing. So does he need to be in the team performing or does it just not matter to him if a player is fit and on form?
Either way it’s good news from a Toon point of view. I think the players will think twice about leaving as they could be on the verge of being part of a very exciting and successful aide under Rafa in the next 2 or 3 years.
Shamrock(Quote)
Icedog(Quote)
Funky – you could well be right. Promotion should not be taken so lightly. You have to win close to 30 games to go automatic. 30 bloody games when this lot could only manage 9!
I do hope you’re wrong and we storm the championship like KK’s 11 straight wins to start the season. It will be interesting to say the least.
Nice write up Andy! But some things will never be forgiven.
Georgio(Quote)
Of course, we’ve had our fingers burned before after the season we finished 5th in the Prem. But in the here and now they’ve done a decent job getting him in.
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
DAVE Elliot saying how it is (was)
http://www.themag.co.uk/2016/05/rob-elliot-hold-hands-say-things-arent-right-newcastle-united/
Icedog(Quote)
http://newcastle.gloryfootball.com/newcastle-news/striker-says-hes-staying-at-newcastle-next-season/
Kimtoon(Quote)
Ice good to hear mate, but not surprising as it was obvious for all to see that the club was on the downward slope. And as I said many times we had / have some top players but not a good team because there was far too many slackers that didn’t care, because they knew they wouldn’t get dropped under the previous managers.
Big Dave(Quote)
Well there is a new article you can comment on but it does not appear on the homepage. Not quite getting to grips with the new set up personally but I’m sure it will all make sense over time?
Shamrock(Quote)
I’m willing to have a fresh start with Ashley once he shows he can stick with Rafa if things don’t go well at the start. This will take time. Ashley and friends have literally destroyed the club. Don’t expect brilliant successes overnight. The shambles left by the clowns running things is everywhere to be seen. I would give Rafa a couple of seasons before even beginning to judge him.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2016/05/27/with-benitez-staying-30-year-old-decides-to-remain-at-newcastle-united/comment-page-1/#comment-566053
New thread by silent partner Nick.
Shamrock(Quote)
Cheers Sham
Big Dave(Quote)
Isn’t this the new thread? It has a later date on it than the other one? I’m finding this very confusing. Just put them in the correct order on the home page. 😕
GeordieTwo(Quote)
New thread on Cisse chaps and chappettes
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2016/05/27/with-benitez-staying-30-year-old-decides-to-remain-at-newcastle-united/
Andy The Magpie(Quote)