Ask anyone who knows me personally to describe me and I can guarantee that the words “positive” and “optimist “ would not be forthcoming, however it’s definitely time to try to get past the Arab takeover and get on with our lives as far as we can until something happens.
There have been stories in the paper about how Rafa is definitely staying because he’s chasing players and signing off on preseason games and stuff like that. In all honesty that means nothing. Rafa’s manager of the club and that’s his job. Stuff happening in July and August is planned in May and June, and even if Rafa is leaving, as a professional he’ll get on and do what needs to be done, right up to his last working day.
The story being pushed now is that Rafa has been offered a contract with a number of options. Knowing Ashley the options mentioned will be along the lines of “take it” or “leave it”, with a possible third option stating that there’s a bail out clause for Rafa if the club should be taken over by new owners and Rafa doesn’t want to stay there and have to spend all day every day counting his transfer funds.
Yes, I’m sure Rafa would be very wary about staying on if the club was sold. All that money available and having to make decisions himself? It would be like working for a professional football club, and I doubt they pay him enough to take on that kind of responsibility.
All that said we continue to assume that Rafa would be the first choice manager for the new owners, which journalist Justin Allen, the guy who first broke the story, insists he is.
But for how long?
I’ve just had a browse through Premier League club histories and a very interesting if not quite so encouraging trend came up.
5 clubs didn’t help me make my point at all here so of course I ignored them, however, looking at the other 15, the trend suggests that when a club is taken over by new owners the existing manager is replaced within an average of 5 months. Some got lucky and had a season to prove themselves, while at the other end of the scale the deal with a new manager was agreed previously and once the takeover was announced it was out with the old and in with the new in just two days!
So while Rafa may be the soup de jour, tomorrow is another jour!
As for talk of Mourihno and Wenger being considered, what do you think of that?
Who would be your choice to replace Rafa. And I’ll give you a clue. Rafa is not a choice to REPLACE Rafa.
While I think the likes of Hodgson and Wenger are past it now because of their age, there’s something about the possibility of Keegan coming back that would get my juices flowing.
He’s no spring chicken but there’s still a space in his CV that should read “Newcastle United Premier League Champions”
This brings me to another question regarding all that money. Do we really want to be just another one of those clubs that goes out and buys trophies? Personally I hope the new owners (touch wood) splash the cash to a level allows us to buy half-decent players but not to the Man City and Chelsea extent. Anybody can spend half a billion quid and buy the league. That would just leave us as the fortunate beneficiaries of a lottery. But buying decent players, developing them and actually having to work to get somewhere? That is an achievement.
The way I look at it, no neutral felt all warm and fuzzy when half a billion quids worth of foreign superstars stood up there waving their medals around.
I suppose what I’m trying to say here is that I’d much rather win it as a Leicester or a Blackburn, than a Citeh or a Chelsea.
Archie – you say let’s get passed an Arab take over, but then hark on about Keegan returning ??♂️.
Sorry mate but he had his time and he had his chance to win the league. He then walked away from the club TWICE – why should he get another chance?!.
No, not for me mate. He brought some great times to NUFC, however he also set the club back years by getting rid of the reserves and turning away from youth to pump as much money as he could get his hands on into the first team.
It would be a similar approach by Jose if he came in too in my opinion, based on what he’s done at every other club he’s been at.
I wouldn’t want Wenger, but at least he bought and developed young players at Arsenal.
I’m afraid my answer is that we keep Rafa though mate. I just don’t see anyone better – in the sense of being more capable, but also the way they would want to develop the club as a whole.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think Archie is more on track with the way forward for the club, new owners new manager, a clean slate no history to be dragged up, all these stand offs between owner and manager works against the way we want. All owner manager coaches players and fans start again as one to move forward. Keegan involvement maybe in some adviser/PR role but not as manager. Think Jose would do the job with his head and heart he has a connection with SBR and he loves the fans too. RB has always compared the fans to Liverpool but he still lives there and loves them always talking about them and gets involved in the liverpool area sports young teams etc. He would leave us in a heartbeat if Liverpool called no doubt.
Whinger(Quote)
The pair of you are mugs we have a world class manager who had done amazing thinks with little money imagine him with that little bit more he need a to take us forward which I don’t belive he needs much more just improve on what we got with players sold as long as all goes back into recruitment rafa is in the right place with the right club who adores him and Archie your on crack if you think we will get better than rafa you really don’t know what your on about new owners new manager clean slate so get rid if someone who has won pretty much every thing to go with a new manager who will take time to build a squad ect mate rafa is as good as it gets and the toon army are punching keeping him for all this time much love ??
Fergie(Quote)
Fergie
Having written the article, and actually read it again, I MUST be on crack because I’m really struggling to find the bit where I said we’ll get better than Rafa.
Maybe you can point it out to me.
As for really not knowing what I’m on about, all I did was give you the FACT that with 15 clubs taken into consideration, on average the manager was replaced within 5 months.
Just goes to show – we can put the words on the screen, we can even put them in the right order, but we can’t force you to read them.
You’re not a mackem are you? If so I apologise!
Archie Brand(Quote)
One point that I agree with is that we don’t want to be club that simply goes out and buys the League, but enough to buy a decent squad that have to work and have real desire to play and win for the club and its fans, not just because they are paid big bucks just to sit on the bench.
As manager an ex-player who still has a heart for Newcastle Utd but has some nouse of being a good manager.
Brian Hall(Quote)
I’m 100% in the keep Rafa brigade. So much so that I can’t even bring myself to consider a different option.
Look at his cv. We ain’t getting better because there are few who are better. Could Pep and Klippety do what he’s done here? I doubt it. He could do what they’ve done though – he’s proven it.
Naw, it’s Rafa for me mate. If it’s not broken etc etc. Just give him enough – not too much – to build his own team, that can attack as well as it defends and I’ll be a happy fan.
Bobbybee(Quote)
BobbyBee – as I’ve mentioned before I think Rafa’s a coat tails manager. Give him a brilliant team to start with and he’ll pop in and win a couple of trophies for you.
I just can’t get my head around how many good players he’s binned because they just don’t fit with his style.
Archie Brand(Quote)