Tomorrow night will bring about the dawn of a new era. A new era for Rafa Benitez, a new era for the players, a new era for how the club is run and a well deserved new era for the Toon Army…..If the club can avoid the drop…
If you are still pinching yourself and asking: ‘Is Rafa really the Gaffer or am I just dreaming?’ Take a look at the proof by watching his first Newcastle press conference below.
Rafa confirms 3 things in this interview. First, he has a get out clause in the event of relegation. Second, his title is manager, not head coach. It is so important we stay up now. If we drop, we will probably be tied to the old model of Carr and Charnley running things with some cheap head coach in place. But if we stay up, Rafa stays – as manager, which means a total about-turn from Mike Ashley and a world class manager making the footballing decisions for the first time at this club since Sir Bobby Robson. Third thing he said, was several players ‘injured’ on the Thursday were miraculously fit to train on the Friday. This shows the players are ready to graft for this man during the season’s finale. This Leicester game is an audition for the players to prove their worth to the only manager in history to have won the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Newcastle team news:
Tim Krul is out for the season with a knee injury. Massaido Haidara is also absent with the same complaint. This game should come too soon for Chancel Mbemba (ankle) but Gabriel Obertan (hamstring) and Fabricio Coloccini (calf) were apparently seen in training this weekend… Andros Townsend should make the squad having shaken off his hamstring tweak and Kevin Mbabu (hip) has a chance of making the bench. The game may well come too soon for Paul Dummett (also hamstring). Papiss Cisse has been struggling with a groin injury whilst Cheick Tiote is lacking match fitness. I have a feeling most of those players will have been desperately trying to prove they are fit this weekend though.
Leicester currently enjoy a 5 point lead over the other suprise title contenders Tottenham Hotspur. A win on Monday night could see them go 8 points clear. Amazing stuff for a team nailed on for relegation last winter.
A word from Claudio Ranieri:
It must be stressed these were his words before Rafa Benitez was appointed. No doubt he would have a bit more to say now but he still acknowledges us as a tough side with good players. No doubt he will have been telling his players to stay focused and not take anybody for granted – and not much will have changed since our new manager! came in. The only difference now is he will be telling his players the task just got tougher so try even harder.
Leicester City team news:
Sly Fox Riyad Mahrez has recovered from a cramped hamstring, which is very bad news for the Toon as he is arguably this season’s Premier League midfielder of the year. Matty James is in contention following a long lay off with a knee complaint. Otherwise it’s a clean bill of health for this season’s suprise package.
Shamrock’s Stats and Facts:
• Newcastle have not won at Leicester since 1999.
• Leicester beat Newcastle 3-0 in each of the last 2 games between the sides.
• Daryl Janmaat and Mike Williamson both got sent off in this fixture last season, with John Carver publicy claiming Willo was dismissed intentionally.
• Until the last 2 losses against the Foxes, the Magpies had gone 7 games unbeaten against them (won 3, drew 4).
• Leicester have lost only once in their last 17 home fixtures in the league.
• Newcastle have lost 17 of their last 21 away league games. Ouch.
• Newcastle United have lost their last eight Premier League matches played on a Monday and have failed to score in the last five of these. All eight of these have been away from home.
• Riyad Mahrez has 15 goals and 11 assists this season. He is the only player to be in double figures for both goals and assists.
• Leonardo Ulloa has scored 3 times against the Toon in his last 3 games.
• Matchday referee Craig Pawson has taken charge of 3 Foxes games and 3 Toon games this season, with neither side recording a win. With that in mind, get your money on a draw!
Final Thoughts:
Leicester are doing very well this season and despite every pundit tipping them to lose momentum at some stage, they just keep producing results. It’s hard to see past a Foxes win even with a new manager ‘bounce’, but I can’t see many Toon fans expecting anything else.
Let’s just get behind the team and show the squad and manager our full support. You never know, we might get lucky but I’m sure most will settle for simply seeing Rafa in the dugout making sound team selections and sound tactical changes mid-game. Something Steve McClaren seemed incapable of. It will also be good to see Rafa hold any prima donna’s to account. That, combined with the full backing of the Toon Army should be enough to eventually see this team move away from the dreaded drop zone.
Thauvin seems like he has talent but maybe not suited to the PL?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I think Rafa expects his players to be self motivating and appreciate the privileged position they are in.
Stop pissing & twisting on and role your sleeves up. Get on and do the job you are paid so handsomely to do.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’m hoping Cathro gives Rafa the low down on whobthe grafyets are and who the prima Donna’s are.
Shamrock(Quote)
Troy’s Clarkie would have us relegated in a heartbeat so I’m glad we got Benitez in instead.
Terry(Quote)
Thuavin was one of Carr’s choice’s from his rip off agency. He will never mount to anything here, a foolish signing and 13 million better spent on a CB. Carr is an idiot.
Terry(Quote)
The Saivet signing is a mystery to me. If he was McClarens, why was he not in the team more often? If he was a replacement for Tiote, why has Tiote been in the team? Surely any new signing should be an improvement on the last player? Did Schteve fancy him as a player or not and if so, was he being bullied into playing the established players first? The whole thing is bizarre. You don’t buy January signings during a relegation battle with a bedding in period in mind and carry on with the same old pap surely?
Shamrock(Quote)
Shamrock: I think Carr and Schteve were so cocksure of us staying up that they might have got Saivet for later. We will see what Rafa thinks as he has no allegiance to any of the players and probably even has a vested interest in getting Carr sacked.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Saivet would have been money better spent on a LB considering we had so many injuries at the time and a leaky defense anyway. Selling Mwbia was just stupid, how we need a player like him right now.
Terry(Quote)
For me another example of Carrs mismanagement of our recruitment was the Saivet signing.
He isn’t/wasn’t needed until Tiote was sold, and as a result we are now top heavy with CMs.
What he should have done was use the money spent on Saivet for a CB – which was far greater needed than a CM (even if Tiote had left).
He could have used that money to sign Kone (for example) who ended up at Sunderland. Strengthening our defence, whilst weakening Sunderland.
With Tiote still with us, Kone would be of far greater use to us than Saivet.
It was short sighted IMO, and with someone with that level of experience.
Sharpy17(Quote)
SHAM the whole club is a mystery worse than MI5
Icedog(Quote)
Looks like a couple of us making the same Saivet point at the same time there then 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Reckon we’ll see Shelvey and Anita/Haviet (unless Tiote is fit) in a 4-2-3-1 tomorrow. The interesting question will be who plays out wide and who plays up front assuming Gini plays behind.
Stuart79(Quote)
But you know my opinion of Carr anyway. Jut to be clear, Carr:
– made a power grab when Pardew quit
– was the reason Carver was appointed because Carr wanted to wait for McClaren
– only even signed big money players from the Mondial Agency in France until Shelvey and Townsend. Even then Saivet is on Mondial’s books.
– doesn’t really scout because his main recruits are from Mondial and he wanted players from Schteve’s old Twente team (another McClaren connection)
– the exception is Cisse, but is he really that good?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
No matter which way the game goes don’t judge Rafa yet
Icedog(Quote)
Icedog: I have already judged Rafa – he is a Champions League quality Manager that we were very lucky to get. And has managed much better teams and won a lot more than Lee Clark.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice – what I can’t get is that us fans seem to be on a totally different page to those who run the club.
Are we as fans totally off the mark and are missing something about what goes on. Are there processes & procedures that we are just don’t know about that causes us to incorrectly judge these folk.
Or
Is it simply that these people are completely inept. In which case, why is a billionaire business allowing this to happen to one of his biggest, and arguably most publicly exposed asset?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – was Mitrovic, Mbemba, Gini or Janmaat on Mondial?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Mitro was.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
MBemba was at the same team as Mitro. Gini was Dutch player of the year. Not much scouting involved there.
Sharpy: I do tend to exaggerate a bit to make my point. You got me there mate 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
mitrovic was and nearly all of the frechies we bought
Clarkies Wonderland(Quote)
But, here are the players we have signed who Mondial are the Agents of:
Cabaye
Sissoko
Mitro
Thauvin
Debuchy
Ben Arfa
Cabella
Saivet
Riviere
Not bad players for the most part. But not “scouted” either as Carr only had to pick up the phone from Mondial.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The point I am making is that our Chief Scout hasn’t done much scouting, if any.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC anyone that suggests L Clark should be manager of anything other than lge 2 standard is brain dead and knows nothing of the game,or is taking the **** out of hard working fans that have suffered enough already but it does show their limited intelligence
Icedog(Quote)
Also what I am saying is that Agents are manipulating, money grabbing slimy eels and it just so happens that 9 of Carrs biggest signings came for a particular French slimy eel.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: I think Troy was serious.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC enough said mate
Icedog(Quote)
Eric – I wasn’t trying to trip you up there or anything. I was thinking whether there was a clear change of approach in the summer (Janmaat just popped into my head as I listed the other 3)
You are right with the list of those players though, and I dare say that there will be a number of players we didn’t go on to sign as well.
I’m torn with Carr though. How much has he been restricted with our transfer policy – was he responsible for those restriction?.
The were in for the likes of PEA and Bony – were those the players Carr really wanted but the money men stopped it – or did he ultimately decide he could get more ‘cost effective’ players in.
One thing I am pretty certain on, is that he must have been happy enough with all of the transfer goings on at NUFC for him to stick around & join the board.
That suggests to me that he is part of it, rather than him being dictated to or manipulated.
Sharpy17(Quote)
It is not a coincidence that Carr went for Mondial and Twente players and that we ended up with McClaren. I have no inside knowledge but I can connect the dots.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It’s easy to see where our real problems are going forward. For all Rafa’s coaching and motivational qualities it’ll be the same players on the pitch. Some of them might raise their game but it’s looked to me all season that some of them just don’t give a ****.
I’d say it’s still 50/50 on survival.
Georgio(Quote)
Sharpy – I’m no Carr fan but it would be interesting to know how many buys were 2nd or third choice on his list because of price. Payet for example would have come but someone judged him too old/expensive.
Georgio(Quote)
Sharpy: I know you weren’t trying to trip me up mate. That is what a blog should be about. I have my conspiracy theory about Carr and will fit the facts into it. But I still think I am right 🙂
Luuk de Jong came from Twente and we got his brother and also went for Douglas from Twente. And Schteve and all of his schtaff. Carr has done very little scouting and relied on Mondial and Schteve. And then, SHOCK we also ended up with Schteve.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
But, I need to leave it at that. We have a new era with a very successful manager at the helm and I am very excited about our future.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Fk me Arsenal throwing away their season in the run in yet again.
Shamrock(Quote)
A Manager who has won The Champions League and La Liga. Not one whose claim to fame was having a t-shirt with SMB on it – not like there is anything wrong with that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sham – I feel sorry for Wenger though coz yet again all the blame is at his door and the players get off scot free.
Eric – well that ‘move on’ lasted all of 5mins.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Georgia I agree. 50/50 might be pushing it but before Rafa came in I’d have had us as dead certs for the drop. At least our chances have improved. Next season could really be the beginning of a fantastic new dawn for us fans. That’s why I keep saying this is a tip top appointment for us..IF we survive.
Shamrock(Quote)
We will improve that is for sure as I’m not too sure we can be much worse. Currently we get 0.85 points per game. If we get that up to 1.2 because of a new manager, a better manager and better fixtures it will take us to 36 points. Reckon that will keep us up. Sunderland have been playing well but haven’t been winning enough, Norwich just keep losing and we have lost 9 out of the last 12 and still only 1 point from Sunerland.
Only a slight improvement should see us better Sunderland and Norwich.
Stuart79(Quote)
Should have said a big improvement of 1.5 games per game and we survive a **** of ****. Palace improved to that extent when Pulis arrived and Di Canio got a big improvement from Sunderland although later tailed away but job was done.
Stuart79(Quote)
Charlton fans doing the right thing when not happy with your club.
Stuart79(Quote)
Not True Sharpy. I was “moving on” from Carr not from telling Troy he is full of *****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Or telling you that Blackie is a charlatan.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Most of those people are, you know. If you don’t, I have some very nice stone facing and a new phone service to sell you.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Rumour is the players were sick of Blackie and his methods.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu: I just get so fed up with these snake oil salesmen. I work in finance and insurance so I know their patter. Blackie is definitely one of them.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Wow! 😯 The Clueless. Crew are sticking together today. I mustn’t half rattle their cages. 😆
I love Ice’s description of me being brain dead. 😆 cheeses I thought that about Ice 5 yrs ago around the time I was shouting for Benitez. Mind I kept mentioning Benitez and finally Mikey listened.
I only hope Clarkie keeps the Killys up. What an achievement that will be.
He took over when they were 2nd bottom and then Gashley suggests they are now in the bottom 3.
Haha. YCMIU. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Eric – hahaha, what’s wrong mate it Troy not on or biting at your digs, so you are trying to get a rise out of me instead? – you’ve mentioned Blackie an awful lot over the last few days 🙄
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, mate: Blackie is gone now so I have to get in a few last digs at him 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Troysta: you used to only ever have nice things to say about Stuart. What happened man?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And also Sharpy: I have never changed my tune about Blackie. I always thought he was full of *****. But you have your own opinion even though it is wrong.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: I stopped calling him “Sharpy’s Blackie” so why are you even bothered? 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – you can please yourself my friend. I have never changed my tune either, despite your best efforts.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: you met the guy once and thought he was a nice guy and base everything on that. As I said, I have some double glazing if you need it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Which players are we going to have back from injury in the next couple of weeks? Every little helps…
Cisse? Hadaira? Mbabu? Townsend? Tiote? Mbemba? Colo?
Stuart79(Quote)
How about a new water heater? The warranty only lasts 5 years so you should replace it, even though it is working perfectly.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And how about an indemnity mortgage where the only ones you indemnify are a faceless insurance company and pay about twice as much.
But no, there aren’t any snake oil salesmen out there any more! Blackie was brilliant, as you can tell by the results.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I met him numerous times actually, and yes on each of those occasion he appeared to be a very nice guy.
However I am not basing my opinion on his professional performance on a few short conversations I had with him in the Falcons club bar.
I have never worked with or for Steve Black, however the likes of Jonny Wilkinson & the British Lions rugby team have. They speak very highly of them.
If I had to take someone’s word about Blackie, I would far sooner take that of an England World Cup winner & rugby legend over someone who has never met the bloke or has likely done no research into his past employment. A person who has came to his opinion of a person based on the job title rather than the man himself.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Blackish was full of **** just about every club he’s been at have gone down got work through being mates with Wilkinson when he was in his prime,but even Newcastle Falcons rugby club kick his *** out a while back he did nowt to motivate them either,blokes full of himself
Icedog(Quote)
Is your computer too slow? I can clean it up for about twice the cost of a new one.
And does your loved one need a 5000 quid casket that will be burned or buried? We have them for 1000 but look at these brass handles and the sheen on the mahogany. It is not particle board either, it is solid mahogany because God would have liked it that way.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: what were Blackie’s recent results. Total failure at Wolfsburg, Twente, Forrest, Derby and NUFC.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I actually did look up Blackie’s work record. His BS on the internet is exactly what I would expect from a snake oil salesman.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I must say he had a good reputation but his work here has fallen completely on deaf ears. Whatever he was saying wasn’t working and his recent record wasn’t good.
If one man (Wilkonson) rates him fair enough but could it be that he only did anything good for one man? One man’s improvement against many failed projects?
Who knows, but his record ain’t been good for a while.
Stuart79(Quote)
ERIC you missed his last job out,helping to take QPR down,what a ******
Icedog(Quote)
Anyway, what is the best result for us today with Spurs? If Spurs drop points will that make Leicester complacent or will a Slurs win put them under pressure? Which is more likely to help us?
Stuart79(Quote)
Glad Blackie has gone. He fell out with the fitness coach and I am sure that caused a problem at NUFC.
Just one of these people who have a high opinion of themselves that is not really justied. Never met him, but saw him interviewed and his CV and he is totally full of himself for no reason and with an appalling recent job history.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: Spurs result means nothing. However, it has been a good game so far and Harry Kane is a very good player.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m interested to know if Eric or Ice have ever actually met Steve Black, or worked with him or have seen him in a working capacity?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Course it means something, Eric. Leicester will be watching this game hoping for a Villa win. The question was; will it make Leicester complacent of Spurs fail to win or will it put pressure on Leicester if Spurs win?
Spurs winning now and I think a Spirs win helps us. The closer Spurs are to them the more Leicester need to win which might, just might make them a little nervous.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy: I just said I never met Blackie. I know his recent results have not been good though.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: or more likely to push for a win against us 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yes, Eric and the longer it’s nil nil the more nervous they become and he more they have to commit men forward.
Convinced Rafa’s tactics tomorrow will be to sit back, keep it tight and then see what happens. Leicester need to win this more than we do. Sounds a bit weird considering our position but we’re not counting on it and aren’t expected to win.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy: I have this thing about motivational gurus and snake oil salesmen because I have met quite a few and don’t believe a word they say.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I reckon I’m happy to rest my case there.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stuart: I don’t know about the tactics or team. Just hope we defend well as Leicester have some fast fckers in their team.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
SHARPY no I’ve never met the guy,I’ve never met jabba but most know what he’s like there’s many people I haven’t met but know what they are so I don’t see your point
Icedog(Quote)