Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s crucial match-up with Crystal Palace, Paul Dummett has spoken to the press about his new manager Rafa Benitez and what the Spaniard offers compared with his predecessor Steve McClaren.
Speaking to the Chronicle, the defender praised the ex-Real Madrid boss in how he was turning the squad into ‘better players’.
More specifically he has praised Benitez for the work he has done with the Newcastle back four.
With the Magpies conceding the second highest number of goals in the league this season (64 – only Villa have conceded more), it was imperative that a defence-minded coach in the mould of Rafa was brought into the club. After a clean sheet against Swansea and what should have been a clean sheet against Manchester City this month, there’s evidence to suggest that what’s being taught on the training ground is actually having a positive effect on match days.
“For me personally he talks about the positioning with each player and he works with the back four a lot.
“He tells us to be together and be more compact. Any manager has different opinions and growing up as players it can only help you learn from them. It will help me get better as a player too.”
There is a simple fact that Troy always ignores – the people that hired McClaren were never going to sack him after 10 games. Their credibility was at stake so they were going to hang on to him for dear life. If there had been mass calls for his sacking and protests after 10 games we would have been called delusional and accused of driving another manager out. No, McClaren was always going to be given at least until Christmas so Troys usual bluster was always going to fall on deaf ears.
I see that he is accusing people on here of being responsible for keeping Schteve, like we had any other choice. He seems to think that blogs have these mystical powers to change things at SJP.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Haha. Quote of the year! I actually like that. There’s an element of truth in it as well. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Psychs
I blame you for a lot of things. But one of those things is your ability to get things wrong. Right? 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Reports of Thauvin going to AC Milan 😀
Gashley(Quote)
Troy: I bow to your great wisdom in getting things wrong, you have a lot of practice at it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If Spurs draw tonight they have pretty much secured top 3. My only fear is that they will want to finish above Arsenal and their supporters will be pushing them for that on the last day.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Pards is doing another cracking job at Palace.
Cup finalists and premier league safety.
I’ve certainly been proved right on that one baby. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
You’re probably right, Eric. I’m the only one really who is constantly proved right and slowly but surely people are starting to come round to my predictions on us staying up too.
As for McClaren, well he shouldn’t have been appointed at all, would have taken us down along with Clarky and I actually called for him to be removed in October I think.
Not one for “told you so but…” 😯 😀 😀
Stuart79(Quote)
Troy is it hard to walk in those clown shoes? You’re certainly getting a few bites today though to be fair. 😛
DJG(Quote)
You did think we’d be relegated after Norwich tho so only slightly changed your opinion 🙂
Gashley(Quote)
I can at least claim I got Graham Carr right years ago on here.
What a joker he is. Such a joke his son became a comedian
funkyjesus(Quote)
Stuart: calling for McClaren to be sacked and it being a realistic possibility are 2 different things. They were always going to give him until Christmas at least.
Arsenal play Man City away this weekend so there is a high probability that the top 2/3 positions will be done and dusted before Spurs play us.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
DJG: I always see people saying Troy is getting “bites”. Maybe it is time he added to a discussion instead of going on the wind up? I humour him because it is not nice to mock the afflicted. And Baba Ganoush should get a refund on that crystal ball, it gets things right about as much as monkeys throwing darts at a wall would.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Correct, Gashley I did. But I also said before the Swansea game that if we beat Swamsea we would stay up.
Stuart79(Quote)
So you want it both ways then Stuart 🙂 Seriously, I understand a knee **** reaction after a tough loss. It happens to all of us.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Anyhow… Can we all stop patting one self on the back, it’s not very endearing quite nauseating actually.
We all want the toon to win so let’s put the brownie-points book away for time being 🙂
Gashley(Quote)
My book is full, Gashley. Just about to open a new one… 😛
Stuart79(Quote)
I honestly still look back in amazement at the fact we appointed McClaren after he’d failed miserably with Derby. I’d love to know Charnley, Carr and Moncurs reasoning.
Stuart79(Quote)
Summary of Troy’s blog posts for the past 2 years:
Repeat the Troy mantra “Pards is average, but we will not get any better” then say “Clarky for NUFC” then say “told you so” when we hire Benitez (when he didn’t). Throw in a couple of whoo hoos and reality trains and you have the whole Troysta contribution. Sad really.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Brighton going on like they’ve won the league but to be honest I don’t think that goal makes any difference at all to them. A draw for Middlesborough next week and Brighton are in the PL.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: it was Carr. I am absolutely sure of it and Charnley went along because he knows he knows nowt about football. He will need to throw Carr under the bus to have any chance of keeping his job.
I read an article that Carr had been chasing McClaren since Twente and that even all of his failures since had not dissuaded him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I wouldn’t let it bother you, Eric. Although it’s funny his mentor and chief quarter wit Stardust hasn’t been on for the last few years since it all went completely and utterly wrong at NUFC after his constant foreplay like comments about Ashley.
Stuart79(Quote)
If it was left to Charnley I think it would have been Redknapp. Would he even know who Bilic or Sanchez Flores are?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: Troy doesn’t bother me. I know exactly what he will say every time he comes on. I also know he is unwindupable but I still give it a shot now and a gain.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oh dear! 😯 Gash has nowt to pat himself on the back for so is feeling left out. 😆
DJG
They hate the fact I prove them wrong all the time. They secretly admire my ability to be right on all fronts 😉
Even Psychs. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Just about every manager and ex-player said McClaren was a great coach when we hired him. Not a good coach, a great coach! We haven’t heard a peep since he was sacked. None even questioned why he brought his whole FAILED Derby coaches with him. Including a motivational speaker living on past glories and publicly slated for having too much say over fitness and being on the field during match warm ups confusing the players. Hell, Coloccini was blatantly ignoring him in the end. He even fell out with the real fitness coach.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Pretty clear now that the players had very little respect for McClaren. In fact it could be argued they treated his regime with complete disdain. More stories to come out I imagine.
Stuart79(Quote)
Does anyone know if the Labour Party have got any members who haven’t been suspended in the last few days? Just another three today I see. One for sending offensive tweets to Yossi Benayoun! YCMIU!
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: I have said this before but NBC in the US did a 5 minute piece questioning what the hell a motivational speaker was doing on the field in players’ ears before a match. They said they had never seen the like before and were extremely critical. I think more than anything that Schteve confused the players. He would change tactics from week to week, one day would be good cop and next bad cop and don’t mention his body language on the sidelines during games. Would you really go to fight for a guy who has his head in his hands EVERY TIME we go a goal down?
But he is gone now and we have a chance still.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This might be simplistic but I think football management is like training dogs. You have to be consistent, command respect, be leader of the pack. It doesn’t work if you chop and change your methods and the dogs need a clear message. There also has to be one person clearly in control because the dogs will ignore you if there are too many people giving them instructions. They can also sense fear.
I am not saying footballers have the IQ of dogs I am just saying they respond best to the same training methods. Maybe Schteve should have had the ghost of Barabara Woodhouse or Cesar Millan as his coach instead of Blackie?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I have seen things written that Rafa repeats the same thing over and over, does the same drills to get it ingrained into the players how to play and what shape he wants. It is all well and good to mix things up to make things interesting but if they don’t have the basics right you will end up with an inconsistent mess (Hello Schteve).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Wow, unbelievable I’ll start the car 🙂
kimtoon(Quote)
KIM have things improved for you and Lew,Ime hoping so
Icedog(Quote)
C.Sutton the bbc pundit sitting giving advice,he declared bankrupt,sure Ime going to listen
Icedog(Quote)
Sutton is toss pot!
Eric, certainly a dog trainer might have been more at home training some of our players
Stuart79(Quote)
With the exception of only a few pundits they all seem to say the first thing that comes into their heads and ****** the consequences or if it makes sense. They accuse Shearer of being boring but at least he thinks about what he says.
It is the whole fckin fame thing now though… The more outrageous and controversial you are the more TV time and print space you get, the more twitter followers you get!!! It doesn’t matter that what you say makes no sense like Keown or Savage. Or, of course, Paul Merson’s giant balloon head who probably made more sense when he was drunk and before his lobotomy.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There is beginning to be a bit of a push back against the whole x-factoring, twittering and Kardashianing of the media. I hope it extends to football.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Merson he’s another that’s gone bankrupt,one thing I’ll say about Keown is he defends toon when other pundits are putting them down,but agree pundits are on the box and radio for their self esteem
Icedog(Quote)
So Burnley back in PL,pleased the board stuck with their manager after going down,they never panicked and threw money at it
Icedog(Quote)
Ice – I like Keown & Danny Murphy as pundits. They are usually pretty fair and spot on with their analysis (though I noticed Murphy still fancies the Scum to stay up – but nobody gets it right every time do they?!)
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ice – huge credit to Burnley I say. It’s disgraceful that the compo for Ings has only just been sorted this week. It makes their promotion all the more impressive I think having not had that money to invest in the team.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: Keown fancies Sunderland as well. Also said that Townsend had the best left foot in Europe at the moment. Erm… Messi, Bale?
There are actually some pundits that I like but the saturation coverage has let some idiots take over the asylum. Now, Souness is the opposite to the ranting baboons and delivers everything in such a calm, deadpan way that it masks that what he is actually saying is often crazy and wrong 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Boro v brighton. What a game that will be!
Shamrock(Quote)
The Yank coverage for the most part is much better than the British coverage of the PL. They employ people like Graeme Le Saux , Steve McMahon and Warren Barton who are extremely knowledgeable and calm. I don’t think anybody here would ever recognize them on the street so they are not publicity hounds. They still have the enthusiasm though , it is just that they are not quite as thick and attention seeking as some employed in the British media.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
S McMahon is one big headed git,cannot stand the guy he always thought he was better player than he was
Icedog(Quote)
Dour Scotsmen have complained about Souness giving dour Scotsmen a bad name.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
**** Ice 🙂 I meant Stevie Nichol, the ex-Liverpool player who does ESPN here 🙂 Really, I got the names mixed up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice, he’s still home ill, still having episodes of throwing up, nurse today said he may have to start having some different investigations at the hospital.
kimtoon(Quote)
Icedog(Quote)
KIM how about you giving me some good news just for a change lol
Good luck mate,wish me and Mrs could help
Icedog(Quote)
Ice: Nah, it is a Steve thing. There are so many of them I get mixed up. We had McManamen over here as well for a while but I see he has now popped up on your side of the pond.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Great to see the Palace fans giving Pardew stick more or less self and same words we used,one trick pony,has no plan B,sticks with his favourite players,players are pardewed,one win 19
Sounds like echos
Icedog(Quote)
Ice: I don’t think it is a good idea to be spelling Police with this auto-correct and intuitive typing on smartphones. It sometimes puts in the daftest stuff and anyway it is sods law that if you ever correct anybody online you will make a spelling or grammar mistake yourself within 3 posts.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Jenas and Murphy think Sunderland will stay up but it’s “just a feeling.” Well that great insight and analysis there from them pundits. They get paid for saying that too!
Stuart79(Quote)
I’m remaining positive about next weekend. You can tell that the Chelsea team will put in a professional performance under Hiddick. It’s nowt like when half of them were sulking about under Maureen. Villa have been spanked by 4/5/6 at home this season also. I know that counts for nowt as this is a new game but that suggests to me they have serious problems defending.
DJG(Quote)
Chelsea fan holding up a ‘lets do it for Ranieri’. We could do with ‘lets do it for Rafa’ sign next weekend. 😀
DJG(Quote)
It seems like a law of the Universe that if Pardew is doing well all you have to do is wait a while for it to change. One win in 19 might turn his staunchest defenders (apart from Troy). He turns every team into an image of how he played – running around a lot, no flair, a lot of fouls, dire football. He starts off with talented footballers like Ben Arfa and Bolasie but grinds them down into a Pardew paste of blandness being taken off at half time if they don’t become auxiliary fullbacks. You would think he would appreciate their skills, not having any as a player himself, and would set up the team with willing runners like he was to let them shine. No, he wants everyone to be like Pardew and consequently Pardews everyone.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC,spelling police really pee me of,you lose the plot I had a secretary for over twenty years that did all my writing/typing from dictaphone,so some words you lose track of them,plus as you say these iPads have a mind of their own
Icedog(Quote)
Another middle-aged linesman at the Chelsea game with a footballer haircut. I am telling you again that if my Dad had come back with a Keegan perm in the ’70s my mates would have taken the **** out of him something rotten.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ice, that was always coming truth be told.
kimtoon(Quote)
I might sound a bit grumpy today (when am I not 🙂 ) . However, I am finding most of this stuff amusing so I hope I am not coming across as that bad. A draw will be a perfect result today. Fingers crossed.
Could then watch the Leicester fans celebrate, me duck (not sure if they still say that but they did when I lived there).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
C’MON CHELSKI!
Stating the obvious, but its huge for us if Spurs have nothing to play for in the final game . . .
Toony Soprano(Quote)
Looks like Chelsea resting Hazard for next Saturday against Sunderland… 🙂
Stuart79(Quote)
it’s shocking Eric. My mate at work came in with a poncie hir cut the other day. I did not let him get away with it and he is only in bjs mid 30’s. Poncie bair cuts, tight jeans, man bags, guy liner. Cant do DIY… What has the world come to? ?
Shamrock(Quote)
****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Interesting Spurs have scored. Ideally for us Spurs would win this game and Leicester would then beat Everton on Saturday. That would leave Spurs deflated for their in their next game which would be us…
Stuart79(Quote)
Sham: I can’t do DIY but that is why they have Angie’s List and Home Adviser now. Anyway, I find it much funnier than sad when the Dad’s gets the latest trendy do. It is like on “That 70s Show” when the Dad had the perm and the tight clothes and was totally unaware of how he was perceived. I don’t mind the aging rocker look that never changed, but the wannabe 22 again is quite amusing to me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: the ideal world would be Spurs guaranteed 2nd and above Arsenal before we have to play them. I think they play Southampton next so that won’t be easy.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yes and winning tonight would be a start. Arsenal play City next so that won’t ready either. Although I do think Chelsea will score in the second half and it will probably finish 1-1.
Stuart79(Quote)
Maybe not then…
Stuart79(Quote)
C’mon Leicster, get this title won before we have to play Spurs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
But I must say, I do hope Chelsea play better next Saturday than this!
Stuart79(Quote)
Tonight might be a good result. We don’t want Tottenham to need to win to finish above Arsenal. We just want Leicester to have won the league.
DJG(Quote)
Dembele is also going to miss our game because he’s just been caught on camera gauging Costa’s eye.
Stuart79(Quote)
I think Dembele will get suspended as he scratched Costa in the eye. So that is good news.
Eric Sykes(Quote)