As Rafa Benitez took his Newcastle side down to Wolverhampton yesterday, to play Paul Lambert’s Wanderers, there was seemingly a sense amongst the Newcastle fan base that nothing less than a win would do.
In the run up to kick off, this sense was even stronger, after wins for Brighton and Huddersfield.
However, as the game started, it looked very unlikely that United would get anything, performing the way that they were.
They seemed slow to react and lacking in composure when in possession. However, after Aleksandar Mitrovic had been involved in a host of contentious moments, one of which could have seen him win a penalty, and another that could have seen him sent off, it was the Serbian who opened the scoring.
Despite this, it was soon half time, and Mitrovic was taken off in order to ensure that we would still have eleven men on the pitch come the end of the game. Christian Atsu came on, in a move which saw Yoan Gouffran move forward to lead the line.
In the second half, following this change, Newcastle seemed to play better, while still defending a lot, there seemed to be far more structure to the teams performance.
Wolves offered very little, hitting the target only once from what I can remember, with a very tame effort from Helder Costa, who failed to live up to his pre-match billing as the divisions best player.
Costa was dealt with brilliantly by Paul Dummett and if, as most of the experts seem to think, Costa is a £25 million player, then Dummett must have increased his market value by a significant amount yesterday.
As for our team ratings, they are as follows:
Karl Darlow: 6
DeAndre Yedlin: 7
Jamaal Lascelles: 8 (MOTM)
Ciaran Clark: 8
Paul Dummett: 8
Matt Ritchie: 6
Jack Colback: 6
Jonjo Shelvey: 6
Yoan Gouffran: 7
Mo Diame: 6
Aleksandar Mitrovic: 7
Subs:
Christian Atsu: 7
Daryl Murphy: 6
Ayoze Perez: – *
*was not on long enough to receive a mark
Jake: I think your ratings are fair. However, I would give Darlow an 8. I think the first job of a goalkeeper is to be assured and to make no errors and he did that. To get them above an 8 he would be required to make a couple of great saves but that depends on the other team.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We might be underestimating that result. Lambert has them playing well and they beat Liverpool away in the FA cup. Klopp did not send all youngsters out in that game either. Wignaldum, Origi, Lucas and Moreno started. Coutinho came on for the second half and Sturride and Can then came on as subs.
Liverpool did not want to lose that game but Wolves deserved the win.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Groucho(Quote)
Palace really are in trouble and must be odds on to go down even with their strong squad. They have 19 points from 25 games. They have 13 games to save themselves, but here’s the problem, they have to play all of the top 6 still. So you would think realistically it will be the other 7 games where they will have to pick up their points. Let’s give them 1 shock result against the top 6 teams to take them to 22 points. They would then need 14 points from 7 games to get to 36 which would probably (probably!) make them safe. That’s 2 points a game and they have not been playing to anything like that level.
It is going to be a very hard ask and will almost be akin to the Leicester great escape if they can do it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If you think I am a bit harsh only giving Palace 6 points against the top six, they have already played each of them once and got zero points from those games.
It will probably be Sunderland and Palace for relegation plus one other. I think that will be Boro as they have a really difficult run in.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am always stunned by the score Diame receives.
He’s so slow he’s static and loses the ball every time to quicker more alert players.
He is constantly the focus of breakdown in our moves.
I’ve yet to see him worth more than a 4.
Ian(Quote)
As far as the rumours of Rafa to Arsenal go. That might happen, especially if they do not reach the Champions League, which is possible. They have not done that in the 20 years Wenger has managed and I think he would retire if that happened.
Tuchel is said to be their first choice but what has he really done? I think it should be Simeone but after that I would go for Rafa on a 3 year deal. He would buy them some top defenders and stop buying exactly the same type of players and expecting different results. He would also set the team up differently according to the opponent which Wenger seems incapable of doing. He just goes out with the same tactics regardless.
All the pundits seem to think that the fans love the free flowing attacking style but they forget the mantra was “1-0 to the Arsenal” and they loved that when they were winning. I think Rafa would be a good fit, especially given the competition they now face form free-spending Chelsea, Citeh and Man U.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Arsenal need a squad overhaul but they mustn’t keep buying hopefuls. That might be attractive to Rafa and as of their last results Arsenal had 226 million cash in the bank.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric Sykes, Rafa has a 3 year deal at the toon.
Someone will have to pay Ashley a massive compensation to buy Rafa out of his contract.
Though maybe Stuart can tell us what is in Rafa’s contract, he knows everything.
Another great win by the toon yesterday , has me chuckling. Everyone we beat seems to think that they were the better team, and that the toon were lucky. That may in fact be the case, but at the end of the day who cares, the league table doesn’t lie.
The current squad wouldn’t last 5 minutes in the premier league, the next 6 months will be exciting for toon fans ! First promotion, then a complete rebuild of the first team.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Rage won’t go to Arsenal. He doesn’t play that expansive football they want and also he’s a former Chelsea manager.
As for us, I think Leeds are out of it now and if we win our game in hand against Reading then they’ll be out of it too. That leaves really only Huddersfield as a threat and even that requires us to lose 3 and them not to lose 3. Eight more wins and we will go up in my opinion.
Stuart79(Quote)
Arsene Wenger is an absolute legend, and he has Arsenal playing beautiful football with some absolutely fantastic players. I feel sorry for the bloke being battered by the media, Arsenal fans should be ashamed of themselves. 19 years of Champions League football, absolutely immense !
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Rafa has found his level at the toon, a perfect match.
Looking forward to the next stage of the toon Rafalution.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Arsenal really should be the Real Madrid of England. They are perfectly placed with all of the financial power of London. The commercial money should not have moved to the North West and it was only 3 extraordinary managers that made that possible – Shankley, Paisley and especially Ferguson.
Man U have massive worldwide support but Arsenal can catch up because there is just so much money in the PL and in London. You could argue that Wenger’s conservatism has let them fall behind and that the next Manager will be allowed to change this. What an opportunity.
As it stands Arsenal are not that far behind Madrid, Barca, Man U and Bayern in revenue and this is without really winning anything in 10 years. London is 4 times the size of Madrid with probably only New York being a bigger financial centre. It may sound stupid, but Arsenal have the potential to be the biggest club in the world so why wouldn’t Rafa go there?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric Sykes, cos Rafa is at the toon.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
DJ: Rafa was sacke by Chelsea, why wouldn’t he go to Arsenal. That is like saying he would not manage Athletco Madrid.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
DJ: I am not saying Rafa will leave or even be offered the job. I am saying he would take it if offered because they really are the sleeping giant of English football. More so than Liverpool and more so than NUFC who play in relative backwater cities. One living on past glories and the fans that brought and the other being a big club because of fanatical support not because of any achievements in the past 60 years.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Also, Rafa is supposedly on 5 million a year so his buyout would be a maximum of 10 million. That is assuming they do not have a mutual out clause which they probably do.
To put that in perspective, that would get you a Ross McCormack or two thirds of a Jeffery Schlupp in today’s transfer market.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
In summary: what I am saying is that Rafa was to be offered the Arsenal job, then of course he would take it. He would probably walk to London, piggy-backing the Fat Man who could pick up his compensation cheque, to do so
Eric Sykes(Quote)
wish we had him for twenty yrs thats for dam sure,some fans havent got a clue
icedog(Quote)
Eric – There are a couple of things to look at with Rafa. First – Is he at the place in his life where he wants to actually build a football club – like a project? He has that opportunity here if the owner lets him. That’s the biggest question currently. Secondly, if he’s still ambitious enough to want instant, easier success which he’s already had in his coarser then he would go to Arsenal, of course he would.
Personally I think it’s about whether he believes he will get the tools from NUFC to build his project. If not – he goes. Simple.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: the team Rafa managed before us was Real Madrid so I think he is still ambitious. That was less than 18 months ago.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think Wenger has done a good job but has lost his way. He is now faced with several tactical geniuses managers such as Conte, Pep and even Klopp. His conservatism has certainly hurt Arsenal because Arsenal could, and should have been, a world player as the PL expanded all over the world and the financial power and attraction of London mushroomed.
Arsenal have not missed the boat though as their revenue is not that far behind the big boys.
Wenger has done a good job but has underachieved.
Ice: of course I would have taken Wenger at NUFC but save a few years in the 90’s we could never compete with Arsenal.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, I don’t think we can see Madrid in the normal circumstances. He is a Madrid fan and they’re the biggest club in the world. He’d leave any football in the world to join them.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: but the Madrid ownership are fickle to the extreme and Arsenal are loyal to the extreme. He might see that as attractive? Weren’t there questions on here only a week ago that Rafa had been betrayed by the Fat Man and would walk in the summer? I think that was the majority view, was it not?
I don’t necessarily agree, but if asked to interview for the Arsenal job I think Rafa would take that opportunity. Even if he was employed by NUFC still it would send a message to Ashley.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Arsenal’s benchmark should be Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man U. They have certainly underachieved. They should be the biggest club in London. Chelsea were nowhere near their level before a corrupt Russian took over.
Their squad needs an overhaul but they have the money. Why do you think their best players (Ozil, Sanchez) are not signing on? They are looking to see ambition and know the squad is not good enough and that is down to Wenger.
Would Coqelin, Chamberlain, Mertesacker, Walcott etc even make the bench at Madrid or Bayern?
I think Rafa would accept the challenge if offered the job.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This is Arsenal’s team from yesterday. You can’t tell me Wenger has done a good job of signing players. He is overachieving given his, HIS, signings:
Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs; Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Arsenal’s best players (Sanchez, Ozil) were even rejects/surplus at Barca and Madrid.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You could be right, Eric. I’m just not totally sure if Rafa’s view point at this stage of his career. He might see a well backed project as his final ambition in his career – he might not of course and leave as soon as a bigger club shows an interest.
What is clear is, he will leave if he’s not backed here and would leave without a club showing an interest.
Stuart79(Quote)
Arsenal will have looked at Man United and seen how they have floundered somewhat after SAF. Hence they will give it serious thought as to who will replace Wenger. Perhaps they will look to promote from within with Wenger moving upstairs , or they spring a surprise such as Thierry Henry or some other outsider. They will probably be hoping for another manager who can hold the fort at Arsenal and be there for 10 – 15 years.. is Benitez that man ? Does Benitez want to be that man, or is he doing what he wants at the toon? The whole situation could change in a matter of 2 years…
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
DJ: I am not sure if Rafa is in the running, just saying he would take it if offered. I know they like this expansive football but I would pick Allegri or Simeone. I think they would have the best chance of success.
Some would ask why would they leave Juve and Athletico? Because they would double their pay and double their budget at Arsenal. Arsenal have the potential to be on par with the world’s best clubs and not because they are funded by some sugar daddy. Their model is sustainable and they are not far behind in revenue even though they have been starved of success under the Wenger of the last 10 years.
Give them a title and a Champions Leagues and watch how many in Thailand and China suddenly become Arsenal supporters.
The PL is everywhere and the Bundesliga and La Liga cannot compete because it is always a one or two horse race. It gets a bit boring watching a slaughter every week although watching Messi is never boring, but he is 29 and Ronaldo is 32.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Actually I agree, Eric. I don’t see Rafa being on their list. I’d think Simeone or Enrique. Only way they would look at Rafa is if they want a safe pair of hands who could help with the transition. Could be sensible rather than a punt on a manager who’s not worked in England.
Stuart79(Quote)
I am not trying to make this an Arsenal blog, I am just trying to explain why Rafa would leave if he was offered the job.
Also, I am just enjoying schadenfreude with Palace and twisting the knife with Troysta.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Troy won’t be on until something negative happens. Bit like Bris or Aussie. 🙂
Stuart79(Quote)
Oh, and guess where that Rafa to Arsenal story came from? THE MIRROR. The same place that said Rafa was ready to quit and had people ready to quit this blog a couple of weeks ago.
Are they “preferred media partners” or **** stirrers in chief?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That’s what you call a free kick!
Stuart79(Quote)
Eric – No newspaper report stated Rafa was ready to quit. Not one! I think it’s important this is cleared up. They all stated he was ready review his position at the end of the season if he wasn’t backed by Jabba. The headlines might have said one thing, but the actual story said something else totally.
Stuart79(Quote)
Personally reckon Wenger will sign a new contract but if/when he does go Allegri, Howe, Simeone, Tuchel who have also been touted seem more likely
CC(Quote)
Rafa’s not going anywhere but the PL with us. It looks to me he’s already got his eye on the run in and is counting down the wins. We were set up deep yesterday not to get beat and on the touchline Rafa was comfortable with it. Shelvey and Colback barely crossed the half way line and most of the time it was 441. Expect the same on Tuesday.
georgio(Quote)
Reading what the gunners fans are saying 90% don’t want him for different reasons,so don’t think we need to worry,their a strange lot those fans
Icedog(Quote)
CC: Arsenal’s squad is the worst of the top 6 and that is down to Wenger. He has had the money if he wanted it. You know that he has a PhD in Economics? The money splashing about now goes against his inherent frugality. He can identify the players, is a great coach but sometimes cannot pull the trigger or lacks the charisma to lure them to Arsenal. He should retire.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
One thing they mentioned in the Hull/Chelsea game is that Joey Barton has admitted to making 1230 bets on English Football over the past 10 years. Should he even be playing?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Arsene Wenger had Arsenal 2nd only to a freak Leicester side last season. He currently has them joint 2nd to a very good Chelsea side – the bloke is bloody brilliant IMO.
Arsenal as a club have backed him throughout his whole time & I can’t imagine any manager would pass up the chance to take charge there – including Rafa.
But I agree with those who don’t think Rafa will be on there list.
I could see Arsenal looking to start a new era with a young manager – Simone or Howe or maybe even Viera who is currently out in New York.
But, I reckon Rafa could use this as leverage when it comes to discussions on how our summer is going to pan out ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Last season Sharpy? Arsenal did really well to finish second with a really bad squad (assembled by who?). Their competition:
A demoralised Spurs who gave up against us an let Arsenal pass them.
Citeh whose manager was told he was out of a job with 6 months to go.
Chelsea who sacked their manager mid season and replaced with Hiddink who knew he was only an interim.
Man U under Van Gaal, who confused all of his players.
Klopp with half a season under his belt.
This lot will not be as easy to pass this season and especially next when some of the managers settle and they spend the amounts of money promised by their owners. If Wenger stays he has to dip into the 226 million bank account and probably spend the lot in order to secure the 4th place trophy.
I agree he is a great coach and has overachieved despite his own signings.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: I posted Arsenal’s team yesterday assembled by Wenger earlier. Here it is again. Would you swap this for any of the other top 6’s teams?
Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs; Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez.
And every team has injuries so don’t give me that excuse.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Gunners fans get right up my nose, ungrateful toe rags. season upon season of CL footie, great players and some nice trophies along the way and still they ***** and moan.
kimtoon(Quote)
Boy how poor are Leicester now 😳
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: I know I will never convince people that Arsenal have underachieved. However they make the 7th most money in World football and 2 of the teams above them, Citeh and PSG, are there because of fixed sponsorship deals with Middle East states. If they had any real success over the past 10 years they would have commanded the same sponsorship deals as Man U. There is a **** load more money in London than Madrid and Barcelona and even though they are historically great, Arsenal could and should be challenging them now because they should have had the financial clout to do so. A couple of FA Cups and a Champions League semi-final in 10 years is simply failure. In the last 6 years they have gone out in the CL round of 16. Their fans have a right to complain.
I will stop about Arsenal now. I only got started because of the Rafa speculation.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, no club has a divine right to win the league no matter how much cash they throw at it, at some point, fans , manager, owner and players all have to be on board and united. I just think Gunners fans deserve nothing until they start to appreciate what they have had for so long. So many fans of other clubs who constantly struggle and see their club go from one crisis to another would love just a season or two of Arsenals fortunes .
kimtoon(Quote)
Wenger has worked wonders. He managed to pay for their stadium by keeping them in the CL year after year whilst investing responsibly in the squad and bringing kids through the ranks. They might not have conquered the world but they are always in the mix . Man City have spent more than anyone in recent seasons and barely done much better.
Shamrock(Quote)
As for their current team: They do finished 2nd last season and are 2nd this year. Therefore they are better than all but one of the rest of the top 6?!
Oxlade is playing in the middle now and looks reborn. Never knew he had such a good passing range.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham: I watched yesterday’s game and Chamberlain was OK but has been mediocre for 6 years. There was a perfect storm for the usual suspects last year which is why Leicester won and Arsenal finished second. It won’t happen again. Spurs are building a new stadium, Man U were constantly renovating, Liverpool built a new 115 million stand and Chelsea are just about to get started. I don’t see anybody saying they are working wonders now because they are planning for the future just like Arsenal have done.
I have nothing against Wenger, I just don’t understand the unquestioned and undying love for him. What Arsenal youth players are in the team/bench that weren’t bought from other teams?
The Arsenal youth academy hasn’t developed anyone of note that I can think of – Jack Wilshere? Fabregas came from Barca and went almost straight into the first team. Does buying Southampton youth academy products count?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
With perfect hindsight who over the past 5 or 10 years would I have swapped for Wenger? Not many, so I do give him some credit. I just think he has not done enough and has underachieved in Europe and in the transfer market.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Off the to top of my head I am trying to think of who has won/achieved more than Wenger in the past 10 years in the top 4 leagues:
Ferguson, obviously
Mourinho
Ancelotti
Pep
Luis Enrique
Allegri
Conte
Peligrini (won the PL)
Mancini
Simeone
Zidane (won CL in first season, but not with his team)
It is odd that a lot have been sacked and Wenger has remained for getting a top 4 finish a couple of FA cups and knocked out in the first knockout game of the CL for 6 years running.
I don’t know what to make of it? Living on past glories? Hoping for past glories to return? Loyalty? Blind loyalty? Rewarding loyalty? Better the Devil you know? He makes us a **** load of dosh?
This is why I can understand the Gunners fans’ frustration whilst at the same time understand why people call them whingers.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
****, I missed Heynkes who won the treble including the CL at Bayern before being pushed out for Pep.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And Klopp. 2 Bundesliga and 1 CL final.
Maybe the list is not that short 🙂
I didn’t include Roberto di Matteo because that was a total fluke.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am going to flog a dead horse because everybody disagrees with me:
Arsenal are the 5th richest club in the world according to Forbes
Arsenal have the 7th highest revenue in the world according to Deliotte
Arsenal have not won the Premier League in 12 years going on 13
Arsenal have been knocked out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 for 6 years running
Arsenal face FC Bayern in the CL this year so it will be 7 years in a row at the first knockout hurdle
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Iwobe and Gibbs were in his team yesterday and that’s just a start. Building a stand does not compare to building a new stadium and in the meantime your Manchester sides have spent a lot of money in players.
Shamrock(Quote)
Arsenal could have taken a mortgage out to build the stadium and could have extended the payments over more years. Arsenal have the highest season tickets in the PL partly as a result of the new stadium. Arsenal received top dollar from developers for Highbury. The stadium was partly funded by a very lucrative naming rights contract from Emirates. Arsenal have 226 million in their bank. Arsenal’s 2 best players are wondering about signing new contracts just like Nasri and Van Persi before them.
You saying Gibbs is any good? I know he has played for England but that doesn’t mean much now does i :)? Iwobi has made 34 league appearances for Arsenal.
Sham: I will be interested if you can name any that can currently start for any of the other current top 6? Even Wilshere is at Bournemouth.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
EMERATES STADIUM WAS COMPLETED JULY 2006. That is, more than 10 years ago. Arsenal got 100 million sponsorship and have had the benefit of the increased revenue ever since. They also have a very lucrative development at the old highbury.
It cost 390 million.
Spurs’ new stadium is going to cost 400 million. Will they get a free pass for 10 years after it is completed?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, are you saying nine of Arsenals squad would get a start in the other top 6 in the league? The same squad that is joint 2nd and finished second last season?
Shamrock(Quote)
*none not nine.
Shamrock(Quote)
Problem with Arsenal and Wenger is that they’ll most probably not realise the job he has done until he’s left. But it also has to be said that he’s achieved very little relatively speaking considering the standards he has set. There’s a possibility Arsenal may need a change but Arsenal would have to get the replacement absolutely spot on.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sham: I am saying that Arsenal’s is the worst squad of the top 6. That last season was an aberration. Arsenal have 3 very good players. Cech was a gift from Chelsea, Ozil and Sanchez are assessing their futures.
Wenger is actually a very good coach and that has overcome some of his recent bad purchases and the lack of productivity of their own youth system. He was once known for uncovering gems and selling them on at a vast profit, not so much now.
It wasn’t until I looked a bit deeper that I realised Emerates was completed in 2006. The 6 years getting dumped at the first hurdle of the CL is a failure so too is not winning the league for going on 13 years.
The facts say Wenger has been a failure given the resources available to him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is anybody telling me that if Fergie had not won the league for 13 years and was dumped out of the Champions League at the round of 16 for 6 going on 7 years that he would not have been considered a failure for that time and fired, regardless of past achievments?
Mancini won the league in Italy 3 straight years with Inter and was fired for not doing well in the CL. Ancelotti won the CL at Madrid and was fired.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: the problem for Arsenal’s next Manager is that Wenger will not be leaving them a very good team. On the flipside (is that an Americanism?) they do have the resources to fix it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I hadn’t meant to get into an Arsenal rant but there has been very little else happening on here recently 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Has anybody looked at Arsenal’s record against the others of the top 6? It is appalling. They are flat track bullies beating up on the lower reaches of the PL. Is that what you want from the 5th richest club in the World? Failure in the big matches in the PL and even worse in the knockout round of the CL?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is history repeating itself. Fergie left his successor a **** team (and he knew it) that by force of will he led to a final PL title. Wenger is leaving a **** team compared to the rest of the top six that by his good coaching and flat track bullying he has dragged to the CL and may even do so again this year. That is not success though. That is the absolute minimum requirement in my opinion.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
FFS – give it a break. This is NOT an Arsenal blog Eric.
georgio(Quote)
Georgio: there will be a new thread up soon about Norwich so all of this will be forgotten.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Better yet, I will add afew more comments and it will move on to the next page.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It turns the page every 75 posts, you see.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So, if I just put on 3 more
Eric Sykes(Quote)
it will turn the page
Eric Sykes(Quote)
there you go, noboby will have to see my Arsenal musings ever again
Eric Sykes(Quote)