The Chronicle released part one of a superb exclusive Q & A with Rafa Benitez today, seeing the Spaniard send a powerful message to the Geordie faithful as we enter the final stages of the season.
The big interview included a host of questions regarding form, tactics and expectations. What stood out to me, however, was the subject of home support, as Benitez offered a rallying call, in a bid to see fans, players and staff all unite as we go into what could be a defining moment for the future of our beloved football club.
Asked how the fans could help in the final eight games, Benitez said:
Our fans have been magnificent during the whole season, they are incredible.
Now we have reached the final stage of the season it is the time to be even better, if they can.
They can help with their support of our players. Even if we make mistakes the key is to help the players to try again, to be sure they have the confidence and support to succeed in these final eight games.”
The statement that followed from the brilliant Benitez was perhaps the best part of the entire interview for me, as he said:
“We are together in this race, we are at our strongest when we are united. The fans, the players, the staff – all of us helping to achieve our shared goal.”
I found this to be such an appropriate and powerful message to fans in particular.
We need each and every person inside St.James’ Park to be supporting their team as Newcastle enter the final push in this long, hard battle for promotion. With 5 of the final 8 games to be played at home this season, the ‘Toon Army’ have a huge part to play and given Benitez’s rallying call, he knows it.
Benitez was then asked if he thought the St.James’ Park atmosphere has made it difficult for the players recently or whether he was in fact pleased with the home crowd. Benitez said:
“Our supporters deserve the greatest respect this season. They always amaze us with their passion and their commitment at home and away.”
But it is true in all things in life, that those closest to you can often be the most critical. That is normal, they have earned the right to criticise and criticism is important for improvement.
However at this stage of the season, with so much at stake, encouragement can help the players achieve better results. A positive atmosphere is very helpful for the players, they take the energy from the stands and use it raise their game.
It is also up to us to lift our fans by playing better. As I said before, all of us must be united.”
I would encourage fans to read part one of The Chronicle’s full article in what was a timely message from the Newcastle United boss.
Hopefully this message makes fans realise the importance of ‘support’ in the home games to come, with no room now for negativity and hostility as we enter the defining moment of our clubs future.
Olly cannot say I enjoy a copy of the local is there a point??
Rafa has a point, booing and especially at half time achieves little imo. Yes we can all have a moan about it but I can’t see the point of booing, save it for the officials 😉
Newcastle fans have always been known for their knowledge of the game and honesty. If it doesn’t look good on the pitch then they let the team (and manager) know. I have no problem with that. Hysterical, high pitched backing is something the toon army have never done.
If the noise is terrific inside SJP it’s because the football deserves it.
Most of the football these last few years has been dire and the complaints about the library atmosphere are right. It doesn’t help the team but that’s just the way we are. That’s not to say Rafa isn’t saying the right things – he always does.
Sorry for persistently spelling your name wrong Olly!
Lithuania FIFA Ranking 107, population 3 million. I cannot name a single one if their players but then again I haven’t read any pre-match reports.
Is this where we comment or are there more threads now?
This is the thread mate,but not many comments,it’s more or less just a copy of local rag really
So I guess that’s the balance for the blog owners.
Keeping enough turn over of articles against writing somd good quality blogs that energise posters to talk about the topic covered .. and then take it wherever they want to go … Even if that goes to politics or other teams
I too am not really bothered about regurgitated rag reports but it’s the twitter based articles that really leave me cold .. and both of those are already covered by Ed
Say what you like about worky.. his articles were thoughtful .. it was his interaction with his users that made his blog a turn off .. oh and his questionable levels of service / business ?
I’m really more interested in a point of view article. Keeping them interesting with a high turnover is a challenge for the blog owners tho’
I think it’s still the best nufc blog .. esp when read alongside nufc.com .. and thats because its a great blend of article / user posting
Just my 2pth
Should clarify that by the statement above i mean only that he never convinced me to invest
international week on the blog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIIuR-HjFho
I think I saw a tumbleweed floating by just before…
I’m watching the England game on Abu Dhabi sports and the commentator sounds like Gru from despicable me… cracks me up.. he keeps mispronouncing names, particularly Dele Ali who has become Delali. He’s also obsessed with the age of all the players, as well as the managers… comedy gold I tell you…???
On the match, it seems ok so far. Good goal from Defoe and Sterling is having a good game too. As Gru was saying, they almost came to the England box.
He keeps saying on a foul, e.g. Delali has gone into the ground… ???
That should be.. Lithuania almost came into the English box..
2.0
I see the International Break has energized everybody as usual.
I have to defend Olly to an extent. He is referencing an exclusive and in depth interview in The Chronicle with Rafa Benitez. This is not the usual Lee Ryder guff and “5 things we learned”, and although it is almost a reprint it is not like Olly does this every day like Ed (who I don’t mind, but he does not have his finger on the pulse, how can he, he is a retired computer guy writing articles at 4am his time in Colrado).
This is important information and comment from the horses mouth and the Chronicle article is the only source because it was their interview. Harsh on Olly but I reserve the right to critcise if he starts up with the “5 things I learned”.
England game wasn’t televised in US but I would bloody hope England can beat the 107th ranked team in the world. I had to be content with Brasil/Uruguay and Argentina/Chile. Those 2 unknowns Messi and Neymar look OK, perhaps the Toon should send a scout to these countries now and again?
Why don’t English teams get players direct from South American teams? Ajax manage it. I have seen that there is trouble with work permits but how can other EU countries get them in? It also seems that the only time a South American comes to England is when they are already established in another European country. Where are the lauded scouting networks of Man City and Chelsea etc. Same with the African players to an extent.
I’ve never understood that either Eric. Other than Mirandinha I can’t think of one S American. Hang on . . . Bassedas, Cordone, Gavilan, Acuna. All world class stars who came directly to the Toon. 😳 😳 😳
Also international break on the blog:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdRFMp8Xwo
(the guy in shot represents Eric)
Georgio: we did get players from South America in the past even though they turned out not to be very good. Now it seems that we are not even looking. But, my other point was that even the most well funded teams with new academies wait until the players are established now before buying. I just cant see how they can get work permits in Europe and not the UK. I know there is something about the player having to play a certain percentage of internationals to get a work permit but do not know the exact rules.
I don’t know, I have just been watching these South American World Cup qualifiers and it is not just the superstars who look like good players but many of the others, quite a few of whom play in Europe but not England. Given that Jordan Ibe cost Bournemouth 16 million and has zero goals and zero assists you would think we would be looking everywhere for better options than the major European Leagues where prices seem to have gone crazy.
Nobby Solano.
Sham: did we get Nobby from darkest Peru like Paddington Bear or was he at another European club first? Spurs were at the forefront of getting top class foreign players but then it was us under Keegan. We were shopping in the bargain basement of South American players later with Acuna etc but they must have had enough caps to get work permits. I just wonder why we are not doing this now? Maybe too many people bought “In Carr we Trust” t-shirts on Ed’s site and assumed we didn’t need to scout anywhere except France and Belgium and via the Mondial Sports Agency?
Eric
The FA will only let us sign non eu players when they have played a percentage of games for their Country in the previous 2 years.
If their Country is ranked in the world top 10 they need to have played in a minimum 30% games .
If ranked 11 to 20 then then they need to have played in 45% of the games,, ranked 21 to 30 then 60% of games and finally if your Country is ranked outside of the top 30 then you need to have played in 75% of the games.
Other European Countries do not have these restrictions so obviously the better players are all usually bought by them well before the 2 years are up and regardless of how many international games they have played.
Cheers Sidekick. I had wondered for a while why English teams never seemed to sign young South American talent. I had assumed it was work permits as that was sometimes brought up when foreign players signed. I didn’t realise it was the FA. I know that they are trying to protect British youngsters but it is probably costing some English clubs a lot of money since the minute anybody has a decent game in the Champions League it seems there is automatically a 50 million price tag put on their head – MBappe etc.
I am blissfully unaware of any momentum building for Gareth Southgate’s England to reach the world cup but the hype will begin as they steamroller through the worst group in World Cup qualifying history. The FIFA world rankings are not foolproof (England are 14th FFS) but they offer a guide to the walk in the park England have been gifted:
Scotland 67
Lithuania 107
Solvenia 58
Slovakia 25
Malta 182
If only the fat scouse git was allowed to pad his goal stats a bit more! In 20 years time it will be forgotten that he was a flat track bully only scoring in friendlies and against ***** teams in qualifiers. If they are still on TV the Nevilles and Redknapps will have forgotten that, and if he is allowed back into the squad to bully the current crop of no hopers I assure you they will call Wayne England’s greatest ever player. Possibly, the greatest player in Internationals of his generation as both Ronaldo and Messi have never won a World Cup either.
New article folks:
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2017/03/28/the-calm-before-the-storm-april-set-to-be-a-defining-month-for-the-future-of-nufc/
Give it a read 🙂