The Chronicle claimed last night that Rafa Benitez IS set to be given the green light to spend money this summer, with Mike Ashley preparing a new contract for the Spaniard – but big questions remain as to whether this will actually be enough for Benitez.
Remember last summer? May 2017 – Ashley confirmed Rafa was staying, stating he’d give the Spaniard ‘every penny’ the club generated after promotion. As we know, that summer saw us shopping in the bargain basement and left us with a squad not fit to tackle the Premier League head on as Rafa had planed.
Rafa asked for a proven striker, but had to scramble late on to sign Stoke’s fourth choice striker, Joselu. He’s put in a shift, but at the end of the day he’s looked like a £5m footballer. This a man who scored just 4 goals in 27 for Stoke and, surprise surprise, his record at Newcastle is EXACTLY the same – 4 goals in 27.
Like a lot of this NUFC squad, he’ll leave nothing out on the pitch and put in 110%, but as Monday’s frustrating 1-0 defeat highlighted perfectly, effort alone will only get us so far. Rafa admitted last week that he can’t perform ‘miracles’ every season and that says everything you need to know about his ambition vs the reality of what he’s been receiving from Ashley to achieve those goals.
This summer, quality additions are the order of the day – but in 2018, they will not come cheap.
With this in mind, Benitez isn’t going to buy into these ‘you’ve got the green light to spend’ claims from Ashley. He needs things in writing, he needs full plans and proof of how they’re going to be put into practice not just this summer but next January too – a month we’ve struggled with ever since he’s been in charge.
Having the “green light” to spend is great, but how much money is that? Are we going to actually make efforts to break our transfer record (which we’ll need to if we want to sign quality players in this day and age), are we going to push to sign Kenedy? Sign a new proven striker? Learn from our mistakes last summer? (where deals for Abraham and Caballero slipped through our fingers despite Rafa having good reason to believe they were done by all accounts).
Then there’s more. The training ground needs development, the U-23 set up needs major investment after several are set to be released this season.
This is a big project for Rafa and something that needs to be planned and sustainable, not just a plea to be given a big transfer kitty this summer.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s positive to hear that Ashley is at least ready to sanction some form of summer spending and offer Rafa a new deal, but this is only half the battle.
He needs to prove that he’s willing and capable of matching Rafa’s ambitions for the club – especially after his lack of communication and broken promises have only eroded trust between the pair over the last 18 months.
Positive news from…… The Chronicle with no named reputable source to be exact
mactoon(Quote)
Load of tosh!!!
Toonloony1971(Quote)
Ashley’s going to spend big every year, mugs believe it and get all excited and guess what- he doesn’t. Does no-one learn from history?
Toonology(Quote)
It took me about 5 seconds to find a prediction of roughly what we would get in TV money. As I said yesterday, Lee Ryder is an idiot because he said between 80 and 100 million. The bottom club gets about 100 million. We know this because the Mackems got 98 when they went down – 20 seconds of research could have told Lee that. So, out the gate that 80 million figure is wrong. Then for each place you get money and you get appearance money for live games. We know how many live games we have had so the only variable is where we end up. That is likely to be 10-12 so Shazam it is probably 117-121 million.
Waugh has backtracked on Ryder and said 120 million (no mention of 80 million). I know Wor Lee said 120 at the high end but he is a moron because he could have made a much more informed estimate with about 30 seconds research.
Why is this even important. Because at 80 million in TV funds there is about 10-15 million available for transfers and at 120 it is 55-60 million. Throwing a number like 80 million in TV funds that is totally wrong and way off what we will get just confuses the issue.
https://www.totalsportek.com/money/premier-league-prize-money/
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There is an even easier way to predict TV money. They publish what was paid last year. The top club got about 150 mil and the bottom 98 mil. Some of it is down to appearances and the top clubs are on TV more. So, clip 5 million off the top for that which equals 145 million. If you finish half way up the table you will get about half way between the 2 numbers because you are paid “merit money” depending on where you finish and this is in equal increments. So, again, Shazam half way in between is 122 million. Fcking simples Lee.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m sure Rafa will not sign anything until everything is 100% guaranteed. Apart from that another copy and paste exercise. When will you get the hint and write something positive for the fans instead of this Cr.p.
Dutch(Quote)
You can also make an educated guess at what our total revenue and wages were this year by looking at the last set of accounts and making a few simple adjustments. You know roughly what the TV money is, what the gate receipts are and what sponsorhip and shirt deals are. I can’t be bothered to do it but my guess is 40-50 million total. So total revenue is probably 160-170 million.
My guess is wages were 100 million or so. That is just a guess because I can’t be bothered to look it up. Add running costs and you get about 110-115 in spend. So that leaves about 50 million extra which would be the maximum for transfers if Rafa was allowed all of it. Then you have sales if he is allowed that money as well.
This stuff is not rocket science although I have made some guestimates because I can’t be bothered to go through all of the accounts.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
But I have looked at our accounts before and have seen what other clubs report so in the back of my mind I have a relatively accurate guess at what our current accounts look like.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We do have about 6 million from Spurs for Sissoko and probably about another 8 for Townsend and Gini so there will be a bit extra there. If we also paid in installments and you net it all out that is probably another 8 million.
The wildcard in all of this is whether the Fatman pays himself back anything. If he is smart, he will delay this until we are settled in the PL because that is what will get Rafa to sign a new contract.
And don’t expect a revamp of the Academy/Training Facilities. More cosmetic changes but there are other priorities at the moment and that stuff takes years to pay off. You might get an announcement about the future, but we have seen those before as well.
I am not an accountant but I am a Financial Planner and all of this stuff is out there with a few quick searches. Apparently Ryder has not mastered what every 8 year old has – GOOGLE.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I want Lee Ryder’s job. You write the same formulaic repeat article week after week, don’t do any research, don’t have any unique knowledge because you don’t have any contacts and get to go to NUFC games, pre-season and mini-breaks. But writing those player ratings every week must be difficult!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So what about the match? I think Rafa will switch it around but not too much. At a minimum you have to get Slimani and Murphy on. Then, at least 1 of Moreno and MBemba. The back line is settled but I think we could swap MBemba for Yedlin as we need to figure out a backup right back. It is pointless changing Dummett as we will buy his backup in the summer. My guess is Moreno gets half an hour as a sub. So:
Dubravka
MBemba Lascelles Lejuene Dummett
Murphy Shelvey Diame Kenedy
Perez
Slimani
Remember Kenedy cannot play against Chelsea so I expect Murphy to get his spot for that game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We will know after the press conference. If Rafa says a player has “trained well” that is his code for he is starting. I think what Rafa means by that is not just that he has ran around a lot but has listened to instructions and fit in well with the group and in drills.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’ll believe it when I see it.
The only thing that gives me hope is that there is evidence of Ashley backing his managers when he’s said he would – Pardews contract, and his little speech of ‘bolting carts to horses’ or whatever he said – the following season we spent around £90m. I quickly follow that by acknowledging it’s the only window under Ashley with a significant spend and every other window has been a disastrous let down.
He’s always favoured balancing books, but this summer we all know the money will be there – so there will be no excuses.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: do you think he might take heed from what is happening down the road at Sunderland. He would be an idiot not to. They went from probably a 200 million valuation in the PL to Short not being able to give them away.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
How is this a copy and paste exercise please?
I’ve stated the story being ran by the Chronicle and shared my thoughts on it..
As far as complaints about a lack of positivity, do you expect me to take the news as fact and celebrate that Rafa is going to get money to spend and sign a new contract? It’s completely justifiable to be cynical after hearing about Mike Ashley’s intentions..
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
Eric – ironically I think the root of Sunderland’s problems has been a lack of financial control – over spending on players and in particular their wages, and a long list of failed managers and still paying their wages – they are still paying Di Canio believe it or not. Then there is Rodwell on 70k a week, and John OShea is still on at 10k contract at 38.
They have been so badly managed, I personally don’t like to see it for any club to be honest.
On the flip side, Ashley does have us financial sound (despite the loan). But as a result of that, there is the type of gamble he’s taken this season – the lack of spending coz we don’t actually see the benefits of that promotion until this summer.
But now we know we’ll get those funds – so for me, if he hands the money over (whilst I don’t agree with his logic) he will have been true to his word. If not he’s a liar who is no better than the owner of our lowly neighbours.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: I know Sunderland have been on a downward spiral for a long time but it made me laugh the other day when I saw that Martin Bain, the man who has overseen consecutive relegations, is WILLING to stay on. Chris Coleman says Sunderland are in a dark place. No sht Sherlock. He might have a lifeline though, I read that Ipswich might be interested. The comedy implosion continues. And all they have is a live game away at Fulham and Mitro tomorrow.
Am I enjoying this too much 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Olly: there is no way that Leicester will get 21 million for a 30 year old Slimani. That will be his age when the transfer window opens in July (you said his b-day is June). Even if he plays great for us in the next few games where will the competition for his signature come from? His injury record isn’t great and Leicester have made a statement that he is surplus to requirements and a failure there by loaning him to us. 15 million tops and that is if he scores a couple of goals for us. If he doesn’t he may as well be Joselu.
Chelsea paid 18 million for Giroud who is older but proven and better.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Also Olly: I am not saying you said Leicester would get 21 million. I know you were relaying information from another source.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
here here,take no notice of silly comments
icedog(Quote)
And. I am listening to a podcast and they are repeating that a 2-0 scoreline is the most dangerous margin in football. This has been repeated so often that it has become a wrongheaded FACT.
I would say 0-0 is worse because if the opposition score, you lose.
Or 1-0 because you only draw if you score.
I hear this in every game when a team goes 2-0 up and it is just utter twaddle.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – it’s fair to say I haven’t shed a single tear for them, but I hate to see any club go that way due to arsehole businessmen mismanaging. It was a shame when it happened to Blackburn as well – it offers some weight to the argument ‘better the devil you know’ – and I don’t really like that.
On another note, apparently Leicester want £21m for Slimani – thanks for your contribution buddy, but back to that Leicester bench you go my friend.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ryder last yr he must have kept this piece for this yr,arsehole.
Back on 10 May 2017, The Chronicle piece read: ‘It is believed that Benitez should be able to spend between £90-£100million when the transfer window opens. The Magpies boss was given the green light to get summer transfer work under way by Mike Ashley after a “positive” round of talks with the billionaire tycoon.’
icedog(Quote)
On another note, apparently Leicester want £21m for Slimani – thanks for your contribution buddy, but back to that Leicester bench you go my friend
i agree mate 100%,Chelsea signed the Gunners c/f for 18 mil at the same age and a lot lot better than him
icedog(Quote)
hahaha, good job Ice 😆
runforrestrun(Quote)
Olly – for what it’s worth I think your articles are generally very balanced – it’s then for us posters to provide that positive/negative factor – that’s the difference and key factor to a good blog piece imo ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
theres always one bud
icedog(Quote)
I recently posted that our tv income, gate and match day and commercial income will top £180m this year.
I would hope that Rafa gets at least £50m of that.
Add that to player sales and Rafas’ transfer pot should be around £90m.
If Ashley does not sell the club he could then start to build bridges with the fans by adding at least £10m to that pot from his own pocket.
If he did that he might even get a good reception if he turned up at SJP on match days.
sidekick(Quote)
Totally agree mate and said as much in the article on their alleged asking price. It just wouldn’t be like Mike Ashley to break our transfer record on a 30-year-old whose struggled with injuries!
I like him as a player and think he’d suit Rafa’s system very well given time, but he’s got it all to do (and Leicester has are going to have to reduce asking price).
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
Louise Taylor of The Guardian marked every Ellis Short player out of 10. Some quick observations:
1. She is the NE football correspondent and should know who the Mackems are but she has often been accused of bias for them and against NUFC. This sort of proves it. Some of her marks are way too high, laughably so. She give Rodwell a 2/10 – he has been an unmitigated disaster and should qualify for a minus grade. There is a reason she is sometimes known as Whee”ze Keys Louise.
2. They bought a bunch of crocks or turned them into crocks.
3. They could identify good loan signings but the permanent deals were mostly ****. Why? Most of their better players were loanees.
4. It is a miracle they stayed up so long.
5. Judging by the dross they have got in the past 2 years they will struggle in League 1. Especially since Bain and Coleman say they need at least 14 new players.
6. How can Bain have a job when he has overseen the purchase of the current dross and is going back with a begging bowl to Short for 14 new players.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/26/sunderland-hall-of-shame-clubs-mostly-bad-signings-under-short
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Looking at the crock list for SAFC and how Ugly John was dealt such a bad hand with us with injuries I find it interesting what Rafa said the other day. He said that almost all of our players are fit and that there is no room in first team training for returning loanees. He said that in 11 v 11 training games he even has to leave players out. He is basically doing the same with cover players like MBemba because we have no injuries. Usually you would have players under treatment and the fringe players would at least get a sniff.
How the hell has this happened? There is a website that used to get mentioned called physiobench or something that listed all crocked players and their return dates and total number of days lost. It was always us and Arsenal with the worst record.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So, it got me thinking that maybe it is not so much that Rafa doesn’t rate players like MBemba, Moreno and Murphy it is just there is no room. You expect to have a few long term injuries at this stage but we don’t have any. In fact we really have been lucky with only Dummett, Moreno and Lejeune missing a lot.
We’ll see. If they play then they are probably in his plans and would need a very good offer to get rid.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think I want to make Louise Taylor’s list of Sunderland signings into a wallchart complete with her (ridiculous) assessments and ratings. I read the comments in the Guardian and even the Sunderland fans are saying she is crazy. There are more than 600 comments BTW. That’s a lot, they usually only get to that many for Man U and Liverpool articles.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Olly, you could consider 💡 using a numbering system for comments, so that people can refer back to the comments others make without having to clutter up your list with endless re-pastes of previous comments, or 💡 consider a system to allow responses to comments that ‘nest’ under each other, and so allow ‘threads’ of related comments to sit together.
Peter(Quote)
Peter I miss the numbers as well system.
Stem(Quote)
As for Rafa being offered a new contract and given money to spend we will have to wait and see. I doubt Ashley as always because his a ticking time bomb. Plus the fake over and Pardew out of work adds to speculation.
Stem(Quote)
Can’t help but laugh at some of the comments Sunderland are attracting. Bungalow of Light and Shed of Light are just two I’ve come across. Makes you wonder what kind of crowds they’ll attract next season. 😆
georgio(Quote)
I think it’s a myth that Fatty has us financially sound as a club. When you consider the debt, albeit to him, is way higher than when he bought us. Moreover it never decreases and hangs like a mill stone around the clubs neck. Also the two relegations are not without significant effect on us in our ability to be competitive against other clubs once deemed smaller and less attractive than us.
Quite honestly, for me, the prospect of us going into another season under this ownership fills me with a sense of dread.
I really hope Rafa has legal advisors going through his new contract offer with a fine toothed comb and gets iron clad assurances over his transfer budget. Ashley couldn’t lie straight if he tried and is tighter than a gnats ****.
kimtoon(Quote)
Yes the fakeover, fully expect that to rear it’s ugly head just enough to detract from the important things like transfers. Mike will be thrilled it’s a shorter window and WC year to, less time to be busy doing nothing.
kimtoon(Quote)
fakeover!! i like it 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
would like to think we would sign Yacine Brahimi.the guys magic
icedog(Quote)
Mackems ahead 🙂 When it doesn’t matter! Fulham will probably come back.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sounds like some sort of disease. Did you get your injections for Yacine Brahami Icedog for your trip to Cambodia?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Honestly Mrs Sykes, I caught Yacine Brahimi from a toilet seat. That cockrot was certainly not from a Cambodian prostitute. Icedog told me to get the shots before I went but I thought he was talking about football.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
1-1. If Fulham win then the Mackems go down in last place. C’mon Fulham.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I like the look of this Fredericks from Fulham. Hasn’t signed a new contract either!
Stuart79(Quote)
they have a few good players Stu
kimtoon(Quote)
NEW THREAD
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/04/27/west-brom-h-pre-match-thoughts-team-news-predicted-line-ups/
West Brom preview
Olly Hawkins(Quote)