Rafa Benitez reveals what he’s now told Lee Charnley and Justin Barnes; Mike Ashley’s lawyer

Rafa Benitez admits that he’s now told Lee Charnley and Justin Barnes (Mike Ashley’s lawyer) that his contract is not the issue at Newcastle United – insisting that he’d happily commit to the club for ‘years’ if they started to ‘do things right’ from now on.

With our transfer progress appearing to be at somewhat of a standstill (despite there being just a few weeks left to do business), Benitez is clearly refusing to focus on his future – and instead on the here and now.

After all, it’s what happens between now and August 9th that will make or break his potential stay at St James’ Park.

He needs action and proof of backing, not words and empty promises – two things that will not longer wash with him after almost four consecutive underwhelming transfer windows.

Here’s what he’s had to say when asked about his contract situation – admitting that this is not the issue surrounding Newcastle at the moment, but instead our inability to do the right things at the right time:

“I would say my contract is not an issue. I am doing my best and a lot of managers, they finish a contract and still the clubs are investing and trying to improve the squad.

“I told Mike and Lee Charnley (MD) and Justin (Barnes, Ashley’s lawyer). They know that if we do the right things then I am keen to stay here for five years or whatever.

“There is a way to do things and we have to be sure that we do that.

“Do things in the way that for me, as a football professional who has been years there, is the right way.

Rafa then discussed what he needs the club to start doing in order for him to sign an extension, suggesting once again that we must ‘do the ‘right things’ NOW, with him him having ‘plenty of time’ to talk about a contract further down the line.

“If you want to sign an extension and a lot of years, the main thing and the first one has to be the academy for example.

“Then all these things, you have everything in place – I am really pleased with the fans, the city, the atmosphere at the games, the staff are professionals, everyone.

“We have all the potential to grow and to be a top side, a proper top side. I don’t think my contract should be an issue.”

“The last conversation was, ‘Oh, we can talk’. But I think it is more important to be sure that we do the right things now and then after we have plenty of time to talk about that.”

It’s infuriating. The club seems obsessed about this new contract, yet their actions to tempt him into signing one are non existent.

For now, let’s just hope we at least start doing the ‘right things’ between now and next month’s looming deadline.

We haven’t got long and I’m not expecting much, but with player sales picking up and several big gaps still left to fill in the squad, surely we’ll see a few signings? For Benitez’s sake, I seriously hope so.

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

10 thoughts on “Rafa Benitez reveals what he’s now told Lee Charnley and Justin Barnes; Mike Ashley’s lawyer

  1. They are not going to spend any money , they may not even spend the money off the sales , it’s going to be all loans or free transfers , this is Ashley telling Rafa that he is in charge , pure spite , pure stupidity , designed to get raffa to leave and then put the onus of leaving onto Rafa , and accompanied with all sorts of false statements laying the blame with Rafa

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  2. I’m often amazed by the stupidity of the fans and the irony of their argument.
    Want fatty to leave?
    Yet you still buy his merchandise?
    Want fatty to leave?
    Yet you still attend the games?
    Revenue is his only language, the fans who buy shirts and attend games are betraying there own club and then have the hypocrisy to blame others.
    Wake up Ffs we can save our club but we have to go through the pain first.

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  3. Steve, you are wrong. Ashley won’t go if you refuse to buy shirts off him or renew your season tickets. It may annoy him that he isn’t cheating you and ripping you off, which is what he loves doing, but he is still a multi-millionaire, there are still plenty of other fireplaces he can vomit into, and he still owns NUFC with its wonderful advertising and the development land around the stadium he has siphoned off into his various holding companies. He doesn’t need you (or so he thinks). He doesn’t need Rafa, either (look at the way he is treating him). ****, man, he doesn’t even (think he) needs a football team, just eleven journeymen players to run about the field each game. There is nothing you can do. At least the American can wait out Trump and be rid of him then. There is nothing that can be done to be rid of Ashley. I predict that it will take a double relegation and the distraction of another club or sports related advertising vehicle before Ashley will cash out, …but of course he will asset strip the club first, the development land is already gone, so it’ll be the players of any worth that he will flog off, but even when he agrees to sell, he will probably still try to keep control of the advertising and force the club to sell his merchandise, the very things that stopped Staveley and all the other tire-kickers from investing or buying in, so that even when he does sell it will be long winded and drawn out and everybody else’s fault but his.
    Rafa, you stick to your guns. Don’t blink. Call their bluff and give us one final season of dignity before you get your own career back on track.

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  4. Theres another reason fat boy treats nufc as though he wants to destroy it. When he first started asset stripping the club, selling our best players, getting rid of staff that loved the club and wanted to compete for the premiership and trophies and bringing in cronies and “yes” men.
    A certain section of the fans reacted in a way that scared the proverbial s__t out of him. He admitted in the media that he was scared for the safety of himself and his family after receiving death threats and having his property damaged.
    M.A. is at heart a cockney “barrow boy” and being threatened by “dumb geordies”, as he sees us, seriously dented his ego…
    He holds a grudge against us and is determined to get his own back and show the toon faithful who’s boss. He will continue to operate the club with as little investment as possible. Continue to promote his main businesses by utilising nufc’s free advertising and global reach. He will never sell the club while it saves him millions in advertising, makes a profit and gives him the opportunity to put the boot into the fans. He holds all responsible for the actions of a few and he just loves showing who’s boss.
    He will continue to remain absent and silent for 90% of the time and lie and cheat us for the remaining 10.
    It’s inevitable that Rafa will leave eventually and who can blame him? Yet had he received the backing he deserves he could’ve had us competing for domestic trophies and probably brough European football back to St James park.
    It’s unfortunate but only when he’s brought the club down, when its in a lower league no longer reaching the global market or receiving vast amounts of T.V. money, when it costs him money every season and when he tires of hurting the fans; only then will we be rid of our tormentor – Mike Ashley.. 😥

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  5. If Rafa is not allowed to sign the players he wants, and needs, by August 9th, don’t be surprised if he walks out on the 10th. And who would blame him.

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  6. Get Ashley out of Newcastle he is killing the club if Benitez goes everybody just stop going until Ashley goes

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  7. Like the dog that you’ve loved all your life when its looking for you to end it’s misery or can’t go on anymore. RAFA SHOULD JUST WALK AWAY STOP COLLUDING WITH this MORON he had his chance to sell. I for one hope it blows up like a nuclear bomb for him.

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