I said before the game that a draw in this one would leave most of St James’ Park feeling flat, but to lose it is an absolute disaster – a result that leaves us bottom of the table on just 2 points after Cardiff’s win over Fulham today.
Brighton hadn’t won a game on the road since November (failing to win any of their last 17 away from The Amex), so that says everything you need to know about how poor this defeat is.
Perez had a huge chance early on, but after their goal they wasted time, got 11 men behind the ball and continually frustrated us – with us having no answer despite almost 70% possession. We were too slow, lackadaisical and lacking that flair and urgency needed to unsettle them.
Shelvey and Kenedy had a go and tried to make things happen, but the thread ahead of them was non existent, with Dunk and Duffy cutting out just about everything that put into the box.
Ryan may have made a few decent saves, however just 6 of our 27 shots were on target. We had plenty of the ball in the second half, but we looked lost, with no one able to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
We look like a side visibly low on confidence and it’s no surprise really. This result leaves us without a win in our first NINE game – the first time this has happened since 1898.
We know who’s really to blame for the mess we find ourselves in, but Benitez and the players can’t escape from criticism here. Rafa had to take Perez off and change it up when things weren’t working and the players had to do more against a very ordinary Brighton side.
Southampton away next. To say that one’s massive is an understatement.
Well this is real kick in the nuts. Just got back from my nephews wedding to hear we lost at home to Brighton… ???????
I definitely see us playing the mackems next year… gutted.
Cannot understand why Longstaff and Roberts and Sorensen are not getting games… got to be better than this shi.te….
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Waugh shows what an idiot he is again. He wrote in his “5 things we learned” that Chris Hughton would have a wry smile on his face. From everything I have seen of Hughton he is total class and would not be wallowing in our adversity even if it meant trouble for the Fatman. Waugh is almost as bad as Ryder. By the reports, and I didn’t watch the game, he should have written “we are sh!te” 5 times and been done with it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
As I said on the previous thread, these are Rafa’s players. He has had opportunity to sell any of them he wanted. Of course, limited funds has played a massive role but the only 2 players who have really worked out are Dubravka and Lejeune. The rest I would grade at a C at best.
We still need to get behind the team though as this could spiral out of control. I see quite a few are beginning to turn on Eds and I think a loss to Southampton and we will be in full on revolt from about 40% of fans.
I cannot bring myself to trash another Manager. I wasted so much energy on Pardew and Ugly John I don’t have it in me anymore. If it carries on like this I think it will be meek acceptance from me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
As far as points total by January, Sharpy forecast 10-15 more and I still agree with him although I had previously said nearer 10. If that is the case we will have 12 points from 20 games with a terrible run at the beginning of 2019.
What will Ashley do? He is more likely to keep his hands in his pockets and prepare for the Championship with a reduced payroll. To an extent, he had already done that. God knows what he is doing going to the games again and buying pizzas.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Just looking at Ollys player rating article and Perez given a 3 – I’m trying to think how many times (if any) he’s scored 5 or more?
He adds nothing to the team and this formation Rafa is p1ssed on to have that number 10 doesn’t work largely because Perez isn’t good enough. The fact that Rafa persists with this annoys me – we should be trying 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 instead of sticking with a formation and players that simply don’t work
Sharpy17(Quote)
We should be able to field our strongest team bar Lejeune next week. Swap Rondon for Ayoze and that is our strongest team. We are also playing 1 of the 5 worst teams in the PL – Us, Cardiff, Huddersfield, Southampton, (Fulham?). If today was a must win then next week is even more critical.
It is not like we haven’t been questioning Rafa’s transfer dealings. Many questioned Mitro and I have wondered out loud about Gayle. Now it is more out in the open as the chorus of “in Rafa we trust” dies down a bit.
Ashley will still be blamed and rightly so. But Carr worked under the same restrictions except our last relegation when him and Charnley were given the reins. Even then we sold the players he bought for more than we paid. I think Rafa has done worse in recruitment than Carr and that is with is lauded database and connections.
As I said, I am not going to trash Rafa but he has been given a free ride so far and unless there is a drastic turnaround that will not continue.
Fans might stay on board if we do limp to Christmas with 10 more points but Liverpool-Watford-Man U does not look like a happy Christmas and I can see Rafa and Ashley coming to a mutual consent agreement so neither loses money.
I am already thinking we need a Christmas miracle.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I want to try and be a bit positive despite the result and the fact we are bottom.
I wanted to see us be positive today and go after Brighton. Stats wise it read like this:
Possession – 68% to 32%
Total shots – 27 to 8
On target – 6 to 2
Corners – 10 to 2
All in our favour, and that’s promising. Of course the only stat that matters is the final score – but those stats certainly don’t suggest our confidence has suffered despite our winless start.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Maybe Rafa is not capable of working with the quality of players we have – EVEN IF HE IS THE ONE WHO CHOSE THEM. I will repeat that these are Rafa’s players because he either bought them or chose not to move them on. Of course, they may not have been his first choice but who of us in life always gets their first choice every time?
When you look at Rafa’s record you see that he has been a serial winner, but mainly cups. The rap on him has always been that he has taken over ready made squads. Even at Valencia, where it cannot be denied that he performed miracles to bump Barca and Madrid from their perches, he walked into a team that was accepted as fully formed but without direction.
Then it was Liverpool who had a good squad (Gerard in his prime) and he was lucky to get Xabi Alonso because he was very hit and miss there otherwise. And Chelsea, Inter, Napoli and Real Madrid who had top 3 squads in each of their leagues.
He hasn’t really had to manage the likes of Hayden, Atsu, Perez, Joselu and Darlow.
As I said, I am done slagging off NUFC managers but it is clear that Rafa is now struggling under the constraints imposed by Ashley and his methods may not fit with Ashley’s skinflint approach.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: we need someone to put the ball in the net and we all knew that. We also knew our midfielders don’t score in the PL do it had to be a forward. Hopefully Rondon and Muto in tandem will help.
All you need is 3 wins in a row given how the bottom of the table is panning out It wouldn’t get us out of the mess but it would give some hope.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Looking further a field – Fulham didn’t only get beat today, they leaked 4 goals against Cardiff.
They spent a fortune in the summer but are conceding so many goals.
Also, Huddersfield lost too.
Today wasn’t a good day, but 2 results and we could be 13th – so we aren’t loosing touch too much. We still have a run of fixtures that could get us there.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – yes mate, sorry I was in the process of writing my post as you were saying the same thing.
We need a forward to score goals. Have WBA done a number on us getting rid of a crock Rondon for a fit Gayle?. Was it a number when actually, look at Rondons PL stats for WBA – was he ever the forward to get us those goals anyway?.
Should we be worried that only a few weeks ago Rafa said he was happy with his forward options and it’s other positions he’s looking to strengthen – or is that likely to change come January?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric I think you have been very balanced. We all know Ashley is a complete tosses and should have given Rafa better support but that should not blind us to Rafa,s failings. He let Mbabu go and Mbemba who surely most would agree is better and more versatile than Manquillo. What would have been the cost to keep Armstrong for the rest of the season. I think he would have slotted in for Perez. Atsu was a poor buy and many did not rate him last season.
Groucho(Quote)
Groucho mate, I don’t think I have laid into Rafa at all but there were some who when asked about anything would reply “in Rafa we trust”. It was almost like a religion where you accept everything on faith and utter that mantra in response to any question. Not so much on here, but on Eds. And there was a convenient and deserved scapegoat in Ashley.
As usual, the situation is more nuanced than simply Ashley is a bad owner and has not given Rafa the money to succeed. Look at Jorgensen. Rafa wanted 20 million for him last January. Look at Gayle and Mitro who we could do with now. I know a lot of it was Ashley wanting the wages gone but Rafa made the choice of who he wanted and who he didn’t. It is his team. Not his ideal team, but his team.
It is not often a team recovers from 2 points in 9 games so he better be the Messiah 🙂 I can think of Palace. Then there was the Leicester great escape after Christmas. Maybe West Ham? Mainly when you start like this you get relegated and your manager gets the sack before Christmas.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Let’s bust a myth. Rafa shouldn’t be doing better with the players he’s bought. That’s like saying the manager of Plymouth should be doing better with the players he has because he bought them… ?
If you only spend £1m in 2 and half years what do you expect?
Stuart79(Quote)
Fulham don’t have a settled defence, it’s been chopped and changed all season. As for us today, as your stats show Sharpy , we were ok just need a quality finisher , but they cost ££££
kimtoon(Quote)
Not true Stuart. You are talking NET SPEND of the money Rafa has had. It is not a myth that he did have some money to spend although most was to get us out of The Championship.
Plymouth did not sell and “reinvest”:
Wignaldum – 25 million
Sissoko – 30 million
Andros – 14 million
Mitro – 22-27 million
You can talk all you want about the restrictions placed on Rafa and Net Spend, but he has had a budget and wasted quite a bit of it on dross.
He may be one of the best coaches in the world but he cannot teach Joselu to trap a ball or Diame to hit the target better than 1 in 10 times.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If you look at GROSS spend then Rafa should have been able to reshape this team to how he wants it. Get rid of the bad apples and dross and buy for your system! The only caveat is that the Mitro money was not released to him.
Of course we would all have liked Ashley to stick to his promise that Rafa would have every penny the club generated because that would have been another 50-70 million inc. Mitro. But it is a myth to say that he has had no money.
It is also a myth to say he didn’t get who he wanted. He may not have got his first choices because of spending restraints but they were still on his list.
I am not sticking up for Ashley but Rafa is not infallible and it was him who identified, bought and above all played JOSELU.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And if Rafa had had his way we would have Jorgensen missing goals today instead of Ayoze 🙂 Hopefully somebody will find their shooting boots. Ayoze, Rondon and Muto may not have been prolific but they are 8-10 goals a season players and not the 4-5 goal a season that they look now.
We also need a goalscoring midfielder because it is not Ritchie, who I think Rafa was relying on a bit.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
In hindsight Rafa might have been better off keeping Graham Carr as an ally. Carr did have Ashley’s ear and did a decent job of recruitment, even if it was mainly through the French sports agency Mondial. But at least they were feeding him decent leads.
Rafa has made it RafaNUFC with no direct line to the person in charge of the money. He has talked to Ashley what? 3 times? Ashley trusts Charnley but not enough to pay him the going rate for his position. Rafa is on LITERALLY 40 times the money Charnley is paid. Don’t you thinks that Rafa doesn’t know this and knows exactly how much sway Charnley really has?
It is a very strange relationship between those 3 and Carr might have been able to offer Rafa some balance and alternatives. Now who does he have? Steve Nixon? Who is he and what has he done? At least Carr had a track record.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
150,000 (Charnley) x 40 = 6,000,000 (Rafa)
And still Rafa has to go through Charnley to talk to Ashley.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – You can’t refuse to break your transfer record for 10 years (while every other club spends that and more) and expect to be a PL club.
Stuart79(Quote)
It’s like telling someone to go and buy Armani quality clothes in aldi. It doesn’t work…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: you know I agree with a lot of your points so we are not totally at cross-purposes. I was just getting a bit bored with the Rafa can do no wrong attitude that was on a lot of blogs for so long. You have been on here a long time and you know I have been and am still behind Rafa and blame Ashley for most of our current troubles although I think Rafa could do with some help. He can’t do it all by himself. He can’t be Manager, Scout , Accountant, Director of Football, PR specialist, Man of the People in Waitrose. There just isn’t enough time in the day.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I’m with you on this one mate. I don’t dispute for one second that Ashley could and should be doing more in investing in the club and playing squad – I think that’s a given.
But I have said before, if Rafa had been handed £40m in the summer – the only real difference to our squad now would be that we would own Kenedy and Rondon.
I know there was a link with Plea, but in a similar way to PEA – us bidding doesn’t mean the player would want to come.
My frustration is that he keeps picking players who simply aren’t performing – Joselu and Perez immediately spring to mind. He also subs players who aren’t playing poorly – leaving those who are, on the pitch. A number of times already this season he’s hooked Ritchie when Kenedy or Perez have been performing a lot worse – and yesterday he took Muto off when Perez was awful – and 2 up front would have made far more sense when going for a goal.
Sharpy17(Quote)
*subs players who ARE playing poorly that should obviously read ? predictive text ??
Sharpy17(Quote)
The players have to take a lot of the blame not just Rafa. To sling 40 odd crosses into a box containing two 6 foot four defenders who are excellent in the air was just stupid!
The defeat was by the finest of margins. It wasn’t a corner and the shot (was it their only) took two wicked deflections. We had 27 shots and none of them took wicked deflections. Kenedy was inches out and if Muto was an inch bigger he would have scored.
Now to the players:
Ritchie is disappointing more and more. He’s a one trick pony who lacks pace and can’t beat a man.
Perez is only good when he has lots of space.
Lascelles looks lost and has become really poor at set pieces.
Diame is past it.
Joselu will be lucky to find a League 2 team. Doubt if Gateshead would want him.
The plusses were harder to find. Shelvey did really well until the last quarter when his head visibly dropped and he resorted to square balls only. Kenedy tried and at least wasn’t poor. Fernandez was a real steal at £6m.
Rafa and us are set up as a counter attacking team. We consistently achieve nothing when trying to dominate. We just don’t have the skill, magic up front.
We’ll do better next week away.
georgio(Quote)
Excellent points mate , can only agree.
kimtoon(Quote)
Of course Rafa could do things differently. But that’s no guarantee it would be better. Could be worse. But ultimately I’m really surprised that people are surprised where we are. Generally speaking with a few exceptions those who invest stay up and those that don’t go down. It won’t be any different this season.
Stuart79(Quote)
We do seem to judge NUFC differently than other clubs. I don’t know why. We should be judged like all the other small clubs who don’t spend any money and have only one ambition and that’s to stay up.
Although I do ask, what difference does it matter what division we play in? People want to get to the PL for the big money but what’s the point if you don’t spend that big money? We might as well be in the Championship.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart we could change things and of course it could be worse but when you are losing a game and not looking like scoring fans want to see the manager trying something different. I remember Sir Bobby turning things around by making three subs at one go. And he had some ordinary players too. Try two up front, change tactics and for goodness sake sub the right players.
Groucho(Quote)
I don’t see him doing anything differently from last season in regards to style of play, tactics and subs ect… He got praised to the hilt last season. So what’s changed?
Criticsm Rafa is getting is akin to criticising Eddie How for not getting Bournemouth in the top 4.
Stuart79(Quote)
No It’s not. The criticism comes from his bloody minded inflexibility and refusal to try something different. What’s the point of bringing the useless Joselu on again and again.
georgio(Quote)
If Rafa had have bought Rondon and Kenedy at least it would have opened up 2 loan slots. We don’t even know what we have with Rondon yet as he has been injured. With 2 different loanees the quality of the bench would improve and we could omit Hayden and possibly Atsu.
I do not want us relegated because they do not show Championship games in the US. It might be more enjoyable for the fans in the same way that maybe League 1 is for the Mackems but the quality is lower I would much rather be watching Hazard and Salah even if they play for the opposition.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Same for me Eric. You just don’t get to see the Championship games or rarely and get reduced to radio and John Anderson.
georgio(Quote)
Would you bring Manquillo on instead of Joselu, georgio? Although I wasn’t at the game yesterday I heard we created lots of chances but just didn’t have the quality to finish. How’s that Rafa’s fault? Is it his fault that we paid more for players in 1996 than we do now? Or do you not accept that goalscorers cost money that we won’t pay?
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: it is inevitable that we will find fault with the Manager and players after a run of 2 points from 9 games and, what is it, 1 win in 15.
As I have said before, Ashley must take most of the blame but is Rafa trying to do too much? He is Manager, Chief Scout, Coach and Director of Football. Ashley likes it that way because he is a cheapskate but Rafa is spreading himself too thin. Then you have Charnley doing the negotiations. He also has a lot of other things on his plate. When you look at the big teams they will often send out their DoF and lawyers to negotiate for a player and get it completed before anyone else knows what is happening. You see it in that Amazon Man City documentary. Rafa submits a list to Lee and then takes what he can get when Lee gets approval from the Fatman. It seems that 1 million makes a difference in a time when that wouldn’t get you Aguero’s big toe or 1 fifth of Joselu.
There is some quality in the team but not having real competition for Diame is a massive mistake as is not having a number 10. It is still baffling how Ashley is willing to risk everything over a contract negotiation. He is willing to see us relegated rather than back the manager when he could just sell the players if Rafa leaves.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: you like analogies. The US Grand Prix is on this afternoon. Would you rather be watching that or coverage of the local go-cart track (dodgems at the fair in the case of the Mackems). Both enjoyable in their own way but one is an elite event.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We still don’t know what will happen in January. Ashley seems to do the opposite of what is logical so he may invest even if we are miles off survival. I have said a few times that saying we would be relatively safe by January was idiotic. But when you look at the league and see that 34 or35 points could be enough to stay up you see the difference that 2 or 3 wins could make. You are probably not out of it until the last 5 games unless you have a season like Derby or the Mackems in their last relegation.
Remember our last 2 relegations. I think we would have stayed up if we had beaten Villa away. The last one probably turned on keeping Steve over an international break, a not-called handball at Norwich and not going after the Mackems at home. There are fine margins, not just in games, but in terms of survival or not.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
*fare
Eric Sykes(Quote)
* Fair, just woke up 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, to be honest watching NUFC in the PL is no longer enjoyable. So I’m your analogy of racing it would just mean I wouldn’t go and watch either.
Stuart79(Quote)
I would have brought Armstrong on in place of Perez or Joselu. Just wait have we not got him anymore? If I had to replace Manquillo I would bring on Mbemba. Oh no he’s gone as well. We will just have to fall back on Mbabu. Never mind how much we have to spend we have kept worse players than the ones we have got rid of.
Groucho(Quote)
I purposefully didn’t go to the pub to watch yesterday. I got up early to see Chelsea/Man U which was a good game and thought about the NUFC game and decided it would probably put me in a bad mood 🙂 Seems like we dominated but it was ultimately frustrating. In our position that is maybe the worst type of defeat, especially coming off Man U and virtually the last kick of the game.
Now next week IS a must win. If we let Southampton get too far ahead of us we really are screwed as it is looking like them and Fulham. A relegation 6 pointer after only 10 games. Would’ve thunk it?
Answer – Stuart. He did warn us 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
All the players sold were replaced, Groucho. But let’s be honest, the players who have come in weren’t any better. Probably no worse but certainly no better. Armstrong can’t ecen score goals in the Championship so why pick him in the PL? Mbemba wanted to leave, so why keep him?
Stuart79(Quote)
Apart from City, I think we have to change our attitude. Liverpool and Spurs didn’t dominate yesterday. We have to stop running scared and forget about goal difference. I understand that a tonking can affect confidence but no wins in 9 can affect it just as much.
I think the average shot conversion rate in the PL is about 14%. With 27 shots yesterday we should have got something out of the game.
How about offering Chelsea 10 million for Kenedy in January, loaning Loftus Cheek and selling Atsu to Villa? Does anybody have any more straws for me to clutch?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – we need a striker who can score goals. That will cost at least £20m and that’s at the very, very least. Defensively we’re pretty good actually. But we can’t acore goals.
Stuart79(Quote)
We are missing Lejeune as well. Fernandez is doing well but Lascelles is half the player without Florian. I would even contemplate Fernandez and Lejeune given current form.
BTW I have never been completely sold on Lascelles. I never really mentioned it because there has been a love-in with him from NUFC fans and there were more urgent things to think about. But the first time I saw him was a Schteve friendly in Milwaukee against a Mexican team. In the 1st 10 minutes he let his man stroll by him at the edge of the box and score and then gave away a soft penalty. He has had some good games but I always remember that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Rafa has to work his European contacts to get us a loan. He hasn’t really done it yet and has stressed PL experience and that has got us nowhere.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
mate your site is really cool, but it has a poor Domain Authority
sad truth is that sites with poor Domain Authority won’t rank high in Google and in result get very little of traffic
I had the same problem in the past and my website didn’t rank high in Google
I searched for a professional who would help me with it; found one guy who really helped me rank higher in Google and increase my Domain Authority to 58! I’m super happy with this score
Contact him: http://janzac.com/contact-janzac/ (his prices are very reasonable for the service he provides)
Greg(Quote)
Whilst I agree largely with Eric is saying, Stu came up with a bit of a checkmate point the other day – which was, despite his flaws, name one other manager (that NUFC would realistically attracted) who could have done a better job than Rafa. A manager that would have got us promoted as champions & achieved 10th last season?.
I know it’s a hypothetical question but if you consider it in a balanced way (which I did having been critical of Rafa) I’m not sure there is one ??♂️
Sharpy17(Quote)
False narrative. Why do we have to compare Rafa to anybody else? Shouldn’t it be the job he is doing based upon his CV, past and expectations. Other managers didn’t buy the players he did or get rid of the players he did! Rafa has complete control and wanted it that way because he got rid of Carr and accepts Charnley even though he knows Charnley is no more than Ashley’s lackey accountant. Another manager might have accepted a Director of Football to help with transfers and make sure he wasn’t spread too thin as I believe Rafa is at the minute. Another manager would have selected different players even under the severe financial restrictions placed on them by Ashley. Rafa has his own database and connections and provides the names. When he leaves this all goes with him and another manager uses different methods.
Rafa has shaped this team, it is his team whether the players are first, second or third choice. This group of players would not be here under a different manager/recruitment system.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is hard to tell how Rafa is doing in recruitment and they don’t really release who his other choices were that we didn’t get. The ones that I can think of that were made public were Plea and Jorgensen. There were probably others. We’re not including Carr’s like Lacazette because that was a long time ago, before Rafa.
Fogbasson? Were we ever really after Bas Dost? He was mentioned about 100 million times but I am not sure if he was ever considered. Ed mentioned Charlie Austin every day for 6 months but I am not sure if we were after him. Origi? at 22 million I doubt it.
Lots of rumours, but consider the sources. I wouldn’t trust Ryder and Waugh to give me a tip in a one horse race.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You’re right, Eric about it being Rafa’s team. The problem is that it’s highly likely another manager, choosing different players, under the same restraints would be performing just the same. In fact if we’d have not had Rafa last season who’s to say we’d be in the PL now?
However, it isn’t a false narrative now if supporters want to replace him now. It begs the same question, who’s better?
Stuart79(Quote)
Eric I think Lascelles is a good defender but apparently he was very poor yesterday. His weakness is on the ball. He needs time to think before passing and he often plays backwards and sideways or just lumps the ball forward. Lejeune and Fernandez are both good defenders and passers of the ball. I didn’t know that Mbemba had asked for a move but if he did it was surely because he wasn’t being picked. If I had seen Manquillo was preferred I think I would have asked for a transfer. I would not say that Armstrong was the complete answer just that he possibly offers more than Perez or Joselu at no cost other than pay. He is playing on the wing for Blackburn at the moment which I don’t think is his best position but may explain why he is not scoring so much now. However the BBC picked him out yesterday as Blackburn’s biggest threat. It is in his favour that he doesn’t play in carpet slippers like Perez and Joselu.
Groucho(Quote)
I must say I do not want Rafa replacing. I like the way he conducts himself. But I do wish he would pick players on what they bring to the team rather than if he likes them personally. Favouritism or the opposite should not come into it. Remember Keegan had a thing about Enrique. He preferred to play Nzogbia at leftback which was something I could never understand. I suppose football managers are like the rest of us when it comes to weaknesses and human failings and prejudices.
Groucho(Quote)
We agree about more than we disagree on but I don’t understand why Rafa was always content to let Charnley be the middle man. He didn’t have to do it in a confrontational way but he could have had more contact with Ashley. Lascelles seemed to have his phone number, ask him for it.
I also know Rafa is a control freak but get a second opinion on recruitment. Hire a second in command and not just a scout (who was very recent). The Carr structure would have worked well if they both suggested players but Rafa had the final say. It is not like Keegan where Ashley said he had the final say and reneged. The issue for Rafa was money not control and Rafa was clearing the decks with Carr and looking for complete control. He should have got his own man in.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am not seeing that many calls to replace Rafa as most accept he is working under very unusual circumstances with an Owner who changes like the wind. There are valid questions about his recruitment choices, player selection (especially forwards), possibly overly-conservative approach and substitutions.
That’s on the field and doesn’t explain his relationship with Ashley where he seems to be content to be led down the garden path and then accept that everything is fine when Fatty turns up to games and buys the pizza and promises holidays. It doesn’t make much sense for a Manager who has not been afraid to speak his mind before and was “mutual consented” at Liverpool and Valencia.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Maybe it will all come out in a book like Keegan. And Charnley will come out and say that Rafa was offered Ranaldo and MBappe and turned them down.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We don’t have a goalscorer, but what about the midfield/wingers? We got 39 goals last year and are on course for a lower number unless Muto and Rondon buck their recent trends. Why? Last Year in the PL:
Shelvey – Played 31, Goals 1
Diame – P 31, G 2
Hayden – P 26, G 1
Ki – P 25, G 2
Kenedy – P 13, G 2
Ritchie – P35, G 3
What’s that definition of insanity that was NOT said by Einstein 🙂
Ah yes, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stats don’t always tell the full story but I think they do with us. We don’t have a forward in double figures and our highest scoring midfielder got 3. I know Lampard used to take penalties but he got that many by himself in August 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I haven’t looked it up but I seem to remember a very strange stat from last year that Shelvey only had 2 assists.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Was Ki really the only midfielder we got after letting Merino go and Hayden handing in a transfer request? That borders on criminal negligence.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I would like someone to answer my midfielder question but I will change the subject because NUFC are just too depressing at the moment.
This Lepotegui guy may achieve the almost impossible. He turned Spain into a shell of a team with the announcement he was leaving on the eve of the WC. Now Real Madrid are close to sacking him. I know what that crowd is like and he probably has 2 games at most. They booed Ronaldo when I went to a game there FFS. But the icing on the cake is if he screwed Spurs and Madrid went for Pochettino. Screwing 3 teams in 3 months would be some kind of record.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Levy’s on a bit of a tightrope. The stadium delay has pushed up the loan for the stadium to 500 million and the total cost to about 1 billion. I think he was banking on Champions League but I am not so sure that is a guarantee with the resurgence of Chelsea and Arsenal. Now if they lose Poch mid-season…
I have a personal reason to see them fail. That “When the Spurs go Marching In” is my least favourite chant and I cringe whenever I hear it and have to turn the sound down if I am at home.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, the players you mentioned above are now playing against better sides. I know it’s like a broken record but when other teams improve and you don’t it means you get worse.
I’ll leave the final worth to the brilliant George Caulkin. “ To blame Rafa for this predicament is like blaming the ice berg for not getting out of the way of the Titanic”.
Stuart79(Quote)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/newcastle-bottom-through-arrogance-and-lack-of-investment-not-rafa-benitez-lfkpj7n5x
George has it yet again.
kimtoon(Quote)
Sky doing a piece on three promoted sides from two years ago. Brighton have spent £85m, Huddersfield £78m and we’ve spent £100,000. Does anybody think if Rafa had been able to spend just half of that we’d be bottom of the league?
It really shouldn’t be a surprise we’re bottom.
Stuart79(Quote)
Really good point Stuart but it doesn’t explain some of Rafa’s choices either and his refusal to try kid or two when players like Joselu, Atsu, Murphy and even Diame are an embarrassment.
You could see Shelvey’s heart go out of it in the second half. Almost like he was saying I’ve tried my very best but what’s the point with that lot up front.
georgio(Quote)
Stu – if he had all of it, I think he could have made a difference. But half of it (as you suggested) would likely only mean that we would own Rondon and Kenedy rather than loan them. That in turn may mean that Gayle would still be with us rather than part of that Rondon deal – which would slightly better our option. But actually I think in that scenario we would have either sold Gayle as well or not signed Muto.
Either way, I don’t think £40-50m would have made that much difference to where we are now.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Whilst I say that though – how disgraceful to be the owner of a football in the PL that has only spent £100k in 3 transfer windows!!.
I’m sure his reply would be, yes but we finished 10th – or maybe it was up until a few weeks ago. Maybe his return is evidence that he now realised the magnitude of mess we are in … again.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’m not sure, Sharpy. Charnley himself said that we bid for players who would have cost more than our transfer record – believe it or not. I still don’t believe the club would spent £16.5m on a Rondon so I think it would have made a real difference.
Stuart79(Quote)
The problem we have is that the team picks itself. Looking at the teamsheet on Saturday you wouldn’t have replaced any of the starters with the bench except maybe Ayoze, but even then, who with? So, we lack depth, a cutting edge and creativity. That spells doom.
At least people have shut up about our EASY run now. This was never going to be easy. One glimmer of hope is that we had 27 shots so we were by no means overrun.
Olly seems to still think we have a chance of being out of trouble by Christmas. Dream on my friend. I think he might define that as out of the bottom 3 but I don’t want to put words into his mouth.
What we have to hope for is that Rafa is still engaged in this mess at Christmas and still cares. My fear is more that we will have lost touch by Christmas, that Ashley will be resigned to relegation and that will be the excuse for not spending. If we are still close, I think, and hope he will spend some money. On whom, I have no idea.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Actually I did have a couple of ideas. Llorente from Spurs and Loftus Cheek from Chelsea. Neither seem to be in their managers’ plans. Not loans, purchases. Could probably get both for 30 million max.
We are also in desperate need of a midfielder. Diame needs a rest. If Rafa is still on good terms with Real Madrid they have about 12 midfielders we could use so one of them must be available.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What we cannot do is spend 30 million on 5 players and hope one of them works out. We have plenty of cheap alternatives on the bench where they belong. We need a couple of dead cert starters – quality, not quantity.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ryder article on the Newcastle recruitment brain trust. It is obvious that it all falls on Rafa. Nixon was recruited from within but is chief scout without the clout of Carr. I even think there was a gap between Carr leaving and the hiring of Nixon. I am not sure what he did when Carr was in charge because it was obvious that Carr made the decisions with prodding from Mondial Sports Agency. That changed a bit when Schteve demanded PL experience and we got Shelvey and Townsend. What has Nixon done in the past? Below him is the European “expert” who Ryder says is charged with finding 17-21 year olds who have slipped through the cracks. So, no use for us at the moment.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-facing-vital-january-15311970
Eric Sykes(Quote)