After yesterday’s pitiful defeat to Watford – a performance that saw us crash out of the FA Cup before the last 16 stage once again – a fellow fan told me ‘Pardew or McClaren would’ve been slated..so why does Rafa escape criticism?!’.
My response is pretty simple..
Alan Pardew had Ben Arfa, Ba, Cisse, Cabaye, Coloccini, Krul and Tiote in their prime. It was a team with genuine talent throughout in an era where a Sissoko was our weakness and deemed a flop – not a Joselu.
McClaren was given over £80m to spend. In the space of SIX months, he was allowed to bring in FIVE £12-£14.5m players (Wijnaldum, Mitrovic, Thauvin, Shelvey and Townsend).
Benitez has been forced to settle for £5m strikers, Premier League rejects & our net spend since promotion is £100,000. Four transfer windows have passed since we got back into the top flight, and Ashley has sanctioned just ONE £10m plus deal so far – an unbelievable stat when you consider A) McClaren was given five £12m plus signings in six months and B) the fact players McClaren signed a few years ago would now be costing £20m plus given the way transfer fees have inflated since then.
Some will criticise Rafa’s tactics or ‘defensive formations’, but can you blame him for playing to our strengths and making sure we keep it tight at the back when so many of our attacking players just don’t look up to it at the other end.
If you’re a team that won’t score more than one most weeks, you will only ever win by keeping a clean sheet – and Rafa’s decision to adopt this sort of approach it totally justifiable given the tools he’s working with. It’d be a different story if he left quality players on the bench every week or failed to attack with the likes of Ben Arfa, Ba and Cisse in his ranks, but he doesn’t – he had Joselu, Murphy and Kenedy yesterday..
Does Rafa get things wrong? Of course he does, but I’d LOVE to see how they’d would’ve managed in Rafa’s position – and can only wish Benitez had the players Pardew or the backing McClaren received.
Once again an article that tries to rewrite history for Benitez. Pardew was given a team of broken parts and unknowns from abroad, at the time widely acknowledged that they were not good enough and were none of the players he wanted but he did a good job and we have some great memories of atttacking wins. Now Beneitez is struggling with awful tactics, whenever someone makes a comparison to Pardew, the players that Pardew had are suddenly world beaters. You can’t have it both ways. Our tactics make us look awful and quite right for people to point that out
Mortz(Quote)
Mortz – what are you smoking? Pardew was given players at the time that are world beaters in comparison to the hand Rafa has been dealt.
Numpty.
sickandtired(Quote)
Let’s get a few things straight here. A) McLaren was and always will be a terrible manager. B) No one liked pardew because of his association with the fat **** in charge but at least he tried to win a game. C) Rafa hasn’t a clue what he’s doing on or off the pitch. Last season he left out Mitro for that useless piece of **** Joselu week in and week out so don’t ever say he never had a choice of players. Even Gayle was allowed to go. Yet he’s 100 times a better player than Joselu will ever be. Rafa would prefer to sit 11 players behind the ball and hope that we can nick a goal on the break ????. **** tactics that haven’t worked since he’s been at the toon. It really is time he left. I would prefer pardew any day to Rafa ffs. With Rafa you have no passion. No pride and no fucking idea
Danny(Quote)
Agree,Ashley is the main problem but why can Rafa not play his strongest team in the cup with a 3 day rest before M.City,good cup runs have a positive knock on effect with player’s and fans,this belief we have to stay in the PL is only for one person’s benefit only,I can honestly say I don’t think our season could be any worse if Pardew or McClaren was in charge.
NUFC(Quote)
To be honest the most enjoyable Football at Newcastle for a long long time was our Championship Season simply because we could compete because we are a Championship team, but alas no matter what League we are in next Season my Season ticket will be gone had enough of the Fat man and I refuse to give him any more of my Money I still go because I have the ticket but I spend not one Penny piece in the ground or his **** shops..
Very sad but I really am that sick of it all ……………..
fj1200xxx(Quote)
Agree, sick of it all, really poor tactics, week in week out, like watching paint dry, and paying good money to do so, sick of the same thing coming out of Rafa’s gob week in week out, I am 60 years old , been going since I was eight years old, had a season ticket since I left school at seventeen, seen some poor Newcastle teams especially in the eighties, but at least they tried. Never going to get any better until both Ashley and Rafa gone. Its a sad day but that’s it for me, won’t be renewing my season ticket next season, just can’t sit their any more watching and putting up with this week in week out, the club is rotten to the bone.
Jim(Quote)
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Sabrina(Quote)
Benitez needs to forget everything for the remainder of this season and go all out in attack, what have we to lose?
At least give us something to watch, instead of the other team.
Ed(Quote)
Rafa has supposedly had full control over who comes in at Newcastle so players like Joselu are his picks when all said and done.
I like Rafa as a manager in some respects but remember him at Liverpool bringing in some poor players in his time there with a good budget to work with.
I have never thought buying players was one of Rafa’s strengths in my honest opinion.
Joe Hawkins(Quote)