The FOUR scenarios facing NUFC – & one of them is imminent..

We’re now over a month on from that brilliant final day win at Fulham, yet uncertainty has taken over on Tyneside once again.

In the Mike Ashley era, and especially over the past few seasons, we have an uncanny knack of ending the season on a high, but being quickly brought back down to earth as poor communication and painfully slow decision making sees our summer start into limbo.

We’re now in mid-June, Rafa’s current contract expires in two weeks time, the BZG ‘takeover’ remains somewhat of a mystery and the club are staying silent, but there’s one of FOUR possible outcomes set to take place one way or another this summer.

One of the following four is going to happen:

  1. New owners arrive & Rafa stays
  2. New owners arrive & Rafa leaves
  3. Mike Ashley stays & Rafa stays
  4. Mike Ashley stays & Rafa leaves

1. New owners arrive & Rafa stays

This is the scenario we’re all dreaming of.

Seeing the Bin Zayed Group buy the club would not only mean the end of Mike Ashley, but their arrival would also give Rafa Benitez every chance of actually fulfilling the club’s potential for the first time since he arrived three years ago.

We still don’t know a great deal about Sheikh Khaled and the BZG, however their ethos sounds like a perfect fit to both Newcastle United and Rafa Benitez: “We believe nothing should be left to chance when it comes to our pursuit of excellence. Our interests are best served – when we serve the interest of the public. Continuous Improvement is essential to our success.”

The combination of ambitious owners, a world class manager, a playing squad with potential and a bouncing 52,000 crowd is a tantalising prospect and real remedy for success.

2. New owners arrive & Rafa leaves

This would be one of the most bittersweet moments in the club’s history should this happen.

In one sense we’d be absolutely delighted and relieved to see the back of Ashley, but should they arrive AFTER Rafa’s contract expires (June 30th) and then choose to pursue a different manager, it would be a tough one to take.

There’s been talk that they’d want either Mourinho or Wenger should they complete a takeover, however it’s hard to know if that’s genuine or just the national press seeing two high-profile managers out of work, knowing some new owners like their own man in charge and deciding to write a flimsy story on it to get inevitable views from Newcastle fans desperate for ‘news’.

It’s sad to say, but if someone offered me ‘option 3’ (Mike Ashley staying and Rafa staying) or ‘option 2’ (BZG arrive and a new manager replaces Rafa), I feel I’d have to take the latter. The dream scenario is option 1, however you can’t help but feel things are always destined to end in tears if Benitez is left working under Mike Ashley. After all, he’s been putting up an admirable fight, but it’s a losing battle when he’s trying to get a club tied to chains back competing with big spending contenders (Wolves, Everton, West Ham) and back into Europe.

Mike Ashley clearly isn’t going to change, so bright and ambitious new owners along with a new manager of their choice (who is likely to be more than capable should it come to that) would be the second best scenario for me – even if I’d be devastated to see Rafa Benitez leave just as the one thing he’s been waiting for arrives.

3. Mike Ashley stays & Rafa stays

I’m sure some fans would take this given so many refuse to believe a takeover is happening – and I don’t blame them based on recent failed ‘attempts’ to buy the club from Staveley and Kenyon.

It’s a far from the ideal scenario, meaning Ashley would be still at the helm following a THIRD successive failed takeover approach, but while Benitez is hear we at least have hope – and a world class who’s proved over the last three seasons that he can still manage to make the best out of a very bad situation.

That said, you have to question whether Rafa will actually commit to a new deal under Ashley given he seems unwilling to compromise. If a takeover fell through, Rafa would be faced with another rushed summer and uphill battle ahead of the new season. This is EXACTLY what he didn’t want, so he’d have every right to walk away.

Who knows though. He’s never given up on this club over the past few years and is gradually building a decent side – albeit on limited resources – so maybe he’d like to continue working with the likes of Longstaff, Schar, Dubravka, Lascelles and Lejeune. Then again, he may feel like it’s a case of one step forward and two steps back if we go into the new season without Perez and Rondon and a lack of quality replacements (see Ki in for Merino last summer!).

I don’t see us competing properly for 7th and knocking on the door of Europe if Rafa was forced to work under Mike Ashley’s constraints, however there is at least a feeling that we could push towards the top 10 and would NOT go down. Small dreams I know, but it seems OK when compared to the fourth and final scenario – an option which would have us all fearing relegation immediately.

4. Mike Ashley stays & Rafa leaves

It goes without saying that this is the nightmare scenario.

Seeing a takeover ‘fall through’ would be frustrating enough as it is, but then losing Rafa Benitez as a result would be devastating.

It’s not even worth thinking about who would replace the Spaniard this summer if it came to that, with any top manager likely to be reluctant to work under Mike Ashley.

Not only that, you’d have to question just how many of our start players would push for moves if Rafa left. After all, Benitez is the one man who’s given us hope over the past few years, and without him it would feel like we’re only going to go one way.

We all know Mike Ashley is happy to spend the bare minimum if he believes we’ll do just about enough to stay up, but relegation fears would go through the roof if Rafa left – especially when some of our top players and several fans would follow him out the exit door at St James’ Park.

The club is reaching a huge crossroads, with the next few weeks having the potential to be some of the biggest in the club’s recent history.

After a painful and uncertain start to the summer, let’s hope we’re left with a positive conclusion.

(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.

201 thoughts on “The FOUR scenarios facing NUFC – & one of them is imminent..

  1. kimtoon:
    Sharpy, very true and don’t forget they ‘ll still buy the most expensive shirt in the league too, and fat Mike knows it.

    Kim – they won’t mind that though, coz in that scenario they will have already proven they have more money than sense ?

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  2. Kim – I thought VAR was meant to help referees… she still managed to make a pigs ar$e of that game didn’t she?!.
    Real naughty tackle at the end, reviewed and still only yellow ??‍♂️

      (Quote)

  3. kimtoon:
    https://twitter.com/bigchrisholt/status/1142849766231068672

    Kim – it’s interesting that, but it means little on its own.
    For example, I would like to see it in comparison to a club like B’mth for example. Our gate income was around 1/4 of the pie – theirs certainly wouldn’t be – yet they seem to be able to out spend us every single window … and I don’t remember them selling any players for a big fee to generate that kitty.

    I suspect theirs will have a greater commercial slice – 17% for us seems quite low – particularly for an owner that runs the club like a business.

    I’ve always said though that Ashley does not recruit the best possible candidates for the important jobs within the club. He recruits or promotes yes men and people he can control. People who won’t argue or oppose him – people with his best interests first, not the clubs.

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  4. I feel sick for this week if I’m honest. I hope and pray for a positive outcome, but I just don’t see it – and I can’t even begin to contemplate the eventual outcome.

    I’m off to bury my head in the sand for a week ?

      (Quote)

  5. If I was Rafa i’d just not take any jobs for a 3/4 weeks to see if the takeover happens and see if he gets the job back. What happens with the next appointment will tell us everything. If they appoint somneone on a long term contract we can assume the taeover is dead.

    This can’t be a huge surprise. Rafa was never going to stay once he’d left it this long.

    Personally feel we will revert to the cheaop, maleable and desperate for a job kind of manager. Don’t rule out a Pardew or Allardyce if he tries to go down the temp route and then it will end up perm.

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  6. Everyone seems to forget that Ashley doesn’t care at all for the region, city, club or fans. He has one interest only and that’s SD. He doesn’t care who the manager is.

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  7. If there is a takeover going on then it is really no suprise that Rafa has not signed. How can he, as he cant get assurances from Ashley about what the new owners will do for him and cant get assurances from Ashley about Ashleys committments to the club if he is soon to leave!

    Any contract he signs with Ashley now will will also presumably be for less salary than the supposed new owners will likely offer too.

    Not really sure what all the fuss is. Of course if the takeover fails then it all goes to rat **** but until then I think we just need to be patient and see what comes out in the wash.

    The papers and pundits clearly don’t have a clue so I’m not clicking on any of it until tgere is a direct quote from Ashley, the Sheikh or Rafa.

    The fact that Rafa is also so silent suggests there is indeed real takeover activity going on and he is doing the sensible thing and letting it play out before committing to his next move.

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  8. Club confirmed Rafa leaving.

    I called this weeks ago.

    Ashley does nothing but disappoint. He certainly doesn’t shock.

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  9. Make or break now with this takeover. Anything less than the Sheikh takeover will be seen as a disappointment. If MA appoints a new manager then we know the takeover is dead.

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  10. Personally I’d like to see the press and the supporters unite and just ignore the club. No interviews, no match day attention and empty stadium.

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  11. Are you surprised?. Nee chance I’d be renewing a season ticket while this fat ***** is in charge. Another journo reckons any takeover could be another 6wks – bollocks!!, nee takeover happening. They’ll put Neil Redfearn in temporary charge to carry on this takeover story then it will fall in its **** and we’ll hire Garry Monk to takeover charge next season

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  12. Mikel Arteta favourite. I would advise any manager to avoid the club with a barge pole!

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  13. Gutted, but knew it was coming, no take over either.
    Last chance saloon this take over now, if it don’t happen we may as well do something else cause the Toon is an empty vessel as it stands.

    Watch our better players all want away now.

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  14. I don’t see how there can be a manager search and an ongoing takeover at the same time. We know Rafa will not return with Ashley in charge. What will Fatty’s excuse be if this takeover falls through?

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  15. I am thinking Moyes, Gerrard, Arteta if Ashley stays.

    Even he cannot be dumb enough to appoint Pulis, Pardew or Hughes?

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  16. Stu – I agree, and would go one further. If the takeover doesn’t happen, we will be relegated again within the next 3 seasons.

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  17. Here’s what I think… the sale will go through, and the new owner will bring back Rafa and give him a real contract. ???

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  18. If a new manager comes in on a 3 year contract then the takeover is dead, why would a new owner take on a manager they never hired.
    They could sack him i suppose but that’s costly.

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  19. Stuart79
    June 24, 2019 at 14:13
    Calling it now. There’ll be no takeover.

    (Quote)

    Agree, said it for ages and it will be his biggest mistake cause we will go back down for sure.
    Rinse and repeat

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  20. Dubai Toon:
    Here’s what I think… the sale will go through, and the new owner will bring back Rafa and give him a real contract.

    Ditto. We can dream, right!

    Club is dead in the water if the takeover does not go through

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  21. kimtoon:
    Stuart79
    June 24, 2019 at 14:13
    Calling it now. There’ll be no takeover.

    (Quote)

    Agree, said it for ages and it will be his biggest mistake cause we will go back down for sure.
    Rinse and repeat

    Yeah I agree. He will probably give it to an internal figure on a temporary basis to string things out.

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  22. Eric – That’s a good call. Tony Pulis. Only thing is he likes control but he might be prepared to give that up for a gig like this.

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  23. Avram Grant?!!! Mane being mentioned on Sky. ??? If we appoint him then surely to god the takeover is happening. Even Jabba wouldn’t do that!

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  24. Chris Holt

    @bigchrisholt
    6h6 hours ago
    More
    Mike Ashley’s a con-man
    he wears a con-man’s hat
    he wears big baggy trousers
    and he deals in mis-priced tat
    He could have worked with Rafa, and signed some new recruits
    But he’s seen him off and ****** our club, now fetch the ******* noose.

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  25. Chris Holt

    @bigchrisholt
    4h4 hours ago
    More
    Version 2 ?

    Mike Ashley is a con-man
    he wears a con-man’s hat
    he tried to **** with Keegan
    and Keegan said “**** that!”
    He tried to **** with Rafa, and Rafa said “**** you!”
    We ****** hate the ****** **** and we say “**** him!” too

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  26. Dubai Toon:
    Here’s what I think… the sale will go through, and the new owner will bring back Rafa and give him a real contract.

    Ashley keep increasing the price on purpose and the potential new owner can’t take it. That is my take.

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  27. So Jabba didn’t even know the club were releasing the statement about him. Found out from a friend who’d seen it on SSN.

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  28. George Caulkin
    @GeorgeCaulkin
    · 3m
    The sadness is that Newcastle had something profound in their grip, but never truly appreciated what Benitez meant: better. And, a minor, telling detail … I’m told Rafa was given no prior warning today’s statement was coming. (link: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/mike-ashley-and-lee-charnley-did-not-realise-what-they-had-in-rafa-benitez-and-that-is-the-saddest-part-for-newcastle-united-n0wzxghvg) thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/…

    Shambolic, doesn’t begin to cover it really.

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  29. I think we need a direct ximment from MA in the takeover now, so that we kniw where we stand. Its getting daft.

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  30. Sham – Don’t hold your breathe! The guy never fails to disappoint. It will be another underwhelming appointment but more importantly it won’t mattewr as the way he wants to run things isn’t inspiring at all and certainly isn’t like a football club.

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  31. Eric – That’s a good call. Tony Pulis. Only thing is he likes control but he might be prepared to give that up for a gig like this.

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