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:
- New owners arrive & Rafa stays
- New owners arrive & Rafa leaves
- Mike Ashley stays & Rafa stays
- 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.
My thoughts are still the same. Option 4. Hope I’m wrong.
Robert Gilmore(Quote)
Option 2 would best for the club with a fresh start with none of that awful history we have had to endure.
The owner has gave us the most problems of course, but the manager hasn’t helped at times with his stubbornness and using the fans to support him, which they obviously will against the owner. Some awful transfers and loan deals where some players haven’t played much and the latest fullback not al all, usual response expected will be, he hasn’t had the funds, but he has had funds and wasted most of it, average joes when he should have used the young lads with the players we already had. Look at the players we have released to date either sold or on loan where we have spent a substantial amount of money and the expected to be released names and we will lose money. The only profit made on sales have been purchased by the other managers.
Whinger(Quote)
Cannot see this takeover happening anymore that the last 2 failed attempts .
kimtoon(Quote)
The reason takeover is worrying is Ashley in my opinion would give Rafa a good deal he has worked miracles and should be rewarded.
But! I think Rafa is hanging around because new pending owners want their own manager in place and Ashley wants Rafa to be there just in case deal falls through
Nightmare that’s why there is a lot of no comment going the rounds
E Quinn(Quote)
Don’t you think the lack of money he’s had to spend is something to do with the few flops we’ve had?
That said, for every Lazaar or Gamez there’s been a Schar and Dubravka. Business last summer was very good given how little he got to spend and summer before Championship season was also good.
Yes we had some bad ones, but key signings like Ritchie, Gayle, Clark and Diame worked a treat.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
I had a vision Jose Mourinho was manager of Newcastle to repay Bobby Robson for his development as manager and sheikh rocking and roll would have contacted Mourinho before he submitted an offer to buy club so they have covered themselves in case Rafa leaves
No comment would cover up this
E Quinn(Quote)
Option raffa will go cash key will stay but he ain’t getting no money from me I’m done six hundred plus mile round trip to put money in his pocket no more season ticket for me
Larry toon hants(Quote)
Olly, got to agree, every manager signs the odd duff, considering the restrictions placed on Rafa cash wise he’s done well imo.
Dubs, schar,miggy all great .
kimtoon(Quote)
https://twitter.com/hamed_alharthi
anyone who can translate, this guy is a respected sports journo.
kimtoon(Quote)
Any particular part you need to know? The first available video says Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed arrives in Germany and the German president at the forefront of his future at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin
Shamrock(Quote)
I really hope we don’t get Jose as manager.
Can’t doubt his pedigree. He’s been successful at every club he’s been at – but he’s also managed to make it all about him at every club he’s been at too. I really don’t want NUFC to become the Jose show.
The best option for me would be new owners & Rafa. But if not, my next best option is new owner & new manager (not Jose or Wenger).
Unfortunately, the scenarios that see Ashley remain (Rafa or not) will only see our club continue to suffer. I would obviously want Rafa to still be there coz I think he’s one of very few who can keep us in the PL under Ashley – but he certainly couldn’t progress the club under Ashley.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ashley is a business man
Should not have been allowed to buy our club he runs it like construction firm not interested in how team plays it’s what team makes for his pocket he will never change neither will our club till he goes
E Quinn(Quote)
So the first comms from the club in ages and its to say season tickets are going up 5% !
It’s all about the £££££££’s really isn’t it.
Sham, That guy seems to believe it’s a done deal, saw an exchange between him and some toon fans on twitter, can’t find it now 🙄 back on 27th may.
kimtoon(Quote)
sham
https://twitter.com/hamed_alharthi/status/1132953346749468672
kimtoon(Quote)
That’s 25% increase since the ccc
Iceedog(Quote)
first game Arsenal on the sunday at 2pm
kimtoon(Quote)
Ice, yep he’s a greedy f****R all right.
kimtoon(Quote)
first 10
**** home
Norwich away
Spuds away
Wat home
Pool away
B&ha home
Leic away
Manure home
Chel away
Wolves home
kimtoon(Quote)
2 winnables out that first 5 i think
kimtoon(Quote)
2 wins and a draw from next 5
so 13 p from first 10 ?
kimtoon(Quote)
Manure and Everton for xmas
kimtoon(Quote)
https://mobile.twitter.com/wallacee8/status/1138794125191471105?s=21
kimtoon(Quote)
Ashley will still be here and Rafa leaves. Considering Rafa wants the club to work faster, be more dynamic and stealth like he’s not exactly giving the club much time to do it is he? That’s why I don’t see him staying unless there’s a real possibility of a takeover.
As for the fixtures, it’s another tough first 5. Depending on the situation we could end up with 1 point or 7.
Stuart79(Quote)
Well if we are needing points to stay up come the last day of the season, it’s Liverpool we face at SJP.
Oh dear.
kimtoon(Quote)
I still think the sale will go through and Rafa will stay…
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Ime with you on that mate
Iceedog(Quote)
but Ime suss on the takeover
Iceedog(Quote)
I don’t think we will get an offer high enough from Spain to sell Perez. He can talk all he wants about a move but unless we get 25 million he’s going nowhere.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I hope so mate, but they could do with getting their bloody fingers out!!.
We know who we will face first game of the season – but we don’t yet know who will be sat in the dug out, or boardroom ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Not surprising to see us miss out on targets. We have no manager. Rafa has to take some responsibility for this as well as the club. He shouldn’t be leaving it this late and the club should have given him a deadline.
It goes back to what I said earlier. Rafa can’t complain if the club aren’t doing things the way he want’s if he’s leaving signing so late.
Stuart79(Quote)
I think Rafa agrees with you and he is going to wait till the last minute.
funrafa(Quote)
Stuart: Are you going to the India/Pakistan game on Sunday? I predict a riot, I predict a riot 🙂
India by either 5 wickets or 50 runs depending on who wins the toss.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Manchester. Bloody hell.
Taunton, Durham or Cardiff.
But Manchester? That’s asking for trouble.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am not, Eric. I am off on holiday tomorrow. Hopefully by the time I get back we might have a new owner. Or at the very least a manager!
Stuart79(Quote)
Stewart, mate: I am getting up at 4am to watch it.
I like Virat Kohli so am going with India. That leggy is brilliant as well and so is Bumrat so India to win the World Cup unless Jos Buttler just does his super hero stuff.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am pretty sure India are going to win the whole thing.
But England to win The Ashes.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Villa 3 yrs in ccc paying top wages ,not waiting for tv money no overdraft pay 25 mil for player,doesn’t make you sick,jabba the bloody crook
Iceedog(Quote)
Ice, it’s unbelievable mate really, it’s not that we can’t compete, he just doesn’t want to.
Desperate for a new owner, but it’s not gonna happen is it.
kimtoon(Quote)
jabba is a Tw*t of a man fans just dont know what to think regards ify takeover where does Rafa stand? normally Rafa comes out and says it as it is thats the only thing i dont understand what does he know?or is he stuck with this NDA????
icedog(Quote)
It’s very possible he has an NDA on him, who knows. Normally if Rafa isn’t happy with the way things are going he’ll drop subtle hints, so he’s either got an NDA in place, has an agreement with new owner or is running his contract down and leaving.
kimtoon(Quote)
All i know is i’m proper fed up of this BS every window, we should be talking players in and out, not being strung along and treated like mushrooms.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim everyone is thoroughly pissed off with the situation. I’m now having serious doubts about the takeover, Rafa . . . everything to do with the no comment bloody club!
georgio(Quote)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D9AkK53XoAAqDQm.jpg
kimtoon(Quote)
Nothing happening at NUFC.
But there’s nothing happening anywhere else either except Real Madrid.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Longstaff to Manure rumors hotting up now
kimtoon(Quote)
I’ll be steaming if we sell Longstaff to Man Utd!!. I’d be more annoying at that one than Carroll to Liverpool.
I give this club 2 weeks to get their $hit sorted or I’m done with it until Ashley ever leaves.
In 2 weeks time, Rafas current contract will have expired – so we should know one way or another. I would also expect to know which way the takeover is going by then.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy , me too, sick to the back teeth with it now. Once again we are getting left behind with this takeover BS . I do believe there is interest in us, caulkin says more than one bidder involved, so cannot be even at the PL ratification stage if true. That said it’s been like this for 3 windows now and it always comes to nothing. Talk about nero fiddling while Rome burns .
kimtoon(Quote)
Nice win for England ladies too v the Argies 🙂
kimtoon(Quote)
Still no comments from anybody on anything. Does the club think 52000 go abroad for the whole summer?
georgio(Quote)
Georgio, no, but Jabba obviously does.
It’s beyond a joke now isn’t it, starting to think that sun reporter was sold a duff lead and jumped the gun. Maybe BZG put it out there to nudge jabba along in negotiations trying to corner him so to speak.
Would seem to be falling flat and looking more and more likely Rafas away too. I said the other day that if it fails to happen and Rafa goes i’m pretty much done.
Also if we do let Longstaff go, especially at the reported £25m then that proves there is no takeover for sure .
The very fact they are after him shows they know what a prospect he is, frankly £25m would be robbery for an upcoming English talent .
kimtoon(Quote)
The fact the club has nowt about the takeover or Rafa tells me the takeover is definitely on. Still not worried and think we will have new owners, a decent budget and Rafa to spend it.
Shamrock(Quote)
That is dream coming true, Sham. I hold the same belief as you do. I think we will know the truth soon.
funrafa(Quote)
West Ham have already signed a midfielder, have had a £30m bid accepted for a striker and another £13m bid accepted for a holding midfielder.
We may slaughter the porn kings, but they have their $hit together and are there backing their manager.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sham – you might be right mate, but the last update from our new potential owners was also ‘no comment’. That doesn’t promote confidence – either in the takeover, or their readiness to be more open than Ashley and his crew.
If it’s still on, why not just say ‘it’s in the hands of the PL’. No ones demanding specific details, just a straw to clutch – a glimmer of hope that we aren’t getting mugged again.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Might be pressure from MA to keep their gob shut until its done or he pulls the plug, who knows. He is probably sick of loudmouth time wasters and wants it keep quiet until its a done deal. The more the new guys talk whilst he stays quiet the more **** he looks..
I am convinced that if it was baloney, he would have come out amd said so by now.
It is telling that Rafa has still not signed but also not spoken to other clubs despite all the jobs going. He has even been back to the club and if he were not staying, he wouod have announced it around then I reckon.
The PL may also have told the new giys to shut up until the tests are passed etc. The whole Bolton takeover thing was an embarassment and I’m sure there were lessons learnt there.
Shamrock(Quote)
I see the Chronicle are running with the Sun story. The takeover by BZG will be done by the end of June. They want Rafa to stay and will stuff his pockets with transfer funds immediately.
I remain sceptical but that would be a wonderful scenario wouldn’t it!
georgio(Quote)
Sham , i so hope you are right .
kimtoon(Quote)
Sham – you know you and I are usually on the same page when it comes to all things NUFC.
I guess the best way to describe this one is your on paragraph 2 while I’m still on the first line ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
https://www.themag.co.uk/2019/06/liverpool-expose-shameless-mike-ashley-pr-manipulation-of-newcastle-united-fans/
kimtoon(Quote)
??? Guess we will find out soon enough bud!
Shamrock(Quote)
Sunderland are selling father day cards 4 in a pack 😆
Iceedog(Quote)
Happy fathers day to all the Daddies on here, hope you get what you want. 😉 🙂
Iceedog
June 15, 2019 at 22:08
Sunderland are selling father day cards 4 in a pack ?
Ice , that made me lol 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
I’ve now convinced myself the takeover is happening. My reasoning centres around Rafa himself. Normally the guy talks to anyone about anything and generally at length. He doesn’t hold back in criticising clubs, owners etc. Remember him laying into the Chelsea people when he was there. But now . . . total silence. It’s just so not Rafa. He must know what’s going on and he’s not signing the Ashley deal.
georgio(Quote)
Georgio, Aye there is that, dare we allow a smidgen of hope ?
kimtoon(Quote)
A friend of mine put a bit of perspective on this takeover last night. He has a house with his missus now, but has been selling the flat he lived in before that. He had a buyer within a few weeks of it being on the market who loved the flat and were happy to pay the asking price – excited to be moving in.
Despite he the seller and them the buyers having no issues, it still took close to 12 weeks to exchange – and that was for an £80k flat!!.
So for a £350m football club, it was never going to be sorted in a few weeks.
Sharpy17(Quote)
article from Oliver Holt below. Not a journalist I typically pay attention to but it was shared by someone I do.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7145359/amp/OLIVER-HOLT-World-Cup-shining-light-misogyny.html?__twitter_impression=true
QMag(Quote)
QMag,
That’s a really well written article, cheers for the link.
kimtoon(Quote)
Relax… I believe it will happen… Que Se ra, se ra… ?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Am I the only one that likes Gayle? We really do not have that much evidence in the PL for us. He caused teams a lot of problems even though he didn’t score that many. He was very unlucky.
Remember his manager was Pardew at Palace.
I wouldn’t swap him for Rondon, I would want both.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Anyone heard anything on the SD signs spotted in a skip? If they were taken to be cleaned they’d have left in a truck not dumped in a skip. Pity the Chronicle doesn’t have any journalists.
Somebody has authorised this. MA? BZG? Guess we’ll know soon but it looks another sign to me that the takeover is happening.
What the hold up is, is anyone’s guess. Legal stuff? PL ratification? Regardless BZG will need to recruit a proper team. A footballing man MD (Kenyon?) a transfer guy and more. They all need to be of a high calibre. Not a Wise or Charnley type. He’ll go back to head of pencils. 🙂
georgio(Quote)
Georgio, new signs are replacing those taken down, that’s what media guys told Steve Wraith apparently.
kimtoon(Quote)
Media guys?
georgio(Quote)
Yes I’ve heard new SD signs are going up around the ground
Iceedog(Quote)
what do folk make of this from The Chronicle
11:14ANDREW MUSGROVE
My understanding is that there has been indirect contract with other interested parties but not with the Bin Zayed Group.
There are other groups who are interested in Newcastle, and are trying behind the scenes to advance negotiations with Mike Ashley’s representatives, so the Bin Zayed have made intimations that they want to keep Rafa Benitez but there has been no direct contact there.
I think part of Benitez is waiting for as long as possible to see if anything happens but at the same time he is such a smart man that he will realise that he can’t just wait and hope on the whim that a takeover is going to happen.
He is still in talks with NUFC in terms of there is an offer on the table, and he is trying to extract as much as he can from the current hierarchy because even if he thinks a takeover might happen he has been in this situation many times before where a takeovers haven’t happened.
kimtoon(Quote)
just seen that last post on ED’s site
kimtoon(Quote)