Benitez to leave Newcastle

on 3oth June.

Great news. Hopefully they'll book one of the bottom three places early.

 

Rafa is leaving Newcastle:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48746689

Unable to agree a new deal. Presumably their latest prospective fantasy owners are a figment of Ashley's imagination.

Good news for us I think anyway. Rafa almost seemed to have got them looking vaguely competent last season.

 

Cam we have a thread on this, please?

 

Probably means the new ownership is not going to materialise, or why else would he leave?

This is good news and I think he was the only reason Newcastle survived in the Premier league. Without him and no new financial backing, I think Newcastle could well be one of the relegation candidates.

 

Pretty sure I was first....

 

I guess this means the new owners aren't going to be buying. Why else would he leave? Unless the new owners don't want him of course. Either way, I'll be correct.

They could very well maybe get involved in being part of nearly going down. Or maybe go down. Either way, I called it and will remind you all that I did later in the season.

 

Javi to Tyneside?

 

Doubtful. Don't do sangria up there, just Newkey Broon like.

 

Ant & Dec came down south some time ago.

Don't rule out Javi as a straight swap.

 

Javi likeeeee...............

 

FFS - that Ashley's a class act:

 

I seem to be in the minority on this but I don't get the hype with Benitez. Labelling him as a 'miracle worker' and the like is a bit much. He managed a very average squad to a mid table finish - nothing special.

 

I believe this applies to all managers when it comes to on-pitch performance. They add no more than 10% (which can be crucial), rather than the ‘all or nothing’ people like to claim. 90% or more is down to having high quality players. The reason GT was such a great manager for us was his ability to build the club, not just the team, and to engage with the public. In that respect we will never have a greater one.

 

I disagree completely. Way more than 10%. Are you saying a poor manager would have got us to only 5 points less ? So much of a players performance is down to mental state. Good managers get players to believe in themselves and their teammates and buy into the common team goal. Someone like Pardew would have had us battling to stay up last season. Benitez has done well to keep them up given the squad they have and excelled to finish so far clear of the bottom 3. No miracle but a very good job.

 

This. And a manager with the history and reputation of Benitez makes player recruitment a lot easier.

 

Fewer.

 

Player’s.

 

Strange that he stayed there so long.

Wouldn’t Newcastle have had a mid table wage bill?

Surely underperformers over the last few years.

We always smashed them.

 

It depends what you mean by a ‘poor manager’. There are plenty who have been given managerial jobs who are clearly hopeless and not up to it at all; I’m not including them. I just don’t subscribe to the modern cult of the manager which has been encouraged by many, with Mourinho right at the top of the list enhancing his own career. Right now for example people laud Guardiola and will tell you he is a much better manager than Gracia - just look at the Cup Final! I suggest Gracia would get within 10% of Guardiola’s total if he had the Man City squad and that Guardiola would not get the Watford squad into the Champions League.

 

**** of

Sorry but really can’t be bothered with spelling and punctuation when operating on iPhone .

 

Off.

 

It's often reported by the Geordies that he stayed there because is identified with the love/passion the Geordies have for the club and their mutual dislike of the owner. But then again this may be cobblers like most of the Geordies' "...we're a big club..." shtick.

 

Deliberately misspelled, no full stop and then a gap before last full stop though I’m afraid you’ll have to take my word four it

 

Blimey!

 

Not a letter any WFC Pozzo manager will ever write.

 

Certainly not if they value their, and their family's heath.

 

From horse's mouth (as it were):

 

Of course not - we didn't win the Championship

 

Eh?

RC & I left early that day.

Seemed we were cruising.

 

Have any of our managers owned a heath?

Was Furphy into grouse shooting?

 

Just one of the beaters, I’m afraid. Probably more Jim Bonser’s thing.

 

Do you think Gino might be one of those Rocco Forte Anglo Italian types who is a sub Berty Wooster parody?

The thought of him screwing in a monocle & greeting Troy with a Drones Club ‘What ho?’ is thrilling.

 

Class act.

 

The Geordies are revolting*:

*Make up your own jokes.