Unless they are just hiding Rafa behind a Poch smokescreen. So they always wanted Rafa (Staveley is a big fan iirc) but they have us think they've gone after Poch and when he turns us down (if he's ever offered it in the first place) we'll end up with Rafa. I have mixed feelings on Rafa, he has unfinished business and I think he's probably the best man to kick-start the rebuilding project at the club (not just on the playing side), but I can see the argument for keeping these two separate and have someone like Poch in with someone else behind the scenes doing the other stuff.
Smokescreen to increase betting as Rafa is the runaway favourite. Sources close to Poch said the other day that he wasn't interested.
They're just edging their bets by saying if Pochettino deal falls through Rafa Benitez will take over. In other words they don't actually know. Why would the Saudis tell sky sports of all people who their target is and how much they're going to pay them.
Balague who is close friends with Pochettino said this the other day - Newcastle are just not at the right place where he wants to be right now.
Yep, I put that quote somewhere on the forum. Personally I'd be amazed if it wasn't Rafa. I know where Pouchy's coming from on it - hardly inspiring football and a management style that isn't exactly modern. But they'll be looking at the boxes he does tick - instant fan favour, knows the existing players, happy with the area, PL experience, CL experience, trophies everywhere, gravitas in the market. Let's not be too harsh on the football either - some was dire, but it was men v boys at times. The way we were playing a the back end of 2018/19 was pretty decent, with the hammering of Fulham quite the match. Can he oversee changes to the training ground, can he overhaul the scouting system, can he produce young talent, can he bring in decent players? Again, it's yes, yes, yes, yes. I don't think we're ready for Allegri, Poch, Nagelsman, etc. We're still building - our Klopp is one or two appointments down the line. Look at how many managers City churned before ending up with Guardiola? Rafa is exactly right for the period we're in. In fact, he's better. He's considerably better than Bruce, less risky than literally everyone else. Final point is he can step in instantly and ensure there's no chance of relegation, if the league even restarted. Could anyone say that about Bruce? Or even Allegri?
Personally I think Pochettino would be a side step, been in management for a decade, but never won anything. The teams he's joined are teams where all the hard work was already done for him in creating a decent squad ie Adkins at Southampton and Harry Redknapp/AVB at Spurs.
I think any calls of "Bruce deserves a chance" should be shot down and replaced with "Rafa deserves a chance". Bruce was a lackey appointment, a typically cheap fix and yet another appointment who would always tow the party line and be grateful for the job, like everyone before him. A flawed idea that he's somehow a geordie therefore "gets it". He's a symptom of all that was wrong with Ashley's era - never mind that he's in the job, he should NEVER have been appointed. Rafa should be given the job back, the one he never deserved to lose.
