After Rafa's stellar 6 months at Inter Milan, followed by his 9 month tenure at Real, where Ronaldo clearly created player unrest by refusing to do more defensive work, Rafa's re-emergence as a managerial legend would have been hard to predict. However, in his time at Newcastle, he has been a tactical genius. His ability to turn the obvious potential of players like Kennedy and Almiron into what they have become is unprecedented. His discovery of Longstaff can only be described as inspired. For me, the joy of watching all out defence, sprinkled with kick and rush, and sometimes more than 40% possession in games, has been sweet torture. Every single one of his signings has been a massive success. His ability to win games using entirely the same tactics week in week out is legendary. Let us not even start on his game changing substitutions. Without doubt, the dozen or so premier league clubs to have changed manager in the last couple of years must have been devastated with his loyalty to Newcastle. His refusal to sign a new contract has absolutely nothing to do with waiting for other offers. The rumoured 6 first team players wanting to go unless he does, is nothing but trashy paper talk. When Ashley gives him his 200million budget, he will move them on to buy many real quality replacements, probably from Spain. Next season Rafa all day long!
Agreed. I reckon MA will relent or risk a backlash. Not as much from fans because he's never give a toss about them, but a lot of these players won't want to stick about when we revert more obviously back to the 'purple player' policy of old.
I think its less about Ashley to be honest. Quite simply Rafa has no other suitable options. He has made it clear he has no desire to uproot again and go on his travels. He wants to stay in England and quite simply, we are his only viable option. Anything else is a sideways step or step down. The top 8 or 9 clubs have no interest in Rafa Benitez. They want more modern progressive managers who can take advantage of their vast riches. They want front foot football of an attacking brand. Even his most ardent supporters wouldn't venture that he has the capacity to change into that after all these years. Everton might have been a thought but after Fat Sam they are going down the same route. Not convinced they have it right with Silva whose reputation seems built without substance. Plus you have the Liverpool issue and they'd have gone for him before they went for Silva if he was desired. Leicester have set out with Rodgers. Howe is settled at Bournemouth. Pellegrini is just starting at West Ham. Literally he has no where to go. He isn't going to sit out of work twiddling his thumbs. Add in likes it here, he likes the fans and he has just seen his chairman show a sliver of ambition/relenting in the last window. He'll be here.
Agreed Rafa has little places to go whilst remaining in England. I'd say both West Ham and Everton are not far off sacking their current managers at any point next season. Christ the money Pellegrini has spent for that outcome is ludicrous. Plus a lot of Hammer fans I knew were quite enamoured with big Sam and the chairman's a Rafa fan. Don't see either manager getting sacked by the start of the season though so Rafa will no doubt stick it out here as long as he gets one of his three (freedom on budget, improvement to youth facilities, improvement to training facilities). I'm veering down the road he'll take a watered down compromise of it, helping him save face. If not he probably will sit twiddling his thumbs until the hammers come calling. He's come out of that 3 year contract reputation intact. If it's 3 more years of similar stuff from MA I don't think it will. So that's where MA comes in. He knows now the only way he can get Rafa out and go back to the "buy em low, sell em high" strategy is if he is an outright bastard to the levels he usually is. He also knows if he wants Rafa to stay he will have to give in somewhat. If he gets rid, the majority of our current team will want out when we're bringing in a Mclaren-esque figure who's having to google signings or whatever. It will eventually create the stepping stone ethic that took us down. MA knows he can't sell a club like that and, even if he secretly has no intention of doing so, he doesn't want us back in the championship.
Rafa all-but confirms he is leaving at the end of the season: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47993847 Rafael Benitez: I want to be a manager at 70 and challenge for Champions League again