Is there anyone else on here who thinks that Sheffield Utd and Chris Wilder deserve more credit than is usually accorded them? There was a lot of bemusement about Wilder getting the Championship Manager of the Season trophy ahead of DF, and a lot has been made of our style of football, that we were a team playing Premier League football in the Championship etc. To redress the balance a little, for anyone interested here is an article that looks at Sheffield Utd's innovative style of play and the shrewd recruitment involved: https://readpl.com/2019/06/10/sheffield-uniteds-unique-system-means-they-shouldnt-be-underestimated/
Newcastle United say manager Rafael Benitez will leave the club when his contract expires on 30 June. Must have another job lined up
Madness from Newcastle. The fans must be in melt down! That squad is ripe for relegation without Rafa.
Always 2 sides to everything, if Rafa has been asking for funds or control that are simply not on the table then should Ashley risk the club to accomodate him? Of course that might not be the case, but I can't believe MA wanted rid. Bah!
I believe they offered him a 1 year deal, his terms only improved by potential bonuses, and no assurances on transfer funds. For the last 3 seasons, Newcastle had a net £10m spend, net £22m spend, net £33m in. So since Benitez came in during 2016, they've broken even on transfer spending. He's done very well to keep them as far from relegation as he has, but their squad needs major surgery this summer. Their local news thinks they need at least 6 first team signings, including two strikers, and they have 3-4 of the current first team who want out and need replacing if they go. From the outside it looks like a really tough scenario, and if Benitez keeps them up again, it doesn't look like the situation at Newcastle improves, and it doesn't help his reputation any further.
The guardian have an interesting take on it: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...martin-o-neill-nottingham-forest-inside-story When I first saw that it took 18 mins from sacking him to announcing his successor, I presumed this was long planned. The fact is MO'N took the first week of pre-season before the board felt things were so bad they had to act quickly. Sounds like Forest have a big issue with player power and indiscipline. New manager apparently is a disciplinarian, and plays Mourinho-style defensive football. With no real reputation, I wonder if he'll struggle to get the respect of the players. Then with the footballing style, the fans might not take to him either. If results aren't forthcoming, it sounds like a recipe for disaster. Would they like a Portuguese striker? I think he'd fit in nicely (again).
O'Neil was a poor appointment, hes a dinosaur unable to adapt to a game that's moved on. Keane leaving would have been a good thing but perhaps the players revolted after MON's attack dog had left. Strange old timing but better now than any time between now and next season if they think he isn't the right man. Bah!
