I think even that is giving him too much credit. He probably has no choice in the matter and just lets it happen when MA is in the mood!
Rafa's pre match with interview when asked about Mike Ashley, the interview and transfer kitty. Rafa merely said, He knows what he told me and what l wanted to do. Read into that what you will, but it does sound like Mike Ashley has let Rafa down in some way and not delivered on some level.
In light of today's presser, I'd like to amend my statement to the following: 'We'll buy no good players, Rafa will walk and we'll be relegated'
I reckon his "every last penny" quote was misinterpreted by Rafa thinking there was a sizeable pot of gold whereas MA was actually thinking of £30M at most.
Amazing that the conversation wouldn't go further than that though. It's like the lottery saying, if you play, you will win every last penny. I reckon mike accounted for player sales which hasn't happened. Once again the buffoon fails to learn the perils of gambling with regards to football
Haidara, Colback, Krul, Saivet, Riviere? The reason why previous managers/Carr and now Rafa are having to buy players low down the shopping list, and therefore increasing the risk of dross, is MA.
Colback free Krul £150K (pretty much free Can't imagine Haidara being on a huge wage nor Riviere. It is players like Diame, Hanley, Lazaaar etc
According to various reports in Chronicle and similar Haidara is on about £25/30K p/w. Riviere around £50k apparently. Krul is on around £60k. Colback £50k. What £ they were signed for back in the day isn't the issue, the fact they haven't sold this summer and therefore have not brought in any fees (and are stinking up the wage sheet) is. I agree Lazaar and Hanley also need to go. Of course Rafa signed them and therefore you could argue some culpability, but he did so whilst assembling a squad to gain promotion. That we didn't suffer injuries/suspensions in areas that would lead to us utilizing these players more last season is something we all now know with hindsight but Rafa did not know whilst in the process of strengthening the squad last summer. They could have done a job in the Championship so were worthwhile purchases last summer when made under those circumstances.
Suppose so, but what owner actually expects their manager not to buy some dross? Everyone of them does it. He tried the other way, where scouts buy, and still ended up with plenty of crap. To me, the money we paid for promotion was worth it, regardless of where it all went. Can't say that of the other crap. If anything they are a symbolism of our failure. Of mike's failure and therefore should be considered his responsibility, not benitez's. I don't reckon Mike told him it would be based on player sales, I think that was an assumption made privately that contributed to the total figure he has confidently put forward to him. Otherwise there's no right for him to feel aggrieved and it wouldn't be the story to our summer
Typical football fans **** again. Buy players, pay them good money, long contracts (especially here). Players turn out to be less than expected, and you're stuck with them. If there so crap, why would any other club, buy them...? Yet fans will whinge on and on when they don't go anywhere fast. Ashley is to blame, for trying to be a clever dick and handing out stupidly long contracts for what were generally unknowns. Shopping in the bargain basement will only result in more flops being bought.
This "every last penny" quote is getting out of hand. MA didn't say Rafa could have every last penny. What he said was Rafa can have every last penny, generated from player sales and other footballing matters. I don't know what other footballing matters might be, but funds generated from players sales, equals fook all squared. I reckon Rafa is having to spend the excess profit left over from last season, i.e., the money generated from Gini, Janmat and Moussa. We desperately need to shift the deadwood, not so much for the limited funds they would generate, but to ease up the wage bill. But and it's a big but, if we think the surplus players are largely crap, then why would anyone else want to buy them? even at bargain bucket prices. l suspect even if we give them away, their wage demands will be a sticking point to any chances of successfully moving them out. With greed being a dominant feature in the psyche of the modern day footballer, most would prefer to sit on their arses on the bench than take less reward and actually play football. Unless Mike Ashley relents and gives Rafa some extra funds, (no indication he will) Rafa has what he has to spend, and l have a hunch it's pretty much already gone. So which players do we have surplus to requirements who might generate anything worth having. Mitro? But at best it could only be circa £13 million. Mbemba, again moderate value, Colback, Haidarra, Handley, Saivet, Krul, lazarr etc. In today's crazy market all their combined value still gets you very little. Would Ashley gamble on losing a disgruntled and disillusioned Rafa? Sadly l suspect he would, he likes a gamble and l reckon he will gamble that Rafa is hooked enough on the drug that is NUFC not to quit and walk away. Let's face it guys and gals, we don't despite it all, do we.
Not so much their saleable value, but money off the wage bill - if you just take the 6 you've mentioned and add Riviere suggest an ave wage of £40k / wk that's almost £300k a week we are forking out just to keep them at the club. This more than anything is probably screwing us right now
