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Rafa's Newcastle

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They're going to win the Championship aren't they?

The fans love him, the players seem to respect him and it's all coming together it seems.
Rafa has installed his notorious rotation policy and Newcastle fans, like we used to do, are playing a guessing game every week to determine the line up.

Top of the league with 10 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses, 30 goals, 11 conceded. A goal difference of 19 after 14 played games, that's 10 better than the second best goal difference in the Champ.

To be fair, Newcastle arguably has the best squad in that league, so it's not exactly a surprise that they look dominant now that they've hit their stride.


Lascelles, their big man at the back has looked immense. That's a player I wouldn't mind us signing in the near future if needed. Reminds me a bit of Kompany or Rio Ferdinand, controls the back line, plays intelligently. Has developed a lot since Rafa took over.

Dwight Gayle, 11 goals so far in 12 starts. Didn't really cut it in the prem but is banging them in the Championship.

Matt Ritchie, has been described as "their Giggs". Been a revelation since his move from Bournmouth.

Ciaran Clark, found his level. Has arguably been as good as Lascelles. Rotating between centre half and full back. Fits Rafa's rotation system.

Shelvey. Took him a while to gain Rafa's trust. Too many Hollywood balls and impossible attempts at goal, but he's starting to fulfill his early promise. Is a lot more calmer, has taken the role of midfield creator. 5 assists so far. Probably their most important midfielder.
 
You should have bumped the old Newcastle thread from when they had lost a few matches and he was getting shite from a few people. That would have been much more fun.
 
Hansern said:
You should have bumped the old Newcastle thread from when they had lost a few matches and he was getting shite from a few people. That would have been much more fun.
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Yeah cause people like it when I do that.
 
Hansern said:
You should have bumped the old Newcastle thread from when they had lost a few matches and he was getting shite from a few people. That would have been much more fun.
Click to expand...
They can always put the found his level bollocks in here I guess.
 
Ritchie wasn't bad for B'mouth last year - I was a bit surprised they sold him tbh.

You'd expect them to be among the top 6 teams regardless - their squad was the best before Rafa's purchases, and they invested well.

The question is ... will these 'championship level' players be able to do something next year?
 
I'd prefer it if wasn't Newcastle, but I don't think it's much of a surprise that the best manager and the best squad in the Championship are top.
 
i hope he does well and wins, i like Rafa. Good thing is with his experience he knows the premiership. Im sure half of that squad will be sold in the summer as they are championship level players.
 
I hope he wins it, but only if I dont have to see any pictures from the victory parade of drunk extremely fat Geordie lasses with tank tops and short skirts.
 
Don't encourage the mad twats. If they win promotion it'll only trigger another wave of wild boasting about how they'll soon be kings of the world, followed soon after by mass walkouts and the burning of Rafa effigies. They're clinically insane.
 
I don't think any of us could ever hate him - he provided one of the greatest nights in the clubs history that will go down as one of the greatest come backs in football for all time. He joined us at a time when the lights at being a top club were finally switching of for us, and revived us. I really want him to come up if only to get up Jose's arse (if Jose is still around next season). Imagine this:-

1) United all over the place.
2) Jose having to deal with a rising Liverpool (if we keep it up at our end of course), Pep next door, and then on top of that having to face a Rafa Benitez team. I can see explosions all over the place !!!
 
Know what I'd really like to see? Rafa getting promotion and passing Allardyce going in the other direction as he takes a Championship job somewhere.
 
Im happy for Rafa.
Staying at Newcastle shows a humility I didnt think him capable of.

Enough time has passed for me to not be too raw at him anymore. I think he fucked up a lot with us and wasted so much money, and I think he should have gone a season before he did. But those owners were a fucking nighmare, he bought some amazing players and won a couple of major trophies.
Id give his time with us a 7 now with 20/20 hindsight. I dont think hes the messiah others do but he won the European cup. Everything else is forgettable and sometimes regretable but THAT is history that echoes forever.

So good luck Rafa. Hope you win that league. And I miss Newcastle. 6 points every year off them and Villa. We need them back
 
I'm surprised Allardyce turned down Wolves. If he's going to even try to restore his name in the game he needs a big project rather than another successful relegation battle, and with his midlands roots and their history and support I would've thought Wolves would have been as close to ideal as he could hope for.
 
Herr Onceared said:
Im happy for Rafa.
Staying at Newcastle shows a humility I didnt think him capable of.

Enough time has passed for me to not be too raw at him anymore. I think he fucked up a lot with us and wasted so much money, and I think he should have gone a season before he did. But those owners were a fucking nighmare, he bought some amazing players and won a couple of major trophies.
Id give his time with us a 7 now with 20/20 hindsight. I dont think hes the messiah others do but he won the European cup. Everything else is forgettable and sometimes regretable but THAT is history that echoes forever.

So good luck Rafa. Hope you win that league. And I miss Newcastle. 6 points every year off them and Villa. We need them back
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This is pretty much where I am. In hindsight, knowing how the subsequent few years went I might have been inclined to give Rafa one extra season to try to regain his mojo, but at the time I thought he'd been given one season too many.

A bit sad watching him careen around without finding a real home for several seasons and have to confess enjoying a bit of schadenfreude as he got relegated last year. But staying with Newcastle has indeed shown some humility I didn't expect and I do wish him success now. Too bad the Georges have to come along with it - but I don't mind the six points.
 
Herr Onceared said:
Im happy for Rafa.
Staying at Newcastle shows a humility I didnt think him capable of.

Enough time has passed for me to not be too raw at him anymore. I think he fucked up a lot with us and wasted so much money, and I think he should have gone a season before he did. But those owners were a fucking nighmare, he bought some amazing players and won a couple of major trophies.
Id give his time with us a 7 now with 20/20 hindsight. I dont think hes the messiah others do but he won the European cup. Everything else is forgettable and sometimes regretable but THAT is history that echoes forever.

So good luck Rafa. Hope you win that league. And I miss Newcastle. 6 points every year off them and Villa. We need them back
Click to expand...
My view, too. Although the owners were bellends, he could have helped himself by not picking fights with everybody and be a bit more judicious with his signings. Also think that had he been a tad more ambitious, say lose 5 and win 6 of those 0-0 draws, that 08/09 team could have won the league.

But he's answering those critics who wonder if you can take a team from the Championship to the Premier League.
 
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gkmacca said:
I'm surprised Allardyce turned down Wolves. If he's going to even try to restore his name in the game he needs a big project rather than another successful relegation battle, and with his midlands roots and their history and support I would've thought Wolves would have been as close to ideal as he could hope for.
Click to expand...

Could be part of his paydeal with England that it is reduced payoff if he accepted another role?
 
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