Rafa Watch

[fah-q]

Yeah absolutely. Can't stand the small time ****s.



And again, absolutely. That's one of the prompts for the use of the scrabbling around phrase

Hate them with a passion. Nothing club that believes it's a sleeping giant.

[Daniel 7]

As much as I dislike them, I would still prefer them being in the Premier League than Middlesbrough. Always had a dislike for them - I think it was since the icy ball incident.

[Paul12]

He sees an opportunity to build something big and be a hero. All my life Newcastle has been a sleeping giant, waiting for someone like Rafa to wake it up. It should be fascinating, but....

I bet Ashley cocks it up.

[RedReet]

Wouldnt mind sending the likes of Ibe up there on a season long loan.

The Championship would be a step backwards for Ibe and wouldn't really tell us anything we don't already know about him. He needs to progress in the PL and show some consistency or at the very least go somewhere like Celtic and get some CL experience.

[red g]

Wouldnt mind sending the likes of Ibe up there on a season long loan.

[Daniel 7]

Your issue is with the club, owner and fans, as mentioned in your original post

Yeah absolutely. Can't stand the small time ****s.

I think a big part of him staying on is working in this country again. Wrongly he has a bit of a damaged image over here

And again, absolutely. That's one of the prompts for the use of the scrabbling around phrase

[Yozza]

Your issue is with the club, owner and fans, as mentioned in your original post

Rafa made the decision to stay on. My point of view is..... Brave man, he must really want this 'project' of getting them back into the PL. He has an abundance of experience, however, not at championship level. It will be a learning experience for him. Hell of a decision. Top top respect to him for taking it on. I wish him all the best

would have been a lot easier to just walk away from them - he must really fancy this project

Rafa

[RichC]

I think a big part of him staying on is working in this country again. Wrongly he has a bit of a damaged image over here

[Assassin]

Your issue is with the club, owner and fans, as mentioned in your original post

Rafa made the decision to stay on. My point of view is..... Brave man, he must really want this 'project' of getting them back into the PL. He has an abundance of experience, however, not at championship level. It will be a learning experience for him. Hell of a decision. Top top respect to him for taking it on. I wish him all the best

[Daniel 7]

I think I mentioned circumstance in the post I originally made.

[Assassin]

Yeah circumstance - the fact he was prematurely bundled out of the Real job without really being given a chance is a circumstance that NUFC have benefited from.

That he's at a second rate circus show of a club is beneath him. Its a pity.

So first its 'scrambling around' now, its 'circumstance'. Whats your next angle?

Rafa obviously does not think the club are beneath him

[Daniel 7]

Yeah circumstance - the fact he was prematurely bundled out of the Real job without really being given a chance is a circumstance that NUFC have benefited from.

That he's at a second rate circus show of a club is beneath him. Its a pity.

[Assassin]

Can't believe he's been reduced to scrambling around with these absolute wallops in the Championship, working for a ****ing prick and the world's worst bellend reactionary fans. You're so much better than this Rafa. already the greatest manager these lot have ever had and ever likely to get. Circumstance can be a ****ing ****ty thing sometimes.

WTF???

Rafa had it written into to his original contract that they would part company if the barcodes were relegated.

Rafa made the decision to stay on. Nothing more, nothing less. Like all top football managers he is financially sound for the rest of his life. It has nothing to do with 'scrambling around'

[Daniel 7]

Can't believe he's been reduced to scrambling around with these absolute wallops in the Championship, working for a ****ing prick and the world's worst bellend reactionary fans. You're so much better than this Rafa. already the greatest manager these lot have ever had and ever likely to get. Circumstance can be a ****ing ****ty thing sometimes.

[calvoboy]

Sure, in hindsight switching Alonso for Barry would have been a master stroke

Come on, the thread was going so well, most of us like Rafa a hell of a lot, and we're proud of him taking a challenge, don't drag it back to that crap.

All I was observing was that we shafted him that summer by pulling his budget from under him so he didn't know what plan he was working to. He was trying to manage within what he thought was his fixed budget, and was prepared to sacrifice Alonso to help boost it. We then stitched him up claiming most of it had gone on contract extensions instead, leaving Alonso disillusioned and Robbie Keane signed when he wasn't realy wanted unless the other parts of the jigsaw had arrived too. Other clubs have frustrated him by forcing players on him he didn't want, or selling players he wanted to keep, so he didn't know what players he was working with. From what's been reported on the Newcastle negotiations he's finally got what he wants at a club - total control within a clear albeit limited budget.