Discuss two points about Rafa Benitez's Newcastle

[HughieG]

It could be said of several top managers that they wouldn´t have achieved much success without the financial clout behind them to set up top quality squads with world class players. Rafa has done the job at top level and now, has not only shown the humility to lower himself to manage a club with an owner like ours but, has IMO shown to be an all round superb manager, able to manage at top and lower levels with financial backing, and without it.

I´m finding it hard to find a weakness in him whether it´s man management, handling the press, tactics, looking after the structure of the club, bringing through talent or signing good players. The latter is probably the hardest for any manager but, despite some failings (all mangers make mistakes) he´s done a cracking job in signing good players and, more importantly, improving them over the years at many clubs. He seems to have a highly structured approach to the game and clearly set out to hit 40 points this season, realising what he had to work with and targeting points from certain games, protecting the players for games that we had more chance to get points in and setting, as a number one priority, not to lose to teams of a similar standing to ours and not get humped by the big boys (goal difference).

He clearly loves his job (not in it just for the money) and loves football - I remember him coaching a youth team when between jobs before coming to us. (Which world class manager does that FFS?!)

On top of that, when you realise what a very nice person he is, we could not have better and he is up there with SBR - both legends.

Great reply TT. Agree with every bit of it.

[toonlegend]

Discuss these two points then;

1) Rafa Benitez is an overrated manager, who represents a negative brand of football. Most average managers with decent Premier League management experience could've done the same job that he has.

2) When/if he leaves Newcastle, he will not get a "top job" in Europe again; meaning a club in one of the 4-5 major leagues that are that expected to play European football each season.

1) disagree wholeheartedly
2) he wouldn't take a job in europe, that isn't what he wants