The rafa rumours

[toonlegend]

the story and the reasoning - by pete graves


There's something that's worried me since the day Rafa Benitez arrived at Newcastle United. Something that has always been at the back of my mind. A nagging fear that one day a certain club might come in for him, and believe it or not - that club was West Ham.
My heart sank a little last night. The news reached us at Sky Sports News that West Ham were considering the future of Slaven Bilic and that Rafa Benitez would indeed be top of their potential list of suitors. Furthermore they were aware there was a clause, a fairly significant one (more than £5m) but ultimately a way to effectively buy Benitez out of Newcastle United.
But why are West Ham the club that I've feared so long?? Why did I not blink when the links with China and even Arsenal were reported in the national press? Well the reason is, because Rafa has always maintained privately that he feels indebted to West Ham and would have to consider any approach from the Hammers if it should ever materialise and here's why;
In 2015 Benitez was on the brink of becoming West Ham's manager. He'd spoken with the owners and was planning for life at Upton Park. However at the eleventh hour Real Madrid offered him the opportunity to move to the Bernabeu and it was too good an offer to turn down. What impressed Rafa so much was the way the West Ham board accepted his decision. They understood that the opportunity to manage Real Madrid was too much for a Spanish manager to disregard and they gave Rafa their blessing and subsequently appointed Slaven Bilic. The rest as they say is history and now we are where we are... Bilic on the brink and Rafa in their thoughts.
Now let's throw into the mix that Rafa has grown increasingly frustrated at Nufc this summer. He wanted more investment and he's stood and watched while even fellow 'promotees' Brighton and Huddersfield have spent significantly more. Meanwhile West Ham have signed Joe Hart (a player Rafa wanted) and also submitted a bid of close to 40m for William Carvalho (another Rafa target). Let that sink in... A 40 million pound bid for ONE player, that's more than Newcastle have spent on six new arrivals so far. That's financial muscle.
Only this week Rafa said that he no longer viewed Nufc as a long term project... Not my words, the words of the manager, while he's also said that he's "signing the players he can, not the ones that he wants". Needless to say, the positivity of last seasons promotion has disintegrated. And Rafa is clearly frustrated AND not afraid to tell the world.
Now let's consider West Ham as a potential long term project. They have the Olympic Stadium, they're based in London, in my opinion with the right manager at the helm they could be challenging the 'big boys' in the next 3-5 years both on and off the pitch. It's an attractive proposition on paper.
Now, from a personal point of view, I was gutted to be roundly criticised by lots of fellow Nufc fans for reporting the story both on air and online last night. Let me say that there's absolutely no agenda from me, so to be accused of stirring things up or creating stories to disrupt the club is absolutely ridiculous. I love Newcastle United and have done all my life. As a family we've still got our season tickets and I travel home and away as often as I can. Not in the press box, but with the fans... I pay for my tickets. I write a column in the Newcastle United program and let me clear this up once and for all, I recieve no money for this column at all and am not "on the payroll" as has been thrown at me in the past.
I fully understand that rumours of other clubs circling Rafa are not easy to stomach... I know this because I feel exactly the same, but sadly this story has legs and as someone who works as a sports reporter, but is also acutely aware that the majority of my 'followers' etc are Newcastle United fans, I felt it was my duty to keep you informed with the very latest concerning our manager. Although I'm sorry that in this instance the news was slightly concerning.
Finally this is anything but a done deal and there is still a massive reason why Rafa Benitez could very well stay at Newcastle United for years to come and continue to fight for the club.... and that reason is quite simply you lot; the fans. Rafa Benitez could manage for the next one thousand years and he'll never ever receive the adoration that he currently receives on Tyneside. He knows that and his family knows that! He can walk on water in Newcastle and rightly so. Subsequently it would really hurt him to walk away from those loyal geordie supporters that he's grown so fond of and this will be forefront in his thinking. His love for the fans is so strong that I believe it could be enough to make him stay, but he needs more support financially. Yesterday's brilliant 3-0 win and the atmosphere in the ground will also help!
As we stand today, Slaven Bilic remains West Ham manager and Rafa Benitez very much the manager of Newcastle United. However if I was the owner of Newcastle I'd be giving Rafa everything that he wants starting with more financial muscle in the remaining days of the transfer window... However sadly I'm not.
Thoughts welcome. HWTL

[Zippity]

Where's that published, J?

[toonlegend]

I'll send you a link on fb

[toptoon]

I started reading that article disagreeing and not liking it, but , at the end, I realised that it´s good to have articles like this published. Ashley/Charnley have to be aware of this possibility.

There is much conjecture about finances at the club and I try to 'go' on the few facts that are available. Ashley said that every penny the club generates will be available to Rafa. It was and many fans get confused cos they don´t consider wages. As a promoted club we have less than others and Ashley confirmed recently that he won´t be putting more of his own money in for now. I´m not saying I like this but this is what the situation is. The likes of Huddersfield and Brighton had a lower wage bill and (I don´t know) their owners may have put personal money in to buy players???

If Ashley sticks to his word about 'every penny', then priority number one is to avoid relegation (and try to finish as high as possible) so that prize and TV money for the end of the season can be used to buy the players that rafa WANTS. This is a crucial season.

[ashingtoon62]

A link...
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...60586700792862

[sherwoodmag]

The weak link of this story is that Rafa has just seen the team he is building work their socks off to beat a West Ham side that were second best all day.

[occult]

The transfer window is nearly over so if Rafa went to West Ham he'd be joining a club in a relegation struggle with the players now available. He may not be totally happy at NUFC but he's not a fool. As for history, I doubt whether Rafa feels he owes West Ham anything.

[toonlegend]

not really a weak link. I don;t think he would leave us anyway UNLESS he is very PISSED off with ashley - thats where the problem lies

[Jammy89]

not really a weak link. I don;t think he would leave us anyway UNLESS he is very PISSED off with ashley - thats where the problem lies

That's the biggest issue and the one that worries me the most.

It is concerning that he doesn't see us as long term project anymore

[ashingtoon62]

The weak link of this story is that Rafa has just seen the team he is building work their socks off to beat a West Ham side that were second best all day.

There is a sickness in that club,they played and commited exactlly like we did,the last but one relegation.We all know what will happen next,Bilics for the chop.They have better and more experienced players than us,yet they were abysmal yesterday..
Im not saying that Rafas ganning to jump ship,but I am cacking mesell..