'Miracle' needed - Benitez

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ScholarlySloth
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'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by ScholarlySloth » Mon Dec 24, 2018 1:40 pm

It would be a "miracle" if Newcastle were to avoid relegation from the Premier League, says Rafael Benitez.

The Magpies failed to win any of their opening 10 games of this campaign, but are currently 15th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.

They impressed on their return to the top-flight from the Championship last season, finishing in 10th place.

"We have to be realistic and understand we will be in the bottom half for the season," said Magpies boss Benitez.

"For me, it is almost clear and if we can be better than three teams, it will be another miracle.

"It was a miracle last year. People were thinking, 'Oh, you finished 10th...', but with a couple fewer wins, we could have been in the bottom five, so it was a miracle.

"If we do the same this year with teams spending even more money than last year, it will be a miracle."

At the beginning of December, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley said he was "hopeful" of selling the club "before the January transfer window".

As well as Tottenham and Watford, Newcastle were only one of three Premier League clubs to receive more transfer fees than they spent in the summer window.

Benitez added: "I know what is coming now and I know where we are. You can see the team - the team is trying a lot of things, but still it's not enough sometimes to get the points, and it will be like that.

"I'm trying to tell everyone, realise where we are, realise what we have to do and if we do well, fine, we can finish 10th or whatever.

"But if we think we have to beat these teams which have spent £100m, every one of them, during the summer, if we think we can beat them easily every game, no chance. We are wrong, 100%."

From BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46671474


Well, that's one way to motivate a team <laugh>
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Somebodys pinched my sombrero » Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:28 pm

Sorry but this is bollocks from Rafa. What kind of a message does this send to the players? If there's three worse teams than you, it's a miracle ffs! We're five points clear of relegation and three teams above. No shots on target against the worst away team in the league and plays one up front. No room for his big money buys, if they aren't up to scratch, why buy them?

There's a big problem at SJP and he's rapidly becoming a part of it imo. Sure Ashley's to blame for a lot of it, but he's got to be accountable for his buys, subs and tactics. We're the worst team to watch in the premier.

Tin hat on for replies, I'll be at Watford supporting my team regardless.
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by beatski » Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:38 pm

if he keeps playing shockingly dull and negative tactics, then yeah

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by krully » Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:23 pm

well theres a touch of the grinch around someone today

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Colly » Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:44 pm

Christ(mas).

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Speedo » Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:08 pm

The transfer window is about to begin. Rafa's trying to encourage the club to invest. He (rightly) does it every window. Then February 1st will come and he'll make some positive noises about battling on together, getting behind the team etc.
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Remember Colo » Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:38 pm

Speedo wrote:
Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:08 pm
The transfer window is about to begin. Rafa's trying to encourage the club to invest. He (rightly) does it every window. Then February 1st will come and he'll make some positive noises about battling on together, getting behind the team etc.
Maybe he needs to find a new way of encouraging the club to invest, because his approach the past few windows clearly isn't working <erm>

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by paratiddies » Mon Dec 24, 2018 9:30 pm

The only miracle is that this team hasn’t completely quit on him yet, all he does is whine about lack of spending and tell anyone that will listen that the players we have aren’t good enough

He and Ashley are a horrible fit, there’s really no point in having him here with an owner who won’t spend

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by PTAO? » Mon Dec 24, 2018 10:29 pm

I don't think the team are thick enough to think the squad doesn't need strengthening.

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Bodacious Benny » Mon Dec 24, 2018 11:16 pm

Obviously Rafa has done an outstanding job with limited resources, but I’m definitely in the camp that saying “we’re s***” essentially doesn’t really help our cause. It won’t make Ashley spend a single penny more than he wants to and surely it’ll just demotivate the players. Also agree that regardless of what we have or haven’t spent, to not have a single shot on target at home to a team with one of the worst defences in the history of the PL is shocking.

I think we’ll stay up by the skin of our teeth. Cardiff and Huddersfield should go down, and Fulham ultimately too.
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Midlandmagpie » Tue Dec 25, 2018 1:45 am

Its PR genius from Rafa.

He says we need a miracle to stay up.... knowing that we probably will stay up (it's not guaranteed... but we aren't adrift at the bottom either). Therefore if we scrape through... It's a miracle and he's a miracle worker.

If we go down, he can say "I told you this month's ago. We needed money you didnt listen. Its not my fault".

He can't lose either way. His reputation with the fans stays intact.

I like Rafa, I do.... but his constant whining about money is irritating me now. We all know that we have relatively underspent to be competitive. But at the bottom of the table, it's not about money spent. It's about what you spent your funds on, and what you do with what you have.

Would he spend a 100million wisely and make a huge difference, to the squad? I'd like to think so but we will never know. He could blow the lot on crap injury prone signings or he could unearth some amazing talent for a few million and propel us up the league. It's a gamble.
Is he getting the best out of what he's got though?

Thats the one thing that worries me. His that rants like this might have an effect in the dressing room. At the bottom half of the table, determination and fight wins matches. I just worry that passing off every bad performance as "I need new players" is not likely to instill a fight and determination in the team we have and can't change.

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Donkey Toon » Tue Dec 25, 2018 12:37 pm

So we can add miracle to the list of words Rafa doesn't understand. Along with attack, entertainment, flair, morale, teambuilding, fortitude and reality.

I hope he soon discovers the meaning of the word resignation and puts it into practice.

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Aldridge Prior » Wed Dec 26, 2018 8:48 am

Donkey Toon wrote:
Tue Dec 25, 2018 12:37 pm
So we can add miracle to the list of words Rafa doesn't understand. Along with attack, entertainment, flair, morale, teambuilding, fortitude and reality.

I hope he soon discovers the meaning of the word resignation and puts it into practice.
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Bruuuuuuuuce () » Wed Dec 26, 2018 6:35 pm

close to needing rid of this defeatist cronut.

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Toondes » Wed Dec 26, 2018 8:14 pm

Yeah I’ve finally lost all patience with him now. I feel we’ll be better without him
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by lassassinblanc » Wed Dec 26, 2018 11:24 pm

Rafa does this coming up to every window.

I sincerely doubt what he says in the dressing room is similar to what he says in the media.

He is trying to coax some money
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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Scalabrine » Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:37 am

JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW.

PLAN A
  • · LB: Achraf Lazaar.
    · MC: Sean Longstaff.
    · Winger: Callum Roberts.
    · Striker: Elias Sørensen.
PLAN B
  • · LB: NO.
    · MC: Recall Henri Saivet or Jack Colback.
    · Winger: Rolando Aarons.
    · Striker: NO.
<ashley>
Image

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by omegaprimevkm » Thu Dec 27, 2018 6:21 pm

I'm surprised by the number of negative comments in response to the manager's statement here.

He finds himself manager of an underinvested squad and wants money to improve it. I'd say this is indisputable.

The team doesn't spend like every other club does in the premier league. I'd say this is indisputable.

He's frustrated because running this team for him has been difficult and different to (more or less) every other club he has - when he has managed he could bring in replacements to his standard. I'd say this is disputable, but he has certainly always been able to replace dross players.

The public utterances are a reaction to him being told that there isn't any money to invest in this window, and that he has to work with what he has.

Bringing this all into account, why would you suggest that it's his negativity that's the issue here? Would Pardew coming in and bringing with him 'spirit' make a difference in performances? Absolutely not. Would playing aggressive, attractive, attacking style football work when you have players like Perez, Rondon, Diame and Lascelles as the spine of the team? No chance. He's playing the way that he can with the players he can sign or already has, and losing by a goal to most of the top six, home and away, isn't exactly the worst result possible when they're spending 3/4 times in wages and 10 times in transfer fees.

I suspect this is down to repeat losses, but essentially fine margins in the game are the difference between results this season and last season...nothing more, nothing less. The way the team played last season it could have been relegation form.

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by Bruuuuuuuuce () » Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:41 pm

I personally think Benitez has given sufficient funds to avoid having to play football that is this bad.

According to transfermarkt, he's spend 140M (Euros). Now, sure that's not that much these days but how many of his transfers have been hits from that 140?

Games - NO
Lazaaar - NO
Hayden - NO
D. Murphy - 1/2
Diame - 1/2
Yedlin - 1/2
Clark - 1/2
Hanley - NO
Sels - NO
Gayle - 1/2
Ritchie - 1/2
Merino - NO
Manquillo - NO
Joselu - NO
Atsu - NO
Lejeune - 1/2
Murphy - NO
Dubravka - YES
Ki - 1/2
Rondon - 1/2
Schar - 1/2
Fernandez - 1/2
Muto - ?

The obvious no's in there. Maybe some harsh ones like J. Murphy but that's because Benitez has barely used the kid. £12M down the drain. He bought Gayle for £12M to essentially do a job for 18 months. Muto, £10M to barely be used. Manquillo, £5M down the drain. Atsu, £7.5M down the drain. Joselu, £5M down the drain.

We played s**** stuff in the Championship and have done for the majority of our return to the Premier League. We need 3 miracles to stay up in my opinion.

1 - We need money to buy about 9 players. RB, LB, CB (unless Lejeune, Fernandez and Schar guarantee Lascelles stays away from starting XI), RW, LW, CM, CM, CAM, CF.
2 - We need to get rid of Benitez because if he was given money (he's been given £140m and wasted a f***ing lot of it).
3 - We need to somehow find a manager who can spend it wisely and 'naive' enough to think our team can go toe-to-toe with Premier League giants, Huddersfield. f***ing joke.

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Re: 'Miracle' needed - Benitez

Post by krully » Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:34 pm

Clark is a solid player
but paying THAT much for Atsu?? you serious

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