How long can Rafa last?

[rentaghost]

I think you're being generous. Colback has been atrocious for ages, Sammy Ameobi is currently plying his trade at Bolton and is a bit shit. Aarons is a permacrock. Perez was ineffective in the Championship and Mitrovic is decent but a madhead.

Perez was very good in the top flight the season before
Colback was a mainstay in your team that got promoted and other teams prior to that
Sammy Ameobi is Bolton's best player from what i saw and easily good enough to be effective at that level
Mitrovic for all his madness is a successful international footballer and a cut above the championship

Most team in the championship would take all of those players in a heartbeat. I think some of the criticism of rafa on here is daft and born out of jealousy however making out he had a group of shit players to build on is equally daft.

 

[Sima]

Who said that?

You did when you said we’d spent money on players that were worse than we already had.

hth.

 

[Fulwell87]

Merino worse than Colback

There is a sense here that if people on this board repeat things so often I think they can convince themselves.

They would love a manager of Rafa’s esteeem but their blind hatred and inferiority complex gets in the way.

It probably comes from not having that complex in the mindset at Newcastle but I don’t see Newcastle fans blindly hating the second club in the region.

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy seeing them beaten but the level of blind hatred is spiteful. Sunderland are a proud regional club like Newcastle I respect that whilst being very grateful to be a Geordie.

 

[JL1985]

Rafa got them relegated and then back up again so they are back to square one but only with less decent players to sell.

 

[samaistonsrightfoot]

You did when you said we’d spent money on players that were worse than we already had.

hth.

Merino wasn't purchased in the summer which I specifically mentioned in my post. Nor was his fee (whatever it was) included in the 40 million I stated in my post. Nowhere in my post did I say he, or any other signing, was worse than Colback who isn't even in your squad anyway.

Feel free to read my posts again and show me where I said Merino is better than Colback.

Seeing as you have taken exception to something that didn't even happen, I assume you agree about the rest?

There is a sense here that if people on this board repeat things so often I think they can convince themselves.

They would love a manager of Rafa’s esteeem but their blind hatred and inferiority complex gets in the way.

It probably comes from not having that complex in the mindset at Newcastle but I don’t see Newcastle fans blindly hating the second club in the region.

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy seeing them beaten but the level of blind hatred is spiteful. Sunderland are a proud regional club like Newcastle I respect that whilst being very grateful to be a Geordie.

Yet despite all that you joined that rivals message board originally pretending to be a Sunderland fan

 

[Fulwell87]

Merino wasn't purchased in the summer which I specifically mentioned in my post. Nor was his fee (whatever it was) included in the 40 million I stated in my post. Nowhere in my post did I say he, or any other signing, was worse than Colback who isn't even in your squad anyway.

Feel free to read my posts again and show me where I said Merino is better than Colback.

Seeing as you have taken exception to something that didn't even happen, I assume you agree about the rest?



Yet despite all that you joined that rivals message board originally pretending to be a Sunderland fan

I did participate in a covert op behind enemy lines for a considerable period yes.

I still maintain at no point have I ever been spiteful in respect of comments towards Sunderland AFC.

My presence on hear is divisive and we should not fall out. I will opt out.

I do spend more time on Newcastle message boards and Sunderland rarely feature in the discussions.

We should concern ourselves with our own clubs. You are correct.

 

[Secret Visage]

Merino wasn't purchased in the summer which I specifically mentioned in my post. Nor was his fee (whatever it was) included in the 40 million I stated in my post. Nowhere in my post did I say he, or any other signing, was worse than Colback who isn't even in your squad anyway.

Feel free to read my posts again and show me where I said Merino is better than Colback.

Seeing as you have taken exception to something that didn't even happen, I assume you agree about the rest?



Yet despite all that you joined that rivals message board originally pretending to be a Sunderland fan

............and thinks there were and are 45 other teams in the Championship.

 

[1892]

Merino wasn't purchased in the summer which I specifically mentioned in my post. Nor was his fee (whatever it was) included in the 40 million I stated in my post. Nowhere in my post did I say he, or any other signing, was worse than Colback who isn't even in your squad anyway.

Feel free to read my posts again and show me where I said Merino is better than Colback.

Seeing as you have taken exception to something that didn't even happen, I assume you agree about the rest?



Yet despite all that you joined that rivals message board originally pretending to be a Sunderland fan

28 Jul 2017 - After the arrivals of Jacob Murphy and Javier Manquillo last week, midfielder Merino becomes the fifth player to join the Magpies this summer.
So when did he join again?

 

[ProfessionalMackem]

There is a sense here that if people on this board repeat things so often I think they can convince themselves.

They would love a manager of Rafa’s esteeem but their blind hatred and inferiority complex gets in the way.

It probably comes from not having that complex in the mindset at Newcastle but I don’t see Newcastle fans blindly hating the second club in the region.

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy seeing them beaten but the level of blind hatred is spiteful. Sunderland are a proud regional club like Newcastle I respect that whilst being very grateful to be a Geordie.

Fuck off you patronising kernt with that obessed drivel. Why the fuck have you signed on here with that username?

You fool no one

 

[ReaL Madras]

I don't have a clue how they are doing and frankly, I don't care. Our club is having too desperate a time to even think about what is going on in their world.

I don't even look at the Premier League fixtures or results any longer.

 

[Sima]

28 Jul 2017 - After the arrivals of Jacob Murphy and Javier Manquillo last week, midfielder Merino becomes the fifth player to join the Magpies this summer.
So when did he join again?

Can’t help but feel your answer will be 13th October (when he made his move permanent)

Although the poster above didn’t specify squad, merely ‘player we already had’ so I’ll just switch to ‘Diame better than Merino’

 

[samaistonsrightfoot]

28 Jul 2017 - After the arrivals of Jacob Murphy and Javier Manquillo last week, midfielder Merino becomes the fifth player to join the Magpies this summer.
So when did he join again?

Think you are confusing loans with purchases and transfer fees there pal. Difficult to include a transfer fee paid mid October to expenditure in June/July/August.

Can’t help but feel your answer will be 13th October (when he made his move permanent)

Although the poster above didn’t specify squad, merely ‘player we already had’ so I’ll just switch to ‘Diame better than Merino’

What about Hayden who Merino was dropped for for a number a games prior to his injuries? Or Shelvey who had to be suspended for Merino to get a start?

I did participate in a covert op behind enemy lines for a considerable period yes.

I still maintain at no point have I ever been spiteful in respect of comments towards Sunderland AFC.

My presence on hear is divisive and we should not fall out. I will opt out.

I do spend more time on Newcastle message boards and Sunderland rarely feature in the discussions.

We should concern ourselves with our own clubs. You are correct.

If we should concern ourselves with our clubs why did you join this forum pretending to be a Sunderland fan?

 

[The Fish]

Joselu who looks awful. Murphy who can’t get a game ahead of Perez who you’ve already said wasn’t even good in the championship, and Atsu who was in and out of the side in the championship, Lejuene (has he finished on a winning side yet? Wins were when he was injured weren’t they?) and Manquillo. The only one to make any sort of impact in a squad playing championship football last year is Merino and he was benched for the games, for whatever reason, in the lead up to getting injured.

It’s not just Newcastle btw. Look at his signings at Liverpool. Brought in on average about 10 a season while he was there and bar the big signings like Torres and Alonso, who he later decided was worse than Barry, the majority were shite.

Good manager but poor in the market. He was complaining the other day that Man Utd have more to spend. I’d expect a side that turns over half a billion p/y to spend more mind. In fact I’d hazard a guess that Benitez has spent a higher percentage of turnover than Utd have.

Haven’t seen him complaining about Huddersfield or Brighton’s transfer spends after losing to them, mind

Joselu was signed because Benitez had no budget. No budget in a window where Chris f***ing Wood went for north of £15m. Can you think of a goal scoring striker good enough for the Premier League for £5m?
Murphy was clearly bought for the future, and plays in a different position to Ayoze Perez.
Atsu on the left wing is an improvement on nobody on the left wing.
Lejeune has looked decent to be honest.
Manquillo is a cocktail of binjuice and backsweat. But he's cover for the titan that is Paul Dummett.

 

[Sima]

Think you are confusing loans with purchases and transfer fees there pal. Difficult to include a transfer fee paid mid October to expenditure in June/July/August.



What about Hayden who Merino was dropped for for a number a games prior to his injuries? Or Shelvey who had to be suspended for Merino to get a start?



If we should concern ourselves with our clubs why did you join this forum pretending to be a Sunderland fan?

Wey, you didn’t specify. You said ‘any player’.

On that though, Benitez always rotates where he can and where he feels he has the quality to do so. He definitely isn’t one for always throwing someone untested who hasn’t played in this county in at the deep end.

 

[The Fish]

Aye very much so. Also forgetting names he could have played that he chose to sell and get money for like Wijnaldum and Jaanmat.

Chose to sell?

 

[1892]

Merino was a loan with an obligation to buy, so a purchase but sort of on chucky

 

[samaistonsrightfoot]

Wey, you didn’t specify. You said ‘any player’.

On that though, Benitez always rotates where he can and where he feels he has the quality to do so. He definitely isn’t one for always throwing someone untested who hasn’t played in this county in at the deep end.

To be fair I said 'players' opposed to 'any/every player' but point taken.

As for Merino, I think he's shown glimpses of quality but looks inconsistent which is pretty much expected for any foreign young player coming to the prem so will more than likely turn into a starter over a year or two

 

[The Fish]

Perez was very good in the top flight the season before
Colback was a mainstay in your team that got promoted and other teams prior to that
Sammy Ameobi is Bolton's best player from what i saw and easily good enough to be effective at that level
Mitrovic for all his madness is a successful international footballer and a cut above the championship

Most team in the championship would take all of those players in a heartbeat. I think some of the criticism of rafa on here is daft and born out of jealousy however making out he had a group of shit players to build on is equally daft.

Perez was all right in the Premier League, but wasn't in the Championship.
Colback played fewer games than Hayden.
Being Bolton's best player in highlights, doesn't mean anything really.
Yeah, he's decent.

We had a decent few players Darlow, Lascelles, Mbemba, Shelvey, Mitrovic. but without the additions of Yedlin, Hayden, Atsu, Ritchie and Gayle I don't think we'd have been promoted.

 

[Nipple Salad]

Yet despite all that you joined that rivals message board originally pretending to be a Sunderland fan

You couldn't make it up

 

[samaistonsrightfoot]

Joselu was signed because Benitez had no budget. No budget in a window where Chris f***ing Wood went for north of £15m. Can you think of a goal scoring striker good enough for the Premier League for £5m?
Murphy was clearly bought for the future, and plays in a different position to Ayoze Perez.
Atsu on the left wing is an improvement on nobody on the left wing.
Lejeune has looked decent to be honest.
Manquillo is a cocktail of binjuice and backsweat. But he's cover for the titan that is Paul Dummett.

Joselu was on a budget because most of it was waxed on Murphy. Similar to Moyes waxing most of his budget on Ndong who was also a player signed more for the future, to the depriment of the team, as we needed someone who would make an immediate impact. But just like Moyes, you can't go around blaming budget when you've spent half of it on a player you won't play. Gayle will get goals in this league. Not as many as a 15+ striker but more than Joselu given a run of games so makes his signing quite moot, especially considering you have Mitrovic as well for back up.
Atsu was an odd one. Did OKish in the championship when he played but his fee plus 5 million saved on Joselu would have got a better player in.
Lejuene is still an unknown quantity as has been injured for a while but yous have won more when he hasn't played.
Manquillo could only have been signed as a back up and is a right back playing left back.

Ritchie has been his best signing by far imo which seems to correlate with Benitez' record in the market but bar him your best players this season have been Lascelles, Shelvey and Elliot (although I'm only really including Elliot as he is first choice keeper and best in that position) who, after 100 million worth of players brought in, aren't Benitez signings.


As I've said, I think he's a decent manager. Could he have had more to spend in the summer? Possibly. Could he have spent more wisely? Certainly