Rafa Gone
A day of anger, sadness, reflection, and an article I hoped I wouldn’t have to write.
A post on twitter said it was ‘like losing a long term girlfriend’, and for many the feelings will be something similar. No more ‘glasses off’ at full time. No more tactical genius. No more Rafa flag.
Actually, scrap the last one. You can fully expect to see the flag in all it’s glory in that first game of the season against Arsenal and the songs to go with it.
If anything, today optimises today’s Newcastle United. A manager who wanted just a little bit more to push forward, has the door firmly slammed in his face.
No amount of spin from Ashley’s PR house will do.
The whole thing stinks!!
Rafa Benitez, a man who had single handedly restored a pride and passion back into a starved and lifeless ruin of a Mike Ashely infected club, was today ejected as manager. A club who didn’t even have the decency to tell him they were going to press.
Joining United on 11 March 2016 he didn’t have enough time to save the club from relegation that season, despite a tremendous run in. Relegation followed. He stayed, partly down to the support from the terraces he said.
The feeling was mutual.
The crowds grew and a successful campaign saw Newcastle back in the Premier League at the first time of asking. As Champions.
But behind the scenes all was not well.
Continuously undermined in the transfer market, Mike Ashely was full of yet more hollow words as window after window passed without the recruitments needed.
The 11th hour signing of Almiron was too little too late, as Rafa pushed for just enough funds to make the Magpies something other than perennial relegation fodder.
It’s clear then that Ashley is very happy just to survive, whilst he bleeds every last penny out of the club.
What it means for the players god only knows. Perez and Lejeune have already been linked away. Would you come back if you were Rondon?
And amongst all of this the players return in just over a week. And to what? No manager, no senior coaches.
Today is about as depressing a day as any other being a Newcastle United fan.
The only hope is that something happens to remove the parasite that is Mike Ashley from our club. And I know which option I would choose to make that happen right now!
On a personal note, my three season tickets will not be renewed. I will not spend another penny, nor step into St James Park until that man has gone. He has raped the club of it’s wealth and soul. Not a penny more.
Comments