Working on the site from morning ’till night, that’s livin’ alright*
Rafa has finally got something to build on
IT MAKES you wonder what Rafa Benitez could have achieved this season with an owner who listened to him.
Newcastle had to slump to a run of one point in nine matches for Mike Ashley to take notice of his manager’s warning of a second relegation in three seasons.
Three loan signings arrived in the final week of January and, by the last day of March, Benitez’s side had made themselves as good as safe. Had those players or others in their position been signed in the summer, as Benitez wanted, winter might not have been so bleak.
The Spaniard oversaw the construction of a transfer war-room at the club’s training ground last year. It is separate from the main building on a patch of wasteland, a fitting location given that much of the good work by its inhabitants was in danger of going to waste until the recent additions.
It looks more like the hut from the Eighties TV comedy classic
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet than it does the nerve centre of a multimillion pound football club, but the scouting team inside weren’t laughing in August when
Ashley refused to back them and their boss. So, just to illustrate how much influence the new signings have had, here is how Saturday’s game was won in the 80th minute.
Striker Islam Slimani, making a belated debut following injury, caused panic at the far post and Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl flapped the ball to Kenedy, the new Chelsea loanee, who kept his composure and squared for Ayoze Perez to flick home.
Then, in injury time, new keeper Martin Dubravka maintained his record of not having conceded at home when he saved from Scott Malone to protect a third straight home win.
‘It’s not always a question of money,’ said Benitez. ‘ That doesn’t always make the difference when it comes to signing the players you need.
‘In January, we said we needed a goalkeeper, a winger and a striker and that is what we did and you can see the difference. It is about doing the right things at the right time.’
Although the signings have undoubtedly sparked the surge from 18th to 12th, every player has improved under Benitez, as he also forecast in August.
‘We don’t just coach, we try to teach players,’ he said. ‘They are learning what they have to do. It is not just about this season, it is for the rest of their lives.’
Mo Diame is a player whose inclusion drew groans in the first half of the season. On Saturday the midfielder left to a standing ovation having bossed another game, as he had against Manchester United’s Paul Pogba in the first of the three home wins. Left back Paul Dummett — man of the match here — was told by former boss Alan Pardew that he wasn’t good enough for Newcastle. Now they are singing his name in the Gallowgate End.
And then there is matchwinner Perez, another who has struggled to win over supporters. Benitez has a theory on that.
‘The fans expect the No 10 to be able to dribble and score a lot of goals,’ he said. ‘But he is clever and a hard worker. It may be that he is more a manager’s player than a supporters’ player.’
It is two years since Benitez took charge and Perez is one of only five survivors in this squad.
The Spanish forward said: ‘Back then we probably had a better squad, we had a lot of very good players, but in the end we were relegated. This season is different and a lot of that is down to the manager. He has been massive for all of us.’
Perhaps Perez could drop a note to the owner.