JOHNGIBSON Pray that Rafa can make mess a success
LACK OF NEW QUALITY IS JUST EMBARRASSING
NEWCASTLE United haven’t spent enough in the transfer window just ended. Nowhere near, it’s been an embarrassment.
Don’t take my word for it. Mike Ashley spectacularly admitted such shortcomings in his address to the nation via the Sky telly cameras.
Of course it hasn’t been a case of a reluctant manager not wishing to squander precious pennies as Arsene Wenger has resisted in the past. Rafa wanted to spend all right!
Ashley himself added a very significant rider to his supposed sympathy vote when he stressed that no big pot of money was there for Benitez to dip into at will, which meant United’s boss has over the weeks been tied up like Harry Houdini.
So where exactly are we now? Can Newcastle – will Newcastle – stay up with their current squad?
Yes, I believe they will. No thanks to their owner, definitely not. The lack of positive action on the last day was criminal and for that chief negotiator Lee Charnley must take his slice of blame. It’s been a disastrous window of bitter disappointment. It won’t be easy to stay up given pop guns against heavy artillery, it might even be a close run thing, but we have to hope and believe - there is nowt else we can do. Achieving safety may represent a tremendous gamble to Benitez who has failed to gain a goalkeeper, leftback, attacking midfielder, and significantly another striker he so coveted. The last fortnight brought him nought but disappointment. He may as well walk away except it’s difficult for him both financially and because of heart strings though Ashley and Charnley deserve nought more. Charnley has proved he cannot conclude a done deal. Let him tell us of his negotiation skills. We’ll be most interested. What United will miss most is the lack of another striker. They have three, all with baggage. Dwight Gayle knows the club were willing to sell him which will make him feel really wanted; Aleksandar Mitrovic is another Benitez doesn’t seem to trust who is about to start a three-match suspension; and Joselu may have given Geordies hope on his debut but is valued at only £5m and that buys little in the money-laden arena of the Premier League.
My summing up of a long and exasperating transfer summer?
Well, Rafa certainly didn’t get anywhere near what he wanted or deserved. Even Ashley admitted that.
However I’m glad the uncertainty of an open window is over. I don’t know about you but I was getting sick of the politics...the never ending accusations and counter accusations however right or wrong.
Now perhaps we can get on with what football is all about: playing the game, eking out points, and entertaining the faithful.
Oh, and I forgot, praying!