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Opinion

Two essential qualities Rafa Benitez has as Newcastle Manager

7 years ago
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If you don’t have passion and belief, just what do you have as Manager of Newcastle United?

Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan had both, they had an intensity for the Newcastle job to go alongside an ingrained belief of what needed to be done with the football team.

Rafa Benitez comes from the same mould.

Sir Bobby and KK came to the job every differently, Keegan the new kid on the block who fearlessly took on what seemed an impossible job and literally performed miracles.

As for Sir Bobby, he was more the elder statesmen who had been around the block a few times and who used the vast experience gained at home and abroad to remodel Newcastle United into a team in his own image.

Drawing comparisons, you would have to put Rafa alongside Sir Bobby rather than Kevin Keegan, coming to the job with great knowledge gained from managing successful teams both home and abroad.

The likes of Pardew and McClaren were like empty crisp packets, fortunate enough to cast the right gust of wind that brought them to the job at St James Park.

Their only plan was a bit like riding a bucking bronco – to hold on as long as they could.

The fact Alan Pardew jumped ship to a club like Palace showed he had no big vision of what he could turn Newcastle United into.

With Rafa Benitez you feel that like a Chess Grandmaster, he is planning any number of moves ahead, as well as dealing with the here and now.

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