Stan Collymore has thoughts on Rafael Benitez and I couldn’t care less

According to Stan Collymore, Rafael Benitez is a “control freak” who may have an “inferiority complex”.

And I couldn’t care less.

Stan Collymore is a retired footballer who last played in 2007. Since then, he’s written an autobiography, appeared in a movie that achieved a 7% critic rating, and has been a pundit on talkSport and BBC. He’s so professional that he’s gotten into arguments on social media with professional footballers and football clubs.

Perhaps with all the big successes, he’s forgotten where Newcastle United was just 18 months ago.

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Perhaps he has forgotten the cowardly attitude of Alan Pardew, who had no problem conceding that a club like Southampton would make it hard for them to have a successful year. Maybe Stan could read up on the highlights of Alan Pardew’s time as Newcastle manager.

Or how about John Carver? The “Newcastle United manager” who failed at Toronto FC? The man that won 3 of his TWENTY matches in charge of the Toon? Does Stan remember that?

And let’s not forget good old, reliable Steve McClaren. McClaren, who was begged to come to Newcastle three times, was allowed to spend £78 million, and then managed two wins and a draw from 14 away matches?

And another thing: does Collymore remember who owns Newcastle United? The man who said Newcastle have nothing left to spend on transfers and that he’s “stuck” with NUFC? The man who appointed Lee Charnley, the former club secretary, to run football operations?

I’m not going to apologize for Rafa Benitez’s ruthless mentality. I’m not sorry that he isn’t going to give his players a pat on the back for “earning” a draw away to Stoke. I’m not sorry that he doesn’t think average is good enough. I’m not sorry that he wants total control of a club like Newcastle United. For god’s sake, the man was in charge of Real Madrid a year and a half ago.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

In my opinion, there are 5 managers in the world that should be given full reign at any club they manage: Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Carlo Ancelotti, and Rafa Benitez. As long as Rafael Benitez is in charge of Newcastle United, his requests and demands must be met with a smile and a “yes, sir”.

Rafael Benitez is precisely the man Newcastle United desperately needed. His unforgiving outlook is exactly what has turned around the mindset of the dressing room, the training ground, the academy and the supporters. Newcastle cannot afford to have a manager that gives into complacency from ownership. They need someone who will dictate how every facet of the club is run.

I couldn’t care less about anything Stan Collymore has to say about Newcastle United. And I think my fellow supporters would agree.