Rafa Benitez has got Newcastle smiling again in the Championship, and here’s how
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NEWCASTLE might be playing in a different league this season.
But the mood around the club and city is like a different world.
Despite relegation to the Championship, the gloom on the Toon has been lifted.
And that is all down to one man - Rafa Benitez, Newcastle’s Spanish saviour.
On the pitch, the Magpies are on a six-game winning streak - smashing six past QPR on Tuesday - and could go top if they beat Wolves tomorrow.
But away from matchday, it is Benitez’s work behind the scenes that is really restoring Newcastle’s pride among its people - and will likely result in restoring their place in the Premier League.
Here, SunSport gives an inside insight into the Rafalution and five areas where the manager has made his mark.
TRAINING GROUND
BENITEZ had noticed Benton was dark and dreary.
So he set about making cosmetic changes this summer - brightening it up with new lighting and splashes of colour on the walls.
PlayStation consoles, Macs and comfy sofas have been added to a refurbished common room.
And it is all aimed at creating an environment in which Newcastle’s squad want to stay to socialise and bond.
Pictures of current players adorn the corridors, while Benitez asked for a giant photo of a sold-out St James’ Park to cover the entire wall behind his desk.
He has also improved playing facilities, replacing the current 3G on the full-size indoor pitch with 4G, and erecting fences to defuse the wind around the grass pitches outdoors.
INJURIES
NEWCASTLE have suffered countless crock crises in recent seasons.
But Benitez knew it could not all just be down to bad luck.
So during the summer, Spaniard Cristian Fernandez Martinez was hired from Hull - where he was highly-rated - to take up a newly-created role as rehabilitation fitness coach.
And Daniel Marti was added as first-team physio to work under club doctor Paul Catterson, who is one of the best in the business but had another job lined up until Benitez persuaded him to stay.
Rehab programmes are now better tailored to each individual.
And the numbers on Newcastle’s treatment table have already significantly reduced.
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ACADEMY
BENITEZ is well aware the world’s best clubs develop talent from within.
And the day after he committed his future to the club, he visited Academy chief Joe Joyce at their Little Benton base, which he still regularly visits.
Benitez has actually sent the Under-23s squad out of the Toon’s first-team HQ and down the road with the rest of the kids.
But that is because he felt his training ground was overcrowded, and he wants Newcastle’s youngsters to earn the right to be around senior stars.
Benitez also set up this summer’s 1892 Cup, where eight local primary school teams were invited to a tournament at the club - a way to spot future stars but also foster community ties.
TRANSFERS
NEWCASTLE’S squad overhaul has seen 12 new arrivals, nine departures, and a further 11 players leave on loan.
Yet it is the make-up of the summer signings that prove the club’s old recruitment model has been completely ripped up.
Previously, the Toon’s flawed policy was to only pick players aged under 25, with chief scout Graham Carr recommending bargain buys from abroad.
But this transfer window, half of the signings have been 25 or older, and half are British or Irish.
Benitez’s aim was to assemble the best possible squad suited for this Championship campaign, while adding some Premier League-ready players with one eye on next term.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
AFTER a string of recent PR gaffes, Newcastle have begun to build bridges since Benitez's appointment.
The Toon boss has himself held meetings with several fans' groups - and chatted to them in his office for a minimum of four hours.
He attended the club’s official Fans Forum, and made an impromptu appearance at a disabled supporters’ party on the day it was confirmed he was staying on.
Elsewhere, ticket prices have been slashed and season-ticket sales are up.
No newspapers are banned and an open-door media policy has been re-introduced.
A head of corporate affairs has also been appointed to repair damaged relations with local businesses and establish new links.