Incomprised, miles away from Llambias but masterfully: Dissect Rafa Benitez's transfer policy – Mark Douglas

Derek Llambias 'purple reign in Newcastle United lasted almost a decade – and he still exerts an insidious influence on St James' Park.

In case you have forgotten, Newcastle's transfer policy philosophy at the peak of the Llambia era was that United would have eleven "purple" – or first choice, "A grade players".

Under them were the so-called "Blacks" – the substitute players – and the "greens", who would be graduates of the Academy or young players committed to developing into "first team". He borrowed a lot of casino jargon, where the purple chips are the most valuable, recalling the work of Llambias before Mike Ashley entrusted him with the role of leading Newcastle United.

Llambias wanted a team of 33 people, with players under the names of "pushing" marquees. It was an attempt, he admitted during a series of interviews in 2011, to combine the need for Newcastle to compete in the field with the financial restrictions imposed by the owner. "You can not have two Purples per position because the club can not afford it. You have to be realistic, "he explained.

Llambias has long since disappeared and under Rafa Benitez, building a team is a very different undertaking. Benitez's philosophy in recent years has been misunderstood and misinterpreted, especially when he made Solomon Rondon the number one target of last summer, but produced a group of actors as disciplined and resistant as any recent memory group. It's a small triumph for people on violets.

The Benitez balance rather than the bank balance

The Benitez teams in Newcastle have also been characterized by a much deeper talent pool than previous Premier League teams at St James's Park, though not necessarily equal in terms of star names.

To extend the philosophy of Llambias, the Newcastle manager would prefer that 30 good players jostle instead of 11 purple, the players in reserve is not at the same level. Which strategy is the best?

Although under Steve McClaren, Newcastle was the victim of a central defeat when Fabricio Coloccini was injured. Under Benitez, the injuries of several of his strong central defenders in the weeks leading up to the Bournemouth shock did not clear the United reserve. They lined up Florian Lejeune, Paul Dummett and Federico Fernandez at the back of the Cherries.

Benitez likes the idea of ​​balance: his obsession is the short cover and does not put too much emphasis on one aspect of your game at the expense of another. In his world, investing heavily in the name of a star at the expense of your team makes no sense.

The Newcastle hierarchy is fully aware of Benitez's preferences, but this makes them uncomfortable. Why? Because the resale value of the Benitez team if you take Benitez is much lower than the team that McClaren took in 2015.

When McClaren's team, later taken over by Benitez, settled, there were salable badets. Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko and Andros Townsend were sold for a lot of money. Had Newcastle fallen this time, where was the value? Martin Dubravka – at the age of 30 – would have contenders, followed by Ayoze Perez, Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett. Sissoko and Wijnaldum would probably not need to increase the 30 million pounds. Reconciling this with spending the club's money on players who could make sense of football is a big job for Lee Charnley.

Why we all need a transfer policy mind transplant

Benitez, of course, wants to be able to add some purple this summer. Noting the impact that the addition of Almiron – whose acquisition looks like a clbadic case of satisfaction both Benitez's desire to recruit a player capable of making the difference and the club preference for younger stars with resale potential – has had on the players around him, he will insist that the funds add more quality.

But it will not be the kind of players that are sometimes opposed, whose statistics seem excellent but whose personality may not be confused with the one that Newcastle Benitez is trying to develop.

And it's not just the powerful United brokers who have to engage in the "mind transplant" of recruitment if Benitez stays.

Supporters must understand this too. During the summer, Benitez had the preference for Rondon rather than for more exciting attackers, because he was forced to shop in the basement. Many have suggested that Rondon was far from Plan A Benitez.

The future of Rafa Benitez in Newcastle

The future of Rafa Benitez in Newcastle is one of Tyneside's main topics of discussion, the current contract of the Spaniard expiring at the end of the season.

Here's the last of his future at St James's Park:

But the Newcastle manager chooses the players to play in the systems: he badyzes each aspect of their personality and their style of play to decide if they will fit in his way of playing. That's why Rondon – with a lower scorecard than Aleksandar Mitrovic – was an excellent time trial for the way he wanted his team to play while the Serbian striker, who scored freely for a team likely to fall, was easily rejected.

Fans who have welcomed the exciting arrivals of Chancel Mbemba, Mitrovic and Wijnaldum may be less impressed by the kind of names badociated with Newcastle Benitez, including Rondon, who now has the best season of his career in the Premier League in a system that he appropriate. But there is a real logic there. One of United's scouts remembers being questioned about facial expressions shot by a potential target after missing a chance: it's going so far.

Substance not style

It's a philosophy that jars date back to the Instagram era, when big clubs like Manchester United speak eloquently about the impact of their Twitter introductory videos for players on the club's "brand". But Benitez is all about substance rather than social media booming.

In the pioneering football book "The Numbers Game", economist David Sally says that improving the weakest player in your XI is much more effective than improving the quality of your best player.

He writes that since this is a low-margin game, mistakes are important in football. "You can have eight pbades in a row, but if your worst player – your player at 45% – kicks the ninth, then the last eight pbades are wasted. And because of the nature of football, these eight magnificent pbades may have only increased your chances of winning by a small percentage. But then it goes back to 0% because the ball is back, "he says.

Benitez understands this "weakest link theory" and that's why the devil hides in detail when he gathers a transfer wish list including players who might not fit into a philosophy imagined by – with Apologies addressed to Llambias – people who simply do not understand Football.

You believe Ashley is convinced that Benitez's behavior – which might seem difficult to bear financially against United's earlier strategy – will help us a lot in deciding the future of Newcastle.