Rafa Benitez has aimed a thinly-disguised barb at owner Mike Ashley in a blog looking back over his first week as manager of Chinese side Dalian Yifang.
He wrote: "Since the moment of our arrival, we have really been touched by the kindness and respect that we have been shown. Our hosts have treated us with great consideration and are always keen to make us happy.
"As we all know from experience, in football, just as in everyday life, when people show you respect and affection and do everything they can to make things easier for you, life is much happier, even when you face difficult moments.
"I must say that I have had more meetings with the chairman, the president and the general manager this week than I had in three years at Newcastle.
"They haven't just been work meetings, rather signs of respect in which we have been able to appreciate the differences and similarities in our cultures."