Rafa Benitez rejects the notion that relegation was good for Newcastle United, but the club’s supporters haven’t been this happy at Christmas for a long time.
Top of the Championship and nine points clear of third-placed Reading, the Tyneside Rafalution will surely lead back to the Premier League come May.
Benitez has transformed the football club from top to bottom, encouraging engagement with a fanbase who should never have been antagonised by owner Mike Ashley in the first place.
‘Some people say that relegation was a good thing,’ says Benitez. ‘But we could have regrouped in the Premier League — we could have changed things while we are winning.