...... is crystallising.
Bit by bit, thanks to the likes of Thewliss and the rest of the media, the myth is being carved in stone that 'if only Rafa had come in a month earlier' they would've avoided relegation and would now be starting the march to glory ...... well it's bollocks.
Under McClaren the cry was always 'loads of quality, just need a little organisation', I saw it posted on here dozens of times.
When Benitez was appointed he repeated that 'fact' and pointed out why they would stay up. "We need to give the players confidence. I know we have ability,” he says, "I’m here because I believe we’re good enough to stay in the Premier League.”
He was given huge wages and an open hand to do whatever it took to save the club from relegation.
He said he could do the job, with that squad, in the time he had.
Tufty was derided for insisting they were improving ......... Newcastle were rubbish against Villa but it isn't the fault of the latest Messiah, no sir.
In reality, whatever the claims that he's 'tightened up the defence' or 'instilled a new ethic' they're still shite.
The facts, rather than the fiction, are that since he arrived Newcastle have failed against Sunderland, Norwich & Villa. The new improved defence conceded 8 goals in the 3 away games before Villa and they only managed 3 on target shots at Villa Park ........ Villa had conceded an average of 3 goals in the 5 previous games.
In a game Newcastle simply had to win, Benitez got the tactics, selection and substitutions wrong.
So now Ashley has to take the blame, as usual, because King Rafa was 'brought in too late'.
I truly hope he stays, as everyone seems to be praying for, and makes a complete fuck up as he's done so far.
