Among the many debates we've had on this forum and the previous version of it, was how we saw what sort of job Rafa Benitez was doing here.
Personally, I always thought it was a 'job in training' so never really judged when things were going badly as I saw method in the seeming madness and detached my thoughts of him from the shadow that Mike Ashley casts over everything.
Most managers get a good spell but the better ones are those that can learn by mistakes and improve where they've failed before.
Somebody somewhere once famously said that the definition of insanity was doing the same things over and over but expecting different results and whilst Einstein had Alan Pardew's tactics down to a tee, especially the set pieces, this reference works in regards to Rafa's in the way that everyone is fine tuned to the task they have.
Kevin Keegan was and always will be my favourite manager that there's been under my lifetime but him and including Bobby Robson, never had the team as well drilled as Rafa has. Each and every one of them competing to 100% and beyond.
Something has clicked with this side in that they've gone from a championship side playing out of their skin into a capable premier league side by just knowing their jobs.
Comedy types like Ayoze Perez, Paul Dummett and Mo Diame have went from ridicule and complaints to massive applause and songs chanted in their name. The improvement of most impressive indeed.
The elephant in the room is of course Mike Ashley but even he must see the value of everything with Rafa in charge and be preparing in advance. A fall always follows a rise under Ashley, it's expected but maybe for once we're on the cusp of a decent chapter for once.
Takeover or not, the phrase In Rafa We Trust could take us to heights not seen for many a year, it's just Ashley left now that has to buy into it.
As for today's win, there was no nerves from the crowd and the victory was almost expected, it was a strange one.
Man of the match was a toss up between Shelvey and Diame although Diame got in more interceptions, Shelvey created at least six half chances with Gayle not making the most of some of them.
