Parky

We might have got away with not buying a commanding CD and not getting a proper LB, but the cardinal sin was expecting a rookie striker with no pace to score the 18/20 goals this season. He has been the personification of the catastrophic recruiting policy with reg to age and sell on value.

Surely people saw enough last night to be quietly confident?

Alternatively he thinks we should have got something tonight and minor adjustments would have done so. As I said in the pre-match thread, this fixture (and its timing) was never likely to produce any points. It's more important that he's learnt enough about the squad to get more out of them starting with the derby. Today it was all about the performance and coming so soon after his arrival was always going to be very difficult. There were many encouraging signs there for the upcoming games.

It doesn't matter about the pen and it doesn't matter that we lost. There was a massive improvement out there tonight and if this had been Rafa's 3rd or 4th game we would have won. Leicester were just holding on for the last 20min. Not many sides have won there this season.

Very good performance from us. Many good things to come. Feel much happier about survival after watching that. Leicester cheat like fuck.

Terrific performance from us.

Hadn't noticed before how much Leicester cheat during games. Vardy and Mahrez continually dive at the slightest contact.

Still time.

Very happy with that. High intensity and much more solid. We're still in this and no mistake.

All of them running around faster.

Huge game.

This is the big one. Whatever happens we'll see a massive difference in the side.

0-1 Ayoze 89min

Had this down as a goal fest. What the fuck is going on?

It's on man!

It was like a day dream watching his first interview. I know it's a cliche but it still hasn't quite sunk in.

Let's face it, even two days ago we all thought this was impossible. He didn't say, "Let's do our best or see what happens"...He said, "Let's win that game"...Referring to Leicester. If anyone can pull this off it is Rafa. The 3/4 quality players we have will respond immediately because he knows how to make small adjustments to get the extra 10% and with the others the drills will help them over time become more solid. Rafa Benitez. Wow!

That's so poorly shot and lit. Rafa has such great psychological head-space and knows some of the players will watch that hence the repetition of positive chat about the players and fans. He comes across as no-nonsense and workmanlike totally unlike the psychobabble of Ginge.

Massive moment in the history of the club.

Quite simply one of the best managers in the world. I'd say top 15.

El regreso del Maestro.

That sounds about the way I see it going. Which is why it's even more ridiculous that this wasn't all done and dusted after the Chelsea game. Ginge sold the warm weather training as some kind of fix and talked his way into another chance imo.

Trying to keep him hanging around till Rafa signs doesn't really make sense. Ginge's mind is clean blown by the last 24hrs anyway. I understand they are erring on the side of safety but it's a ridiculous scenario. Normal clubs get a new manager deal done on the QT and everything falls into place with the victim having little idea what is about to happen till he's called in to be brayed. This is the only reason I am a bit worried. The Rafa thing seems slapdash and poorly executed.

Finally all our years of hopes and sadness has created a localized gravity well which has broken the time space continuum into which Rafa has fallen.