THE NAME of Rafael Benitez was on every Newcastle United fan’s lips today. And the message was clear. They want him to stay.

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Throughout the match against Tottenham Hotspur, fans broke into song, serenading him and chanting his name throughout.

Banners unfurled read “Rafa you can rebuild us - give him control”, “In Rafa We Trust”, “Rafa we want you to stay. Please don’t go”, and “The Geordie Nation Need You Rafa. PS I ruined my best sheet so please stay”.

Still reeling from relegation to the Championship, the Toon Army were in a subdued mood as they converged on St James’s Park, almost dutifully, to show the faith.

But when they emerged it was a celebratory fervour ignited by an electrifying performance that saw Spurs thrashed 5-1, denying them second place in the Premier League.

“Too little, too late,” said some. However, everyone was of the accord – the Spaniard who succeeded Steve McClaren for the final ten games was their only glimmer of hope for a quick return to the top division.

Joanne Waters, 44 who bought two season tickets just before the shock news last Wednesday, said: “ Our only glimmer of hope is if Benitez stays.

“There is already speculation that he has going - it's always doom and gloom on the Toon. But we are really positive.

“If we have the right manager and change of attitude from Mike Ashley and a real belief and let the manager do his job then I could live with being in the Championship for another year - as long as we come back up again.”

Gordon Richards, 47, of Durham, said: “The mood of the fans is still positive. Obviously if we keep Benitez we'll still have the belief that we will come up the next season. If they get shot of him it will be back to the drawing board.”

Richard Ford, 30, said: “We've just got to look to the future now there's no point in dwelling on relegation at all."

The Magpies were given an unwelcome reminder that it was Sunderland AFC who had condemned them to the second tier with a 3-0 victory over Everton on Wednesday.

Rubbing salt in the wound, Black Cats fans raised money to fly a plane over St James’ with the banner “Auf wiedersehen Prem Tyne You Go”.

In response defiant Geordies had opened a rival page “We don’t need a banner. We don’t need a plane” which raised money for The Alan Shearer Foundation, Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Sunderland AFCs charity The Foundation of Light.

The stunt was only a small distraction from the action on the field and Newcastle fans got what they hoped for most today – to at least bow out of the top flight with a convincing victory.

Emerging from the stadium, Glenn Stevens, 64, “It was unbelievable. If they only played like this with the commitment they games since Rafa came we would have 20 points. It is vital he stays. Nobody can take his place.”

Jack Richardson said: “Too little too late. I would rather have lost today’s game and stayed up.”

Ian Robinson, 50, added: “Why didn’t we do that 10 weeks ago? The worst thing to do today would have been for the team to be doing a lap of honour after just being relegated and beaten. So it was a good way to end the season. We’ll bounce straight back up.”

As summer preparations for 2016/17 campaign begins for the first season outside the top tier since 2009, fans will be hoping their clarion call for Rafa to stay will be heeded.