Pickford to rescue of Young Lions

the poor relations between Newcastle and supporters and the city institutions they had alienated.

For example, Newcastle’s match tickets were among the cheapest of the top clubs. It did not get the praise it deserved.

The irony – given his occasional reticence to take unnecessary risks on the pitch – was Benitez had encouraged the club to take a few more risks off the field.

Long before the season ended they had started to talk to supporter groups about the prospect of a singing section to be congregated in the corner of Gallowgate.

A previous section had been broken up - the club said to enable them to build a section just for families. Supporters thought it was because of anti-Mike Ashley chants.

Other little things began to crop up. Corporate ties were improved.

At the dramatic Norwich City home match, some of the region’s biggest businesses were being entertained – firms who might have shied away from association with the club in previous years.

The Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust was re-admitted to the club’s Fans’ Forum meetings, having been banned for three years over the way they had communicated at a previous summit.

Local businesses were back in the fold and they started to work more closely with the council again. The club’s media team were also given access to film more behind-the-scenes footage to share with the supporters.

Benitez’s appointment and attitude created a more open club.

Benitez was perhaps being modest when he said it but he honestly felt the capacity for the club to act properly was there before he arrived. He just gave it a little push. “It is not fair to say it was a low base when we came in, because the structure and the organisation were fine,” he says.

“Then you have to improve maybe in some departments about how you make decisions or whether you take risks, or not, little things like this.

“The majority of the departments, they were doing well. So it’s just to fix two or three things to be sure that they click together.”

The lesson of Benitez had been learned right at the top. When Lee Charnley was asked what would happen if the manager left – and West Ham had maintained a friendly enough relationship with him after his rejection to make those fears something to take seriously – he admitted the club could not go back to the head-coach days.

It had taught those in charge of the club there was an importance about appointing a figure with the right experience, cache and personality to turn the club around.

That, surely, was the Rafalution in a nutshell. The Mike Ashley era had seen the club ignore overtures they needed to change direction. Benitez’s appointment had put them right. Even without Benitez, the implication is Newcastle would never go back to the small-time way of thinking that preceded him. The realisation a manager of cache, charisma and possessing of broad shoulders was required will be part of his legacy, wherever Newcastle go from here. That is some change to inspire.

Inside The Rafalution by Mark Douglas RRP £9.99 is on sale for only £7.99 from the Chronicle front counter, 0845 143 0001 and www.sportmediashop. com. JORDAN Pickford was England Under-21s’ hero as his late penalty save earned the Young Lions a 0-0 draw against defending champions Sweden in their European Under-21 Championship opener in Poland.

The new £30million Everton goalkeeper kept out Linus Wahlqvist’s spot-kick to help Aidy Boothroyd’s side earn a point.

England failed to break down the holders, although Newcastle target Tammy Abraham twice went close and Ben Chilwell’s deflected effort hit the bar.

Pawel Cibicki struck the woodwork for Sweden as, in front of Football Association hierarchy – including senior boss Gareth Southgate and technical director Dan Ashworth – England rode their luck.

Group A also includes hosts Poland and Slovakia and, with only the three group winners and best runners-up going through, England must improve.

England dominated without finding an early breakthrough. Sweden held firm against the tempo and high pressing line and Abraham lifted an eight-yard volley over after 10 minutes.

The Chelsea striker, who scored 26 goals on loan at Bristol City last season, also bundled his way through only to be thwarted by goalkeeper Anton Cajtoft.

It was a promising start but Sweden began to find their feet and Cibicki and Gustav Engvall combined on the right to bamboozle Nathaniel Chalobah only for Cibicki to shoot over.

Sweden began to exert some more pressure and England were saved by the woodwork after 57 minutes.

Cibicki had been a constant threat and the Malmo forward showed exactly why when he was allowed too much time on the edge of the area to curl a brilliant effort which cracked off the angle of post and bar.

Minutes later Lewis Baker shot over from James Ward-Prowse’s corner and Chilwell’s 30-yard deflected effort srtuck the bar.

But England were stretched at the back with substitute Carlos Strandberg causing problems and Mason Holgate executed a brilliant tackle to stop the Club Brugge striker running clean through.

The fact the break came from England’s corner – after Cajtoft turned Ward-Prowse’s free-kick wide – sounded alarm bells.

And the Young Lions were rescued by Pickford with nine minutes left when he capped a fine week with a penalty save after Chilwell fouled Wahlqvist.