Benitez defiant after being booed by fans for first time

There was always going to be a moment when the collective disillusionment at Newcastle United morphed into something else, the tipping point when frustration turned into anger and the loyalty to the team could no longer mask the bitterness that is festering. This was that moment.

With the club’s owner, Mike Ashley, in the stands for the first time at a home game in more than two years, and organised protests against him before kick-off, this was a miserable day to be a Newcastle supporter.

There is only one man to blame for the mess Newcastle have got themselves into and it is not Benitez – but even the Spaniard is no longer untouchable.

He was booed against Leicester for the first time since he was appointed manager in March 2016.

It was only for a substitution, the decision to replace Matt Ritchie with Jacob Murphy, but it was a sign that the winless start to the campaign is causing tension.

After Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire had scored Leicester’s goals, Newcastle’s manager was defiant. Interestingly, he is no longer trying to pick a fight with Ashley over the lack of financial backing, he is trying to work with him.

Asked about the negative atmosphere inside the stadium, mainly directed at Ashley, Benitez shielded his employer. “The reality is, if the team are doing well, normally the fans are happier,” he said.

“I think he [Ashley] knows [we need help] because obviously we have been talking for a while. I think everybody knows.”

Leicester manager Claude Puel said: “I think this game is good momentum for the future. We cannot have a perfect game, but this was a game against a good opponent, away in this stadium with 50,000 people, but the best support was from our fans I think.” Cardiff City fans combined for the chant of the weekend when losing to Burnley, mocking the visiting goalkeeper Joe Hart for being “England’s No 4”. Hart took it well, responding with a smile and thumbs-up yesterday, possibly because placing him fourth in coach Gareth Southgate’s pecking order is probably quite generous. Few revelations suggest a career in trouble like news that, contrary to assumptions, a footballer has not actually retired. Shola Ameobi broke just such a scoop on Released by Notts County in the summer, the former Newcastle United forward has awaited a suitable offer ever since. He could hardly fare much worse than Rafael Benitez’s misfiring forwards at present.