Cup glory will bring short-term joy to St James’ Park but sustained long-term success, keeping their key players and investing in the squad all depend squarely on qualifying for the Champions League

Newcastle United supporters must change their plans for games against Leicester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa in the coming weeks.

Newcastle had 10 games to survive and, despite staying unbeaten for the final six fixtures, succumbed to the drop.A release clause meant Benitez could leave on his own terms as soon as relegation was confirmed.