We may not be fighting for titles, we may not be where both we and Benitez want us to be, but I can guarantee you that no set of Premier League supporters celebrated like we did when Ayoze Perez’s winner went in on Saturday.
A stunning comeback and another reminder of what can be achieved at St James’ Park when the atmosphere whips up and the players respond.
Here’s some brilliant footage of the scenes inside the stadium in the moments after Ayoze Perez completed the comeback – with strangers hugging like long lost family members, limbs flying everywhere and outpours of emotion and elation spilling out as the player sprinted towards the Gallowgate in celebration:
A spine tingling moment that never fails to get the hairs on my neck standing up – no matter how many times I watch it!
A few friends of mine tell me, ‘you beat Everton, calm down’, but, like I allude to in my opening line, this just highlights the passion and pure will to win that exists within the 52,000 supporters inside St James’ Park.
If this is a win to get one foot closer to safety (something that looks likely as it is on current form), can you imagine how the ground would erupt if this was a goal to get us into the final of a cup or see us qualify for Europe?!
Everton – a side packed full of ‘£20-£40m’ players – toppled like a pack of cards, proving once again that you can buy talent, but you can’t buy heart; and this Rafa Benitez side has that in bucket loads.
Let’s make St James’ Park a fortress again!
