TalkSPORT pundits Adrian Durham and Darren Bent have questioned whether Newcastle United fans would now welcome Rafa Benitez back over Steve Bruce.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss prompted a summer of discontent on Tyneside after leaving St James' Park at the end of his contract.
Benitez had guided the Magpies back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as champions, before securing 10th and 13th-placed finishes.
The former Toon boss expressed his disappointment that "those at the top of the club" did not share his long-term vision for the club.
Benitez was replaced by Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce, who endured a turbulent start to the season with dwindling attendances, an early Carabao Cup exit and humbling defeats at Norwich City and Leicester City.
However, the 59-year-old has overseen an upturn in the Magpies' fortunes and Saturday's last-gasp victory over Chelsea moved United into 13th place with 29 points on the board.
United are currently eight points and four positions better off than they were at the same stage last season, and talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham raised doubts over whether supporters would now prefer Benitez back at the helm than his initially unpopular successor.
The presenter said: "If Rafa Benitez suddenly stuck his hand up and said I really want to be back at Newcastle United, can you make it happen?
"It's all hypothetical of course, but Newcastle fans, would you honestly say we'd rather have you than Steve Bruce?
"Would you honestly want Rafa Benitez back at the football club now?
"The points tally is better than it was, Steve Bruce is not doing a bad job at all. This idea that Steve Bruce was instantly going to be bottom of the table and stay there all season obviously hasn't happened.
"However, if you're looking at the love that was around for Rafa Benitez, it was out of proportion."
Former Sunderland and England striker Darren Bent joined Durham in the studio, and he believes the criticism levelled at Bruce in the angered aftermath of Benitez's departure was "harsh".
Bent said: "It was out of proportion. I kind of felt like it was a little bit disrespectful to Steve Bruce as well.
"It was kind of like we've got Rafa Benitez, look at what he's done, he's won the Champions League, and now we're having to settle for this.
"And I thought that was a bit harsh. Steve Bruce has got pedigree of his own. I understand he's not won the Champions League like Rafa and managed at Liverpool, but he's still capable of managing in the Premier League and getting good results and putting out good teams.
"I always felt like he was fighting an uphill battle the moment he got the job because straight away, fans were coming out and saying look what Rafa did, we're taking a step back with Bruce, we're definitely going down.
"I'm so happy he's proving people wrong."
