HISTORY AWAITS
► Benitez has to over Everton fans as new win boss
“If you know your history...” is a line from the Everton song “It’s A Grand Old Team to Play For” – a song that has rung out at Goodison Park for decades.
The Blues know their history and that is part of the reason that the latest page of the club’s 143-year existence is proving to be hard to swallow for some.
Everton’s new manager is former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and the Spaniard has his own history with what used to be his crosstown rivals and are now his own supporters – and it is not great.
It dates back to a goalless draw between the Merseyside rivals back in 2007.
“I was really disappointed because one team wanted to win the game and one team didn’t want to lose it,” the Spaniard said.
“Everton put eight or nine men behind the ball and defended deep but that’s what small clubs do.
“When a team comes to Anfield and only want a point what else can you call them but a small club?”
He refused to back down and reiterated his point four years later in an interview with The Independent. “I didn’t want to be disrespectful to the club. I was talking about the way they were playing, not the club,” he said, explaining that he made that clarification to then Blues boss David Moyes after the game.
Benitez backed down in 2019, when he appeared on Sky’s Monday Night Football when he spoke to his former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher.
“I made a mistake when I said it was a small club,” he told MNF. “What I wanted to say was they are a small team because in this game I remember they had one chance.
“Liverpool fans they were happy and the Evertonians were upset. But I didn’t want to say they were a small club, I wanted to say they were a small team.”
It is safe to say that the comments have not been forgotten as some Evertonians made clear with protests before Benitez was appointed.
One X-rated banner played up his Liverpool connection, while another just said “Benitez not welcome.” Another, which warranted police attention was hung near his home saying that the fans knew where he lived.
Benitez for his part has tried to change the narrative since being appointed.
“I am delighted to be joining Everton,” he said. “Throughout this process I have been greatly impressed by the ambition shown by the senior representatives at the club and their desire to bring success to this historic club.”
He even addressed the “small club” comments.
“Every single club I was there, I was fighting for them. If you analyze things in the context, what you are expecting from your manager is to fight for your club, and I will do that,” Benitez said.
“I am here, I will fight for my club, I will try to win every single
game, and it doesn’t matter who the opponents are, or the rivals. It is something you have to do, it is your nature, that you have to try to do your best.
“And why a lot of fans in a lot of these cities love me is because I was giving everything for them. If you analyze this in the context, then it is very clear I will do the same for Everton.”
Owner Farhad Moshiri explained the choice of the well-traveled Spaniard, who managed in the Chinese Super League most recently with Dalian Pro.
“We wanted a manager with experience of managing at the highest level, who has a strong track record of delivering success, who can work within our structure and who fully buys into our vision for the future,” Moshiri said in an interview with the club’s website.
“Rafa ticks all of those boxes and he impressed us in the interview process with his passion, his ambition and his vision.”
Moshiri also noted that Benitez has kept on club legend Duncan Ferguson as part of his coaching staff, somehting that the owner described as “important” in his interview with the Everton website.
There is more to do for the new Everton boss, not least in sorting out his playing personnel.
James Rodriguez’s future has been a subject of debate, with rumors of a return to Real Madrid and an immediate reunion with the outgoing Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, as well as a possible move to Serie A giants AC Milan. Milan
Similarly there are questions over keeping England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brazil striker Richarlison.
Everton have already been linked with a move for another Brazilian, the former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho and who Benitez secures will go some way to placating supporters who want to see the club challenge for silverware and play more attacking football.
Benitez needs to quickly develop a working relationship with Everton director of football Marcel Brands, who has recently signed an extended contract.
The pair will decide who comes in and who goes out at Goodison Park this summer and they will not have much time given the ongoing European Championship and Copa America, where many of the best players are involved.
It is not a clean slate for the 61-year-old but Moshiri thinks Benitez is the man to write a new chapter in Everton’s history.
“We are appointing Rafa because we believe he will bring success to our club and to Evertonians. To put it simply – we need to be competing at the top end of the league and to be winning trophies. Rafa is a proven winner with huge experience in coaching internationally and we have secured the best man to achieve that for us.”
Patrick Vieira is the new Crystal Palace manager, with the Eagles opting for the 45-year-old former Arsenal star to replace Roy Hodgson.
Vieira arrives having been sacked by French side Nice late last year and having spent time in charge of MLS side New York City FC. The ex-Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan midfielder also did a stint in the Manchester City coaching team after finishing his playing career at the club. But he is best known for being Arsene Wenger’s captain at Arsenal when they were challenging for and winning Premier League titles.
“I am really excited to have this opportunity to return to the Premier League,” Vieira said on being unveiled at Selhurst Park.
“It is a project that is really appealing to me, having spoken a lot with the chairman [Steve Parish] and sporting director [Dougie Freedman] about their ambition and plans for the whole club, including the academy.
“The club has fantastic foundations in place after many years in the Premier League, and I hope we can make further improvements and continue to drive the club forward.”
Driving the club forward was what he did on the field for Arsenal and the three-time Premier League winner becomes the 15th player to have won the title to go on and manage a club in the division.
So what happened to the others?