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Rafa calls on hothead Rich to keep his cool
RAFA BENITEZ has warned Richarlison to keep a cool head after he was fined for picking up five yellow cards in just eight games.
The Everton forward will miss the Toffees’ clash with Brentford on Sunday through suspension after picking up another caution against Manchester City last weekend.
“He knows that it’s too early to have five yellow cards, everybody knows that it’s like that,” said the Everton boss (inset).
“He cannot react sometimes and he has to stay more calm during the game. Sometimes his frustration, if they don’t give a foul, his reaction is out of control.
“He has to be more aware of that and, after, focus on the game. He’s a very good player and he can be an important player for us. He can be a threat for defenders if he can stay focused.”
The absence of Richarlison is a further blow for Benitez as his side are without a win in six games.
The forward has been subjected to a standard fine for indiscipline and the Toffees will now be without their two star strikers as Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still batting with a thigh injury.
Benitez said: “Everybody knows what the process is in a football team.
You have some proceedings, normal things, he knows, he realised he has made a mistake.
“But the main thing for me is to clear his mind and he has to be ready to be an important player for us in the next games.
“Without Dominic he is a key player for us and he has to be one of the best players during the season.”
Benitez will be going up against a former player in Ivan Toney this weekend. But he rejected the claim he overlooked the striker, who never started a game for Newcastle when they were both at the club.
The Spaniard said: “I didn’t meet Ivan Toney any time. I didn’t coach him any day because he was on loan and they sold him.”