EVERTON IN GOOD HANDS WITH RAFA

ON the night of the Europa League final, I was working for CBS. Rafa Benitez had been brought in as a special guest and before we went on air, he took out a pen, got a piece of paper and began to talk. He was enthusing about what he would do if and when he got the opportunity to return to work. He was going into detail about tactics, describing patterns of play. His enthusiasm was incredible, his knowledge of football impeccable. Benitez (right) was excited about the idea of making a team competitive. I watched him closely on Monday, as Everton continued their encouraging start to the campaign, and the tweak he made in replacing Ben Godfrey with Andre Gomes and changing from a back three to a back four with an extra man in midfield transformed the game against Burnley. It’s easy to talk about football but actually putting things into practice on the pitch is an incredible skill, the ability to keep thinking and producing in high-pressure moments. Everton are in good hands with the man they have appointed. He knows what they want and he is ready to make them win.

WATCHING Barcelona on Tuesday, I could not believe what I was seeing. How have the team who were once the envy of Europe become such a shambles? It is the only term to use because the whole situation is shambolic. They introduced three young kids in the second half, as they tried to salvage something from the clash with Bayern Munich, and it was at such odds with everything that has gone before. I felt so sorry for Alejandro Balde and Yusuf Demir — both 18 — and 17-year-old Gavi, as they stood no chance against a ruthless Bayern, who look like potential winners. How you go from Lionel Messi (above) and Luis Suarez to a situation where you may not get out of your group is beyond me.