‘Inchy’ time for Benitez

AFTER Sunday, when the mood at Goodison was toxic, it’s looking ominous for Rafa Benitez’s Everton future.

There were “fat Spanish waiter” chants, Salomon Rondon was jeered when he came on, out-of-favour Lucas Digne was cheered to the rafters as he warmed up and the boos at the end were deafening.

Even those Blues who have defended Benitez are finding it hard to keep the faith with such deepening negativity.

Farhad Moshiri has clearly decided to dig in and back his sixth permanent manager, but there comes a point when such defiance becomes untenable, especially if the defeats continue and teams below them put together a run, placing them in real danger of relegation.

Everton are away to Hull in the FA Cup on Saturday, which would normally give an under-pressure Premier League manager a breather.

But defeat in this televised tea-time game could be fatal.

Benitez (below) has two hopes: that his new signings quickly shine, and history. Howard Kendall was facing the sack in January 1984 until Adrian “Inchy” Heath kept them in the League Cup at Oxford and his team turned the corner.

Oh, how Benitez needs an Inchy moment now.