Lay off Rafa...it really wouldn’t matter who was in charge. With this squad, Everton are just not a top-six club. Benitez needs licence to bring in his own men
OVER the past couple of weeks, sections of Everton’s fanbase who were initially on board with Rafa Benitez’s appointment have started to question whether he’s the right man for the job after all.
Four defeats and a draw in their last six Premier League outings has seen to that.
I have a soft spot for Evertonians and their club, regular readers will know that.
But I have to say that those who want the former Liverpool boss gone just four months into his reign are getting this one wrong. When Benitez walked in, the question that had to be asked was what’s the highest and lowest expectation for him with this squad?
The answer was simple.
Finishing seventh should be the summit of their ambitions and 10th the bottom end of them.
Delivering
There isn’t a club in the Premier League with a smaller gap between how big they could be and how bad they can be, so I’m not sure why Everton fans expect anything other than what Benitez is delivering. It’s as if some seem to think they should be challenging for the top six but that would be unbelievable for this squad and, honestly, it just ain’t happening.
Everton aren’t finishing above Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.
And below them you have got Tottenham, who were in the Champions League final two-and-abit years ago and now have a serial winner in Antonio Conte at the helm, Arsenal who are on an upward curve and West Ham doing well.
That means there are seven teams for starters they have to break past and it wouldn’t matter who was in charge, Everton, with this squad, aren’t doing that.
I have never subscribed to the idea that the best XI Everton could put out is better than Arsenal’s or Tottenham’s, and probably you’d say it’s only on a par with West Ham’s.
Recruitment
So finishing seventh or eighth would be very acceptable and I guarantee that’s where Benitez will have Everton come the end of the season.
What really needs questioning is the recruitment that has gone on at Goodison Park these past few years under director of football Marcel
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Brands. And with that in mind, I would urge patience from the faithful, who should only really judge Benitez three years down the line when he has had time to get rid of the deadwood and bring in his own players.
If, by then, he has provided them with a club that are competitive, aggressive, plays frontfoot football and can get into the conversation with one of the north London clubs and West Ham about maybe finishing sixth, then they should be happy.
Because there is no chance that he’s taking them into the Champions League or even fifth with this squad – they simply aren’t good enough.
Dominic Calvert-lewin was a pundit for the defeat by Wolves on Monday night and, when forgotten man Cenk Tosun was named in the squad, there were some Evertonians talking about the England striker like some clubs would talk about Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
That tells you everything you need to know about where the Blues are because he’s a decent centre-forward but he’s no Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski.
As things stand, Everton are still a club you must beat twice in a season if you want to finish fourth, fifth or sixth, they aren’t a team you look at and really fear.
And unless Benitez is backed to bring in his own players over the next two or three transfer windows, then that isn’t going to change.
As things stand, Everton are still a club you have to beat twice in a season if you want to finish fourth , fifth or sixth