RAFA’S OUT

++ Everton act after embarrassing defeat at Norwich ++ Fan tries to confront Benitez on pitch ++ Board locked in emergency meeting

RAFA BENITEZ is set to be sacked as Everton boss, with the club’s owners locked in an emergency board meeting last night after their ninth defeat in 13 Premier League games.

Everton lost 2-1 to Norwich City — a team that had not scored in the league since November — and supporters erupted in fury, with one invading the pitch in a bid to get to Benitez.

Two banners were unfurled, one calling for him to ‘get out of our club’ and another reading ‘sack the board’.

Second-half substitute Richarlison’s overhead kick gave Everton hope of a comeback but they lost, leaving them hovering above the Premier League’s relegation zone.

‘I am a professional and I have enough experience,’ said Benitez, whose side face Aston Villa next Saturday. ‘I came here to fix issues that were coming from the last five years. What I have to do now is analyse the mistakes we are making and make sure we avoid that for the future. The rest is not in my hands. I just try to do my job.’

On the supporter who charged towards him, Benitez said: ‘I didn’t see the fan. I was concentrating on the game. After I saw someone was in the middle of the pitch but that’s it.

‘We are really disappointed because we lost. We are disappointed because the fans have been travelling to support the team and it’s not the ideal situation. But we cannot change this situation now. We have to learn because we cannot make these mistakes in the future.’

Asked about the calls for him to leave, Benitez said: ‘We are disappointed, like the fans, and we have to improve things on the pitch. To have all these players coming back and to be sure that we make the right decisions and try to be better.’