Daily Mail journalist shares disbelief at Everton fan reaction to Rafa Benitez reports
Everton fans need a reality check after a groundswell of opposition to the notion of appointing Rafa Benitez as manager, according to the Daily Mail’s Barry Cooper.
Talk of ex-Liverpool boss Benitez becoming Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at Goodison Park has started to gather serious momentum, with the Mirror’s Steve Maddock reporting on Thursday [17/06/21] that the Spaniard and Farhad Moshiri have already met three times ahead of an expected agreement.
Everton supporters have been vociferous in their dislike of any such move for someone that was once the fiercest of rivals, leading BBC journalist Guillem Balague to passionately defend Benitez’s CV on Twitter.
Balague also took aim at supporters who made a banner mocking Benitez, and there were a slew of comments from irate Blues fans.
Cooper, a journalist for the Hull Daily Mail, attempted to back up Balague’s assertions with his own opinion on the matter.
He wrote on his personal Twitter profile: “I find it mind-boggling that any club would not want Rafa Benitez as its manager, particularly one like Everton who have been treading water in the Premier League for ever.
“He’s a proven winner, has a great track record with recruitment and ultimately, and knows how to win football matches.”
Proven winner…a decade ago
Yes, we know Benitez has been a very good manager for a number of years. Not elite, but yes, we acknowledge his past achievements and records at certain clubs.
Two La Liga titles with Valencia was a phenomenal achievement against Barcelona and Real Madrid, albeit not quite Leicester City levels given they had players like Robert Ayala and David Albelda in their ranks.
He is also, begrudgingly, due his credit for winning Liverpool’s fifth European Cup, though he proved himself to be a mediocre manager in the Premier League, as David Moyes trumped him to fourth spot in his first season in charge.
However, since he left the red side of Merseyside, his career has been patchy to say the least.
A short stint at Chelsea brought more European success, but he’s had dodgy spells at Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Napoli, while he oversaw Newcastle United’s relegation to the Championship.
He’s also been managing in China since 2019, a league that certainly falls way below the Premier League for competitiveness and quality.
So what’s the use of his past achievements if they’re all ancient history? Let’s just sign Andy Gray to play up top with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, shall we?
It’s a facetious point, but the idea of getting a manager in for things they’ve done a long time ago is frankly absurd, especially considering the context of Benitez being an ex-Red who has made disparaging comments about us in the past.
In other Everton news, the Blues’ search for a new manager is nearly over as Farhad Moshiri schedules a final meeting to rubberstamp a contract for this coach.
Be sure to follow Goodison News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on Everton and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Campbell.