Jim White: Everton chief Moshiri would not have hired Benitez unless he was certain
Farhad Moshiri would not have hired Rafa Benitez if the Everton majority shareholder had any significant red flags, according to Jim White.
Benitez’s appointment at Goodison Park has received a mixed reaction from Evertonians but there’s an overriding sense of anger from sections of the support due to the Spaniard’s previous spell at Liverpool.
However, White claims that Moshiri is 100 per cent sure that Benitez is the right man for the job and suggests the fact he hired the 61-year-old amid protests shows how much he wanted him.
“I would agree with you on that,” White said on talkSPORT on Thursday when an Evertonian urged fans to get behind Benitez regardless of his past.
“I reckon it’s been an exhausted process.
“If – and let me tell you Simon – if anything was in that process regarding Benitez that Moshiri didn’t like, he wouldn’t have appointed him.”
Sink or swim for Moshiri
We do agree with White.
Moshiri would not have hired Benitez if he had any other doubts other than the worries about the reaction from the fans on hiring an ex-Liverpool boss.
However, it’s very much sink or swim for the British-Iranian businessman, who’s been churning through the managers at Goodison Park.
While Carlo Ancelotti’s exit wasn’t exactly his fault, it was always a danger when hiring a ‘big name’. If a big club comes in for them, like a Real Madrid, then they’re going to have their head turned.
Benitez is also a big name – but he’s not as big a name.
The Spaniard was loyal to Newcastle after they were relegated to the Championship. Has England’s second-tier ever had such a well-known manager across Europe?
He also shows great loyalty to Merseyside as a whole, living here with his family still despite leaving Liverpool over a decade ago.
Benitez can be trusted and we must feel as though he’ll be desperate to prove the doubters wrong.
In other Everton news, Jordan Pickford has shared what was said to him when Benitez called him this week.
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