Everton manager Rafael Benitez discusses the defending v Watford
Rafael Benitez has revealed that Everton were working on corners on the Friday before the Watford game.
Speaking to the Toffees’ USA live event after the match [via the Liverpool Echo], the Spaniard insisted that his side had prepared for set-pieces, but they clearly didn’t listen to any of that advice.
However, Benitez refused to criticise his players publicly and instead sent a message designed to raise their confidence after an awful ending to the game for the Toffees.
He said: “Trust me, yesterday [Friday] we were working hard on the set pieces and corners to adjust things.
“Still, you are conceding, so now you need to think about how we can improve and give them the same belief and confidence that they had at the beginning [of the season].
“If you have done something, you can repeat it. So it’s just a question of making sure the players believe in themselves.”
Benitez has a lot of work to do.
The Hornets’ first two goals were from set-pieces, and if they did do some work on the training ground, then what on earth happened on Saturday?
The first goal was poor enough, but the second was absolutely awful as Juraj Kucka was allowed a free header from a corner, which he sent into the back of Jordan Pickford’s net [Sky Sports YouTube].
The Toffees didn’t have Yerry Mina, and you have to say that they missed him because no one took charge of that situation.
This goal made it 2-2, and the Toffees then totally collapsed after that.
However, if they do their jobs on both the free-kick in the first half and the corner in the second, then the Hornets don’t get two very easy goals.
Benitez provided a diplomatic response here, but we can imagine that he will be furious with what he saw from his side on Saturday.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are on the trail of a former Premier League attacker.
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