Dean Saunders insists it’s not Rafa Benitez’s fault Everton are struggling
Everton suffered their sixth Premier League defeat of the campaign at the hands of Brentford on Sunday, with pressure piling on Rafa Benitez.
Toffees fans are starting to turn against him, with some calling for his head, but former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Dean Saunders has told talkSPORT he is not to be blamed.
The Toffees were without the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina for the clash, while Richarlison missed the trip due to suspension, and Saunders believes things would not have been this bad if Benitez had a fit squad to call on.
The talkSPORT pundit said (as shown on their official Twitter account): “I seriously believe that the injuries have cost them so many points. Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, they have all been injured, Demarai Gray, Abdoulaye Doucoure.
“They have all been injured at different stages of the season. They can’t get any rhythm to their game and they can’t get their best team on the pitch.
“We know it is not the manager, because just think about his recent past. We know it is not him. We know he’s going to organise them, say the right things to them. I just think it’s injuries that have actually killed them at times.”
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Everton did well at the beginning of the campaign with a fit squad, but things have gone south since, and Benitez could lose his job if he fails to turn his side’s fortunes around.
The Toffees were not able to strengthen their squad to the Spaniard’s taste in the summer due to Financial Fair Play shortcomings, and their lack of quality depth has been exposed so far.
Nevertheless, the fans do not see that as an excuse as recent performances have been woeful, and whether the board will buy that remains to be seen.
Benitez has proven himself at different clubs throughout his managerial career, but he is facing his stiffest test to date, and he needs to show the critics he can turn things around.
That needs to happen very soon as 14th-placed Everton could soon find themselves in a relegation battle if they do not arrest their slide.
They face Liverpool and Arsenal next, and Benitez knows getting results from those two games could be enough to get his team firing again.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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