Peter Reid gives verdict on Rafa Benitez Everton reign so far
Everton legend Peter Reid has given his verdict on Rafa Benitez’s time at the club so far and admitted he was ‘amazed’ by one decision in particular.
The Toffees started the season with three wins from four games but have since managed just one win in their last 12, leaving them in 15th place in the table and eight points above the relegation zone.
Club legend Peter Reid has been vocal about backing the team this season despite fans being angry at the club’s appointment of Benitez, but has revealed one moment in particular that ‘amazed’ him.
Speaking to The Athletic about how to fix the club’s issues, Reid said he believed the answer isn’t to sack another manager but suggested a more attacking style of football.
“You can have opinions about managers,” he said. “I was amazed at how we didn’t go on the front foot against Brighton after the morale boost against Chelsea.
“Goodison would have thrived on it if we had, so setting up that way didn’t make sense to me. But the answer can’t be just to sack another manager.
“I can’t forget when Benitez referred to Everton as a small club (in his days as Liverpool manager after a Merseyside derby in 2007). That was huge disrespect to your opponent and you should never do that. It was supposedly because Everton had set up so defensively, which is ironic.”
Frustration
There is definitely some tension and frustration building around Everton currently and the performances on the pitch are not helping at all.
Benitez was brought in to help the club build upon finishing tenth under Carlo Ancelotti, who up and left out of the blue for Real Madrid in the summer.
But so far the club have gone backwards under his tenure and fans haven’t responded well to anything about what he’s trying to do.
Benitez has however got plenty of pedigree of bringing success to clubs and it may simply be a case of riding out the storm and letting him work his magic.
He is being backed in the transfer window currently and once he has his squad together, then that will be a fairer time to judge him. With that said though, he needs to start getting results now before things become too bad to ignore.
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