Gary Neville baffled by Everton decision to hire Rafa Benitez after shocking season
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has made a blunt Everton claim saying that it remains an absolute mystery how the Toffees’ season went so badly wrong while Rafa Benitez was in charge.
Under the Spaniard, the Toffees’ season went awfully wrong after the first few games as they barely managed to avoid Premier League relegation.
Neville, who predicted the Everton would be to be this season’s overachievers, was in disbelief that how badly it went.
“I had them down as my overachievers,” he said while speaking to Overlap. “I just thought Benitez is such a stable and steady performer that he would get them into eighth, where Wolves and West Ham are, I thought he would do that to them.
“I couldn’t believe how badly it went. [Manchester] United and Everton are the mystery of the season for me, absolute mystery.”
Everton misery
Everton started the season in great spirit, winning four out of the first six games under Rafa Benitez who replaced Carlo Ancelotti on the bench at the Goodison Park.
Things took a turn for the worse as the club’s next top-flight victory did not arrive until December 6 against Arsenal.
Benitez was eventually sacked by the club in January after failing to turn around the side’s poor form, with Frank Lampard appointed to steady the ship.
Under the former Inter Milan boss, Everton played 22 matches in all competitions where they managed to win seven and suffered defeats in 11. Four matches were drawn.
With Lampard at the helm, things didn’t change a lot for Everton. They made 21 appearances under the former Derby manager and managed to register eight victories including noticeable wins against Manchester United, Chelsea, Leicester City, and Crystal Palace, which saved them from relegation. The Manchester City legend too lost 11 games and drew only two.
In other Everton news, a football finance expert has made a claim on the new Toffees stadium amid a major £300m development in the recent weeks.
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