Jamie Carragher mind blown by what Rafa Benitez said before Everton v Liverpool
Jamie Carragher has been left stunned by comments made by former Everton boss Rafael Benitez ahead of tonight’s game against Liverpool.
In writing the foreword for Peter Kenny Jones’ forthcoming book Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton, Benitez claimed, “I can’t say I’m more Liverpool or Everton today”.
This prompted a bemused response from Sky Sports pundit Carragher, who replied to a tweet about the comments with a mindblown emoji.
Benitez is one of few managers who has taken charge of both Everton and Liverpool, experiencing very different levels of success on either side of Stanley Park.
The Spaniard was sacked by in January 2022 Everton after six and a half months in the job and was replaced by Frank Lampard, who also met the same fate after just over a year at the helm.
His spell at Liverpool could not have been more different with the highlight coming in 2005 as the Reds won their fifth Champions League.
Is he serious?
Everton fans would rather everyone just forget Benitez was ever in charge of the Goodison Park club, including Benitez.
Liverpool fans would also rather he was remembered as just a former Reds manager, not someone who crossed the Stanley Park divide.
It is the only blemish on a gleaming legacy at Anfield, where his off-the-field work with local charities is held in as high of a regard as his on-field achievements.
Carragher shares the emotion of every Everton fan reading those comments ahead of what is sure to be a feisty Merseyside derby tonight, sheer bemusement.
Benitez clearly wants to keep both sets of fans happy, which is fair enough considering the abuse he got from a minority of Toffees fans when the news broke that he was in talks to take over.
But let’s face it, Benitez is a Liverpool fan. Even if he won’t admit it publicly, he will be cheering on the red half of the city later on tonight.