Rafa Benitez claims he ‘saved’ Everton from going bust
Rafa Benitez has suggested he “saved” Everton from further financial turmoil by only spending a limited amount during his time in charge.
The Spaniard lasted just six-and-a-half months at Goodison Park, where he was never accepted due to his association with rivals Liverpool.
However, reflecting on his short tenure on the Stick to Football podcast [21 August, 57m 14s], Benitez took a swipe at those higher up.
“I had a conversation with someone who said you can spend money and we can compete, go to another level,” he said.
“Everton were spending £100-150million. We spent £1.7m. We signed five players and the only one we paid for was Demarai Gray, that’s it.
“I have some Everton friends… I saved the club because I didn’t spend money. If we had spent more then it would have been worse.”
Rafael Benitez’s Everton claim doesn’t add up
Benitez is right in that the club spent £1.7m in bringing in Gray, but the signings of Vitaly Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson were also sanctioned on his watch.
Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil, Neal Maupay, James Garner, Idrissa Gueye, Conor Coady, Ruben Vinagre and James Tarkowski were brought in by Frank Lampard, and yet Benitez could not get more out of them.
It was an appointment that was always destined to end in failure, and so it proved. Benitez could always have proved everyone wrong by winning matches, but that did not happen.
In truth, his managerial career – which peaked at Liverpool – was already on the wane as his most recent job prior to this one was with Chinese side Dalian Professional.
His only other job since was at Celta Vigo, where he was sacked after collecting just five wins and 24 points from 28 matches.
Even with money to spend, you have to wonder if it would have gone any better for Benitez at Goodison.
In other Everton news, Neal Maupay has made an honest admission on his future.
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