‘Results will improve’ – Everton owner gives Benitez vote of confidence

Joe Williams
Everton boss Rafa Benitez shouts instructions at his players

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has told talkSPORT presenter Jim White that he will back Rafa Benitez to continue as manager.

A 4-1 Merseyside derby humbling against Liverpool extended the Toffees’ run without a win to eight matches – their worst sequence since 1999 – and only two points in that time has left the side in 14th place just five points above the bottom three.

Despite his Red connections Benitez has largely escaped aggravation from the Goodison Park crowd and even when Diogo Jota lashed in Liverpool’s fourth with 11 minutes to go supporters’ anger was primarily directed at those above him with chants of “sack the board”.

16 Conclusions: Everton 1-4 Liverpool

At the final whistle both chairman Bill Kenwright and director of football Marcel Brands were targeted for abuse those fans who had not left early, but while the fans may be angry with the club’s failure to progress under the ownership of billionaire Farhad Moshiri it is invariably the manager who carries the can.

In the summer Benitez was the choice of Moshiri, who it is understood will attend Monday’s now pivotal visit of Arsenal.

But Moshiri remains confident things will turn around once Benitez has the likes of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and centre-back Yerry Mina fit.

White said on talkSPORT: “Should we expect there to be a fall guy and should we expect it to be Rafa Benitez?

“To get an answer to that question, I got in touch with Farhad Moshiri, who is in the United States at the moment, he wasn’t at the game last night.

“It’s a simple question and, to be fair to him, he got back to me. This was my message to Farhad: ‘Can you text me a message to the fans? Do you still back Rafa?’

“He replied: ‘Yes. Football is about crisis one day and glory the following day. Rafa is a good manager and underperformance is largely due to the injuries.

“‘Next two weeks, we will get to a full squad and, in the meantime, results will improve.

“‘Rafa needs time to have his mark on the squad. He will be supported to add depth to the squad. Managers need time.

“‘I have no doubt that we will have a strong second half to the season’.”

Everton Farhad Moshiri