Everton made a controversial choice this summer by hiring former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to take charge of the club, replacing Carlo Ancelotti who left to join Real Madrid. There were protests outside Goodison Park from some Everton fans, but the club went ahead with the appointment.
Pat Nevin, who played 108 times for the Toffees and was part of the team that reached the FA Cup in 1989 is confident the club have hired the best manager available to them. When speaking to clickliverpool.com, on behalf of British Gambler, he predicted a great future for the Merseyside club under the Spaniard.
He said: “I don’t think they could get a better manager than Rafa Benetiz, I know some Everton fans won’t like me for saying that, but it’s true.
“When he came to Chelsea, he was despised by the fans, but by the time he left he turned them around and the word used most by those supporters about him was ‘respected’.”
“I think he’s capable of doing that at Everton as well.”
Everton could only finish 10th last season in the Premier League, but Nevin believes the signings Benitez has made will help the squad push further up the table.
He said: “They had a good enough starting XI to be up in the top six and top four in their best form, but once they had to make a few changes they were a long way short.
“When you look at someone like Demarai Gray, he can come in for Richarlison or play elsewhere.
“Townsend can cover that right hand side and Moise Kean as a back up to Calvert-Lewin, you start to look at Everton as a good team.
“All the way through the pitch they have a lot of quality, but they were missing that strength in depth, and I think Andros can do that job but Gray can do an even better job.”
Benitez will have his first game in charge of Everton in a Merseyside Derby on 30th November at Goodison Park. By that point, he will be hoping he has won over the full support of the Everton fan base.