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An appointment deemed the most controversial in Merseyside football history came to an end on Sunday afternoon as Everton sacked Rafa Benitez after 200 days in charge.
Less than 24 hours after an unforgivable defeat at Carrow Road, the Toffees released a three-line statement to confirm the Spaniard’s departure and with it came no best wishes.
The ex-Liverpool manager’s time at Goodison Park was short, but for Everton fans, it unfolded into a never-ending nightmare. Now, Duncan Ferguson, in a caretaker manager role, will take charge of the upcoming games alongside John Ebbrell, Leighton Baines and goalkeeper coach Alan Kelly.
Since businessman Farhad Moshiri arrived at the club in February 2016, a lot of money has been invested, however, little progress has been seen on and off the pitch.
An FA Cup semi-final that April gave Evertonians a glimmer of hope and belief that after two decades without silverware, an unwanted chapter may be ending, but Anthony Martial’s last-minute winner under the Wembley arch burst that bubble in sickening circumstances.
During his reign in the years before Moshiri, David Moyes delivered European football in five of his 11 seasons as Everton manager. Since the Scotsman’s departure in 2012, the Merseyside club have only qualified for the Europa League twice, with their most recent qualification coming in the 2017/18 season. The Toffees did not make it out of the Group Stage and only managed one win before embarrassingly being dumped out of Europe.
In a statement released on his website, Benitez gave his side to this dismissal. The side of Evertonians, to whom have showcased their disapproval numerous times this season, would support his comments. Everton have only accumulated nine points from their last 15 matches, the worst form in the league, and in those matches have suffered heavy home defeats against Watford and Liverpool.
A speculative overhead kick from Richarlison, who returned to the squad on Saturday after a month out with a calf injury, was not enough to salvage an undeserved point for Everton in East Anglia.
The magnitude of recovering from Michael Keane’s own goal and Adam Idah’s first Premier League goal to a side who had failed to score in their last six Premier League matches was one that was too great for Benitez.
One supporter had to be restrained after invading the pitch in an attempt to remonstrate with the ex-Everton manager half an hour in, and at full-time, around eight players watched on as fans chanted ‘sack the board’. Evertonians wanted a change, and eventually, they were listened to.
Moshiri’s high risk of appointing Benitez and opposing the views of Everton supporters backfired. The Iranian billionaire supported the Spaniard heavily during his short-lived tenure, which saw a number of controversial departures occur.
Danny Donachie was replaced as Director of Medical Services in November before Marcel Brands left his role as Director of Football after Everton’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Liverpool.
However, it was Benitez’s falling out with fans favourite Lucas Digne which ignited an eruption. The left-back, who last played for Everton in the Merseyside derby, completed a move to Aston Villa last Thursday for a fee of £25 million.
Players have been left baffled by the decision to sell Digne only to sack Benitez days later and the Frenchman will return to Goodison Park with his new side this weekend.
Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti and now Benitez have all met the same fate under Moshiri.
Ferguson, who has been Everton’s assistant manager since 2019, will be in the dugout this weekend and the Everton fans will be hoping the team shows the passion, desire and fight the former striker displayed in his playing days.
Before Ancelotti joined the club, Ferguson defeated Chelsea and drew with Manchester United and Arsenal as Everton remained unbeaten in his three Premier League games as boss. The Toffees revealed an announcement on a permanent managerial appointment would be made in due course with reports suggesting permission has been asked of Derby County to interview Wayne Rooney.
Out-of-job Frank Lampard along with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Graham Potter are amongst other named candidates.
Former Everton manager Martinez is said to be highly thought of by certain the club’s officials, and despite sources suggesting the Toffees had offered the Spaniard the job on an interim role, the Belgian FA have refused to let Martinez combine roles with the 2022 World Cup starting this winter.
Over the course of this season, Goodison Park has been a volcano waiting to erupt. Despite remaining unbeaten in their opening five matches, which saw the Toffees sit level on points with Manchester United at the top of the table, Everton had their first defeat of the season inflicted upon them by Aston Villa before they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by QPR four days later.
Even though a response was seen courtesy of a victory against Norwich City and a draw at Old Trafford, results since have been downhill. Injuries to key players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure and a gradual build-up of slow, lethargic and error-fuelled football has led to a rapid deterioration in Everton’s form.
The Toffees have only won one of their last 13 league matches which has left them sitting just six points clear of the relegation zone. Everton are one of six clubs never to be relegated from the division, however, fears of this becoming a possibility are growing amongst the fanbase.
For now, Ferguson will be hoping to reignite positivity for the blue half of Merseyside. Three points against Villa will be crucial in steering Everton away from the troubled waters of the relegation zone and lifting them back up the Premier League table once more.
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