With Everton stuck in the middle ground outside the elite, the Spaniard’s style is a better fit than Carlo Ancelotti’s ever was
What is Everton? It sounds like a flippant question, and perhaps to an extent it is, but as Rafa Benítez takes charge, it’s also fundamental. A journey of self-improvement must perhaps begin with a realistic assessment of where you are starting from.
But that is not easy. It is not enough simply to say that Everton came 10th last season after a promising start, or even to point out that the latest Deloitte report their annual revenues as the seventh highest in the Premier League. They are the fourth most successful club in English league history. There were one of the Big Five whose lobbying led to the establishment of the Premier League. They are one of only six sides never to have been relegated from the Premier League. The days when they vied with Liverpool to be the best in England remain within living memory. They are scheduled (at last) to move into a 53,000-capacity stadium for the 2024-25 season. They are not just another team. They have a reputation and they have aspirations. But that in itself is problematic.
Related: Rafael Benítez appeals for unity after taking Everton job amid fan anger
Benítez’s biggest successes have come with clubs on the fringes of the elite – Valencia, Liverpool and Napoli
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