Why Rafael Benitez Should Stick With Newcastle Rather Than Replacing Koeman At Everton
Everton could be looking to make a move for Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez, if latest reports are to be believed. The Merseyside club have endured a frustrating campaign so far, and could be looking to sack Ronald Koeman. If That happens, Benitez is understood to be on the club’s list as a replacement.
Everton’s 5-2 loss at home earlier in the day against Arsenal only highlights the troubles that the club are facing. Their recent draw against Brighton wasn’t great either. A penalty from Wayne Rooney saved them from dropping three points but a draw is no consolation. The Toffees are in the relegation zone after 9 games in to the season!
The Everton fans are not impressed with how the team has performed, especially after the amount of money spent by Koeman in the summer. The Toffees spent over £140m in the summer, and yet, they were unable to seal a convincing victory against Brighton.
However, should Benitez leave a club like Newcastle United, which is remarkably improving, to join a side that is as weak as Everton?
The answer is most certainly a no. Benitez is spearheading an exciting transition period at Newcastle. Their 2-2 draw against Southampton and 1-0 win against a struggling Crystal Palace only goes to show how determined they are to progress further this season. For a newly-promoted side to come in and hold a side like Southampton to a draw is truly commendable. Right now, they are 7th in the league table, and most of this is because of Benitez.
Moreover, it is very unlikely for the manager to want to jump ship from what he is building at Newcastle. Joining Everton now would mean him having to start over from the scratch – a process he has already gone through after joining the Magpies. They may be reaping the benefits now but to get here, Benitez must have invested a lot of time and effort. Thus, it makes no sense for him wanting to go through all that again at a club that are teetering dangerously in the relegation zone despite spending so much.
Furthermore, Benitez has enjoyed a greatly successful tenure with Everton’s Merseyside rivals Liverpool. This will mean that the Toffees fans are unlikely to be his biggest fan, and the manager himself would not want to hamper the special relationship he continues to have with the Liverpool faithful.
Hence, the move may benefit Everton eventually, but it is one that is extremely unlikely and unnecessary. Benitez has a beautiful thing going on with Newcastle and he should focus on building that further to take them to greater heights instead.