Pundit tells Rafa Benitez he’s past his prime but urges Everton against sack
Rafa Benitez has been accused of being past his sell-by date and that he cannot take Everton any further by a former Liverpool striker.
Benitez guided the Reds to Champions League glory back in 2005, as Steven Gerrard’s remarkable performance in Istanbul saw the Reds come from 3-0 down against AC Milan to seal a famous triumph.
Yet Benitez has not reached those heights since and in the opinion of ex-Liverpool forward John Aldridge, the Spanish tactician is now past his best.
“Over the years, Benitez has had a certain way of playing and it has aged,” Aldridge told sundayworld.com.
“You have got new managers like Jurgen Klopp, Pep (Guardiola) and (Thomas) Tuchel. Then you look at Rafa and the way he plays is a little but dated, in my opinion.
“He is a good coach, but can he take Everton to the next level? I don’t think he can.”
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Everton should still stick with Rafa
Despite Aldridge’s pessimism, the former Ireland forward believes Everton have to stick with the experienced tactician for now.
“They have paid out a lot of money and a lot of it has gone down the drain,” added Aldridge, who was a key part of Liverpool’s title-winning side in the 1987/88 season.
“Benitez has got players there who have played under three or four different managers, but I think they have to stick with him. He’s going to need money and they have got money. They need some positivity until the new stadium comes along.
“Their fans would be happy to take a mid-table finish at this stage because they are looking over their shoulders at the relegation places and right now and that would be a disaster for a club of Everton’s size.”
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