When Rafa Benitez was appointed Everton manager he spoke of the club ‘going places’ while the club’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, spoke of the need to be ‘winning trophies’ under the Spaniard. Less than 7 months later, Benitez was sacked, and Everton are in the depths of a relegation battle.
Newcastle United travel to Goodison Park this week with the game described by some as the ‘biggest’ in Everton’s recent history - it seems to many that years of mismanagement of the Merseyside club may now cost the club its Premier League status.
It’s ironic in many ways because few Newcastle fans would have turned down the ambition and desire of the Everton board to break into the top six - or the appointments of Ronald Koeman or Carlo Ancelotti, especially after 14 years of Mike Ashley. The spending Everton fans have been treated to over the last few years was at the time looked upon by fans enviously - watching a club with what seemed a plan to gatecrash the party at the top of the league.
