Stephen Warnock has claimed Rafa Benitez is ‘not a man-manager’ and that his departure from Goodison Park was inevitable after a dreadful run of form.
The Spaniard was relieved of his duties on Sunday after a run of one win in 13 Premier League games left the Toffees 16th in the table, just six points clear of the relegation zone.
Benitez wasn’t universally accepted by Everton fans due to his history with Merseyside rivals Liverpool, and the controversial decision to appoint the former Reds boss didn’t pay off.
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Prior to being appointed Carlo Ancelloti's successor the 61-year-old had been managing in China, leading many to believe his time as a manager at the top level was over.
Former Reds defender Warnock, who played under Benitez during his spell in charge at Anfield, was perplexed as to why Everton would hire his former boss given his legendary status at Liverpool.
He also revealed that he didn’t enjoy certain aspects of his managerial style, describing the Spaniard as ‘cold’.
“There was no way Rafa Benitez was surviving this situation and everyone could see it," Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live .
“I worked for him. Rafa was hard work. He is not a man-manager.
"He is cold – that does not excite me to go into a building.
“To come back from China and go to your former rivals…it just did not work for me.”
