I’d like to put an outsiders opinion on here, my friend is a Bluenose and we have been having this same convo over emails at work for a while now. He’s what he put, im not saying I agree with it, but disect it if you like.
“Looking from the outside in, I find it amazing that a club used to what you are used to can idolise a man as inept as Benitez.
He regularly lost the plot, has systematically STRIPPED your youth system apart and it will take years, and money to put right.
If Henry turned up to Everton as a new owner, would he, in all honesty say, "We are going to concentrate on getting the youth set-up right first, then concentrate on the rest"? No, I doubt he would, because there isn't the damage there that Benitez left for you.
He would be able to concentrate on the front line, the marketing, the money coming in, the spending on better players.
Some of your fans are fascinated with the media portrayal of Benitez, the "15 minutes that shook the world". They forget about the first half when you were as poor as they have been.
If a man cannot get a team up for that, then I would be very surprised.
I seem to remember a game when whiskey nose walked in to the changing room, said "win" then walked out. The team subsequently went on to win the game comfortably. Is that cause of what he said?
Maybe, maybe not.
The second half in Istanbul was, in my opinion, more down to the drive and absolute determination of Gerrard and Hamann, who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and turned it to how they wanted it. I know Benitez made the change, but a change had to be made and after that Benitez was just a bystander, all his work was done in the first half, with a team who was built by Houllier.
I cannot deny that what he said at the interval wasn't stirring, because it was, but then, I could've thought of that at that moment, and I'm an Evertonian.
One of the funniest sights I have seen in world football was the parade of the Rafatollah. The most toe curling, cringe worthy piece of theatre I have ever seen or witnessed, and all this was happening right on my doorstep.
I tell you one thing mate, the EPL misses Rafa like we miss Jose, pure comedy factor.”
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