LONG HAUL OF FAME FOR RAFA
BRENTFORD v EVERTON Premier League: Tomorrow, 2pm
BY DAVID MADDOCK
RAFA BENITEZ has promised Everton fans that he’s at Goodison for the long haul.
Benitez has come under fire following a run of just one win in nine matches but the former Liverpool chief insists he has the full backing of Farhad Moshiri (right), even though the Everton owner has shown little patience with managers.
The Spaniard, who led Liverpool to their incredible Champions League triumph in Istanbul in 2005, said: “I’m very confident I have the backing of Mr Moshiri. I don’t want to be here for three years, I want to be here for longer.
“I want to be here for the new stadium and try to be successful there.
“I think Mr Moshiri is quite clever. He is someone who is trying to improve the team and improve the club in every sense.
“He wants to do well but he knows, from our conversations at the beginning, that they have to support me and support the structure in general so that we can improve.”
Everton visit Brentford this weekend desperate for win, especially given a daunting upcoming fixture list. Between now and Christmas they face Liverpool (next Wednesday), Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Leicester.
Goodison chairman Bill Kenwright visited the club’s training ground this week to discuss January transfer matters, and Benitez is confident that the owner and board are all on the same page.
“All the conversations with them have been really positive and every time we talk we prove what we can do,” he said of discussions with Moshiri and Kenwright.
Benitez was severely restricted in the transfer market in the summer, spending just £1.8million.
As a result, the Everton squad looks paper-thin, with a spate of injuries affecting the spine of his team, but he refused to point the finger at Moshiri, even though it looks as though there will be little to spend in January.
“Is everything going as quickly as we were expecting in terms of fixing problems and finding solutions? Maybe not,” former Real Madrid boss Benitez said.
“We just have to be sure we get the best from our players and try to be sure that, in January, we bring in someone.”
The appointment of Benitez in the summer divided Everton fans, many of whom could not stomach his Liverpool links.
And if Everton lose to new boys Brentford this weekend, there could be a Premier League first at Goodison next Wednesday for the Merseyside derby – home fans booing their manager while the away fans salute him.