Salomon Rondon Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez insists that striker Salomon Rondon is “giving everything” despite failing to score in over eight hours of football for Everton so far.
Rafa Benitez said: “It is important to understand that it’s not about individuals, it’s about the team. Every player has his own characteristics and then it has to work for the team and has to be right. I can tell you Salomon is in the top five runners in every game so his work rate is there, his commitment is there and that is the first thing. He is a striker and we would like to see him scoring goals, we will not deny that. But at the same time he is doing a job that maybe Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend, or Anthony Gordon or Alex Iwobi, the people around him, can take advantage of. So we don’t have a target man, if we have Richarlison or Iwobi who has played upfront sometimes it is totally different, you have to find the balance that is the best for the team. If Salomon is working hard, I am happy with that, and if he has to play he will play, if we need to replace him we can replace him and if we have to play with another striker we will.”
Rafa Benitez added: “We haven’t had too many chances, he was doing a great job against Burnley, against Manchester United, against Norwich and the team was winning and drawing so that means it is more important for the team, not just one player. We cannot focus on that, if we do we will make mistakes. We want to give our players confidence and be sure that during the rest of the season they can give us something. If we have more options it will be easier for us, they can have fresh legs and can have an impact from the bench, if necessary. At the moment, we have to be sure the players are available to give everything and Salomon is giving everything.”
