#PLStories – Why is Rafa Benitez and Everton club underperforming this season #EvertonFC

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has clearly stated that Premier League club Everton do not intend to sack manager Rafael Benitez after a 4-1 defeat by Liverpool on Wednesday night. Everton have struggled in recent weeks, failing to win any of their last eight league matches, their worst such run since 1999. Benitez going 4-4-2 was a gift for Liverpool’s midfield and they dominated at Goodison. But we are talking more macro level than individual matches.

What is the reason for Everton’s dismal season so far..

• Loss of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Fabian Delph, Yerry Mina, Lucas Digne and Andre Gomes to a variety of injuries has been blamed in part for “ruining” any attempt to maintain positive results.
• James Rodriguez was allowed to leave in September, largely because the playmaker’s staggering £250,000-a-week wages were adding to the club’s Financial Fair Play problems. But the Colombian has not been adequately replaced and his absence, along with that of record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson, has created a deficit of creativity on the pitch which is being deeply felt. All of these have highlighted lack of balance and depth in the squad.
• There is a feeling in some quarters that there has been too much focus internally on hard-luck stories. Allan, Lucas Digne, even Andros Townsend — they’ve all played for big clubs. Everton should be faring better even with depleted resources. Brentford couldn’t afford some of these players, they couldn’t afford their wages, yet they came out victorious  against Everton.
• The absence of competition has long been a major flaw in Everton’s recruitment — they have tried and failed to strengthen in this position for several windows. Academy product Jonjoe Kenny has not been deemed adequate cover for 33-year-old Seamus Coleman by both predecessor Carlo Ancelotti and now Benitez. Yet the club is still trying to find a new right-back right uphill January 2022.
• The players have not switched off from Benitez; that they are continuing to “do what they are told” but the grumbles internally and externally grow louder with each defeat