Boxing legend and Toffees fanatic Tony Bellew has opened up on his admiration for Wayne Rooney but believes Premier League strugglers Everton should stick with Rafa Benitez, speaking to talkSPORT.
Even if Benitez was a Goodison Park legend, a man with royal blue blood running through his veins, the pressure would still be on following a dreadful run of results which has the Merseyside giants glancing nervously over their shoulder at the relegation zone.
The Spaniard’s Anfield allegiances, then, have done the under-fire boss few favours.
Sunday’s 3-1 reverse at Crystal Palace was Everton’s eighth defeat in ten Premier League games.
And, with the terraces turning toxic, The Sun reports that Rooney has been lined up for a shock return to the club where he made his name all those years ago.
There has been ‘unofficial communication’, the report adds, between Everton and the 36-year-old Derby County boss.
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“Wazza’s always going to be a massive part of the history of our club,” says Liverpool-born Bellew.
“I love the lad, I’m his friend and love him to bits.”
Bellew, however, insists that Benitez deserves more time to turn around a dire situation. All that chopping and changing, he points out, hasn’t exactly done Everton much good in the Farhad Moshiri era so far.
“We can’t keep sacking managers. The names that we’ve had – Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman – when is enough enough?,” he adds.
“At some stage the bucks got to stop with the lads (the players).”
“You can’t keep on sacking managers, you can’t do it.
We started so well, as you’ve seen, but now injuries are creeping up. There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes. The head of medical’s gone, (director of football) Marcel Brands has now gone.
“We’ve got top players, established internationals out.”
Bellew has a point.
Everton are missing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, last season’s talismanic top scorer, in addition to their best centre-half Yerry Mina. Abdoulaye Doucoure has also been absent for a spell.
That, by the way, is the spine of this Everton team; key players missing from back to front.
And it seems that things could get worse before they get better.
Andros Townsend has been ruled out until 2022 (The Mail). As has Richarlison, the Brazil international who has done an admirable job through the middle in Calvert-Lewin’s absence.
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