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‘I guarantee that’: Collymore makes bold Everton claim amid Benitez struggles
Stan Collymore has jumped to Rafa Benitez’s defence as the Spaniard’s Everton side have struggled to pick up good results over the last few weeks.
A few Toffees supporters weren’t really on board with their club appointing someone who once managed Liverpool. Benitez initially proved his doubters wrong by winning four of his first five games in all competitions and drawing the other.
Everton fans were really optimistic at that point but things haven’t been great since. The Toffees have won just once in their last eight games, and supporters are doubting Benitez and his tactics again.
Collymore, however, believes that no other manager in world football would fare any better than Benitez. He blames the lack of quality in the Everton squad for their poor results but has made a bold prediction over where the Toffees will finish in the Premier League this season.
Collymore: Everton will finish in the top-right under Benitez
He wrote in his column on ): Over the last couple of weeks, sections of Everton’s fanbase, who were initially on board with Rafa Benitez’s appointment, have started to question whether he’s the right man for the job after all.
“There isn’t a club in the Premier League with a smaller gap between how big they could be and how bad they can be. So, I’m not sure why Everton fans expect anything other than what Benitez is delivering. It (top-six finish) just ain’t happening.
“Everton aren’t finishing above Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. And below them, you have got Tottenham, who were in the Champions League final two-and-a bit years ago and now have a serial winner in Antonio Conte at the helm, Arsenal who are on an upward curve and West Ham doing well.
“That means there are seven teams for starters they have to break past and it wouldn’t matter who was in charge, Everton, with this squad, aren’t doing that. So finishing seventh or eighth would be very acceptable and I guarantee that is where Benitez will have Everton come the end of the season.”
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A fully fit Everton side has the potential to trouble the big teams in the country, but unfortunately for Benitez, he has missed his star striker for most parts of the season.
His best player from the early weeks of the campaign, Abdoulaye Doucoure, is also out with an injury, which has caused more imbalance to the side.
At this rate, it’s extremely difficult for the Toffees to finish above the traditional top-six sides, Leicester City and West Ham. However, football is a funny game and stranger things have happened in the Premier League in the past.
If Calvert-Lewin returns from his injury soon and finds the form that he was in last season, Everton could quickly climb up the table. It’s not likely at this point, but it’s not impossible either.
