Pundit raises ‘toxic’ Everton fears in Benitez sack verdict
Alan Hutton has raised fears over a “toxic” atmosphere at Everton ahead of Wednesday night’s clash against Liverpool.
The former Aston Villa defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted Rafael Benitez would “struggle to keep his job” with a poor performance and result in the Merseyside derby.
Everton head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Brentford.
The Toffees have now gone seven games without a win.
Hutton admitted he fears for Benitez’s future amid a change of atmosphere at Goodison Park
Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “I think everybody will be thinking about his position at this moment in time. It’s literally not been good enough.
“They haven’t won a game since the 25th of September. That tells you everything you need to know.
“When I look back to the start of the season, they got off really well. That’s why the fans got on side. Of course, the Liverpool connection was difficult for them to take but they were winning football games.
“My worry was as soon as that stopped, it could turn a little bit toxic. Their performances recently have been really below par, they’ve really struggled.
“They’ve only spent £1.7million, I think, because of all the transfer windows previous to Rafa, which isn’t his fault.
“But ultimately the pressure is building. If they don’t get a good performance or result tomorrow, he could be in big bother. If he doesn’t turn it around quick, he’s struggling to keep his job.”
Everton’s last win was the 2-0 win over Norwich in September.
They have since lost to West Ham, Watford, Wolves, Manchester City and Brentford and drawn with Manchester United and Tottenham.
In other news, Kieran Maguire has issued a ‘£498million’ Everton ‘investment’ reveal ahead of the January window.