Rafa Benitez has had a fantastic start as Everton manager.
Rafael Benitez had a tough job on his hands when he took over the Everton side after Carlo Ancelotti left the Toffees abruptly in the summer when Real Madrid came calling. While the Italian manager was welcomed with a banner of “Carlo Fantastico, Carlo Magnifico”, Benitez was treated with banners of “Benitez not welcome”.
Rafa Benitez is a brave man to travel across Stanley Park, a journey not many undertake. When Ancelotti’s side faltered, Everton supporters held back their disapprovals because they had absolute trust in the manager who had one of the most decorated CV’s in football. Benitez wouldn’t have enjoyed such a luxury and he needed the right results from the start to support his act.
The results have been fantastic so far. Even though there’s the caveat that it’s very early days but signs look positive. The former Real Madrid boss has instilled a strong ideology in the squad and injected fresh life into the side.
The squad needed some much needed reinforcements in key areas and instead of papering the cracks, Benitez has addressed the root and tried to solve the lingering issues. This Everton looks far more dangerous in attack and is much more clinical. There have been some key differences in Rafa Benitez’s Everton compared to Ancelotti’s Everton.
Here are 3 key positive differences in Benitez’s Everton compared to Ancelotti’s team:
1. Pace and Directness
Perhaps, this is the biggest change seen in Benitez’s blues. Despite being crippled by lack of freedom in the transfer market, Everton managed to sign Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend to bolster the wings, an area that was screaming for improvement for years.
Bernard, Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi have been tried by previous managers but their productivity seems to have not matched the expectations. Iwobi under Rafa Benitez is thriving and showing big signs of improvement, however, his previous exploits have not yielded positive results.
Everton were lambasted for their lethargic counterattacks last season and while Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison tried to hit on the counter there was not much support from others.
The clear lack of pace was hurting Everton more than ever and signing a pacey winger with impressive dribbling and ball carrying abilities was the need of the hour. In comes, Demarai Gray, signed for a mere £1.7 million. Many thought that he had failed to live up to the billing after his bright start at Birmingham and Leicester but he has proved them all wrong and is shining in the royal blue jersey. Gray’s breathtaking pace and direct play add another dimension to the attack, something that was sorely missed under Ancelotti.
Under Rafa, the team has compromised on possession but they have grown immensely in their attacking threat. The speed and directness with which they attack often get the fans jumping off their seats.
Everton have been lightning quick on the counter as well, look at Gray’s goal against Burnley. Possession changed hands deep in Everton half and as soon as Abdoulaye Doucoure received the ball from Seamus Coleman, he threaded a splitting pass to Gray who made no mistake.
This rapidness and swiftness in the attack make the Toffees very dangerous to deal with and now there’s a real sense of menace in the attack.
2. Tactical tweaks
We have now seen it on two occasions that Rafa Benitez has made critical tactical tweaks in between games that have worked in Everton’s favour. Everton started their Premier League campaign against Southampton at Goodison Park. However, the commencement of the Rafa Benitez tenure wasn’t going to plan as the Toffees trailed at the end of first half.
The Spaniard was quick to recognize the deficiency and swapped Richarlison and Demarai Gray’s position. The Brazilian who was previously operating on the left flank was moved behind the striker and Gray who was playing as a No.10 moved to the left in the second half. The move instantly showed results as Richarlison scored and the Toffees looked much more fluid which eventually allowed them to seal a 3-1 win over the Saints.
In the game against Burnley, Rafa Benitez chose to deploy a three man defence but the Toffees were being outrun and outnumbered in the midfield. Giving further headache to the Spanish boss, Burnley took a 1-0 lead via Ben Mee. Benitez was quick to recognize the fault in the current system and brought on Andre Gomes for Ben Godfrey in the 61st minute.
This tweak instantly paid dividends as well the midfield was much more secure and was able to control the ball better. The Toffees then went onto score two more goals to seal a 3-1 win, blitzing out 3 goals in a space of six minutes.
Under Ancelotti, Everton wasn’t as reactive as they are now and often the tweaks didn’t yield sweet fruits.
3. Rejuvenated midfield
The midfield duo of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure look different machines altogether under Rafa Benitez. It was Carlo Ancelotti who signed Allan from Napoli. The Brazilian had worked under Ancelotti at Napoli and was delighted to make the switch to Merseyside to reunite with the Italian manager.
On the other hand, Doucoure was an Everton target for years now and they finally managed to sign the Frenchman. The midfield duo added much needed security and energy in a lethargic midfield. Allan’s role was primarily to guard the backline and carry out the majority of the defensive duties in the midfield. On the other hand, Doucoure was in charge of babysitting James Rodriguez on the right as the Colombian took very little defensive effort.
This restricted the attacking potential of Doucoure and the offensive instincts of Allan. However, under Benitez, the dynamic duo looks far more dangerous and well gelled. There is no Rodriguez to take care of and the system instilled allows Allan and Doucoure to surge forward at times.
Allan has brought a different attacking flavour to his play, while also carrying out the duties of an enforcer. Doucoure on the other hand has been the biggest beneficiary. His attacking potential has unraveled which has allowed him to match his last season’s goal contribution tally in just seven games. The rejuvenated midfield has been reaching new heights of productivity and Rafa Benitez needs to be credited for that.