Is Benitez actually the best Everton could get

We’re all still trying to get used to the idea of Rafa Benitez sitting in the Goodison Park dugout next season, but while many are still not reconciled to him and might never be, is he in fact the best Everton could have got?

Let’s be honest, Everton are really not a big club anymore. I’ve said it and I know that not all Blues supporters will agree with me, but I think it’s true.

If you know your history – to quote a famous song Evertonians are fond of singing – then yes the Toffees are still one of English football’s aristocrats.

Nine league championships, five FA Cups and the European Cup-Winners-Cup is a very respectable roll-call of honours. Everton were also founder members of the Football League and have also spent more seasons in the English top flight than any other club.

We know all that but of course the last of those trophies was the FA Cup success in 1995. That’s a long time ago now, over a quarter of a century, and while I remember it well there are many current Toffees supporters who weren’t even born then.

So, the reality is that the Blues aren’t actually similar to clubs like neighbours Liverpool or other traditional elite sides such as Arsenal and Tottenham.

Everton aren’t even close to relative upstarts such as Chelsea and Manchester City, apart from sharing a billionaire owner. In fact the Blues are actually more akin to an Aston Villa or Newcastle United, who of course were Benitez’s last English employers.