Rafa Benitez set to be sacked as Everton manager with announcement imminent

Rafa Benitez is expected to be sacked as Everton manager.

The Toffees fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League on Saturday – a 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Norwich City – and Benitez is now set to leave his post.

Everton held an emergency board meeting on Saturday night and it is understood a compensation deal has already been agreed with the Spaniard.

An announcement is expected to be made by the club on Sunday.

Benitez was only appointed Everton manager in June – a highly controversial move given his previous time in charge of Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

It was a major gamble from Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri – and it has spectacularly failed to come off.

Benitez has guided Everton to just one win in their last 13 Premier League games.

The woeful run of form means they now sit 15th in the Premier League table, just six points above of the bottom three.

Moshiri told talkSPORT back in December that Benitez would be given time to get things right with new signings and injured stars coming back.

However, the return of players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not had the desired effect on the team.

Norwich were dominant in the first half against Everton in their most recent loss, and while some Benitez tinkering saw them get a goal back through Richarlison, it just wasn’t enough.

Everton fans at the game were furious, with chants sung and banners held up displaying their view the former Liverpool manager should no longer be in charge.

A pitch invader also attempted to confront Benitez, while at the final whistle a chorus of ‘sack the board’ was heard as supporters booed their own team.

Asked about his future following the defeat to Norwich, Benitez said: “I am a professional and I have enough experience.

“I came here to fix issues that were coming from the last five years.

“What I have to do now is analyse the mistakes we are making and make sure we void that for the future.

“The rest is not in my hands.”

Commentary of the match was on talkSPORT 2 and after the full-time whistle co-commentator and ex-Arsenal star Perry Groves said he could see no way back for Benitez.

He said: “Everton were absolutely shocking in the first half, I think Benitez is a busted flush to be honest.

“I think he’s gone, like players you go through your halcyon times in your career and then you come on the dip.

“There was no passion from him on the touchline, he didn’t do anything at half time, he didn’t make a positional change, he didn’t make a personnel change, he did nothing.”

Now it appears as though Benitez’s time at Everton is up just six months into his reign.