![Everton vs Liverpool: Merseyside derby offers Rafael Benitez the chance to finally win over disgruntled fanbase](https://e0.365dm.com/21/08/1600x900/skysports-rafa-benitez-everton_5475367.jpg?20210811132727)
It will be the first time since taking up the position of manager at Goodison Park that he will hear his name being sung.
The only problem for the former manager is that the away fans will chant for him as he faces his former club.
"Agent Rafa" is back on trend.
Concerns among supporters who were not behind his appointment are certainly intensifying, despite the fact that he is not under any immediate pressure.
The home side have not won in seven matches and have fallen to 14th, six points off the bottom three.
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There are highlights from the win againstEverton.
Despite recording their first win at Anfield since 1999 in their last meeting in February, they are desperate to halt their current run which saw travelling supporters react angrily after Sunday's defeat at Brentford.
There is no quick fix, with the manager saying he will have to sell in order to buy in the January transfer window. The Spaniard must come up with an even more cunning plan to prevent further scrutiny, since he was as creative as he was over the summer to strengthen his squad.
The return of Abdoulaye Doucoure was a small comfort, but the Frenchman knows how important a result would be against the club's fiercest rivals in front of a packed Goodison Park.
It could not have been more timely for Abdoulaye to return.
If we can get a result in the derby, it will be great for the fans and we can come back and have a strong run.
The fans will be very important for us and I have never played a derby with them. We need them and can have a great result on Wednesday.
The fans are demanding more, that is normal, you have to get results for the team. That is not the case at the moment. Every player needs to show more aggression and character to make fans happy.
The supporters of the club claim that the problems run much deeper than the manager and need to be changed at the board level. Fans who feel root and branch reform is needed say it's unqualified and out of touch.
Farhad Moshiri has had six managers in five years.
It's about time our club did the same, as a banner in the away end on Sunday said.
The clear lack of quality in the absence of key personnel has now been compounded by shredded confidence, as a new way of losing by virtue of a needless penalty concession was what followed.
The side that was beaten on Sunday was made up of players signed by the previous managers, so there is no reason for Farhad to be upset.
When he arrived at the club in February 2016 he admitted there would be setbacks along the way, but he didn't think it would be as bad as it was.
Farhad Moshiri has spent over $560 million on the club.
It's a cautionary tale forNewcastle, as they were seen back then as having the financial clout to buy big and keep their best young talent. They are no closer to what they set out to achieve, and now face the risk of falling foul of the league's profitability and sustainable rules.
If construction work on the new stadium hadn't started, the outlook would be even worse. There are new images and a time-lapse video of how the new 52,888 capacity ground is taking shape every week.
The pessimist wonders if the new dawn will be welcomed by Championship football when it starts in the beginning of the next campaign.
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After the defeat at the hands of the Bees, the fans of the club were frustrated and their winless run continued to seven games.
At a time when the current situation is being felt by supporters, Benitez is confident that he will be able to turn around the situation.
It is an uphill task. The team's slide towards the wrong end of the table is not hard to see.
They have been hampered by injuries, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Doucoure being absent for most of the period. Yerry Mina is yet to make his return having missed the last six league games, so he can justifiably claim to have been denied the spine of his team. Richarlison was suspended for the game against the Bees but will be back for Wednesday's game.
Despite his history with the Reds, the Spaniard made a good start to life at Goodison and won four of his first six league games.
Carlo Ancelotti was a divisive successor.
It was too small a sample size to say with any certainty that an identifiable style was being formed, but it was often said that the same performances had been repeated many times.
The club is currently in 14th position, but he is positive they can get back to winning ways.
"We didn't deserve to lose but the reality is the team is giving everything on the pitch and you can see the togetherness of the players," the 61-year-old said after the loss.
We saw enough quality to know that we can do better. The team did enough to get more from the games against Manchester United and Spurs.
Seamus Coleman apologized to fans.
It is a question of confidence, missing players, but you could see what we were capable of doing at the beginning of the season. I am confident that we will do it again when we have everyone available.
It was not brought in to be a meat and potatoes manager. Sam Allardyce wasn't long for the job atEverton. The football felt directionless at times.
Winning a trophy is something that supporters of clubs outside the top three in the league don't see as a sign of progress, but having an identity that runs through the academy to the first team is something that is something that the director of football is.
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After they lost at Brentford on Super Sunday, Rafa was left frustrated by the fact that a change of fortune will come for them.
When he took up his position, he knew he needed quick results. Wednesday's derby is about finding a way to stop the uncertainty surrounding his position in taking the club forward.
If things don't go well against a side that has scored two of more goals in 17 consecutive games, patience will run out and the team will be in danger.
"It's always a completely different game, so I don't like the intensity of the game, it's too much for me," said the manager.
I like physical football, but it's not always fun when people put too much in. I can't say it's my favourite game of the year because of that.
The arrival of Benitez divided the people.
A group of individuals who are right at the top of their game is what makes the team functioning beautifully. Injuries have caused them to lose five in six and seven in seven. The next opponents will not be expected to play into the hands of the Reds.
The derby is a football match with a difference. Winning such a single occasion would make a world of difference to his plight, and he hasn't looked to sugar-coat what is his biggest involvement in the fixture of his life.
Every game is important to us. He said that the next one is more important because it is the derby.
As he seeks to reverse a downward spiral, the events of Wednesday night could well have an impact on the direction of travel for the club.
We will have a live match blog on Wednesday. Highlights will be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms.
The next six games are in the premier league.
On Wednesday, December 1st, there is a game between the Reds and the Reds.
Sky Sports will broadcast live on Monday, December 6th.
Sky Sports broadcasts Crystal Palace (A) on Sunday, December 12.
Thursday, December 16 is the day.
Sunday, December 19th -Leicester
On Sunday, December 26th, there will be a ceremony in Burnley.
Was it right for Carrick to dropRonaldo? Howe's problems and title tips, as well as pressure on Rafa ahead of the derby.
Sky Sports football writers Ben Grounds and Gerard Brand are joined by AlicePiper on the latest Essential Football show to look back on the big weekend at both ends of the league.
Was Michael Carrick right to opt against starting the Portuguese player? The tactics of United's interim-to-the-Interim manager are assessed ahead of the arrival of Ralf Rangnick, questions are raised over the attacking prowess of the other team, and will the other team fancy facing this United side next?
Where does another bad result at Brentford leave the manager of the team? Is there anything to fear from the Reds? There is a curious case of KalvinPhillips.
With two points separating the top three, who's going to win the title, and Eddie Howe's task getting harder with a six-pointer against Norwich next up.
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