Rafa Benitez ‘never had a chance’ at Everton and Duncan Ferguson ‘uncomfortable’ working with ex-Liverpool manager, claims Alan Stubbs

Rafa Benitez never stood a chance as Everton manager and Duncan Ferguson would have been ‘uncomfortable’ working with him, according to former defender Alan Stubbs.

Benitez was sacked by the Toffees on Sunday after just 200 days in charge, leaving the club 16th in the Premier League.

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The hiring of the Spaniard last year was met with plenty of anger by Everton fans because of his six-year spell at fierce rivals Liverpool.

It was always going to be a tall order to win over supporters and the mood soon turned toxic when results and performances were poor.

Stubbs, who had two spells at Everton in the noughties and made close to 200 appearances, told talkSPORT Breakfast: “It’s been a really difficult time and Rafa has come out and said he underestimated the size of the job.

“I don’t know what he’s been looking at then. It was a huge job before he took it. Everybody knew that.

“Yes you can point towards not getting players in and the budget that’s there at the moment, ultimately the facts of the matter is he didn’t have a chance before he started.

“He would have had to do unbelievably well to win over even a fraction of this Everton support, never mind all of it.

“They started off okay, but unfortunately it’s gone downhill very quickly.

“One of the main pivotal turning points, for me, was the home defeat to Watford and how bad it was.

“Since then it has never had a chance of turning around.”

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Recruitment has also been criticised by many and Stubbs took aim at the players for the effort they have showed this season.

He said: “We all know Benitez was not an appointment the fans endeared to. There was a lot of discontent from day one.

“At the end of the day, you play for a manager and, most importantly, you play for the fans and the club.

“Once you cross that white line, if you’ve had an argument with the manager or a disagreement, that’s life. You have a responsibility to perform to the best you possibly can.

“The players have not done that. They’ve not only let the manager down, but they’ve let the fans down.”

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Duncan Ferguson has been tipped to get the job full-time, as has Wayne Rooney.

Ferguson took caretaker charge last season when Carlo Ancelotti left and has no experience as a manager, but has been part of the coaching staff for a number of years.

Rooney has impressed at Derby, but is likewise lacking in experience in a job at a top club.

Giving his verdict, Stubbs said: “I think Wayne has done a great job at Derby but I’m not too sure because of the magnitude of the job whether it is too early for him. I’d like to see him get more experience.

“I think right now the only person that can take it and really get fans onside is Duncan [Ferguson].

“Whether he will be a long term appointment, I’m not too sure because he is still inexperienced.

“But the position right now that Everton find themselves in and the way he can galvanise the fans… the one thing you know at 12:30pm on Saturday, the fans will be right behind Duncan.

“The players have a lot to prove to the fans. The players have to get the fans on side. They have to put in better performances than they have shown.

“Everton are in a relegation fight.”

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Ferguson is a club legend and adored by the fans, but could potentially risk souring that relationship if things do not work out if he gets the job full-time.

Stubbs added of his former team mate: “If you want to be a manager, these are the things you have to deal with. The one thing Duncan hasn’t got is being a No.1, a manager by himself. 

“The only way you are going to get that is by doing the main job himself. I think Duncan has potentially thought about going from Everton to get that experience to maybe one day come back and be manger.

“I know Duncan pretty well and I think he would have been very uncomfortable working with Rafa Benitez.

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“I think because of the way he is regarded by the fans, he’s loved by the fans, and you have a guy who was hated at the end.

“It’s an uncomfortable watch because you don’t know how much responsibility was given to Duncan for the decisions with the team or if he was cast off to one side.”