Andros Townsend: ‶Nobody in the club wanted me”

That Rafa brought him in says enough for me.

Focus forward and what we can do now to kick on upwards.

A fascinating insight into a unique aspect of Everton History, revealing the honest truth about the most despised Everton manager ever, and the ultimate demise of his star signing that nobody wanted?

Wokism may have died a death in the UK but I see it is still alive and kicking in the Aussie Outback!

And Andros should be grateful for the money and care he received for the little he did for us.

My abiding memory of Townsend is the view from the touchline when Calvert-Lewin scored 'that' goal against Palace. Townsend is seen hopping down the pitch, on his crutches, to join the pile on.

Surely people can read into things a little bit deeper and try and understand the situation when Townsend arrived?

Nobody wanted Benitez (except me), so any player that he signed was not going to be feeling wanted coming into the club around this time.

Benitez was an astonishing appointment, but we saw many crazy bits of business done didn't we..

Ive no idea what went on but its a shame Andros has such bad memories.

I regretted that we didn't take a punt on him when he came back from injury, because he'd have done a million times better on the right than Jack Harrison did, and could actually provide a goal threat.

I see the statement he made, that "Nobody in the club wanted me," as more of a perception he is sharing, than an absolute truth, because you're right — there's no way he could have known that nobody wanted him.

What's more, there's no doubt loads of staff at Finch Farm who would have been as respectful and appreciative of each and every professional player there — certainly to their faces.

So yes, a strange thing for him to say... but not a "Strange headline" because it's a direct quote.

More Benitez bullshit.

However, I didn't realise you were happy with Benitez being appointed. That's a surprise. I would have thought you would have been against him but knowing your knowledge of the game, I assume you see the bigger picture.

This infamous 'nobody' character that didn't want certain people at the club has been busy.

I'm not sure I have got more footballing knowledge than anyone else, Ian, but anyone who knows anything about Everton and Evertonians knew it was destined not to work, especially when they saw the state of his transfer kitty.

Also. he was the one who got the blame for getting rid of Rodriguez, even though it was evident that the club simply couldn't afford to keep him any longer.

This is obviously of interest. We get so much invective from TW about goings on behind the scenes. These insider perspectives keep us from peddling bullshit beliefs.

Positivity will come with results. We don't need to ignore history to get there.

You definitely weren't the only one on here who was happy when Benitez was appointed manager, but as you say it was destined for him not to succeed at Everton.

I thought that Townsend put in some good performances for the Blues until he was injured at Palace. He was a good signing especially as he was free. We also got some decent performances from Demarai Gray who took a great free kick that helped to keep us up in that vital Palace game — and we made a profit on him.

Rodon was big and he let Benitez and himself down by coming here vastly overweight and unfit; he was a better player than he showed for us.

I don't recall fans having a go at him. I thought he was very good for us, hard working, decent delivery and an eye for goal. Shame the injury ended his career with us.

Dynamic, hard working and more talented than I'd given him credit for before he joined. Plus very much a good character in the squad. Shame he doesn't reflect on his time fondly. Mind you, we were a shambles.

I always felt that cup game at Palace would've ended differently if he hadn't got injured as he was flying at the time. Who knows... maybe a surprise cup win that season could've revitalized us. But once he went off, we fell apart.

As to the critics of this article? Very bizarre. There is only so much news every day out of the club so I see no problem sharing the thoughts of a recent player.

The negativity stems from Townsend feeling like he wasn't good enough for us, hence the “no one wanted me” and his disbelief at being selected. He's not criticizing the club -- he's saying he got lucky essentially to get the opportunity.

I also didn't mind Benitez and things were going well until the many injuries kicked in. He took the jok knowing he'd be unpopular. He did the same at Chelsea, the fans also hated him, but in the end they had a good season.

The only Everton manager I've never warmed at to at all was Dyche. I'm a bit bored of Moyes also now.

We then lost Calvert-Lewin, Mina and also Doucoure, (if my memory is correct) which was the entire spine of the team, and because we never had that many other players with a real backbone, the team suddenly fell off a cliff.

I can't remember much about that game, Kieran, and my overriding memory was talking to my son on the phone after he had just left Selhurst Park absolutely fuming.

I can still remember him saying that, for the first time in his life, he didn't really like or care about any of the Everton players because he thought they never had a pair of bollocks between them.

It was a disaster waiting to happen and we didn't have to wait long. If the club had just publicly said they could not afford another season of James Rodriguez at his original Real Madrid salary after their contribution ended, then Benitez would not have been made the scapegoat, no matter what his personal feelings towards Rodriguez.

But it painted a them v us whereby anything or anyone associated with Benitez was despised. Hence why Townsend, who was in my opinion, a very good acquisition and excellent value, felt unwanted. He was Rafa's choice and so people painted him in the same way. Sad but true.

I really disliked the FSW before he came to Everton but, since he managed us, he just doesn't rile me anymore.

Some months before Benitez was appointed, he was interviewed by Carragher on Sky, about how things were going for him in China. This was at a time when the world knew that Benitez was fed up there.

After a bland series of questions, “Carra” asked a question along the lines of “So, Boss, would you ever consider coming back to England. Even come home to Merseyside. For a real challenge. Would you contemplate managing Everton?”

Benitez put on his best coquettish smile and said he would always relish a challenge.

Subsequently, the idiot Moshiri appointed him.

We rescued him from China. Paid him a huge wedge. Benitez abused our club, talked utter shite, gave up on it, then received compensation.

One day, this will go down as one of the lowest points in the history of Everton FC.

Whilst I was disappointed by your perspective on the Maccabi Haifa Fan ban (so much more to it - which I'm sure a bloke as thoughtful as you will know), I think you've hit the nail on the head with this one.

There's a lot of pantomime villains in Everton's Premier League history - Rafa, Dyche and all the crap players etc etc. The real villains aren't the managers or the players, they're the people who have used this club and failed to exploit the riches of the Premier League. This, miles beyond anything any manager or DoF etc has done, is what has left us in the wilderness for so long.

Christine, excellent post at 23.

Personally I just think Tony was disappointed Deborah didn't turn up at the set time

"Oh, Deborah, do you recall?

Your house was very small

With woodchip on the wall

When I came 'round to call

You didn't notice me at all

And I said

Let's all meet up in the year 2000

Won't it be strange when we're all fully grown?

Be there 2 o'clock by the fountain down the road

I never knew that you'd get married

I would be living down here on my own

On that damp and lonely Thursday years ago"

But Benitez put faith in him and he mostly repaid him whilst he lasted. I think he was pretty decent for us, relative to what else we had.

Nothing to see here at all.

Like many, I thought the move was ill fated based on ill will towards him. But while that stuff didn’t bother me as much as others. What I came to realize is that he’s a really toxic, negative guy. His way of playing is dull and defense first. Plus when he fell out with Brands, it was a repeat of what has happened with him at every club falling out with DOFs, owners, chairmen. Always portraying himself as the never wrong, righteous victim, who’s under valued and misunderstood somehow. His treatment of James was completely unprofessional. He pushed Digne out as well. Yes, there was a financial aspect but then we wasted that money on two terrible fullbacks. I just feel like Rafa is like an even older and more bitter version of Jose Mourinho. There are some good ideas in there but he’s so bitter and angry he just wants to watch the world burn and then act like lighting the match was just his act of mercy on an unsalvageable world.

I still think it's a bit unlucky for Rondo. Even a player at his prime, to get back into EPL would take some time to adjust. He's being thrown right in when he had played into a much lesser league. Definitely takes time to get back into shape. He's been unlucky in front of goal but his hold up play was decent. Well, he's free and possibly the only striker with EPL experience would come to us at that time.

But he does deserve credit for signing Townsend, who I thought did very well for us before his injury and scored not one but two great goals I will never forget -- the screamer against Burnley and the right-foot rocket at Hull that put us through.

Robert #18, we do have someone like him now, in McNeil. Not a great goalscorer, but someone who scores great goals.

By the time he came to Everton, Benitez was already finished as a manager. It is symptomatic of how dysfunctional the club was that we hired him.

Terrible man manager, rigid defensive tactics, a power-obsessed bully who wanted control of all aspects of the club, He sold, sacked or forced out anyone who disagreed with him and created a toxic culture that took a long time to recover from.

After leaving Everton, his only managerial job was Celta Vigo where he didn't survive his first season, leaving the club sitting two points from the relegation zone. Sound familiar?

Sorry to hurt your feelings. BTW, I thought that the signing of Townsend at the time!

Under Benitez (and then Dyche) we seemed to have an aversion to incorporating anyone with actual footballing talent, preferring runners or 'reliability'. Townsend was a bit of a happy medium, and therefore we got to see an actual footballer. Which was good at times.

Andros is alright in my book. It's not at all surprising no-one wanted him... who saw that transfer and thought "yes, we've found one!"?

Shame about the injury. He had a bit to offer.

As for criticism of posting this... no, I don't get it. It's interesting.

Benitez had a very thick skin, he was hated and not wanted by the fans at Chelsea but turned then round and won a real European trophy for them, he still lived on Merseyside so Everton suited him at the time although he was warned by those close to him not to take the job but he truly believed he could get Everton back on it’s feet again but was let down by broken promises.

I have been having a sensible debate with a friend who doesn’t share my views, away from ToffeeWeb, Robert, and he makes some very fair and good points.

He has skirted around the question I asked him that if Liverpool, banned Israeli fans, (he’s a red) would he have a problem with this, or would he still attend?

My own view is that I definitely would not attend, if Everton, were lucky enough to be in Europe, and came to the same decision as Villa, because I don’t believe you should ever mix politics with sport.

In hindsight, we should definitely have kept Digne.

I can't believe the utter rubbish mentioned on here about Rondon. He is one of the worst players ever seen in a blue shirt. He couldn't even run and bled us £60k per week for 2 years. Benitez brought him on an old pals act routine and his sacking was justified on that basis alone.

Low points? I travelled away to Norwich who I think hadn't scored and were bottom and, with Rondon in the team, we had 10 men and couldn't compete. I need to take some pills because the mere mention of his name makes my blood boil.

Your excellent post completely nails the fact that Benitez was past it. That should have been the only consideration -- he was finished.

Andros Townsend was a decent player and seems to be a decent fella also.