Joe Cole insists Everton’s decision to hire Benitez was a ‘bad one’ and says gap to Liverpool ‘huge’

Joe Cole insists something ‘doesn’t sit right’ between Rafael Benitez and Everton after they fell to a thumping 4-1 defeat in the Merseyside derby. 

Liverpool‘s star forward Mohamed Salah netted twice while Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota were also on the scoresheet as the Toffees suffered their biggest home derby loss in 39 years.

Everton fans – who showed their ire towards the players during Sunday’s defeat at Brentford – were seen leaving Goodison Park after just 20 minutes of the derby, therefore missing Demarai Gray’s strike in the 38th minute.

Joe Cole (left) insists something ‘doesn’t sit right’ between Rafael Benitez (right) and Everton

The Toffees suffered their biggest home Merseyside derby loss in 39 years on Wednesday

But it counted for little as two further second-half goals for the Reds saw the Toffees extend their winless run to eight games and pile further pressure on Spanish boss Benitez.

And former Reds midfielder Cole – speaking during the first half of their defeat – believes the decision to appoint Liverpool ‘legend’ Benitez was a ‘bad one’, as he also slammed the club’s recruitment over the past decade.

‘I feel Rafael Benitez at Everton doesn’t sit right,’ Cole told Amazon Prime Video.

‘They have hit a bump in the road and for fans to be leaving after 20 mins shows for me whoever made that decision to bring him in, it is a bad one. 

Jordan Henderson opened the scoring for Liverpool as they hit four past their rivals

Mohamed Salah then doubled Liverpool’s lead after a swift counter from the visitors

‘Rafa is such a legend at Liverpool. I feel for the fans because the money that has been spent on this club over the last 10 years, they should be in a better position than they are. 

‘Players and managers over the years have to take responsibility, but equally the recruitment has not been good enough. 

‘This looks like the gap between Liverpool and Everton is huge.’

Fans once again voiced their anger and some even left the stadium after 20 minutes

They therefore missed Demarai Gray halving the deficit seven minutes before half-time

Everton – who went into the derby on a seven-game winless streak – went behind in the ninth minute when Henderson brilliantly converted Andy Robertson’s cut-back with his left foot.

A quick Reds break then saw Salah double the lead inside 20 minutes, but Gray brought the Toffees back into it after hitting an effort under Alisson. 

However, Seamus Coleman’s error then allowed Egyptian Salah – who only finished seventh in this week’s Ballon d’Or – to net his second of the game before Jota added further gloss with a rifled strike from a tight angle.

But Egyptian Salah pounced on Seamus Coleman’s error to restore Reds’ two-goal advantage

Diogo Jota (right) then wrapped up the points with a fine rifled finish from a tight angle