Rafael Benitez confident Everton can ride the storm despite poor results

Everton manager Rafael Benitez is under increasing pressure after a Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

Rafael Benitez took the job at Everton knowing he would be in for a tough time but even the savvy former Liverpool manager could not have expected his job to be under threat after less than four months.

However, a 4-1 Merseyside derby humbling extended their run without a win to eight matches – their worst sequence since 1999 – and only two points in that time has left the side in 14th place just five points above the bottom three.