What to make of Brands not speaking about Benitez appointment

*UPDATE*

Marcel Brands has now spoken about Rafael Benitez’s appointment as Everton manager - you can read what he had to say here.

It has been a poorly kept secret for a few days now that Rafa Benitez was soon going to be confirmed as Everton’s new manager.

That official announcement came out today, with the club saying that he had signed a three-year deal to take over at Goodison Park. In the news article to announce the signing on the club website, there were snippets of comments from the new manager, the majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and the club chairman Bill Kenwright.

What was glaring in its omission however was any words, however perfunctory, from Director of Football Marcel Brands. There had been rumours going around that Benitez was not Brands’ choice of candidate for the Everton manager, but that Moshiri was backing the former Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan man to take over.

Considering the two would have to work together very closely, it certainly does seem odd that Brands would not say anything to evertontv for publication. We likely would not have made too much of a deal of it but Benitez’s own comments about Brands during his first interview came off as somewhat aloof as well.

“I worked in Spain for years with a Director of Football. Marcel is a professional. I am a professional. We will work together, we will keep talking, having meetings to talk about the Club’s idea, what we have to do in the future, about players.

“The communication between us has to be fluent and we will be talking with each other all the time. I am really pleased with that [the structure].

“I have already been in contact with him. I have the plan [for Everton’s summer transfer business].”

Especially the line about the two both being professionals - why would that even come up unless there has already been some sort of tension, either between the two or with Benitez working under a Director of Football in general?

Per Sky Sports, Brands wasn’t at Finch Farm as he is currently quarantining following some international travel - however, it’s still slightly strange that he couldn’t shoot off an email or add some comments via text or even a phone call.

Brands recently signed a new three-year extension as his original three-year term was coming to an end while Carlo Ancelotti was still in charge, so for the immediate future he is still going to be here but how the Blues’ summer transfer window pans out will be a good indicator of how well the pair are working together.

More to come on this, we feel.