Benitez given ‘full support’ by Everton as team flounders

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Rafa Benitez has been given the “full support” of Everton’s board amid a drastic downturn in the team’s results in the Premier League. The backing comes on the day Everton hosts Arsenal as the team looks to bounce back after failing to win any of its last eight games in the league. That run has dropped the team to 16th place and just five points above the relegation zone. The club’s director of football hasn’t survived though. Everton says Marcel Brands “has left his post” after 3 1/2 years at Goodison Park during which time he oversaw an outlay of close to 300 million pounds ($400 million) on signings.