Jurgen Klopp’s side crushed Everton 4-1 in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park to pile more pressure on Benitez, whose side have now collected just two points from the last 24 available in the Premier League.
Questions have been asked about Everton’s recruitment, with director of football Marcel Brands in the firing line, and Lawrenson thinks that there is more pressure on others at the club than there is on Benitez.
He is sure that Liverpool would feel the effect if they lost key players to injury as Everton have, but knows that Benitez cannot afford to keep losing games or he will earn the “Agent Rafa” tag.
“I honestly think people behind the scenes are under more pressure than Rafa”, Lawrenson said on LFC TV.
“But if he keeps losing then he will turn into ‘Agent Rafa’, won’t he? Which is obviously good for us.
“But he is a good manager and it was a tough decision for him to take the job, but if we are without our three best players, we’re not the same, even though we have bigger and better players in terms of the squad, we would not be the same, but we would still be a lot better than them; it’s just a lack of quality that they’ve got.”
Everton will try to change their fortunes on Monday night when they welcome Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to Goodison Park; the Toffees did the double over the Gunners in the league last season.
