Embattled Sam Allardyce has an unlikely ally in Rafa Benitez ahead of Newcastle's visit to Everton

However, Benitez has backed Allardyce over Everton’s decision to ask fans to rate their manager.

In Benitez’s view, it was a “massive mistake”.

A number of supporters were sent a questionaire which asked them to rate Allardyce’s performance.

An angry Allardyce, under pressure at Goodison Park ahead of Monday night’s game against Newcastle United, labelled it a “marketing slip-up”.

And Benitez said: “It was a massive mistake.

“I don’t agree with him on a lot of things, but on this one it’s obvious it was a mistake.

“You cannot be talking about that, especially when things are not going so well. It makes no sense.”

Asked by journalists to rate himself out of 10, Allardyce – who had an eight-month spell in charge of Newcastle – jokingly said “11”.

Benitez would not rate his own performance at St James’s Park.

Newcastle’s manager said: “I wouldn’t do it!

“It depends on you. It depends on th target you have, the tools you have to achieve your objectives. Everyone is different.

“Any owner might say ‘you have to do this and I will give you that’. You can be the best manager in the role if you achieve what he wants to achieve.

“I don’t know what his targets were. He knows what he has.

“In this case, we’re happy with the things we are doing and there have been two successful years and we will try to do even better if we can.”