When it came to recruitment, the articles are that Brands was chasing the right-back targets (fair enough).
Townsend and Rondon were pushed for by Benitez, who has also been pretty open in taking credit for the Gray signing. I'm not saying Brands was against the signings - they both have to sign off on them.
here's the excerpt in relation to that from Paul Joyce's article last week (which, I said at the time, read like a sycophantic love-in for Rafael)
Everton are fortunate that Benítez kept in touch with Townsend from his time on loan at Newcastle, as well as Rondon — who he worked with at Newcastle and Dalian Pro — and persuaded both to sign up. He also had the contacts to set up the deals for Gray and Begovic.
That Benítez has done so neatly turns the spotlight on the director of football, Marcel Brands, who is supposed to set the course in which the club is headed.
Much of the fall-out among supporters around the lack of signings has centred on Everton’s failed search for a right back to compete with the captain, Seamus Coleman.
Brands put forward names. He seemed preoccupied with the Holland international Denzel Dumfries, who moved to Inter Milan. Two failed bids were submitted for the Rangers teenager Nathan Patterson. There was also a push for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles, but Benítez was never keen on the England international.
