OCTOBER 30
Sorry Rafa

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez has received an apology from his board following the anonymous attack on his management.

However, it has emerged the culprit has still not identified himself to the manager, nor shown any remorse for the comments which caused such embarrassment.

Benitez today thanked the Anfield hierarchy and supporters for their backing during Saturday's rampant 3-1 win over Aston Villa.

A section of The Kop sang Benitez's name throughout the game.

"People asked me if I was thinking about my future, but when I decided to come here and renew my contract when other clubs were asking about me, it was the same situation as now," said Benitez today.

"My determination remains to win lots of trophies here and build a strong team for the future.

"When you hear people talk about the value of my squad, it's triple what it was when we arrived.

"It's clear we have a better team and I'm really happy here. When you hear the support on Saturday, it means I'm in the right place.

"I didn't speak to the chairman on Saturday, but I know he is supporting me and I say to the chairman, Rick Parry and the board thank you because it's good to hear things like this.

"I know they were really worried about what happened, but I know I have their support. They are happy with the way we are working.

"It was one of our best performances of the season, but in this case it was satisfying because people have been talking and talking.

"If you play well, score goals and see that kind of commitment you must be happy.

"We already had a good record at home, which people have forgotten because of our form away."

OCTOBER 28
Rafa: I'm really happy at Liverpool

By Mark Platt - LFC Official Website

Rafael Benitez is refusing to push the panic button amid reported criticism from an Anfield board member and has put worried Liverpudlian minds at ease by insisting: "I'm really happy at Liverpool."

Responding to comments published in a national newspaper on Friday the Liverpool boss acknowledges the Reds have experienced a difficult start to the season.

But he's keen to stress that the current situation the team find themselves in – 11th in the Premiership and without a league win the end of last month – must be kept in perspective when his overall managerial record since arriving on Merseyside is analysed.

"I'm really happy at Liverpool and I know in football each week is different. I said the same last season when we were winning lots of games and it's the same now. In football now people have short memories and it's difficult to control this," says Benitez.

"There is so much media, with newspapers, television and radio. It's easy to talk and you don't like to see these things, but when you are a manager you need to think about your team.

"In football, and in life nowadays, we are all in a hurry. Everything changes by the minute and people forget things very quickly, but we must keep a perspective on everything.

"I don't remember people talking about rotation when we were beating Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea or Milan. And last season, when we won 11 games in a row, people were not talking about Steven Gerrard playing on the right side. They were happy.

"Manchester United went 26 seasons without winning the league, and at Valencia it was 31 years. You need to have perspective and analyse the situation. You can improve a lot, but if the other teams are improving as well then it is more difficult. The important thing is that you know which is the right way and for me to have confidence in my players.

"When you haven't won the most important trophies for years it is normal there will be expectation. But we won the Champions' League and something changed. Because we won that, and the Super Cup and FA Cup the next year, all of us were waiting to be contenders for the Premiership. We have started badly, but we will improve by working harder."

MAY 29
Rafa signs

By Al Campbell - LFC Online

Rafael Benitez has put pen to paper on a new four year contract.

It was anounced that Rafael Benitez would be signing a new contract with Liverpool before the Reds played Fulham at Anfield back in March and last night the Liverpool boss officially signed the new four year contract.

Benitez's new contract will end speculation linking the Spaniard with Real Madrid.

MARCH 16
Happy Rafa commits to Reds

TEAMtalk

Rafael Benitez says he has not yet signed a new Liverpool contract but has confirmed his commitment by insisiting: "It's clear that I'm staying."

The Spaniard has been linked with moves to both Inter Milan and Real Madrid in recent weeks but speculation mounted on Wednesday that he had in fact put pen to paper on a new long-term Anfield contract.

Benitez, revelling in Liverpool's 5-1 destruction of Fulham, was initially cagey on the rumours but on Thursday, he left Reds fans in no doubt as to where his loyalties lie.

He told the club's website: "It's clear that I'm staying at Liverpool

"I want to thank the fans, the chief executive and the board for their support. I'm happy here and I'm staying.

"I am very happy here and I want to win a lot more trophies with Liverpool. My relationship with the fans and the people at the club is fantastic.

"We will try to finish second this season then look to try and win the Premiership next season. It won't be easy but we will try to sign the best players and continue to work hard with a clear idea of winning more trophies.

He added: "The board have the same ideas as me and I haven't made any demands. They know we need to improve and we will continue to work hard. Can we win the Premiership next season? Well, it depends on Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and maybe Tottenham but we will try.

"When I decided to come to Liverpool I knew it was a big club, one of the biggest in the world that was capable of fighting for trophies."

MARCH 16
Benitez joy at cash vow

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafa Benitez has commited his future to Liverpool after being guaranteed significant funds to rebuild his squad this summer.

Benitez held crunch talks with the Anfield board earlier this week, when he was convinced he would be provided with the resources he needs to challenge Chelsea for the Premiership in the seasons ahead.

A one-year-extension to his current deal has been widely reported but not yet signed. But it would be a symbolic gesture which eradicates Liverpool's genuine fears of losing their manager.

Both Inter Milan and Real Madrid made direct contract with Benitez's representative during the last month, and as late as last weekend the Anfield boss was keeping his options open until he spoke to the Anfield hierarchy.

Liverpool's guarantees to Benitez show how seriously the club considered the threat of losing Benitez, but how much work they've done behind the scenes in the last few weeks to ensure the manager will have the funds he requires.

Benitez and his coaching team have now been reassured about the future of the club and a summer of turmoil has been avoided.

Liverpool are not in a position to announce full details of their financial plans yet, but they confirmed at last month's AGM progress was being made in their pursuit of investment.

The ECHO understands the club is extremely close to securing the multi-million pound deal it needs in order to safeguard the future of the Stanley Park project and provide a transfer kitty for the manager.

They've been told a £10m grant from the North West Development Agency to regenerate the area around a new stadium will be withdrawn if Liverpool don't prove they have the private capital to pay for the £160m venue.

FEBRUARY 25
Benitez happy at Anfield

Sporting Life

Rafael Benitez's agent insists the Liverpool manager has no intention of leaving the club at the end of the season despite being linked with the Real Madrid job.

Juan Ramon Lopez Caro has been given the job as Real coach until the end of the campaign and the Spanish giants are in the process of assessing potential candidates to take over in the summer.

But despite a story in Spanish newspaper Marca on Saturday linking Benitez with the job, his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon insists he has yet to be approached.

"Yes, I have seen Marca's front page," he said.

"I'm not sure if Real Madrid are interested in Benitez but I do know that they haven't made an offer."

Benitez is a former Real youth coach and does hope to one day return to the Bernabeu, but his agent confirmed the 45-year-old is happy to stay at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

"He has three years left on his contract," added Garcia Quilon.

"He's very happy at Liverpool because he has received very good treatment from the club and the fans, and his intention is to continue to improve on the project he started when he joined them."

Benitez guided Liverpool to European glory last year in his first season in charge, becoming the first coach to win the UEFA Cup and Champions League in successive seasons with different clubs.

The former Valencia coach began his coaching career with Madrid in 1986, progressing through the youth ranks and briefly working as the first-team's assistant coach before leaving for Real Valladolid in 1995.

FEBRUARY 7
Benitez bags top honour at awards ceremony

By David Prentice And Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Rafael Benitez paid tribute to the Liverpool fans, players and staff after being voted Merseyside's Sport Personality of the Year by ECHO readers last night.

Then he revealed that speaking to the star-studded audience at the city's Crowne Plaza Hotel was more difficult than his half-time team talk in Istanbul!

Benitez collected the evening's top award - from a shortlist which included footballers Tim Cahill and Steven Gerrard, Britain's top gymnast Beth Tweddle, rugby league's Man of Steel Jamie Lyon and golfing sensation Nick Dougherty.

Receiving the prize from ECHO sports editor John Thompson, he said: "I'm very proud to be here collecting this award.

"But speaking to this room is even more difficult for me than my half-time team-talk in Istanbul!

"I share this trophy with my wife, Montse, my staff and my players. Without them, I would not be here.

"There is a difference between the fans in Spain and here. In Valencia the fans were fantastic, but here it is different.

"Earlier in the evening, while I was sat here, a fan came over and told me that what we had done last year made him proud to be a Liverpool fan. That made me very proud.

"I'm proud to be the manager of Liverpool for our supporters."

Liverpool Football Club displayed the European Cup they claimed as their own in Istanbul as part of last night's ceremony.

And speaking about his ambition for the rest of the campaign, Benitez added: "I hope to see everyone again here again next year."

With confidence in his command of the English language growing, the Reds' boss even cracked a few jokes.

Asked by compere for the evening Clive Tyldesley whether his current Liverpool squad was better than last season's European Cup winners, he smiled and said: "I say what I always say with difficult questions. We have the mentality, we controlled the game and we look forward to the next match!

"But it would be nice for me to take my wife to Paris this spring . . . maybe on the club's expenses."

Benitez's only problem during a hugely successful evening was following the rapid-fire Scouse patter of guest speaker John Conteh - whose set brought the house down.

Rafa's right-hand man, Pako Ayesteran, accompanied his manager at the star-studded presentation, while Anfield legends Roger Hunt, Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan, Phil Thompson, John Aldridge, Ronnie Whelan, David Fairclough and Gary Gillespie were dotted around the room.

JANUARY 13
Benitez is top boss again

Rafael Benitez with his backroom staff.
   
TEAMtalk

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has won his second successive Barclays Premiership Manager of the Month award after a successful December.

Benitez's Reds side maintained a 100% record throughout the last month of 2005 to extend their winning Premiership run to 10 matches.

The European champions conceded just one goal as they beat Wigan, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Everton and West Brom in a month when they also reached the final of the Club World Championship.

The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.

The panel's Nic Gault said: "If this form continues, then the Anfield faithful will have plenty of reasons to paint the town red in 2006.

"Benitez's achievement of back-to-back wins throughout November and December is a massive achievement."

Benitez is the second successive back-to-back winner after Wigan's Paul Jewell scooped the prize in September and October.
 

Thor Zakariassen ©