Rafa Benitez vows to stay and fight for future at Liverpool

Jan 15 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ has vowed to stay on and fight for his Anfield future – as Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks publicly backed the Spaniard yesterday.

But there are still huge question marks over Benitez’s long-term stay at the club after co-owner Hicks admitted Liverpool HAD approached Jurgen Klinsmann to consider becoming the new manager.

The American confirmed reports in Saturday’s Daily Post that both he and fellow chairman George Gillett held talks with the German in November to discuss a potential job offer at Anfield.

Klinsmann is no longer an option after last week agreeing to take over at Bayern Munich in the summer.

However, Benitez’s role will come under even more scrutiny after the startling admission Liverpool were planning for his departure by the end of the season.

But the Spaniard’s agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon, yesterday underlined his client’s determination to continue at Anfield, with two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.

“Rafa wants to stay at Liverpool,” said Quillon. “He is happy with the club, with the supporters and with the city. He does not want to leave.”

Despite conceding Klinsmann was being lined up as a replacement, Hicks insists Benitez has enjoyed the full support of the Anfield hierarchy since their most recent face-to-face meeting on December 16.

“After George and I had our long and productive meeting with Rafa following the Man United match, we put all our issues behind us and received Rafa’s commitment that he wanted to stay with Liverpool,” said Hicks.

“We never reached agreement on an option with Jurgen, and we are both pleased for him that he has a great opportunity to return to Germany and coach a great club team.

“Rafa has both of our support, and our communication has greatly improved.

“Foster, Rick Parry and Rafa now have regular meetings at Melwood on Monday mornings.

“The two families always try to have a telephonic meeting on Monday afternoons, so we all are on the same page. We all want to win more games.”

Despite rumours circulating last night that Benitez had resigned – dismissed as “rubbish” by the club – relations have improved between the manager and the club’s owners in recent weeks, with the Americans confident enough in the Spaniard’s judgement to last week sanction the £6million transfer of centre-back Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg. But by going public over their level of interest in Klinsmann, Hicks has threatened to shatter the uneasy truce that has held between both parties.

Benitez will seek to avoid further increasing the pressure on his position by guiding Liverpool past Luton Town in their FA Cup third round replay at Anfield tonight.

And the manager believes his squad are still capable of lifting silverware this season.

“If we win against Luton then things will be easier, we can progress in this competition,” said Benitez.

“We have more confidence and the team is good enough for winning trophies this year if we keep progressing and have the confidence to score more goals.”

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road against the troubled Coca-Cola League One outfit, and Benitez added: “Against a small team that was playing for survival, it’s always more difficult. They were very, very physical and played well.

“When you play against a small team, the difference is to take your chances.

“If you don’t give them problems or kill the game, they will keep fighting until the end. I watched a replay of the game, and in the last minute their centre-forward Talbot was running up against Riise and Carragher and hadn’t stopped all game.

“That showed how important the game was for them.

“But we’re happy to have a replay rather than be one of the five or six Premier League teams who are out of the competition.”