IF Rafael Benitez really is contemplating leaving Liverpool at the end of the season for the lucrative but precarious hot-seat at Real Madrid, then he couldn’t possibly have written a better application than the performance which engulfed the prestigious Madrilenos on Tuesday night.

Widely criticised both at home and abroad for his negative approach to the game, the Rafatollah produced the greatest surprise since Michael Douglas pulled Catherine Zeta-Jones by sending out his team to produce a blistering attacking first half the like of which hasn’t been seen at Anfield for several years.

While every fan, coach, pundit and Kop pigeon were expecting a cagey, tactical approach designed to lure Madrid into exposing themselves to rapid counter-attacks, instead Benitez sent out his team to launch a crushing onslaught which effectively ended the tie in the first half-hour.

Playing football at a level few fans would have thought possible given recent displays, the passing and movement was dizzying at times, playing one-twos and triangles that are only usually seen in the pre-match warm-up routine, which then mysteriously vanish from the players’ memories once the whistle blows.

Ironically some fans and pundits sought to use the manager’s terrific achievement as a stick to beat him with. Why can’t we play like this every week? Why is Rafa normally so cautious?

Surely if he let the players off the leash we would destroy the likes of Stoke and Hull, against whom we’ve stumbled so badly this season?

While it’s hard to deny that Rafa is not exactly the patron saint of attacking football, it would be practically impossible to play at that level and pace over the course of a whole season. Several players were out on their feet at the end of Tuesday night, and a whole season of that would necessitate a squad of around 76 to cope with the physical demands; squad rotation would reach Catherine Wheel proportions.

Premier League sides generally also adopt a more pressing style designed to disrupt the flow of the opposition, never more so than against the ‘Big Four’. And of course, it helps to be 1-0 up before the game even starts. So, while a tad more adventure would very definitely be welcome, it would be naive to expect this sort of performance every week.

The overwhelming reaction to Tuesday’s festival should not be to dwell on what might have been, but rather to relish the sheer joy that these nights can bring.

The sight of Gerrard and Torres in full cry is enough to stir the emotions of the most stoical observer, their individual and collective contributions of the highest order.

With these two in the side, we’ve always got a chance against any opposition; and on this form, not many will be able to survive.

The excellence of Mascherano and Alonso in midfield, destructive and constructive in equal parts, and the resilience of Carragher and Skrtel at the back, proved that we have a spine to match any in Europe, never mind the Premier League. And on this occasion, the full-backs and wide attackers joined in the general élan, providing width and space to exploit the Real defences.

And as expected, the fans threw off their own recent torpor to produce a display of fervent support, and heart- warming appreciation of the standing of their opponents in the history of the game.

On nights like these, you feel incredibly lucky to have been born a Red. Whether Rafa leaves sooner or later, we should never forget that he’s given us more than our fair share over the last five years.