WHAT a difference a year makes. Exactly 12 months ago today, Rafael Benitez was edging precariously close to an Anfield exit after exposing the discontent behind the scenes by informing everyone he was merely concentrating on coaching and training his team.

Now the Liverpool manager finds himself in a much stronger position, with talks concerning a new contract having started and his team enjoying their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign while well placed in the Champions League.

There is one aspect that hasn’t changed, however.

Benitez continues to eschew waxing lyrical over his players, instead concentrating on the coaching and training of a squad that has given genuine hope of ending a championship drought that stretches back to 1990.

Asked about his continued reluctance to drum up Liverpool’s title chances, Benitez says: “It has to be like this. It’s very difficult to win the league and to win every competition.

“You have to think about my idea. One game at a time. It’s the only way. If you talk too much, you lose energy. It’s better to concentrate on winning.

“It’s a better situation than 12 months ago, clearly. Everything is better.

“The most important thing is to win games. We are at the top of the table, in a good position in the Champions League, so it’s a much better position overall.”

Liverpool will look to keep pace with Chelsea at the top of the table when they host Fulham this afternoon.

It begins an inviting month of Premier League fixtures for the Anfield outfit before the December 21 visit to Arsenal, with Benitez’s side also hosting West Ham United and Hull City and travelling to Blackburn Rovers.

“When you are at the top of the table each game is really important,” says Benitez. “Just one point can be a massive difference because we are in a very good position with enough confidence and playing well, I don’t think we will lose too many games, touching wood.

“The team has quality the depth of the squad is for me good enough to win games. We will lose some games maybe but we should be in a good position come Christmas.”

However, Liverpool have become notorious for dropping easy points during this time of the season.

And Benitez adds: “This year we have to change that. People are talking about winnable games that we have coming up, and we have to show that they are winnable. We have to respect all the other teams and try to do things in the way that we are doing now.

“It’s an important period for us. We had some problems during this period in the past for various reasons. Now, I think the situation is good so we have to keep on doing the right things properly and we will keep on winning games. I have no doubt about this.”

Liverpool will be without the injured Steven Gerrard this afternoon, the Anfield skipper absent with the groin problem that ruled him out of England’s midweek friendly in Germany.

Benitez’s side drew at Aston Villa and beat Manchester United in the only two league games Gerrard has failed to start this season.