Rafael Benitez vowed to fight on as Liverpool manager despite the club’s season hitting a new low this week. His team crashed out of the FA Cup to Reading on Wednesday to increase even more pressure on the Spaniard.
Liverpool’s faltering season has already seen them exit the Champions League at the group stage — the first time that has happened since Benitez took over, drop out of the Premier League title fall behind in the race and fall behind in the running for a top-four place.
Co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are not minded to make a change of manager midway through the season and in the wake of the Reading defeat club sources have stressed Benitez’s job is safe.
“We are not playing well and everyone here feels sorry for our fans,” said Benitez, who insists he is focusing all his efforts on tomorrow’s must-win match at Stoke.
“This is a bad moment, we are not doing well during the season and we know have to improve and we have the belief we can do it. How can we improve? Winning on the pitch. How can we be sure we win on the pitch? By training well.
“If I am worried about my position or the future of the club at this moment I will lose my focus. Stoke is the most important game now and we have to prepare properly.
“I cannot be worried about the other things. My future is Stoke now.”
Benitez, who signed a new long-term deal last year, stressed he is a fighter and is determined to get through Liverpool’s recent difficulties.
“It is true I like to do my best every time. If I decided to stay here and signed a five-year contract it is because I wanted to fight,” he added.
“Things are not going well, we know, but if I waste my time talking about all these things (speculation about his future) all the time I will lose my focus and it will be worse and worse.
“I don’t need any assurances of anything. I promise you I am preparing for the next game and, in football, things can change the next week.”
Benitez played down all the speculation about his future at Anfield in the wake of the Reading defeat, with the likes of Guus Hiddink and Birmingham’s Alex McLeish among the latest managers to be linked with his job.
“I didn’t read the press, I didn’t watch the TV or listen to the radio I was just trying to prepare for the [Stoke] game,” he said. “The only way to improve and help my team is to prepare for the game properly.”
One player who will not be involved against Stoke is forward Ryan Babel, who has been dropped from the match squad — a decision he chose to announce on his Twitter page.
Despite Benitez’s suggestions that he wants to keep the Holland international he will be sold if Liverpool receive the right offer.
“When you have problems everyone has a different reaction,” said the manager. “It is more than just football; agents, money, TV, radios and internet everyone needs to talk — everyone has a Twitter or something like that.
“It is impossible to stop people talking, it is not like in the past.”
But the Reds boss hopes the addition of Argentina international Maxi Rodriguez from Atletico Madrid this week will give the squad a lift.
“Now at this moment we are in the race and when you are in the race you cannot be complaining too much,” he said. “You have to do your best and do as well as possible.
“We have to start winning against Stoke. We have to be positive and if we win against Stoke and Tottenham (next Wednesday) we will be closer to the top four.
“Hopefully Maxi, who is a new player with some experience, can help and improve competition. We will try to do something more in this transfer window but if we cannot we have to stick together and be ready for the next challenge.”