English Premier League: Rafael Benitez has denied Liverpool's European predicament has created tension with the club's American owners and admitted yesterday he shares Tom Hicks's view that the Premier League title is a realistic expectation.
Hicks, the co-chairman, confirmed the exacting standards expected of Benitez 24 hours after Liverpool went bottom of their Champions League group by stressing that a first domestic title since 1990 was a reasonable request for the €57.4 million invested in the squad during the summer.
Rather than dispute the added pressure, however, the Liverpool manager agreed with the Texan billionaire's lofty ambition.
In a notable departure from recent public pronouncements Benitez accepted his team have disappointed of late and that the subsequent inquest into his own performance was inevitable.
Yet, with the relaxed air of a manager who can welcome back Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso for tomorrow's visit of Arsenal to Anfield, a critical home game in which a Liverpool victory would close the gap on the leaders to three points, the Spaniard said recent trials had not altered the club's pre-season aims.
"How can you change things when you are under pressure?" asked Benitez, who could lose Jermaine Pennant for an extended spell because of a stress fracture of the winger's shin. "You don't tell a player who keeps giving the ball away not to touch the ball, you keep training and working hard. That is what we must do.
"I was under pressure in my first season at Valencia and we won the title. Two years later I was under more pressure there and we won the title and the Uefa Cup. Maybe this year can be the same. I know people are talking but all I can do is stay focused on my job."
Benitez is in frequent contact with Hicks and his fellow co-chairman, George Gillett, along with Gillett's son and representative on the board, Foster Gillett, and is adamant the club's hierarchy are united in their ambition and their working relationship.
"He (Hicks) was trying to be supportive and that's okay," the manager added. "I will speak to him today or tomorrow. They might be at the game. I am in regular contact by email with Tom, George and Foster and it is not a problem. We email each other maybe three or four times a week.
"If I want something, or I have to explain something, then I get in contact and it's the same for them. We all think the same. We all want to win trophies. We want to win every trophy but the same is true of West Ham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and, for sure, Arsenal, Chelsea and United."
Torres and Alonso are "90 per cent sure" of being fit to face Arsenal, according to Benitez, who believes Arsene Wenger's side have not encountered the same calibre of opposition in their unbeaten start as Liverpool and that solitary front-runners, as opposed to last season's twin charge by Chelsea and Manchester United, will leave the title race open.
"I have confidence we will beat Arsenal and be only three points behind. If we cannot do it on Sunday, then it is a long, long race and we will need to keep going," Benitez added. "We are not playing at our level but we are improving. In the last three games we have shown character and we have improved and now we have Stevie (Gerrard) playing much better, Xabi, (Fabio) Aurelio, (Alvaro) Arbeloa and Torres coming back, plus (Daniel)] Agger in another 15 days. It will be better."
However, his diminishing casualty list may be offset by a diagnosis on Pennant's shin injury which requires surgery on a stress fracture of his right tibia and faces 10 weeks on the sidelines.
The winger limped out of Liverpool's Champions League defeat at Besiktas on Wednesday night and the club last night confirmed he had been carrying a problem for almost the whole of this season.
He will go under the knife this weekend. Club spokesman Ian Cotton said on the club website, www.liverpoolfc.tv: "For the last eight weeks Jermaine has undergone intensive treatment at Melwood between matches for the injury.
"But following an acute exacerbation of the problem during the game against Besiktas, it has now been decided he requires surgery.
"We anticipate Jermaine will be out for approximately 10 weeks."
- Guardian Service
Liverpool v Arsenal Venue: Anfield Kick-off: 4.0, Sunday On TV: Sky Sports 1
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