Benitez demands answers

SOCCER ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:MANAGER RAFAEL Benitez has called on Liverpool officials to "answer a lot of questions" about the future direction of the club.

The Spaniard has a meeting scheduled with new chairman Martin Broughton this week in which he expects to be given detailed information about what plans are being put in place for next season and beyond.

Broughton, the chairman of British Airways, has been brought in by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to oversee the sale of Liverpool but it has taken him nearly three weeks to schedule a meeting with Benitez.

That has not pleased the manager, who would like to stay at Anfield despite strong interest from Juventus, as the information he wants to hear could well decide whether he remains.

Benitez, 14 months into a five-year contract, wants an enhanced transfer budget this summer in order to bring in the five players he feels the club need to get them back into Champions League contention, never mind a title challenge.

“We have plenty of time in this season, I still have four years of my contract left and I still have to talk to the new chairman,” said the Spaniard.

“It (the meeting) is to talk about the future. Everyone is asking about my future but the future of the club is more important.

“Still I do not know what is going on in the club. I don’t know if we will have any investors so there are a lot of questions – not just, for me, one question.

“For me the club has to answer a lot of questions. It is very clear: we have to wait and see what is going on. The future is maybe tomorrow or maybe one week; at this moment it is something we don’t know.”

Benitez refused to clarify his future at the club after Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea which ended their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season.

But he expressed his frustration at the campaign which appears to be going on around him concerning his future.

He is unhappy about the way Juventus have publicly targeted him but also hinted there were maybe factors at work within Liverpool to try to force his hand.

“If I have a conversation with him (Broughton) we will try to keep it private,” said Benitez in his now-familiar cryptic style.

“At this point we have to concentrate on next Sunday’s game at Hull. There are too many rumours in the press and I know some people are just trying to create a mess.

“To be fair we were trying to our best last week, signing (Charlton teenager) Jonjo Shelvey because still we have the same mentality – to improve the club and do the best for the club.

“I try to do my best every day.” Benitez has received the backing of midfielder Yossi Benayoun, although the Israel international added to the uncertainty at Anfield by stating he did not know whether he would be around for the start of next season.

“When you are at a big club and things go bad, it is normal for the pressure to be put on the manager,” said Benayoun, who was linked with a move away in January.

“Rafa has done a great job and we are trying not to look at what has happened in the past. Rafa has proven himself, he is a big manager. The people above will make the right decisions.”

Benayoun admitted the squad were bitterly disappointed with the way the season had turned out, with early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup compounded by a failure to finish fourth.

But he stressed the off-field situation needed to be sorted sooner rather than later to bring some much-needed stability to the club.

“We have tried to do our best but it hasn’t been good enough,” said the midfielder who is 30 tomorrow and who has yet to decide his future.

“A club like Liverpool must do everything they can to keep players like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres but a lot of things can change and in a few weeks we will know better.”