Rafa launches five-year plan for Liverpool

Rafael Benitez on Thursday began work on a five-year plan aimed at re-establishing Liverpool as the dominant force in English football after finally ending months of uncertainty over his future.

A rush of new deals for key players, possibly including skipper Steven Gerrard, are expected to follow in the wake of Benitez's decision to commit himself to the club until 2014 by signing a new contract that gives him substantially enhanced influence over player contracts and transfers.

The move ended nearly six months of difficult negotiations during which Liverpool's long-serving chief executive, Rick Parry, announced that he would leave his post at the end of this season, having apparently lost a power battle with Benitez.

Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, had been reluctant to hand Benitez the sweeping powers he had demanded over almost every aspect of the club's business.

But Benitez's position has been greatly strengthened by this month's back-to-back thrashings of Real Madrid, in the Champions League, and Manchester United.

The latter victory has reignited hopes that Liverpool could yet claim their first English title since 1990. It also underlined that, when Benitez has all his first-choice players available, he can field a starting XI as strong as any in Europe.

Liverpool cannot however match United in terms of strength in depth, a fact that was underlined as injuries to Gerrard and Torres contributed to them surrendering their lead at the top of the Premier League earlier this year.

With his own future now decided, Benitez's top priority will be to ensure that he has the Gerrard-Torres axis at his disposal for the remainder of his time at Anfield.

Although Torres, who turns 25 on Friday, is under contract until 2013, Gerrard, 28, has only just over two years left on his current deal.

Another key member of Benitez's squad, Dutch forward Dirk Kuyt, admitted recently that he had been advised to wait until the manager's future was resolved before opening negotiations on a new deal.

Benitez's future was also seen as being linked to those of goalkeeper Jose Reina and right-back Alvaro Arbeloa and the manager will also be keen to see the uncertainty over the future of Danish defender Daniel Agger ended.

"My priority now is to do the deals for my staff and for the players who will be important for this club in the future," Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.

"We want to improve in all departments -- the squad, the mentality, everything that we possibly can."

Benitez's falling-out with Parry had its roots in last year's failed bid to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. Whether that is resurrected at the end of this season could depend on whether Villa manage to make the Champions League themselves, although another midfielder may not be top of Benitez's priorities.

Xabi Alonso, who was to be sold to fund the Barry acquisition, has been outstanding this season and Benitez knows he must add at least one more striker after off-loading Robbie Keane back to Tottenham. With Benitez's former club Valencia apparently now willing to sell David Villa, what price an expansion of the Spanish colony at Anfield?

Had he opted to quit Liverpool at the end of this season, Benitez would have not been short of offers and he has frequently been courted by Real Madrid, the club where he started his coaching career.

But with his family settled on Merseyside, he said he was committed to finishing the job he started after joining from Valencia in 2004.

"It is my aim to uphold those values and help create a new chapter in our history."





Part of Compania Church is reflected in a mirror in Quito, Ecuador, on March 15. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja

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