Rafael Benitez knows that tonight's Champions League showdown with Arsenal will make or break both clubs' seasons.
But the Liverpool manager says that should his side lose, and see a campaign that started with such hope crumble into a meaningless meander, he can not be judged on this one roll of the dice.
The Spaniard claims to see a bigger picture emerging at Anfield, a subtle masterpiece in which his side are developing the winning mentality that made the club great in the 70s and 80s, but was lost in the wilderness years of the 1990s.
And Benitez believes that his own 'win at all costs' mindset, created during his 20 years at Real Madrid, is beginning to filter through to his current players.
The coach revealed that even when playing games with his young daughters Claudia and Agnetha, he cannot bring himself to let them win.
"I have always been like that since I was little myself. I hated to lose. Ask my wife. She says to me 'you never let the girls win at anything', and it is true," Benitez explained. "Maybe sometimes I let the little one win once, but with the older one I always try to win.
"I was 10 years as a player and 10 years as a coach in the Real Madrid system, and finishing second there wasn't enough.
"I think that is why I have that mentality always to win. I am not nervous about pressure, I am not worried about having to win because it is part of the job. And I think we are introducing the same mentality back to the players here, where they used to have it always of course."
Benitez recognises that tonight's Champions League encounter with Arsenal will consign one of the sides to a season of relative failure, and the resulting ridicule that failing to match preseason expectations will bring.
He knows that much was expected of Liverpool during this campaign, but should they be left with only fourth place in the league to aim at, then it would be his side's worst performance during his four-year reign at the club.
But he claims that would be the wrong way to look at things. He believes he is developing the current crop of Anfield players into winners who can emulate their illustrious predecessors.
"You have to look at the bigger picture. Of course, if you win the Champions League then people will say fantastic, you are going in the right direction. And if you lose then they will say it is bad, you are not progressing, but it is not like that. Our future doesn't depend purely on this one game. Win or lose we are still progressing, we are bringing young players into the side with a winning mentality, our young reserve team is winning and our future is strong.
"You can see we have a winning mentality. We have won cups, we have got to finals, we have shown in the Champions League we are a side who can beat the best teams and we are a side that is feared. "And I believe that mentality is growing stronger every year.
"It is hard when you cannot take on Manchester United and Chelsea in the transfer market, but it is a question of finding the right players with the right mentality. We have some players with a clear winning mentality. If we want to keep that, then we have to win more trophies."
Benitez offered a revealing insight into his own outlook when he looked back on the Real Madrid European final that had the most impact on him, as a supporter, player and coach of the club.
For all their nine triumphs in the European Cup, he remembers their defeat to Liverpool in the Paris final of 1981 the most - when Alan Kennedy gave the Reds a 1-0 win.
"I still have that game on Betamax tape. Liverpool ruined my day then because I hate to lose. I hate it. The Real team had players I grew up with and played alongside and it was a sad moment," he explained.
"The keeper was Augustin Rodriguez who made the mistake. After 20 years of always winning, always having to win, you have a mentality and that influences my work as a coach.
"Because of the history of this club, the winning mentality they always used to have, people say we have to win more.
"But we need to understand that after some years of not winning trophies we are clearly rebuilding that," he explained.
"I think we can introduce it again - we are introducing it again - you can see the hunger of some of the players now and that is the key.
"Every day we analyse everything and every small detail and keep pushing, pushing the players if they make mistakes.
"It is the only way we can compete against the money of Manchester United and Chelsea, and we are becoming winners again."
TONIGHT'S BIG MATCH ODDS
Liverpool are 4/7 favourites, with Arsenal 5/4. The Gunners are 4/1 to be awarded a penalty - a bet Arsene Wenger might not want to take after the last two controversial games! The bookies offer 5/1 that the game again ends in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.
But the Liverpool manager says that should his side lose, and see a campaign that started with such hope crumble into a meaningless meander, he can not be judged on this one roll of the dice.
The Spaniard claims to see a bigger picture emerging at Anfield, a subtle masterpiece in which his side are developing the winning mentality that made the club great in the 70s and 80s, but was lost in the wilderness years of the 1990s.
And Benitez believes that his own 'win at all costs' mindset, created during his 20 years at Real Madrid, is beginning to filter through to his current players.
The coach revealed that even when playing games with his young daughters Claudia and Agnetha, he cannot bring himself to let them win.
"I have always been like that since I was little myself. I hated to lose. Ask my wife. She says to me 'you never let the girls win at anything', and it is true," Benitez explained. "Maybe sometimes I let the little one win once, but with the older one I always try to win.
"I was 10 years as a player and 10 years as a coach in the Real Madrid system, and finishing second there wasn't enough.
"I think that is why I have that mentality always to win. I am not nervous about pressure, I am not worried about having to win because it is part of the job. And I think we are introducing the same mentality back to the players here, where they used to have it always of course."
Benitez recognises that tonight's Champions League encounter with Arsenal will consign one of the sides to a season of relative failure, and the resulting ridicule that failing to match preseason expectations will bring.
He knows that much was expected of Liverpool during this campaign, but should they be left with only fourth place in the league to aim at, then it would be his side's worst performance during his four-year reign at the club.
But he claims that would be the wrong way to look at things. He believes he is developing the current crop of Anfield players into winners who can emulate their illustrious predecessors.
"You have to look at the bigger picture. Of course, if you win the Champions League then people will say fantastic, you are going in the right direction. And if you lose then they will say it is bad, you are not progressing, but it is not like that. Our future doesn't depend purely on this one game. Win or lose we are still progressing, we are bringing young players into the side with a winning mentality, our young reserve team is winning and our future is strong.
"You can see we have a winning mentality. We have won cups, we have got to finals, we have shown in the Champions League we are a side who can beat the best teams and we are a side that is feared. "And I believe that mentality is growing stronger every year.
"It is hard when you cannot take on Manchester United and Chelsea in the transfer market, but it is a question of finding the right players with the right mentality. We have some players with a clear winning mentality. If we want to keep that, then we have to win more trophies."
Benitez offered a revealing insight into his own outlook when he looked back on the Real Madrid European final that had the most impact on him, as a supporter, player and coach of the club.
For all their nine triumphs in the European Cup, he remembers their defeat to Liverpool in the Paris final of 1981 the most - when Alan Kennedy gave the Reds a 1-0 win.
"I still have that game on Betamax tape. Liverpool ruined my day then because I hate to lose. I hate it. The Real team had players I grew up with and played alongside and it was a sad moment," he explained.
"The keeper was Augustin Rodriguez who made the mistake. After 20 years of always winning, always having to win, you have a mentality and that influences my work as a coach.
"Because of the history of this club, the winning mentality they always used to have, people say we have to win more.
"But we need to understand that after some years of not winning trophies we are clearly rebuilding that," he explained.
"I think we can introduce it again - we are introducing it again - you can see the hunger of some of the players now and that is the key.
"Every day we analyse everything and every small detail and keep pushing, pushing the players if they make mistakes.
"It is the only way we can compete against the money of Manchester United and Chelsea, and we are becoming winners again."
TONIGHT'S BIG MATCH ODDS
Liverpool are 4/7 favourites, with Arsenal 5/4. The Gunners are 4/1 to be awarded a penalty - a bet Arsene Wenger might not want to take after the last two controversial games! The bookies offer 5/1 that the game again ends in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.
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