Failure to win the Champions League was not supposed to be an option, but Rafa Benitez can start planning for next season after becoming an improbable winner in the unseemly saga of boardroom bickering at Anfield.
After alienating owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett earlier this season by agitating over transfer funds, the Liverpool manager had been left in little doubt that he needed to conquer Europe in order to beat the sack.
Even a second European Cup in four years might not have been enough to dispel the doubts, given Hicks' remarkable public admission that Jurgen Klinsmann had been approached about taking over.
Benitez appeared to be on borrowed time but nearly five months on, the sight of Hicks scurrying around trying to raise money for the latest list of transfers, underlines a dramatic shift of emphasis.
Hicks' bitter fall-out with Gillett has handed Benitez an unlikely reprieve, with the 62-year-old Texan desperate to cling to power and convinced that siding with the ever-popular Spaniard is the best way to do it.
It was never more evident than at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, when Hicks strode into the dressing room after Liverpool's semi-final defeat, draped an arm round Benitez and drawled: "Good job, boys. You were real unlucky."
Although Dubai International Capital's take-over ambitions continue to cast a worrying shadow, Benitez can be sure the inability of Hicks and Gillett to agree on anything will extend to any suggestion of axing him.
There remains a hankering within the boardroom for a manager such as Jose Mourinho or Sven Goran Eriksson, but Benitez looks likely to stay at least another season and has pinpointed areas that need attention for another tilt at the Champions League.
With Borussia Dortmund right back Phillip Degan set to arrive at Anfield on a free transfer, Benitez is turning his sights to a right-sided midfielder and top-class strike partner for Fernando Torres.
Blackburn's David Bentley and lightning-quick Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon are leading candidates for the midfield role, while Benitez is considering Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones up front and could even join an all-star cast closing in on Valencia's David Villa.
Tottenham have indicated their willingness to meet a £16million asking price, while Real Madrid and Chelsea have also been alerted to Valencia's growing cash crisis.
The bidding may rise beyond Liverpool's means but the prospect of an all-Spain strike force of Torres and Villa appeals strongly.
He may struggle to match last summer's outlay on Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun, but he is ready to increase his spending power by cashing in on Peter Crouch and Xabi Alonso and listening to offers for Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant.
Portsmouth are in pole position for Crouch, whose failure to play any part in the return leg with Chelsea could prove the final straw, while Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to monitor Alonso's availability.
Legendary Barcelona midfielder Pepe Guardiola's likely promotion from reserve team boss to a more senior coaching role could give them the edge for Alonso, whose departure may well clear the way for Gareth Barry's £12m arrival from Aston Villa.
After Liverpool's extra-time defeat, Javier Mascherano claimed they could be primed for an overdue assault on the Barclays Premier League title, if there is no repeat of this season's faltering start.
"We have gone really well in Europe and the Premier League over the past two months," he said. "Now we must make sure that form is repeated from the beginning of next season."
After alienating owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett earlier this season by agitating over transfer funds, the Liverpool manager had been left in little doubt that he needed to conquer Europe in order to beat the sack.
Even a second European Cup in four years might not have been enough to dispel the doubts, given Hicks' remarkable public admission that Jurgen Klinsmann had been approached about taking over.
Benitez appeared to be on borrowed time but nearly five months on, the sight of Hicks scurrying around trying to raise money for the latest list of transfers, underlines a dramatic shift of emphasis.
Hicks' bitter fall-out with Gillett has handed Benitez an unlikely reprieve, with the 62-year-old Texan desperate to cling to power and convinced that siding with the ever-popular Spaniard is the best way to do it.
It was never more evident than at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, when Hicks strode into the dressing room after Liverpool's semi-final defeat, draped an arm round Benitez and drawled: "Good job, boys. You were real unlucky."
Although Dubai International Capital's take-over ambitions continue to cast a worrying shadow, Benitez can be sure the inability of Hicks and Gillett to agree on anything will extend to any suggestion of axing him.
There remains a hankering within the boardroom for a manager such as Jose Mourinho or Sven Goran Eriksson, but Benitez looks likely to stay at least another season and has pinpointed areas that need attention for another tilt at the Champions League.
With Borussia Dortmund right back Phillip Degan set to arrive at Anfield on a free transfer, Benitez is turning his sights to a right-sided midfielder and top-class strike partner for Fernando Torres.
Blackburn's David Bentley and lightning-quick Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon are leading candidates for the midfield role, while Benitez is considering Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones up front and could even join an all-star cast closing in on Valencia's David Villa.
Tottenham have indicated their willingness to meet a £16million asking price, while Real Madrid and Chelsea have also been alerted to Valencia's growing cash crisis.
The bidding may rise beyond Liverpool's means but the prospect of an all-Spain strike force of Torres and Villa appeals strongly.
He may struggle to match last summer's outlay on Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun, but he is ready to increase his spending power by cashing in on Peter Crouch and Xabi Alonso and listening to offers for Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant.
Portsmouth are in pole position for Crouch, whose failure to play any part in the return leg with Chelsea could prove the final straw, while Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to monitor Alonso's availability.
Legendary Barcelona midfielder Pepe Guardiola's likely promotion from reserve team boss to a more senior coaching role could give them the edge for Alonso, whose departure may well clear the way for Gareth Barry's £12m arrival from Aston Villa.
After Liverpool's extra-time defeat, Javier Mascherano claimed they could be primed for an overdue assault on the Barclays Premier League title, if there is no repeat of this season's faltering start.
"We have gone really well in Europe and the Premier League over the past two months," he said. "Now we must make sure that form is repeated from the beginning of next season."
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