Exclusive: Win The Title Or Go

Rafa Benitez has to win the Premier League title to save his job after co-owner George Gillett criticised the Liverpool manager.

Gillett let it be known on a rare visit to Merseyside last weekend that he blamed Benitez for Liverpool’s indifferent form.

He told Anfield insiders during his flying visit that he had been dismayed at Benitez’s recent attack on Sir Alex Ferguson – insisting that it had destabilised the club and given Manchester United greater incentive to retain their title. Gillett, who refuses to bow to Benitez’s demands for complete control over transfer policy before agreeing to a new four-year contract, also believes that the Liverpool boss likes to be constantly linked with other big jobs.

It’s one of the reasons, according to Gillett, why last season the club had talks with Jurgen Klinsmann. It was done, he says as a contingency measure in the growing fear that Benitez was going to move on.

Benitez ended up knocking back overtures from Real Madrid – the club closest to his heart – who Liverpool meet later this month in the Champions League.

There is talk once more of Benitez’s name being on a Bernabeu shortlist if former Spurs manager Juande Ramos doesn’t have his contract extended beyond the summer.

Gillett’s warring co-owner Tom Hicks is a Benitez supporter although it’s understood that he has also privately questioned some of his manager’s recent actions.

It was telling that he left Merseyside last week after his own visit to the club without finalising Benitez’s new contract.

And with the expectation having been at fever pitch amongst the red half of Merseyside about Liverpool collecting their first league title since 1990 there is now concern amongst some fans that Liverpool are imploding and that the manager who The Kop have idolised is losing the plot.

Against a potentially hostile background with Gillett’s anger growing with every Premier League point dropped it appears that only the first Liverpool title in 19 years could prevent Benitez being dumped five years after his arrival from Valencia.