Rafael Benitez Has Only Added To The Managerial Confusion At Liverpool

Rafael Benitez's parting comments about Liverpool and who should replace him are extremely intriguing.

The new Inter Milan manager, who was released from his Liverpool contract with a £6 million pay-off a fortnight ago, outlined at his Inter unveiling that he believes Kenny Dalglish should be his successor. But does Benitez really mean it?

"I think they should look at Kenny Dalglish," he said. "He is the best man for the job. The owners should listen to the fans because they are unhappy.

"No one knows the club better than Dalglish and he would be perfect there. He wants the job and in my opinion should get it."

However, the internal wranglings at Anfield over the last 18 months mean the departed manager's words have to be treated with a note of caution.

It is no secret that Benitez and the Liverpool board could not stand the sight of each other towards the end of his tenure.

Benitez was as much to blame as anyone else for the poisonous atmosphere among the Liverpool hierachy as he could not resist becoming involved in the back-biting and walking through the uber-political minefield that is the Merseyside club at present.

Do not discount the possibility that Benitez's praise for King Kenny is one last dig at his previous employers.

The Liverpool board have made it clear that Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is their preferred candidate for the managerial position and, although Dalglish is a club legend, they do not consider he is the right man for the job.

However, there is an increasing clamour among the Reds' supporters for Dalglish to be put in charge - perhaps only in the interim - to try and steady the ship.

Benitez's comments are only likely to quicken the momentum behind the Dalglish campaign and put the Liverpool board in an even more difficult and unpopular position that it currently finds itself in.

To ignore Dalglish, particularly after the "endorsement" of the still popular Benitez, would simply prove to many fans that Liverpool do not listen or do not care about the wishes of their fans - and that is the last thing the club need at the moment.

He may have left Anfield and be in charge of the current Champions League winners, but it would appear that Benitez's ability to undermine and confuse matters on Merseyside remains as strong as ever.