The Spaniard's future has been a hot topic of debate following a spat with the club's owners and the revelation that Tom Hicks and George Gillett had sounded out Jurgen Klinsmann as an 'insurance policy'.

Reds captain Steven Gerrard told Setanta Sportsthat the situation was causing unrest and Benitez has since spoken to his players in a bid to get their focus back on the task of winning trophies.

"I sat down with the players to talk about the situation. I said it was important to train well and to concentrate on the matches," said Benitez.

"The solution is to work harder, to progress in the FA Cup and Champions League and try to finish high in The Premier League.

"We have two important cup competitions to progress in and that will be very important for the club in terms of money coming in.

"When I came here we talked of having to be contenders three years later. In those three years we won four trophies and have been in finals."