Benitez deserves time to make new Liverpool era work

EDITORIAL: Another two points dropped for Liverpool, but Rafa Benitez can expect less scrutiny this week, despite the result at Blackburn Rovers.

Chelsea's defeat at Manchester City - their second in a matter of days - will keep the media pressure away from Anfield.

But the doubts remain over Benitez's long-term prospects. Even some of the Liverpool bootroom are turning on the manager, but for the board, sacking the Spaniard has to be a non-starter. And not because of the pay-out that would could from his recently signed contract.

This season should represent a complete new era for Liverpool. Some fans won't accept it, but it would be madness to show Benitez the door after his overhaul of the club's academy.

Unlike Arsene Wenger or Sir Alex Ferguson, we've never heard words from Benitez like 'we didn't move for Philippe Degen because we have Stephen Darby coming through' or 'we decided against Kyrgiakos because of Martin Kelly's progress'.

But such phrases should become a regular utterance from Benitez now that he is fully in charge of the Academy. The board has supported his demands for full control, allowed him to bring Frank McParland back to the club and appoint highly-rated Spanish coaches Rodolfo Borrell and Jose Segura to the backroom staff.

The club has backed Benitez's vision and he deserves time to see his plans succeed. His departure would mean ripping up the new setup and starting again.

But if another raft of mid-range players in the Kyrgiakos or Degen class were to arrive, then the board and fans would be right to ask Benitez if he is actually committed to his youth plan.