Liverpool coach Mauricio Pellegrino has no doubts manager Rafa Benitez can handle the pressure of their current situation.

The first-team coach, who played under Benitez at Valencia and Liverpool, describes him as a man who stays calm amid the storm.

"Rafa has gained a lot of experience from his last clubs," Pellegrino told Liverpoolfc.tv. "Like everyone he encounters good moments and bad situations but he's always really calm - he's really calm when things are not the best.

"He keeps going and he convinces the rest of the people to keep going in the same way as always.

"Last season we were really close to winning the league. We got 86 points - and if you look at the last 20 years, this points total would have been enough to win 15 of them.

"So, this team can improve a lot - there is a huge amount we can still improve on, and we are in a difficult moment, but this team is working very hard. We need to win a couple of games and everything will change."