Next on the chopping block was Torres: “I have told him that he has to stop this [arguing with referees]. He knows he has to improve this aspect of his game. He has to be completely focused on his football…Sometimes it is not easy to deal with everything opponents do, but he knows he must deal with it in a different way.”

Then it was Steven Gerrard’s turn: “At a crucial moment, we gave away a penalty. We made too many mistakes at crucial times. It was a clear penalty. We have to be fair. Gerrard gave away the penalty. There were too many people involved. If you want to analyse the mistakes of each player, you would have to analyse a lot of things in the game. We are talking about some names, but clearly the team has to improve and it depends on the experienced players to take more responsibility”.

Though many can argue over Benitez’s observations: Babel must improve; Torres needs to stop moaning and Gerrard was to blame for the penalty. However, surely the professional and prudent thing to do was to criticise them behind closed doors.

Though this is highly ironic as it was Benitez’s inability to button his own lip during his rant at Alex Ferguson last season that prompted a run of 11 dropped points in seven games that cost Liverpool the title.

The Sun Newspaper also criticised Rafael Benitez as well: “Benitez was responsible for undermining Alonso, the player whose passing ability made Benitez’s 4-2-3-1 formation work and whose positional play released Gerrard to forage up front just behind Torres? Benitez’s public pursuit of Gareth Barry rebounded. Alonso responded with the sort of form that exposed Benitez’s folly in even considering releasing him.”

“But the damage had been done with the player deciding he had no future at Anfield.”

“The result? Liverpool lost Alonso to Real Madrid, were gazumped by Manchester City for Barry – and have no one to fill his boots. Alberto Aquilani, their £20million signing from Roma, is certainly no like-for-like replacement.”

Instead, Benitez is hoping the Italian, an attacking midfield player, will take the goalscoring pressure off Gerrard and Torres.

Related Posts:

• Rafael Benitez eyeing David Villa as Torres partner in front
• Manchester have decided to bid for Steven Gerrard and Torres for £140million
• Gerrard: Torres can fire Liverpool back into Top Four
• Rafa Benitez: I am 100 per cent that Gerrard wants to give more
• Alan Hansen: Nobody is Suffering More than Steven Gerrard