Liverpool FC

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Rafa desperate for league title

18 Nov 2009 - 10:41:58

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Rafael Benitez has conceded he must win the Premier League title if his reign as Liverpool manager is to be considered a success.

The Spaniard has won the Champions League since arriving at Anfield in 2004, but the Reds' best domestic performance during his reign was a second-placed finish last season.

Liverpool are currently down in seventh place in the league table with many pundits predicting their title challenge is already over for another year after losing five of their opening 12 games.

"Anyone who knows me knows that I want to win every trophy, every game," Benitez told The Times.

"But if you ask me what I prefer, I will say the Premier League.

"If I do not win the title, I'm sure I'd be so disappointed maybe I would have this feeling (of failure)."

Meanwhile, Benitez claims the club's failure to sign England midfielder Gareth Barry from Aston Villa in summer 2008 was to blame for their failure to edge out rivals Manchester United in last season's title race.

"The plan was for Barry to play on the left and feed the ball to Robbie Keane, who would play up front with Fernando Torres," he added.

"This blueprint had to be scrapped. The collateral damage was Keane, who signed from Tottenham Hotspur before the Barry deal had been done.

"When we wanted to sign Barry, we were sure we were signing a good player with a very good mentality and the quality to play in the Premier League. The priority was Barry, then Keane."