Source: SKY_Sports
Time to deliver
David Fairclough told Sky Sports News that Rafa Benitez must win a league title after signing a new contract.[LNB] The Liverpool manager put pen to paper on a new five-year deal on Wednesday to end speculation about his future. [LNB]And while Fairclough believes it is a positive move for the club, he believes Liverpool fans will not be completely happy until they have secured a 19th league title.[LNB]"It shows Liverpool are moving in the right direction," he told Sky Sports News. [LNB]"I think it brings stability and there is a sense of relief now amongst all the fans that this issue is now out of the way and Liverpool can move forward.[LNB]"There has been too much doubt over Rafa's future, but the club have been moving in the right direction and results in recent weeks probably haven't done him any harm either. [LNB]"I think the fans are behind him too. They've been chanting his name a little more vociferously in the last few games so I think it is all very positive."[LNB]PressureYet despite the air of optimism around Anfield, Fairclough believes Benitez will come under pressure again if he cannot deliver a league title within the next couple of seasons.[LNB]He said: "If we don't win the title this year then ultimately the pressure will grow a little because Liverpool firmly want the Premier League title, and there are no ifs or buts about that.[LNB]"This year everyone hoped that we would be involved in the end of season run-in, and we're almost there. We've slipped up a bit and that's been frustrating and Manchester United have that little bit of a gap that perhaps only they can lose.[LNB]"But certainly Liverpool fans will not be content to just win Champions League's and cups because they want the title and there's no doubt about that."[LNB]ControlBenitez, who joined Liverpool in 2004, had turned down numerous offers from the club with reports suggesting that the Spaniard was unwilling to commit his future unless he was given greater control over transfers.[LNB]However, Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry's departure at the end of the season appears to have cleared the way and Fairclough believes the former Valencia manager will be busy in the transfer market this summer. [LNB]"He wanted to have a much clearer input into the transfers in terms of seeing negotiations through from beginning to the end," he said.[LNB]"I don't think he wants to have the situation again whereby after the Robbie Keane transfer the pot wasn't as big as he would have liked, so he's got more control now and I think certainly that was important to him."[LNB]"There is certainly room for three or four new players," he added. "I think they have to bring real experience and real talent into the squad, player of the ilk of Fernando Torres, and I'm sure that will happen."[LNB]
