RAFA BENITEZ TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL AFTER SIX YEARS

Rafa Benitez is set to leave Liverpool after compensation has been sorted for the remainder of his contract as the manager at Anfield.It will not be the full sum.But it will be expensive because whatever figure is hammered out Benitez had brought in a huge backroom staff including many Spanish which I would assume the new manager will not want.It is part of the cost of changing the boss!Rafa Benitez attracted more calls to the Sky Sports phone-in YOURE ON SKY SPORTS apart from England during the four years that I have hosted the show. Most wanted him out although Liverpool fans are loyal and there was always a section supporting him but even that was fading fast last season.Benitez did a very good job with early success winning the European Champions League and the FA Cup but the six year reign slowly got worse and Liverpool finished 7th in the Premier League last season and well away from a European Champions League place.Liverpool's quest for the holy grail--the Premier League title--now puts as much pressure on the Liverpool manager as Alex Ferguson faced in those early years at Manchester United.Since then Sir Alex has rubbed the title in Liverpool's noses many times.Benitez did his best,spent a lot of money on new players.Like any manager he has poor signings but also some very good ones such as goalkeeper Pepe Reina and striker Fernanado Torres.It is time to move on to it seems a lucrative job at Inter-Milan although what a challenge that will be after the Special One's treble to Champions League,Italian League and Cup!