Yes yes, he might have landed the Champions League title for the Reds during his first season in 2005, although three seasons have now elapsed and Liverpool are no closer to winning the Premier League than when the Spaniard arrived at Anfield.
Sky Sports reports that Benitez is hoping the fans (not to mention the board!) can trust him to bring in the right players this summer as the likes of Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane continue to remain out of reach for the Merseyside club.
“We know the situation regarding what we can spend, and we are trying to find solutions if we do not have enough money,” said Benitez.
“And we will still try to sign players that will make us better. But if you do not have too much money, and that is clear, we will have to have a little bit of imagination to progress in the market.
“Everyone knows what our ideas are and what players we want. We are working hard with different names now.
“The fans must trust us, we are working hard during the summer with a lot of people in different countries working for us.”
Sounds like a high-street bank with a call centre operation in India! Nevertheless, surely Liverpool fans will start to run out of patience with the Spaniard if they finish way off the pace again next season. Benitez got lucky last year with the fans rallying around him after the boardroom squabbles, although he might not be so lucky if the Reds get off to a shabby start.