Rafa confident he can manage the expectations for the new season

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez understands the expectations of the club, the fans, the players and his own ambitions for success, but he also understands that such expactations can way heavy on the shoulders of men. Benitez's side was, for the last three months of the season, by far the best team in the Premiership, demolishing champions United and Real Madrid along the way. The fans naturaly think and expect it to be 'our' season. The Premier league is a long race and for the past few years has resembled a blockbuster thriller, with plenty of excitement, plot twist, jeapordy, dips and turns, but in the end, the outcome is always what is expected.

The time has come for Rafa Benitez's side to write a new ending, but equaly its imperative to think one game at a time, which is why the Reds boss has tried to play down talk of winning the Premiership. Its is clearly obvious however that achieving just that, is the number one target for the manager.

"We have to manage the expectations," said Benítez in the Telegraph. "We know the situation. If you talk about the title, everybody is saying that we have to win it this season. But I don't think so. I don't feel any extra pressure because we haven't won anything for three seasons. We have to be realistic, we want to be in the top four and to be contenders.

"I was asked the same questions this time last year, and I said we wanted to be in a good position come January. We were, and we stayed in a good position all the way through to the end of the season. We have to have that same approach this season."

"You have to sign the players you need," he said. "To bring in a big, big name, you often have to change everything.There aren't many managers in the world happy with the amount they have to spend, but to me that just means you have to work harder. It does not impact on my commitment at all."