London, Mar 14 : Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is convinced that he is on course to shatter the Manchester United empire.

Benitez takes his side to Old Trafford on the back of Tuesday's Euro win over Real Madrid. He knows even his first- ever league victory at United would leave the title as no more than a faint hope.

Manchester United, the defending champions would still be four points ahead, with a game in hand.

London, Mar. 1 : Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has admitted that his hopes holding up the English Premier League championship trophy for the first time in 19 years has been shattered after his squad crashed to a 0-2 defeat against Middlesbrough.

"Before the game it was very difficult, after the game it is more difficult," The Sun quoted Benitez, as saying.

Benitez has now pitted his hopes on the `must win' game against Sunderland this coming Tuesday.

He also hinted that Manchester United's chances of winning the title were brighter now.

London, Feb 21: Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez reckons his side can blow the Premier League title race wide open again when they visit Old Trafford next month.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been so impressed by Manchester United's nine straight league wins that he admits that he cannot see anyone getting near them.

The bookies also clearly agree, with one already paying out on Alex Ferguson's outfit winning a domestic treble, The Sun reported.

London - Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted on Monday that he is concerned the ongoing talks over his new contract are disrupting the club's title challenge.

Liverpool lie second in the Premier League table, but their form has stuttered over the past six weeks, coinciding with a public spat over Benitez's future.

Benitez's contract expires in 2010. He was believed to have demanded complete control over transfer policy, something he now denies.

"Anyone that has just a year left on his contract does not have anything at all and I have only got a year and a half left," Benitez told The Guardian.

London, Jan. 8 : Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez has rejected Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson's view that Liverpool does not have an outside chance of nailing the Premier League title because it is consumed by nerves.

Though bookies have rated Liverpool's chances as no better than third favourites behind Fergie's champions Manchester United and Chelsea, Benitez insisted: "I still believe we can improve and will have more options for the second half of the season - and more competition for each position."

London, Dec 12 : Liverpool manager-cum coach Rafa Benitez has written off his team's title chances, admitting that it is not going to happen.

The Reds are top of the Premier League going into tomorrow's trip to Hull.

"For us to win the league we need Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal to mess up their season. It is very rare that three teams all mess up," Benitez said.

"So there's no point waiting for our direct adversaries to slip up, because it won't happen. They all have a lot greater financial means than us," he added.

It is an astonishing admission from Spaniard Benitez, which will not go down well in the corridors of power at Anfield, The Sun reported.