Benitez’s job was never on the line

While it was the Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina who ran the length of the turf to celebrate David Ngog's game-killing goal deep into injury time against Manchester United yesterday afternoon, no-one at Anfield would have been surprised to have seen his countryman Rafa Benitez join in the celebrations. The Spaniard was vindicated against the team that matters the most these days for Liverpool, and the emphatic nature of the victory will have lifted spirits immeasurably.

As The First Post reported last week, the manager's position had actually been more secure than some of the tabloid headlines suggested, as was confirmed by Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow to the BBC on Sunday morning. "Liverpool are on a long-term journey and you do not do that by worrying about short-term results," Pursglove told Sportsweek. "Rafa Benitez is absolutely central to that long-term plan."

But while defeat - or an inconsequential draw - might not have proved fatal for Benitez, the mood at Anfield would certainly not have been as joyous as it was after the 2-0 victory that even Sir Alex Ferguson conceded was a fair result: "Liverpool were the better team, they deserved to win." Benitez hailed the result as the "perfect response" to the troubles unfolding at the club.

"We needed to win for our confidence so I think that this will be a big boost for the team because they have won against a good team," said the Liverpool manager. "The fans are delighted and you can see that the players are also in the same mood and this has to be very positive. I am really pleased for the club, for the supporters and for the players. We knew that we needed to change, we knew that we needed a little bit of luck and we needed to win."

Meanwhile local reaction to the result, which ended a sequence of four consecutive defeats in all competitions, has been positive, with the Liverpool Echo hailing the team as "heroes in red all across the Anfield turf. In the face of adversity this was a performance of remarkable spirit and character as Rafa Benitez's side breathed new life into a flagging campaign."

The newspaper singled out defensive stalwart Jamie Carragher, whose crashing tackle on Michael Owen in the 80th minute could have seen him sent off but from which he escaped with a caution. "Nobody epitomised Liverpool's qualities more than Carragher," said the Echo. "The shattered skipper's clenched fists and look to the heavens at the final whistle told a story. Nobody has been hurt more than Carragher by the Reds' miserable start to the season."

Liverpool now travel to Arsenal on Wednesday night for the fourth round of the Carling Cup. With Arsene Wenger's men possibly doing a bit of soul-searching following two draws on the trot that they should have won, it could be a good time to meet the Gunners, especially should Wenger send out a mixture of the first team and the rising youngsters, as is his wont in this competition.