BACK in Rafa Benitez's native Spain they have a proverb that goes: "The man who does not mix with the crowds knows nothing." Good advice. The best leaders have the courage of their convictions but they also listen to those around them, a quality that Liverpool's stubborn manager needs to learn quickly.

If he had been at Budapest airport yesterday morning, mixing with the crowds of Liverpool faithful, Benitez would have been made aware of the myriad concerns held by some of the sport's most knowledgeable and passionate supporters. But Benitez and his chastened players had long since fled Hungary, retreating rapidly in the wake of their Champions League frustration.

A meeting with Kopites might make the manager appreciate the strength of feeling over certain issues. There is certainly no widespread terrace antipathy towards Benitez -- they will always have Istanbul -- but those who traipse around the world following their team crave answers from Benitez.

Raised

Here are a few raised by the foot-soldiers yesterday. Why is Benitez so cautious with Alberto Aquilani? How can the Italian acquire the match fitness he needs if he is used only a minute here and there? Can Martin Skrtel deal with zonal marking? Can Liverpool hold on to Javier Mascherano next year? Can Benitez bring through more home-grown players, stiffening the team's resolve?

Why has Ryan Babel got the hump? Are the finances so bad that Sotiris Kyrgiakos is the best centre-half Benitez could draft in? Does he really believe "100pc'' that Liverpool can finish in the top four when Manchester City have more money and Tottenham Hotspur more goals? Is Lucas really good enough? Does he regret selling Stephen Warnock? Did he alienate Xabi Alonso by going for Gareth Barry? Would he jump ship to Real Madrid if Manuel Pellegrini gets the Bernabeu bullet?

Questions, questions. And another: who is Benitez accountable to now?

He has expanded his power base at Anfield, Melwood and Kirkby so substantially over the past 12 months, particularly taking over the running of an academy that did manage to produce Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen under Steve Heighway.

Benitez's hunger to control everything may be rooted in his experience at Valencia where he felt restricted by the sporting director, Jesus Garcia Pitarch. It is also why the long-standing expectation that Benitez will one day return to Real is so intriguing; interference from on high is as part of Madrid life as summer sunshine.

Liverpool certainly will not be easing him towards the exit. The club's managing director, Christian Purslow, was keen to make his backing for Benitez abundantly clear within minutes of the final whistle at Ferenc Puskas Stadium. None of us listening to Purslow could possibly have misconstrued his words as the traditional, dreaded vote of confidence. His support for Benitez is genuine.

Purslow needs little reminding of Benitez's strengths as a manager.

When he buys well, he buys brilliantly. Benitez spent £40m on Torres, Pepe Reina and Daniel Agger and the trio are now worth more than £100m.

"I do believe that with Torres fit, we would have got through into the last 16. It is the same with Steven Gerrard, he has been injured, but when you see him back on the pitch you know that with him (fit) also we would not now be in this position."

Highly fastidious, Benitez analyses opponents in forensic detail yet Liverpool faltered against the fourth best team in Italy (Fiorentina) and third best side in France (Lyon).

Even acknowledging the financial restraints Benitez must work under (something that has not prevented Arsene Wenger building a talented squad at Arsenal) it is obvious that Liverpool's cover for their leading lights is poor. Benitez must bear culpability for that.

Just consider their work in the final third. Liverpool managed only four goals in their five Group E games, one fewer than even Debrecen. David Ngog again showed his raw promise against Debrecen, even scoring from close range, but Liverpool's paucity of goals reflects how reliant they are on Torres. Babel is a good, if moody centre-forward whom Benitez strangely uses on the left.

Benitez knows the financial implications of not returning to next season's Champions League. Their position as part of England's 'big four' is under serious threat from Tottenham, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Benitez said: "We want to be as high as possible in the league so we have to start by winning the next game. And that's at Everton on Sunday.

"I can say to our fans that we will improve in the league. We can see Gerrard playing again, we have (Yossi) Benayoun also coming back from injury.

"We have (Alberto) Aquilani who is fit now. We can use him when before it was not easy because of his fitness and injury.

"We have had problems with injuries to our centre-backs, but we now have four who are fit for the first time for a long while."

But how Liverpool could do with a Craig Bellamy, Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane or Owen, someone experienced to come off the bench. Benitez cannot hide from the fact that he has a growing amount of questions to answer. (© Daily Telegraph, London)

- Henry Winter

Irish Independent