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BENITEZ WANTS DOMESTIC GLORY | Football Transfer News, Football News, Fixtures, Results, Match Reports, Stats Rafael Benitez would rather win the Barclays Premier League trophy than another Champions League title. Following a disappointing start to the season which has seen them lose five league games already, many are ruling the Reds out of the title race this term. Nevertheless, Benitez, who brought the Champions League trophy to Anfield in 2005, is desperate to claim the domestic crown. He told The Times: "Anyone who knows me knows that I want to win every trophy, every game. "But if you ask me what I prefer, I will say the Premier League. "If I do not win the title, I'm sure I'd be so disappointed maybe I would have this feeling [of failure]." Many saw last term as a great chance for Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title, but Benitez saw his plans scuppered when he failed to bring Gareth Barry to Liverpool. And he believes the season would have turned out differently - possibly even with his ultimate goal reached - had Barry moved to Anfield. "You never know," he said. "Football is a funny game. "The plan was for Barry to play on the left and feed the ball to Robbie Keane, who would play up front with Fernando Torres. "This blueprint had to be scrapped. The collateral damage was Keane, who signed from Tottenham Hotspur before the Barry deal had been done. "When we wanted to sign Barry, we were sure we were signing a good player with a very good mentality and the quality to play in the Premier League. The priority was Barry, then Keane."

Signed for £10.7 million in the summer from Porto on the back of a World Cup, where he was realistically one of the only Portugal players to walk out with any creditability, I seem to see people on the boards rating and in equal measure slating him. I hear people in and around Anfield on game days with complete different views on him, people really do seem to like him or dislike him, not many people I've spoken to have indifferent opinions on him. I really like him; he has a good first touch, nice quick passing, he doesn't really lack pace(I'm not trying to say he's Walcott quick), seems to decent at dead balls and the best thing for me is he seems to have a lot of passion already for the club! Obviously it's to early to completely judge him but I was just wondering what other peoples opinions where on the short time he's been at the club.

Good piece from Oliver Kay from the Times with Xabi. Could have easily put the boot in,but showed a touch of class regarding Benitez.