Benitez lifts the lid on Liverpool unrest: Parry now in charge of buying and selling players

The Spaniard was yesterday told to concentrate on the players he already has after voicing his frustration over the club's transfer policy approaching the January window, but after seeing his players deliver once again, he stated his case publicly.

Scroll down to read more:

Benitez, who pointed to the £26million he has brought back into the club in the last year, said: "It is clear Mr Hicks wants the best for the club and we want the best for the club.

"Because we have been here for a long time, we know what passion means in football in Europe.

"We know what the transfer window market means, we know what it means to sign free - and I insist free - players now. I was not asking to spend money, I was asking to do things with free players.

"They know the manager needs to manage the squad and prepare the squad for this year and for the future.

"We had a meeting the day of the Arsenal game and the meeting was really positive.

"After that meeting, something changed. I tried to explain my ideas, but they said to me 'Rafa, keep focussing on coaching and training because Rick Parry will be in charge of buying and selling players'.

"I tried to explain to them and now, it is simple: they say, 'Keep focussed and Mr Parry will keep working in the transfer market'."

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce felt the full force of a fans' backlash after their second humbling on home turf in successive matches.

The Magpies turned in a truly awful display in which comic-book defending and the complete lack of an attacking policy left the door open for Liverpool to claim three points at a canter.

Goals from Steven Gerrard, who rammed the taunts of the home fans back down their throats following England's midweek disaster with a fearsome 28th-minute free-kick, Dirk Kuyt and substitute Ryan Babel were more than enough as the Magpies tamely surrendered.

Owner Mike Ashley is unlikely to react to the boos which rang around St James' Park at both half-time and the final whistle but Allardyce knows he faces an uphill task.

He said: "I have never quite found myself in this predicament before to be honest with you.

"But I have dealt with some difficult situations and this one is a good challenge.

"You roll your sleeves up and you get on with your job. You know what's right and you know what's wrong and you get it put right.

"Hopefully, that starts at Blackburn Rovers next week."

Allardyce took the opportunity this week to rule himself out of the race to replace Steve McClaren as England manager.

However, the home fans sang, ironically, "Big Sam for England" and "You don't know what you are doing" as Allardyce bewildered them with his substitutions to take a tense relationship to the point of breaking.

As much as Newcastle, who lost 4-1 to Portsmouth in their last home game, were poor Liverpool took full advantage to rip them apart with Gerrard turning in a majestic performance and record signing Fernando Torres irresistible in attack.

How the Spaniard did not manage to get his name on the scoresheet was a mystery, but his misses and Shay Given's efforts did not prove costly as his team-mates weighed in.

Gerrard blasted the visitors into the lead with his first-half piledriver and after Torres had hit the post with the goal at his mercy, Kuyt made it 2-0 within 60 seconds of the restart.

Substitute Babel completed what might have been a rout with 24 minutes remaining as Liverpool extended their unbeaten Barclays Premier League run and left the Magpies with just one point to show from their last four games, with a trip to Blackburn and Arsenal's visit to Tyneside to come.

"We have hit rock-bottom at the minute and we have got to get ourselves out of it," said Allardyce.

"There's only us who can do it by sticking together and trying to get as many players fit as we possibly can and showing a lot more grit and determination to acquire that result."