Reds talks could be brought forward

Benitez had been told by the US sports moguls that they would not discuss transfers until they made their next trip to Merseyside for the clash with Sir Alex Ferguson's men on December 16.

But Benitez, while being careful not to upset the Americans with his transfer kitty demands, revealed on Thursday: "I would hope to speak to the owners before the Manchester United game. I don't know if that is possible but we will try. But I don't know for sure."

His answer to a question regarding whether he still had a January shopping list was met with the now familiar line: "I am enjoying this result (Wednesday night's Champions League victory against Porto) and concentrating on coaching and training my players."

But Benitez, who has stopped short of apologising in public for his outbursts, was prepared to underline his own stance.

He added: "My relationship with them was good before. Now we need to talk about what the problem was and move on. Maybe my English is not that good, maybe that was the problem. But it is clear we have to understand the situation and talk to each other.

"We must decide what is best for the future of the club, we can manage that. We will, I am sure, try to do that. I prefer only to say that as a manager you can only think about your squad. So January is nearly here and next summer is close also."

Benitez had received astonishing backing from the Liverpool fans before, during and after the 4-1 mauling of Porto, and they chanted "Rafa's going nowhere" as they celebrated a victory that keeps alive the club's Champions League dreams.

But the row with the Americans, and how Benitez continues to handle the volatile situation, has become key to the club's immediate future, and he added: "We knew the fans were preparing something, I was being told about the petition on the internet. But all I wanted was for everyone to calm down, in particular the players.

"They had to prepare for the game properly. But you hear and see the support, but then I have always known that our fans are the best in the world. We have talked (with the owners) about different issues, but we did not have the same opinion at this moment. But I am sure we will talk again, they will understand and I will also understand their ideas."