Eliminated from the Champions, out of contention for the Premiership and, from Tuesday, moreover, out of the FA Cup, that was his last road of hope during this campaign. Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool dying, the campaign is disastrous and the future of the Spanish coach is black wildly, especially when the press does seem to have turned his back on his work and now more than ever pressured to finish the nightmare Network immediately.

How could it be otherwise, the names already being discussed and one that has struck with force to replace the Spanish is Sir Alex McLeish. The current coach of Birmingham, the revelation of the season in the Premiership, is placed by The Sun at the top of the agenda to replace a Benitez could have their days numbered.

The owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, should re-finance the accumulated debt and would like a coaching change quickly and without extra expenses to increase their economic problems. Furthermore, they believe that McLeish would be the ideal manager to take full advantage of the current staff and operate within a limited budget.

The Scot has 18 month contract with the Blues ahead, which gets about 1 million per year. So if you want to Liverpool would now have to pay compensation to around 1.2 million euros, far less than if you wait until summer 2010.