LIVERPOOL - Rafael Benitez has reaffirmed his commitment to Liverpool as the five-time European Cup winners bid to salvage their season against the best team in Italy.
The under-fire Anfield chief could hardly have a more difficult task following the wreckage of Saturday's FA Cup humiliation by Barnsley.
With their confidence and quality under the spotlight, Liverpool must confront Internazionale in the Champions League last 16, a team who are unbeaten in their domestic league all season and 11 points clear at the top of Serie A.
Benitez must feel he has been battered black and blue these last few months as Liverpool have collapsed, and now he comes up against the Nerazzurri, Italy's own merciless black and blue giants.
Inter have lost just three of their last 45 away games in all competitions and are odds-on favourites to deepen the crisis that has enveloped Anfield this season.
But despite being told by critics that he must win the Champions League to save his job, Benitez still believes he will be Anfield manager for some time to come.
He said: "I do not see this as my most difficult time as a manager. I have worked for 21 years now in the job so I have good memories and bad moments.
"So I try to concentrate only on the next game. Obviously I was really disappointed at the weekend, but we must be positive and prepare for this game correctly.
"I feel the disappointment just like any fan. But I must underline that my commitment to this club is still 100%.
"I will try to change the situation. I will support the players and try to improve things."
He added: "The key is to analyse why some players are not performing at their best level, and to try to change that.
"If we want to win trophies, you must not say 'we cannot do this', we must fight to the end.
"As a manager you must support your players if they work really hard. If they do not do that you know what to do at the end of the season.
"But during the season you must support them, work hard with them, and they must compete for positions in the team."
Benitez has taken on board criticism of his squad from local hero Jamie Carragher after the disaster of being knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley on Saturday.
Carragher - who will play his 99th European game for the club against Inter - has shown great honesty by insisting the squad is not good enough, but Benitez revealed the defender was quick today to explain his feelings face to face, and the damning headlines.
Benitez said: "I was surprised when Jamie came to me and asked if I had read the headlines in the papers. I hadn't, so he explained that he was trying to be positive. That is fine by me, I know his character and the team do likewise.
"I have talked to Jamie about what he said about us not being good enough, he came to me first thing this morning to explain what he had said and how it looked.
"All I said was that everyone knows we are disappointed, and that we must improve, and we certainly will do that."
And Benitez added: "We cannot change the situation in the other cup competitions, they are gone. But we still have the Champions League and a target of fourth in the Premier League, our aims are still clear and we will fight for them.
"We must think about winning the next game and not about other things around the club.
"Is this the most difficult period for me as a manager? I don't know, but if we win against Inter and move ahead this time will become the easiest.
"But we must win now, that is the only way we can change what is happening."
Benitez will have Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Jose Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio - all rested against Barnsley - back against the Italians.
"The atmosphere between the players is not as bad as people seem to think, they will try to win this game and I am sure they can do it. Then if we beat Middlesbrough next Saturday here, everything will look different."
Benitez also does not believe his future depends on winning the Champions League.
He said: "I do not know too many managers who are told they must win the Champions League. If you win it once it is normally good enough, nobody here is saying we must win the European trophy.
"We must be positive, improve and stop the mistakes. We know we are good team and if we win games the confidence will soar again.
"When I came here the club had gone 21 years since they won the European Cup.
"Everyone is disappointed by the cup result against Barnsley, the players, the staff, everyone in the club. But we cannot change anything now.
"We must keep going, thinking about the Champions League and fourth place in the league.
"We must progress as far as we can in Europe and make sure we are fourth, at least.
"We have more determination now to do well in what is left for us this season.
