Benitez masterplan well under way

In the past two weeks Rafa Benitez finally put pen to paper on a five year extension, ending months of speculation over his future.

Along with his new contract, he has secured a bigger say in the running of Liverpool's academy, which will be key in talented youngsters making the step up from the academy to Melwood.

Following Benitez, key members of his back room staff, including Sammy Lee and Mauricio Pellegrino, have also signed extensions.

These events, along with the impending departure of current Chief Executive Rick Parry and the subsequent strengthening on Rafa's say on potential transfers gives the impression that things are starting to really come together for the Mersyside club and indicate a promising future.

A world class manager, the likes of Benitez, Wenger, Ferguson, Shankly and Clough, all need time and support from their board to make the best out of their club.

Likewise, for a club to be successful it needs a steady hand behind the wheel and, above all, continuity.

Shankly, Clough and Ferguson all needed time to build a dynasty at Liverpool, Derby and Manchester United respectively.

Indeed, as legend has it, Ferguson was moments away from the sack if his side had lost to Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup final. Had he lost, would Manchester United be the team they are today?

Wenger's success was not quite as long in coming, but he, along with the others, were allowed to do his own thing, without restrictions. If he wanted a player and said they were good enough then the board would do everything they could to get them.

Benitez now looks to have the full backing of the board when it comes to transfers and he is also working closer with the academy.

This means that the youngsters who come through should be ready to play in a Benitez style team. This means as well as being physically and technically sound, they have to be able to adapt to and learn to play in different systems.

One of the most famous youth systems, La Masia at Barcelona, has their youngsters playing the same style and formations, that the first team play in, right the way through their time there.

This means that when the time comes to be eased into the first team, they know what to expect and how to play.

It's obviously a system that works (Bojan, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol have all come through the Barca ranks) and I would not be surprised if something similar was to happen at the Liverpool academy under the guidance of Benitez.

It takes time for youngsters to come through, as with Ferguson at Manchester United and, more recently, Wenger at Arsenal.

The same is true at Liverpool. Benitez has been at Anfield for nearly five years and only now are we seeing the youth players coming through that have been there under his tutelage.

Jay Spearing, Nabil El Zhar, Stephen Darby, Damien Plessis and Emiliano Insua are all in and around the fringes of the first team.

The likes of Jack Hobbs, Krisztian Nemeth, Adam Hammill, Sebastian Leto and Paul Anderson are all gaining first team experience out on loan

And the reserves (who won the reserve title last season)and youth team (who won the FA Youth Cup two years on the bounce in 2006 & 07) are harbouring young talent in the shape of the exciting Daniel Pacheco and Nathan Eccleston.

The past five years have shown that Liverpool have improved every year under the Spaniard (if anyone argues otherwise they must have been watching the Liverpool in Uruguay by mistake).

The next five years, however, will tell if the Rafa-lution will grow into an established Benitez Empire.

Will Liverpool flourish under the guidance under Benitez? Or is is new contract a bad thing for Liverpool? Leave a comment.