Title-chasing Liverpool will know that things won’t be easy when they travel to Craven Cottage to meet a Fulham side fresh from beating Man Utd

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed he almost quit Anfield before signing a new five-year deal last month.

The Spaniard revealed that his growing frustration with the way the club was being run under American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett almost saw him walk out.

But with Hicks and Gillett mending their relationship and chief executive Rick Parry stepping down, Benitez agreed a new deal to stay at the club until 2014.

“It is true that at times I may have thought about my future,” Benitez said in the Daily Mail.

“There was a lot of uncertainty at the club but when you put all of these things together and the fact I am sure we can improve, there was no doubt in my mind.

“If you put everyone in a rowing boat, we all have to push the oars at the same time with maximum effort with somebody at the head of the boat with a clear idea of which direction to go in.

“If everybody is doing their job properly you will go faster. But if somebody is not working as hard, their timing is not correct or they don’t have the same understanding, the boat will run off course.”

Liverpool are second in the league, one point behind Manchester United but having played one more game than their rivals. They travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon while United play Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.

“It will be easier now the contract is done. Once you sign a contract you know you can start thinking about the future. That is why it was important to get it done as soon as possible.

“The uncertainty at the club was the only thing on my mind before. But delaying the decision before saying yes at the end of the season would have been worse for everyone because we would have lost some of our transfer targets or certainly been at a disadvantage.”

Title-chasing Liverpool will know that things won’t be easy when they travel to Craven Cottage to meet a Fulham side fresh from beating Man Utd

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