Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez heads into a meeting with chairman Martin Broughton this week which could well decide his future at the club.
A 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in their final home Premier League match of the season finally put paid to hopes of securing Champions League football next season.
It also means Liverpool will finish the season with their lowest points tally in five years, since accruing 58 in Benitez's first campaign in charge back in 2004-05.
Benitez would not comment on increasing speculation that his future lies elsewhere, having been linked with a summer move to Juventus since January.
The Spaniard is keen to stay at Anfield but after years of what he sees as broken promises from the club's co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who put Liverpool up for sale last month, he remains to be convinced he will be given the resources to carry out a rebuilding job at Anfield.
Benitez has been disappointed Broughton, appointed by the American duo to oversee the sale of the club, has not spoken to him about the future.
That situation will be rectified before their final league match at Hull City on Sunday and what is said in that meeting could have a crucial bearing on whether Benitez stays.
Contract
"I will have a meeting with the chairman in a few days," said the Liverpool boss. "I have four years of a contract [left] so we will see.
"The fans want to know (whether Benitez will be in charge next season) but I want to know what is going on next week against Hull.
"Always in the past two years, the manager here has been taking responsibility for everything.
"The reality is that if you compare with other teams in terms of money, power and the option you have in the market, so you can analyse carefully and then you have answers.
"The fans are very clever, they know what is going on. It is very clear that things are like this now and still we have to carry on going forward.
"Next season we have to do almost everything perfect and if we make one or two mistakes we don't have the possibility to react, so it is more difficult for us.
"We will prepare for the next game (at Hull) and then start thinking about things for the future."
Benitez rejected the suggestion the half-hearted post-match lap around Anfield after the defeat to Chelsea was his farewell to the supporters.
"We have to say thank you to our fans, as always, because they have been very good," he explained.
Will Rafa Benitez be at Anfield next season?
Rafa is going unfortunately, most LFC fans have known this for half of the season.... his house is up for sale! Yesterday, Rafa's wife was crying in the directors box, whilst Rafa was doing the lap of honer with the players! So Yes we all know he's off now..... Thank You for the European Cup (5 times) Rafa..... and always being lovely to me whenever I met you, I really appreciated it! On the up side, hopefully there will be exciting news on the new Owners/Manager/Players front!!! Hopefully this is going to be an exciting summer!!!! BTW Albert, do you honestly think that yesterday's performance was anything to do with Rafa? He just puts the teams out (The team to play Chelski was adequate enough to beat them!)..... Its the players that should foot some of the blame, it doesnt always lie with the manager!!!!! I think the attitude of some of the players this season has been disgraceful! And that is from a fan who goes every home and away game!!!! Ive spent far too much money this season watching what looked like League 2 football, but I do it because first and foremost I am a LFC fan and I will follow them through the wind and rain!!!! Also Im not a glory hunter, I still go to the games good or bad! But it would be nice if LFC won a trophy next year!!! Posted 08:07 3rd May 2010 Yes I hope he will. He is a quality manager that has worked hard for us with lack of investment. His hand has been forced to sell his players in order to buy, hence the lack of squad. In five years his net spend is circa 70 million. In five years he has given us two euro finals , two semi finals, an F.A. Cup and a progression in the league last year. This year being an exeption. But remember, Old Whiskey nose took 7 years at Utd to win a trophy and was nearly sacked. Shanks had a spell of five years without a trophy. It wories me that if he does not get the backing that he was promised then he will leave and we will be left with a no mark in charge - no manager of any worth will come here and operate under the restrictions that Benites has had. Posted 07:34 3rd May 2010 he must be joking. after a performance like yesterday does he actually still believe he has a future. i've have supported liverpool religiously for forty years and yesterday was hands down the most disgraceful performance by a liverpool team i have ever seen. they were clearly not there from the word go. not one deserved to wear the famous red shirt yesterday. not one with the possible exception of pepe reina. we all know what a disaster the season has been,but even so,not even a whimper. is stevie g already in south africa or already pn his way somewhere else. perhaps we should just forfeit the last game and complete this embarrassing season. what a disgrace. Posted 07:25 3rd May 2010Emma-louise Rabson (Liverpool fan) says...
Meds Owen (Liverpool fan) says...
Albert Hutton (liverpool fan) says...
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