Benitez's position has come under scrutiny as
Liverpool have exited the Champions
League at the group stage and won just three times in 12 matches,
slipping to eighth in the Premier League.
It is thought his job is safe until the end of the season -
owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks would struggle to afford to
sack him now and appoint a new manager - but Torres nevertheless
has spoken out in defence of his fellow Spaniard.
"I think sacking the manager is not a solution," Torres said.
"The manager is not playing so we have to be positive with him, try
to work with him.
"We are the main reason, the players are the people that have to
find a solution to the situation. The manager is not playing, so we
have to play much better."
Torres - the subject of speculation that Manchester City may bid
for him in the January window - also underlined the bleak future
facing Liverpool by admitting that the club cannot afford to buy
top-class players in the January transfer window.
The Spain striker, on whom Liverpool have relied heavily since
he moved from Atletico Madrid in 2007, conceded Liverpool need new
players.
Liverpool's American owners are under pressure to cut their £240
million debt and are also facing a £20million cut in income if they
fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Torres, speaking in Zurich after being named part of FIFA's
world XI, said: "Obviously we need players. If we can bring quality
players it should be really positive for us, but I think the
situation is really difficult because I think we don't have money
to bring in the best players.
"It's a difficult situation but every top team in the world goes
sometimes through a bad situation like Liverpool now.
"Like every top team in the world, Liverpool will get over the
situation.
"I have confidence in myself and my team. I know we are good
enough.
"We were playing really well last season with the same team. We
have to just recover the mentality and the confidence in ourselves
and everything will be different."
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, also named in the world XI,
also called on the team to pull together.
Gerrard said: "I don't think it's right to pick out individual
players.
"We're a team, we're a group and we are responsible for where
we're lying in the league at the moment.
"All of us have got to stick together and try and pull through
and turn it around."
Liverpool insist any move from Premier League rivals to buy
Torres will be resisted. Instead Benítez is thought to be keen on
providing him with a foil.
Bayern Munich are reported to be keen to offload Luca Toni, and
Liverpool may try to to persuade the Italian to join them rather
than Benfica or Dynamo Moscow.
Real Madrid’s Ruud van Nistelrooy is another option, possibly in
a loan deal, in a move sure to antagonise Manchester United
fans.
Liverpool could then look to sell Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena,
Andriy Voronin and Philipp Degen to balance the books.
Among the spectators at Anfield on Saturday for the visit of
Wolves will be Prince Faisal Al Saud. His last visit, in September,
sparked speculation he was about to launch a takeover of the
club.
Liverpool defender Glen Johnson could be questioned by police
after a student alleged he was attacked outside a London nightclub,
it was reported on Tuesday.