Benitez replaced Gerard Houllier as Liverpool manager in the
summer of 2004, and went on to win the Champions League in his
first season in charge, beating AC Milan in a historic final in
Istanbul.
The next year, Liverpool succeeded in winning the FA Cup against
West Ham United, however their title winning credentials have
consistently been shrouded in doubt.
Benitez accepts that with success comes expectation, but suggests
that Liverpool’s inability to win the league has more to do with
the progress of the teams around them, than as a result of their
own failings.
He told the Times: "In some ways it (Champions League success) made
things more difficult because the expectations became so high. Then
we won the European Super Cup and FA Cup the following season and
so suddenly everyone was saying, 'OK, the next step will be the
Premier League title.'
"But then, when you don't win it, people say, 'Oh, you can't go to
that next step,' when, maybe, we were operating at the next level
up, but because the other teams around us were progressing as well,
it didn't seem that way.
"In some respects, we were maybe our own worst enemies, but, of
course, I'd prefer to have that problem, to be talking as a
Champions League winner. People are talking now about us not having
won the league for 18 years, but it was 21 years since this club
had last won the European Cup."
The Spaniard regards the Premier League as the toughest competition
in the world, and is under no illusions about the enormity of the
task that Liverpool must undertake in order to break their near two
decade duck.
"The key is not to say that we can win the title because it's clear
that it's the most difficult league in the world to win,” he
continued.
“Look at the final of the Champions League last season, it was
between Chelsea and United, who are at the top of the table in
England.
"It's clear that we are going in the right direction and
progressing. We have got good young players coming through who will
be important, while those with experience are settling down now so
it could be a very good season for us.
"Everybody can see that the team and squad is improving every year
and that now we are much better, but will that be enough to win the
title? That's the big question because it depends on the other
teams as well."