John Barnes has said he is fully behind Rafael Benítez and believes he remains the right man to lead the Anfield club forward. Benítez's stock has risen considerably in the past week with a 4-0 win over Real Madrid followed by a 4-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday.

The Spaniard had endured a difficult couple of months with Liverpool surrendering a lead at the top of the Premier League and his outspoken attack on United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, in January was pinpointed by many as the start of the decline.

Benítez's future is also uncertain, with a new contract still to be agreed despite protracted negotiations, but Barnes, who won the league with Liverpool and is now managing the Jamaican national team, told Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek: "I think he is as good as anybody else. I don't think a new manager coming in would win the league for Liverpool necessarily.

"We all know United have a stronger squad and they are better placed than Liverpool are at the moment. So a new manager coming in isn't necessarily going to improve that situation. I think Rafa's the right person, definitely."