It's only gonna get worse....

The news that Rafa Benitez has left the club by mutual consent has left me saddened, angry and frustrated.

After 5 years of sterling service to the club he has been dismissed for one poor season. For me this is unacceptable, especially when you consider the financial handcuffs that have been placed on him. The remarkable fact that he has made a profit in the last four transfer windows reveals the full extent of the financial burden that has been placed upon Benitez.

All the same, he has delivered success. Whatever the media and a certain section of supporters may say, that is an undeniable fact.

In his first season in charge he led us to Champions League success, and provided what will prove to be the best night in our Liverpool supporting lives in Istanbul.

The following season Rafa brought home our seventh FA Cup; with a Cup run that included victories over both Manchester United and Chelsea culminating in a thrilling penalty shoot out victory over West Ham United after the teams had been locked at 3-3 following 90 minutes of pulsating football.

A regularly overlooked fact from that season is that Liverpool finished with 82 points, only one point behind Manchester United, who finished second. That left Liverpool nine points behind champions Chelsea, a significant improvement from the 39-point gap the season before.

Season 2006/2007 saw Liverpool competing in yet another European Cup final, our second in three years of Rafa Benitez's tenure. Although we disappointingly lost 2-1 to AC Milan, Liverpool were dominant on the night and deserved much more from what was a tight contest.

Liverpool went far in the Champions League yet again the following season, eventually succumbing to Chelsea at the semi final stage. After a late John Arne Riise own goal had gifted Chelsea an away goal in the first leg, Liverpool fought bravely in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, however we just missed out on our third Champions League final in four seasons, losing 4-3 on aggregate after extra time had been played in the second leg.

Last season was perhaps the best season I have ever witnessed as a Liverpool fan. We pushed Manchester United all the way in the League, and played some sensational attacking football in the second half of the campaign, as we regularly smashed teams 3 or 4 nil.

Highlights include the 1-0 win at the Bernabeu, beating Villa 5-0 at Anfield, and annihilating both Real Madrid and Manchester United in the same week as we beat the Spanish side 4-0 at Anfield on Wednesday night before thrashing United 4-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime.

The most memorable moment out of those two games for me was seeing Andrea Dossena (probably one of the worst players to wear a Red shirt) celebrating after scoring the fourth goal in both encounters!

Liverpool went on to finish four points behind Manchester United in second place, a stunning feat considering Liverpool had a net spend of only £2.5 million that summer. Also, we reached the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League before being defeated by Chelsea. We had embarrassingly lost the first leg 3-1 at Anfield, however the Reds almost pulled off an Istanbul style comeback in the second leg.

An amazing long range free kick from Aurelio and a Alonso spot kick levelled the tie on aggregate, however a mistake by Reina allowed Drogba to grab a goal back, and then things went downhill as a thumping free kick from Alex and a penalty from Frank Lampard put Chelsea in full control.

Liverpool now needed three goals to get through, and we nearly managed it as Lucas and Kuyt scored to leave us with 7 minutes to complete an unbelievable comeback. However, Lampard scored his second with seconds remaining to send us out.

This season has been incredibly disappointing, and the manager must take his fair share of blame for that. Reading knocked us out at the third round of the FA Cup. We were knocked out at the fourth round of the Carling Cup by Arsenal. We failed to get out of the group stages of the Champions League for the first time under Rafa Benitez, and, most infuriatingly, performances were well below par in the League, eventually condemning us to an abysmal seventh placed finish.

Now, many have blamed Rafa for this season, and claim that the team have gone backwards during his reign. The opposite is true. We have progressed massively under Rafa, winning several trophies and generally performing well in the League. Also, he nearly delivered number 19 during one of the most enjoyable campaigns I have ever witnessed.

The most worrying aspect of his dismissal for me is that it leaves Liverpool in free-fall. With rising debts, and no prospect of a buyer coming in to save us anytime soon Rafa was the glue stopping the club from falling to pieces. He provided a stable and successful management set up, and also remained a voice speaking out against the Yanks.

My worry is that Hicks and Gillett will appoint a puppet manager who will remain silent whilst they destroy our club from the comfort of their American homes. They'll appoint a manager who will accept the horrible situation they have put us in, instead of a boss like Rafa, who continually spoke out against the parasites.

And with Rafa now gone, and the American owners still in place, Liverpool are crashing and burning, with no sight of a way back.

We as fans now must continue to support the club, and we must adjust our expectations. No doubt some lunatics will claim that a change in management will immediately lead to League success, blind to the fact that the manager wasn't the problem. For me, I don't expect anything better than a seventh place finish next season. With City, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and United all getting stronger I cannot see a way for us to break back into the top four.

Things won't start to look up until the parasitic owners, who are bleeding us dry, have been ousted.

Thanks for the brilliant memories Rafa. We are so disappointed to see you leave. Best wishes with your further career.

YNWA