Last night he gave them cause to toast his move into management as West Ham restricted Liverpool's rise to the top at an angst-ridden Anfield. Reaching the summit has rarely been greeted with such bewilderment in these parts.
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"We have one more point than Chelsea now so, if we can beat Blackburn at the weekend, we will stay top of the table," said Benítez, spelling out the facts. "Yes we are frustrated again, it is clear we deserved to win and some people can be disappointed. We are disappointed. But we are also top of the table and the fans will enjoy seeing the table tomorrow."
Liverpool were dominant last night and but for an inspired performance in the West Ham goal from Robert Green they would have achieved their aim of establishing a three-point lead over Chelsea. Yet this was a far more satisfying evening for the genial Italian than the ambitious Spaniard who, with George Gillett in attendance, called on Liverpool's joint-owners to conclude talks on his contract extension as soon as possible. "I am waiting for a communication," Benítez said. "Maybe we have to finish the conversations now and just think about the football."
His contract had no bearing on this stalemate, however, and only two errant offside decisions against Carlton Cole late on, plus a wild miss from the substitute Luis Boa Morte, prevented Zola's plan of containment and counter from working to perfection. The visitors' point was delivered around the outstanding Green, Matthew Upson and James Collins, although a lack of confidence in front of goal from Liverpool also contributed to the outcome. Robbie Keane, substituted to his obvious disbelief for the 15th time in his brief Liverpool career, was a notable but far from isolated culprit in the absence of the injured Fernando Torres.
Benítez and Jamie Carragher had pleaded for patience from the crowd following the frustration of being held to 0-0 by Fulham last month. Liverpool also gave their backing to the family of Michael Shields last night, the fan jailed for allegedly attacking a Bulgarian waiter after the Champions League Final in 2005, as they campaign for his release before a judicial review on Thursday. Once the Kop's mosaic of "Free Michael Now" had come down, the siege of Green's goal began. But this was a night that would stretch reserves of patience to the limit.
Cole cleared off the goal-line from Albert Riera, Sami Hyypia headed the first of several invitations over the West Ham bar and saw a second header blocked on the line by Cole again - all inside the opening 21 minutes. Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt also missed good openings before the interval, yet it was West Ham who came closer to a breakthrough when their former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy beat José Reina from 25 yards only to see his drive rebound off the inside of a post.
Until a pulsating finale, when Kuyt, Boa Morte, Ryan Babel and Cole traded chances at will, the momentum flowed towards Green. One save from the former Hammer Yossi Benayoun, to tip the Israeli's half volley at close range, was sublime. "I've told Robert [Green] that, if he keeps performing like this, he is going to be in the England team," said Zola, manager of a club that had lost on their seven previous visits to Anfield. "He has taken some stick this season but now he is getting what he deserves."
Benítez denied reports, however, that Michael Owen would be the January solution to such frustrating nights. "I can guarantee we are not going for Michael Owen," he said.