Torres offers Rafa backing

Liverpool forward Fernando Torres has backed under-pressure boss Rafael Benitez and insists the Spaniard is the right man for the job.

Despite seeing off Debrecen on Tuesday night Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by virtue of Fiorentina's victory over Lyon, leading to increased speculation over Benitez's future.

The Anfield outfit have won just two of their last eleven competitive fixtures ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby, but Torres is convinced his compatriot is the right man to lead Liverpool to future glory.

"Benitez has shown that he is the right man to take Liverpool forward," said Torres. "When the club has needed to be strong it always has been. Now is the time for everybody to stick together from the manager right down to the lowliest member of staff because above all else we want to make our wonderful fans happy with our performances and results.

"We must be united to finish as high as possible in the Premier League. I am convinced that we will end up in the top four. We also have high hopes for the FA Cup and the Europa League. At this time, this tournament has become a goal for the club."

The Spanish hitman admitted it was a shock to be eliminated from the group stages of Europe's top competition but suggested he sees the failure to progress as a one-off occurrence.

He added: "Nobody expected it (elimination from the Champions League) because this team has shown itself over recent seasons to be very reliable.

"This is a competition that we won in 2005 and on another occasion (2007) we got to the final. Since I have been with the club we have got to a semi-final and a quarter-final."