Past managersRafael Benitez

Brought in from Valencia to replace Gerard Houllier ahead of the 2004-05 season, Benitez's first year in England climaxed like a fairy tale, capped by a European achievement that ensured his tenure will be immortalised and cherished in Anfield history.

For while even the great Bill Shankly took time to establish Liverpool as a force, Benitez made an almost immediate impact, shrugging off the disappointment of a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League to defy the odds and lead the Reds to a fifth European Cup success.

To say his legend can be summed up in six minutes would be to belittle his other achievements, but those few precious moments that followed half-time on Wednesday May 25, 2005 were undoubtedly the most important.

Somehow, the Reds recovered from being 3-0 down to an imperious AC Milan side in the Champions League final in Istanbul to draw level at 3-3 and go on to win after extra-time and penalties.

A wave of optimism naturally carried Liverpool into Benitez's second season as a result and although a UEFA Super Cup win over CSKA Moscow was secured, a fixture pile-up due to a series of Champions League qualifiers, and inconsistent league performances, saw them struggle early on.

A run of one defeat in 18 matches, in which they set a new club record of 11 consecutive clean sheets, got Liverpool back on track, though, culminating in a third-placed finish that at the time included the club's highest points tally since the inauguration of the Premier League.

There was also another final to look forward to and, with more than a little sense of déjà vu, the Reds overcame West Ham United on penalties after a 3-3 draw to claim the FA Cup and a third trophy under Benitez in just two seasons.

The Spaniard had certainly shown he had the Midas touch, following on from his success at Valencia, where he had developed a reputation as one of Europe's finest coaches.

However, the media still doubted his understanding of the English game overall, as the frustration of yet another disappointing start in the top flight in 2006-07 was in stark contrast to the confident swagger the side had begun to display in the Champions League.

European champions Barcelona stood in the way in the knockout stage, but Liverpool produced one of the performances of the season to clinch a famous 2-1 win at Camp Nou and lay the foundations for progress to the next round.

After overcoming PSV Eindhoven and Chelsea subsequently, the final in Athens would be another repeat but this time AC Milan gained revenge for 2005.

The arrival of Fernando Torres for a record fee was a firm statement of intent ahead of 2007-08, and with his strongest group of players since taking charge, Benitez made his best ever start in the Premier League.

The Reds marched to a run of 14 league matches unbeaten but saw their title hopes derailed by a series of disappointing draws.

A shock FA Cup defeat at home to Barnsley add further pressure, before an impressive Champions League victory over Internazionale proved the catalyst for an end-of-season surge.

A 4-2 triumph in an all-English quarter-final second leg at home to Arsenal had supporters dreaming of a third European final in four seasons, but this time it would be Chelsea's turn to advance to Moscow.

A second year without a trophy raised the pressure again, but if it hadn't been for injuries to Steven Gerrard and Torres, a partnership that had terrorised defences home and abroad, the Reds could easily have finished the 2008-09 season as champions after losing just two league matches.

Highlights would include league doubles over both Manchester United and Chelsea, with the 4-1 mauling of Alex Ferguson's men at Old Trafford a particularly sweet moment for fans, players and coaching staff alike.

The Red Devils would go on to close out the championship but Liverpool kept winning right until the end with 10 victories from their last 11 league matches. It ensured the team finished the campaign by setting a new Premier League best with 86 points.

Expectation was higher than ever heading into 2009-10, but all was not well in the camp.

Xabi Alonso's on-off transfer to Real Madrid was the major theme of a disappointing pre-season schedule. The opening-day defeat at Tottenham Hotspur proved to be a sign of things to come and once again the injuries to Torres and Gerrard would have a huge bearing on results.

By November any thoughts of a title challenge were over and a group-stage exit from the Champions League threatened to completely derail the season.

Rumours of disharmony within the squad did little to raise the team's morale and a shock FA Cup replay defeat at home to Championship strugglers Reading saw many within the media speculating that the manager's future was in question.

Hope of finishing the season with a trophy were ended by Diego Forlan's crucial away goal in the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, while a 2-0 reversal against Chelsea in the final home match of the campaign quashed chances of a top-four finish.

The goalless draw at relegated Hull City would not only prove to be the final game of a disappointing campaign but also Benitez's swansong as the club opted to part ways with the Spaniard less than four weeks later, after a season that saw his side lose 19 games.