Rafael Benitez Returning to Liverpool Could Work, but It's Not Realistic...Yet

There are plenty of examples of players and managers dividing opinion among their team's fanbase, and former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is certainly one such prime example.

The Spaniard, who spent six years in charge at Anfield from 2004 to 2010, left the club at the height of the political turmoil between former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Now, four years after leaving the club, Benitez is—very tenuously—being linked with a return to Merseyside.

Reports emanating in Italy over the weekend, via talkSPORT, suggested that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group are assessing the future of current boss Brendan Rodgers after a disappointing start to the season—Liverpool's third worst in Premier League history.

Meanwhile, Benitez—whose family never left Merseyside when he was fired in 2010 and went on to take on jobs at Inter Milan and Napoli in Italy—has discussed his "family values," as quoted in The Mirror, hinting at a return to Merseyside to be with his family.

That pretty innocuous comment—and a pretty obvious one at that—has somehow led to reports suggesting Benitez, who has never hidden his love for the club and the city, could return to replace Rodgers.

Let's be honest, a man admitting he would like to live with his wife and kids after four years working away from home is hardly breaking news. 

However, it's clear that Benitez would love to return as Liverpool boss. He feels he has unfinished business at Anfield, with his final two years ruined by the Gillett/Hicks era.

Relationship with Owners

Indeed, when Benitez was sacked by the American duo, there was a large amount of supporters who, as much as they may not have been supporters of Benitez at the time, were disappointed to see him leave—knowing that Gillett and Hicks were the bigger issue.

Yes, Benitez made mistakes in his final season, but he was sacked 12 months after what remains Liverpool's highest Premier League points total (86 in 2008/09).

When John W. Henry and his ownership purchased the club months after Benitez was fired, supporters of Benitez could not help but wander what might have been had the Spaniard remained at the club and had the opportunity to work under FSG.

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Benitez became swamped by the political turmoil between Gillett and Hicks, perhaps sidetracked by the American duo's ownership of the club. Let's remember that it was Rafa who put pressure on them and highlighted their failings in the media. He stood up to them for the sake of Liverpool FC and lost his job subsequently.

Could he work with Henry and FSG? There's certainly reason to believe it would work—Rafa understands the club, the city and the values and history of Liverpool FC. Arguably, he would have been the perfect person to introduce FSG to life at Anfield back in 2010—rather than then-manager Roy Hodgson, that's for certain.

Return to 'Liverpool'

Talk of a Benitez return is clearly premature, primarily because talk of Rodgers being sacked is premature, too.

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But for discussion's sake, let's take a look at what qualities he would bring back. Defensive stability would certainly be high on the list, as would a solid tactical acumen in Europe.

Benitez made some very astute signings in Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Luis Garcia, Alvaro Arbeloa and Martin Skrtel. Things unravelled later as the financial problems at Anfield saw Alonso leave the club and Alberto Aquilani arrive as his replacement.

But as the spotlight falls on Rodgers' very questionable transfer record at Anfield, FSG may feel their money would be wiser spent under the Spaniard than it is currently being under Rodgers.

There's clearly pressure on Rodgers, rightly so because the start to the new season has been far below par, but talk of him being sacked is far too dramatic. Liverpool won't sack him unless things don't improve over the course of this season, and the likelihood is that things will improve.

Benitez may want to return to Liverpool FC, but all he has done is admit he will return to Liverpool the city—where his family home, wife and kids are—so perhaps it's clubs nearer to Liverpool who should be eyeing the Spaniard as their boss.