RAFAEL BENITEZ concedes it is “strange” that a host of landmark achievements will almost certainly not be enough to win the title for Liverpool.

But the Anfield manager believes it would have been a different story had Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard been in tandem for longer periods of the campaign.

“It is strange,” said Benitez. “It means United are a strong team and have a good team.

“They have a good squad which is important because when you are talking about the league you are talking about nine months. But you cannot imagine if Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres had been fit all season where we would be now. It has been a good season but we know it could be better.”