 RAFAEL BENITEZ will not allow sentiment to stand in the way of plans to create a new Anfield dynasty this summer as he proceeds to dismantle his European champions. The Liverpool manager was still savouring the greatest triumph of his career as the five-time European Cup winners returned home to a tumultuous reception yesterday. But even amid the hysteria of a proud city Benitez was plotting how to turn his Champions League heroes into genuine Premiership contenders next season. Benitez will be handed a treasure chest of around £30million this summer and that figure could rise with a number of big-name departures from Anfield. Milan Baros, Harry Kewell and Jerzy Dudek could all be sold in the close season while Dietmar Hamann, Vladimir Smicer, Igor Biscan and Mauricio Pellegrino are out of contract. And with on-loan El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Gregory Vignal, Bruno Cheyrou, Alou Diarra, Carl Medjani and possibly Anthony Le Tallec all advised to find new clubs in the close season Anfield is prepared for a mass cull. Even those who shone in Istanbul - Dudek,, Smicer and Hamann - are unlikely to be reprieved by their European Cup achievement. Benitez insisted: "It is my responsibility to make these decisions and I have a very clear idea about the future. "I will talk to the players about my plans. What has happened in this final doesn't change things. I knew the players before the final and after the final I still know them. "We cannot change everything but there will be changes. "The interesting thing now we have won the European Cup is that other players will see we have a good team and they will want to come with us. "We need a new mentality in the Premier League, especially away from home, and when we have that things will be much better for sure. We will have a better team next season. "We were 60% of what I wanted, now we are 70%. We still have to improve a lot. I am always trying to analyse why things happen. Benitez added: "Why are we fifth? We know we must improve. If we want to win more trophies we must improve." | 
HAVE your say on our Reds Messageboard - click 
RSS News Feed