Rafael Benitez has defended his record as Liverpool boss, insisting that they have progressed.

Reds boss insists he has not had the backing to compete

Can't compete

Rafael Benitez has defended his record since taking over as Liverpool boss, insisting that his side have progressed rather than fallen behind. Benitez has been consistently linked with a move away from Merseyside, with Inter Milan reportedly lining him up as a replacement for his old rival Jose Mourinho, who looks likely to join Real Madrid this summer. The 50-year-old Spaniard took charge at Anfield in 2004, winning the UEFA Champions League in his first season and the FA Cup one year later in what appeared to be the dawn of a successful era for the Reds. However despite reaching another Champions League final in 2007 and coming close to winning the Premier League last season, this campaign Liverpool endured a miserable time, finishing seventh in the league and failing to qualify for Europe's premier competition. "There is this legend that Liverpool hasn't won many trophies, that we have failed in that aspect," Benitez told the"Well, Chelsea and Manchester United have won 10 trophies in the six years I've been in Liverpool; Arsenal, Spurs and Portsmouth one. "Liverpool? Four trophies and we have played in three finals. Liverpool have been competitive. "Does Liverpool have to win the league, as everybody demands, every year?"The former Valencia boss also went on to state how his spending and dealing in the transfer market could not compare with the expenditure of United and Chelsea, who have been by far the most successful clubs in England since he took charge. "Does the manager have absolute power in England?" he questioned. "No, it depends on a budget and on the executive director that negotiates the signings of players. "And it depends on the money you have and the intelligence with which you operate in the market place. "Look at the wages picked up by the players on Chelsea or Manchester United's substitutes' bench: (John) Obi Mikel, (Michael) Owen, (Salomon) Kalou, (Dimitar) Berbatov, (Michael) Carrick could be on £4million a year! "When Portsmouth offered Peter Crouch more money than we were paying him and promised him a starting place, it became very complicated for us to keep hold of him. The arrival of Fernando Torres meant he couldn't play as often at Liverpool." One of the main criticisms levelled at Benitez has been that he has had money to spend in the transfer market, however he countered this assumption stating that he had made money for the club rather than wasted it. "Some people say I have spent £280million," he added. "But we have spent £220million on players and generated £160million in player sales. That is the equivalent of a £60million net spend over six years: in other words, £10million spent per year. "Deduct from that figure the £120million revenue from the Champions League success and qualification over that period, and we have in fact generated an additional £60million benefits for the club."