Barnsley's stunning FA Cup upset win over Liverpool has plunged the future of Anfield boss Rafa Benitez into yet more doubt. Benitez was already on thin ice even before the brave Championship side produced an incredible shock to send his millionaire superstars out of the Cup.

American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett now have all the ammunition they need to get rid of the manager, should they wish. But will they actually go ahead and pull the trigger? Or will they wait and see how the Reds perform in the latter stages of the Champions League and the Premiership season?

The Premiership's ever-increasing band of American investors has a reputation of being among the more level-headed owners in the league. The Glazer family at Manchester United and Randy Lerner at Aston Villa have been happy to stay out of the spotlight and let their managers get on with the job.

Hicks and Gillett are not men to be crossed in the business world, but they risk accusations of being "soft" if they do not move to rectify Liverpool's atrocious slump. Yet will they be able to find an appropriate replacement halfway through the season? A wider range of quality choices will surely be available in the summer.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"This is the stuff that fairytales are made of, and we are determined to enjoy every single moment." – Brian Howard, Barnsley's match-winning hero against Liverpool.

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