Rafael Benitez marched away from Stamford Bridge after Liverpool's Champions League failure with his blue-print for the future firmly imprinted in his mind.

The Liverpool manager knows his squad is not good enough to challenge for the title and the Champions League.

The Anfield club's season came to a crashing end in west London as they failed to stop Chelsea's march to Moscow in three weeks' time.

Co-owner Tom Hicks went into the devastated Liverpool dressing room after the 4-3 aggregate defeat to offer encouragement, and Benitez revealed they had "more positive talks about the future."

Estranged owner George Gillett was not there again, ostensibly for health reasons while Dubai International Capital's representatives also declined to accept invitations to sit in the Chelsea directors' box.

The reason that the Gillett-DIC camp in the war for control of the club opted for a back seat this time after attending the first-leg, was, said a source: "So as they wouldn't be a distraction at such an important game."

But that will not last much longer as the continued battle for control of the club hots up over the summer, with Gillett still expected to sell his 50 per cent stake at some stage to the Dubai organisation.

Where that leaves Hicks and his plans for the new stadium and an improved squad is anyone's guess, but Benitez's position is rock-solid in all this and he has a clear mandate for the future from all sides.

And he will use it. The likes of John Arne Riise, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, Steve Finnan and Harry Kewell are likely to be sold.

Xabi Alonso's future is also in doubt with continued speculation that he will return to Spain.

Benitez has been told he must sell as well as buy this summer, and there is a long list of potential arrivals at Anfield, including Gareth Barry and David Bentley. Barry's arrival could hasten Alonso's exit.

Benitez is also believed to have tied up the free transfer of Swiss international full-back Philipp Degen from Borussia Dortmund, while 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao central defender Fernando Amorebieta is also under scrutiny.

Benitez said: "Clearly now we have to start thinking about the future. We must improve and we will add quality to the squad.

"We have two more games in the Premier League to go and obviously we will try to win them both to give our season a good ending.

"But we will be looking at the squad and preparing for next season. You can see we are closer to the top but we still need three or four new players.

"We need to keep working, our scouting department is certainly doing that. We have two more games and will try to win them and then improve the squad for next season.

"Tom Hicks came into the dressing room and said 'good effort, good job and we were unlucky'. He was very positive."

Benitez considered the injury loss of defender Martin Skrtel early on at Chelsea was crucial because the young Slovakian was "controlling Didier Drogba".

The Ivorian then put Chelsea ahead 11 minutes after Skrtel's exit, and it was replacement Sami Hyypia who brought down Michael Ballack for the crucial extra-time penalty.

Then Drogba found space to fire in the third at the near post seven minutes later.

Hyypia will not be one of the players leaving, having signed a new one-year contract, but the 34-year-old will take a back seat next term behind Skrtel, hopefully fit-again Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher.

Benitez added: "We are all disappointed because we were very, very close even after we conceded that first goal.

"And when we equalised through Fernando Torres with half-an-hour left of normal time you could see the belief in our players. And you could see how concerned Chelsea were, they were worried.

"And in extra-time we had two good chances, but once they scored their second and third so quickly, the game was almost dead.

"We scored another one and gave us a chance, but we were not strong enough to win the game. There was not enough time.

"Losing Skrtel so early was a blow, he was playing well against Drogba and we had to use a substitute very early. That affected us in extra-time because we were not able to bring any new fresh legs.

"There were times when we controlled the game, we were well organised and we knew what we needed to do.

"But then we conceded a penalty and it all changed from then on. And losing Fernando Torres with a hamstring was also a bad blow.

"I am proud of my team, they have been outstanding through the European run. To be in another semi-final is fantastic for the club, but I have to plan now for the future.

"In the end I am disappointed to have lost the way we did. When we were winning 1-0 at home I felt we were in the final."

Assessing the final between the Blues and Manchester United in Moscow, Benitez said: "I think the final will be 50-50 because both teams are very good.

"It has been great to see three English clubs in the semi-finals, it shows how high the standard is in the Premier League.

"And I feel that next season it is possible to see four English clubs in the semi-finals.

"The merit of the top four is outstanding. We have beaten the top sides in Spain and Italy between us, and I can see us getting stronger."

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