Make your guess, who thinks Rafa will be out of Pool by the end of December? Or will he survive this episode...

STAY - (after saying sorry)
OUT - (get the sack)
REMAIN - (a problem) Maybe he won't even last after this wednesday's CL match against Porto...
Say Sorry Rafa or you're out
RAFA BENITEZ’S Liverpool reign looks doomed — even in the unlikely event of him backing down. The Kop boss faces the bullet after an amazing outburst against the club’s American owners. Tom Hicks and George Gillett ignored the chance to back Benitez in a joint statement yesterday and his job is hanging by a thread. The US tycoons have clearly lost faith in their manager. Now it would seem only a major U-turn by Benitez, effectively a public apology, could have any chance of saving him. But even that is remote, after another day when Hicks and Gillett refused to throw their support behind him.
Their statement read: “Despite speculation, there is nothing new to say. “We had a good win yesterday and have got some very important games coming up starting with Porto on Wednesday, followed by Bolton and Reading, before Marseille and Manchester United in a few weeks. “Both of us and chief executive Rick Parry plan to meet with Rafa when we come over mid-December to make decisions on the team’s requirements at that time.”
Benitez outraged Hicks in particular with his public dissent against their policies over the past four days. The Spaniard was furious at what he saw as a deliberate refusal to give him definite answers about any business in the transfer window. Hicks told the Kop boss he should concentrate on preparing his players and would not discuss the situation until he and Gillett flew to England next month. Benitez’s response was to use the phrase “as always I am focused on training and coaching my team,” a staggering 15 times at a Press conference on Thursday, despite club big-wigs trying to talk him out of it.
But after Saturday’s 3-0 win at Newcastle Benitez was still unhappy at the situation. He said: “I am trying to do the best as a manager for my club to bring money back to spend on better players. I need to sign three players now. "To do that you need to talk with agents and players now or we will lose some targets — and it’ll be more expensive in the summer “They need to know how difficult it is to sign players. They don’t understand what it means, the transfer system in Europe — it’s not a draft system.”
Suggestions the decision to sack him has already been taken are premature but the day is fast approaching and chances of stepping back from the brink very slender. Jose Mourinho has not yet, however, been lined up to replace him — even though past verbal swipes at the club have not stopped him having supporters within Anfield.
But Mourinho cannot take another Premier League job this season and his own reputation for speaking his mind has not gone unnoticed by the Americans. Yet he was a strong contender for the Liverpool job before Benitez was appointed in 2004 and is a big admirer of the clubÂ’s achievements.
The Americans are so enraged at Benitez trying to call their bluff they are now close to running out of patience. They had already started to doubt whether the Spaniard was the right man to lead them to a first Premier League crown. And they became less convinced he could be trusted to bring in the players needed to deliver that. BenitezÂ’s relationship with Parry has become rocky at best. Even sections of fans have become unconvinced, feeling his rotation policy has led to slip-ups.