After finally savouring a league victory over the champions Rafael Benitez called for calm, writes Andy Hunter

THE LEAGUE table pinned to a wall inside the press room had the word Liverpool in bold red type emblazoned across the top, but despite savouring the spectacle Rafael Benitez refused to talk of a red-letter day for his club. For the Liverpool manager a first league win over Manchester United was about closure rather than opening a debate on a title challenge; the end of an inferiority complex against Alex Ferguson's team of more importance than a hypothetical look towards May.

Like the hastily produced league table Anfield has rushed to judgment far too often for Benitez to follow suit after only four games, though the Spaniard was also conscious of keeping the euphoria bubbling.

The Liverpool manager believes his squad could have suffered another psychological blow had they failed to overturn Carlos Tevez' early goal. Doing precisely that, however, with Fernando Torres left on the bench and Steven Gerrard playing only the final 23 minutes, should infuse belief in a squad that answered the challenge to succeed without its best players.

"If you cannot beat United, if you lose these games, then everybody will be talking about how you cannot win the title again," said the Liverpool manager. "Maybe we will need more time for changing things, but now maybe we are there. My job is to keep the players working as they did against United. We made mistakes, but we have started well and we need to keep improving.

"As a manager I have to keep calm. The fans say you can do this and that, but you have to analyse the potential of the team with your staff. Will it be enough to be at the top until the end of the season? You never know. At least we've shown that we can beat United now. With the players we've signed this year that's positive, but we have to keep calm. It's too early."

Benitez has targeted a vast improvement on last season's return of four points from a possible 18 against United, Chelsea and Arsenal. Victory from their first meeting this season, the manager therefore envisages, should have a lasting impact. He said: "If you lose this game then it is more or less six points [LOST]. In this case it's positive for us and gives us confidence for when we play against the top sides. Some people don't realise how good some of these players are because they are not big names, but it is important to show quality without the big names [Torres and Gerrard]."

The Liverpool manager, who still has injury doubts over Gerrard, Torres and now Javier Mascherano for the Champions League group game in Marseille tomorrow, met George Gillett before the game. "We spoke about the team, the club, everything, and it was positive. Nothing special," said Benitez.

The club's American co-owners were the focus of a protest march by supporters on Saturday and Gillett, who is also due at Stade Velodrome, met representatives of the Spirit of Shankly Liverpool Supporters Union at the weekend at his own request, but gave no indication he was prepared to sell.

United's concerns were not confined to their first league defeat at Anfield since 2001. The champions, who could fall nine points behind Liverpool and Chelsea should they lose at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and Benitez' team beat Stoke City the previous day, lost Nemanja Vidic to a red card in the 90th minute and Michael Carrick to a foot injury at half-time.

The England international left Anfield on crutches and though Ferguson insisted there was no fracture Carrick expects a lengthy lay-off. "I got a kick on my foot," he said, "and although I don't know whether it's broken yet it's not looking good."

Ferguson, who will be without the suspended Vidic against Chelsea, said: "It's going to be difficult [at Stamford Bridge] and if we don't address the physical part of the game then we'll struggle there too."

• Guardian Service