THERE is something about Chelsea that brings out the devil in Rafael Benítez. Placid and mild-mannered by nature, the Liverpool manager suddenly assumes a Machiavellian streak, dropping his usual pleasantries, lacing his words with ill-will and damning with faint praise, all of it designed to unsettle and unseat the man in the opposing dugout.

Benítez, with a slight smirk, describes his relationship with José Mourinho as “normal”, but, by that, he means normal by the standards of adversaries. “It was better before we had to play against each other so many times,” he said as he pondered today’s FA Cup semi-final, their tenth encounter in two seasons. “It’s natural that you would have more confrontation with another manager when you’re both competing for trophies.”

Benítez is not the confrontational type, but, where Chelsea and Mourinho are concerned, he often seems to seek out strife. Some of his previous efforts have proved inspired — “this time he will lose”, before the Champions League semi-final, second leg last May — and others misguided, such as the suggestion before a 4-1 home defeat last October that Liverpool frightened Chelsea.

This time he has suggested that the real “Special One” at Stamford Bridge is not Mourinho but the Russian who signs the cheques.

At first, when he said that Roman Abramovich “has done a really good job” for Chelsea, some wondered whether Benítez meant Mourinho, but he made it quite clear where he felt the credit should go. “It’s very simple,” the Spaniard said. “They have spent more money than any other club on players. Abramovich has done a fantastic job with this team.

“They have a lot of good players, so they must be at the top of the table and in finals with those players. Normally, if you spend big money, you’re near the top of the table and competing for silverware.”

Would he say Mourinho has done a good job? “Yes, but for me the chairman or the owner is the key. [John] Terry, [Frank] Lampard, Mourinho are all important, but they couldn’t have done anything like they have if they didn’t have Abramovich. He started the revolution, no?” But to dismiss Mourinho as a chequebook manager is to ignore the fact that he won the European Cup on a modest budget with FC Porto and that Chelsea are the best-organised team in England as well as the most expensive.

Benítez enjoyed one memorable victory over Chelsea last May to secure a place in the Champions League final but Mourinho has won five and drawn three of their nine encounters to date.

For the Liverpool manager, though, there is satisfaction in the fact that they are within 15 points of the champions-elect in the Premiership this season, having finished 37 points adrift a year ago. Had his team beaten Chelsea home and away — a slightly fatuous suggestion perhaps — the difference would be just three points, but, as was the case in the Champions League last year, Benítez would happily accept two league defeats if they are followed by victory this evening and a place at the Millennium Stadium on May 13.

• Liverpool completed the first part of their double Manchester mission last night when they lifted the FA Youth Cup for the first time in ten years, despite losing 2-0 to Manchester City. Cheered on by 3,000 travelling supporters, many of whom were staying in the city for today’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Old Trafford, Steve Heighway’s side clinched a 3-2 aggregate win despite a Daniel Sturridge brace.