First of all congratulations to Liverpool fans. I think you have signed one of the best young managers in Europe. As you know Benitez has had a remarkable success at Valencia during his three year spell. Before that he coached 4 small teams, getting the sack in two of them but promoting the other two to Spanish Primera Division during his first year with them. I only know him as a coach since he joined Valencia and I remember that when he arrived at the club taking over from Cuper there was a bit of controversy with the old players of the squad as benited seems to be a bit of a freak control, and he wanted to impose his spartan discipline in every aspect of the players lives. Valecnia players were used to having ice cream with their meals and Benitez apparently put a ban on that. He inherited a very good squad that had been built by Rainieri and developped by Cuper but that failed to win trophies other than the Spanish Cup with the Italian, and well, reaching to finals of the Champions League with Cuper. But benited arrived and he wins during his first season the Spanish League taking it away from the galacticos of Real Madrid and finishing with a comfortable lead at the end of the season, His second year was not that succesful. They started very strongly in the Spanish League but were also involved in the CH L where they reached the quarterfinals, losing to Inter after heavily outplaying them, especially in the home game. After that they played very badly in the league and dind't even qualify for the CH L. This year they have been very consistent and have won the league comfortably as well as the UEFA CUP.
Benitez is a coach that we in Spain consider defensive minded. We like teams threading a lot of passes in midfield ( a bit like Arsenal do in England)and like to see players with flair. Benitez won't give you that: his teams play a very dynamic sort of football. When on the ball they will try to get into attacking positions quicky. A lot of especulative balls from the center backs, and a lot of long passes to the wingers were Valencia trade marks. But having seen Houllier I believe that Benitez will bring much more excitement to the fans than Houillier ever did, mainly because he likes to use wide players who try to beat players (I think that Kewell will enjoy the new style of play). At set pieces Valencia were simply magnificent, either on the offensive or the defensive end. Defensively Valencia were a extremely tough nut to crack, but they didn't defend by accumulating numbers at the back like Liverpool did in so many games under Houllier, but with a very active defense, high up in the pitch. Only when playing extremely goood sides they would fall back a bit. Many Valkecnia goals came as a result of quickly disposessing the other team and mount counteratacks in the opponents half. With Benitez if you don't work hard you don't play, as simple as that. Lazy players better start looking to move somewhere else.Benitez likes rotations. If there is a game in the middle of the week he will change many of the players, keepeing the back bone of the team, namely, his most reliable center back, the goallie of course, and his defensive midfielder. Obviously players in great form may keep their place if the game is very important, but it is not unusual that Benitez leaves on the bench players that one may consider as first choice.
Benitez uses two tactical systems: 4-4-1-1. and 4-4-2. If you don't sign new players for the attack his automatic choice would be a 4-4-2 as I don't think you have an Aimar type of player to play behind the center forward. With the amount of good forwards you have I wouldn't be surprised if Benited kept the money to spend in other areas of the pitch instead of buying an Aimar type of player, but who knows?
Of the two holding midfielders Benitez deploys he likes to have one of them as the creator (I believe that Gerrard would be the right player to do this job) and the other more of a defensive nature, sitting in front of the defense and breaking the opposition attacks, but gerard has definitely the defensive and ofensive ability to play either of the two positions. One of the two wide players tends to be more of a midfielder than the other who is more of a winger, but mind you, Valencia didn't have much money to buy players and at Liverpool he may use two wingers. What I am sure of is that with the squad you have tyou won't finish so far from the top as this year, and who knows, Liverpool may surprise a few and win the Premiership.
Good luck.