Klinsmann Waiting In The Wings To Replace Benitez At Liverpool

Rafa Benitez wants his Liverpool deal extended — as Jurgen Klinsmann waits in the wings for his job.

The Kop boss insists he can still deliver the title to American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Benitez' future was up in the air after a public fall-out with the pair — reminiscent of a Carry On film.

But, after Sunday's peace talks, Rafa wants to stay.

His deal runs for another four years but Benitez said: “I'd like to fulfil my contract and extend it, if possible.

"We are already very close to winning the Premier League. We are now eight points ahead of what we had last year.”

But SunSport has revealed Hicks and Gillett are keen admirers of German legend Klinsmann.

The ex-Spurs star is set to move from California.

And the feeling on Merseyside is that Benitez will probably go in the summer — possibly to Real Madrid.

A source close to Klinsmann told SunSport: “It appears Jurgen will be moving back to Europe and the word is Liverpool are favourites to get him.”

Valencia Set Their Sights On £4m Liverpool Defender Riise

Valencia boss Ronaldo Koeman has launched a £4m bid to prise John Arne Riise away from Liverpool.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is determined to keep 27-year-old Riise but Koeman told the Daily Mirror: "He is a player with experience and would offer options to our game."

Valencia sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz added: "We want to improve our squad."

Valencia are already out of the Champions League and are rebuilding.

They see Riise as a vital part of that and will not be put off an initial rejection from Anfield.

Inter Visit Anfield On Opening Night

Liverpool FC, AS Roma, FC Schalke 04 and Olympiacos CFP will all look to take a significant step towards the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by exploiting home advantage in the first leg of their first knockout round ties on 19 February.

That quartet will face tricky away trips in the return matches, with Liverpool travelling to FC Internazionale Milano – although that second leg will be played on Tuesday 11 March due to a stadium clash with Inter's city rivals and UEFA Champions League holders AC Milan. Roma meet Real Madrid CF, Schalke play FC Porto and Olympiacos take on Chelsea FC, with the second legs of those three ties to take place on Wednesday 5 March.

The remaining four first knockout round fixtures kick off on Wednesday 20 February, with Milan visiting Arsenal FC and their predecessors as European champions, FC Barcelona, also heading for Britain to tackle Celtic FC. Fenerbahçe SK welcome two-time UEFA Cup winners Sevilla FC to Istanbul, while Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyonnais host English counterparts Manchester United FC. The second legs will be held on 4 March.

Rick Parry: Liverpool Will Be Active In Transfer Market

Rick Parry has pledged that Liverpool WILL be active when the transfer window opens next month.

The club's chief executive has quashed speculation that Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez would not have any money to spend to new players in January.

Parry said: "We will be active in the transfer market next month, as we always are.

"There has never been any suggestion of a ban, I don't know where that has come from.

"Our priority is to do as well as we can on the field, and, as always, we will be active."

Speculation has been rife about Liverpool's transfer policy for the past few weeks, ever since Benitez fell out with the club's owners over their refusal to plan in advance for next month's window.

Interest Grows In Ujfalusi

Tomas Ujfalusi's agent claims Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in the Fiorentina defender.

The Czech Republic international's contract with the Viola expires at the end of the season and a clutch of clubs are chasing the 29-year-old.

Ujfalusi is considering his future with the Serie A club and has previously intimated at a move to Spain next summer.

Sevilla, when coached by current Spurs boss Juande Ramos, had been long-time admirers of the former Hamburg centre-half.

According to Ujfalusi's agent Dalibor Lacina, the Uefa Cup holders are still keen, along with Premier League duo Liverpool and Spurs.

"Tomas is right, it is 50-50," Lacina told Sport when asked if the player would leave Fiorentina or sign a new contract.

"A lot of clubs are interested in him, we will decide in the summer.

"The clubs which have been questioning us about him are Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Zenit St Petersburg, Tottenham and Sevilla."
But Lacina did not rule out Ujfalusi making a late decision to extend his time at Fiorentina, who he joined in 2004.

Lacina added: "Their captain Dario Dainelli extended his contract two weeks before its expiry and the same may happen in Tomas' case."

John Obi Mikel Went Down Like He Was Shot - Crouch

Peter Crouch, the Liverpool forward, has admitted he deserved to be sent off against Chelsea last night, but has criticised the role of John Obi Mikel in his dismissal.

Crouch was shown the red card for a two-footed challenge on Mikel during the second half of Liverpool’s 2-0 Carling Cup quarter-final defeat at Stamford Bridge.
The England striker verbally retorted to crowd abuse as he left the field and he admits he was frustrated. “Mikel came in with his studs up and that was in the back of my mind,” he said. “Then I thought there was another foul in there and obviously I’ve lost my head.

"There are no excuses for the tackle I made but if the referee had pulled the foul up when he should have done it wouldn’t have happened. A lot was going their way and I think frustration got the better of me.”

Crouch admits his challenge looked dangerous but says that he made only minimal contact with Mikel and he was unimpressed with the midfield player’s reaction. “What I’m thinking is if you go in on Frank Lampard or John Terry would they roll around like Obi Mikel did?” Crouch said. “I don’t think they would have done. Would someone like Carra [Jamie Carragher] have gone down like that? I think it’s safe to say that he wouldn’t.

“Foreign players have brought a lot to our game but that’s something you don’t want to see. I didn’t catch him but he’s gone down like he’s been shot.”

Liverpool were trailing to a deflected Lampard goal at the time of Crouch’s sending off in the 60th minute and the incident all but ended their hopes of getting back into the game.

Crouch concedes it was probably the defining moment of the game. “It’s frustrating because I thought we played OK as a team and obviously it was always going to be difficult from the moment I was sent off,” Crouch said.

Benitez Keen On New Deal

Rafa Benitez has revealed he would be open to extending his Liverpool contract following talks with owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

The Liverpool boss met the American duo on Sunday, following the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, to discuss the recent stand-off.

Benitez had been critical of the owners' lack of understanding of the transfer window, but is confident any problems have now been resolved.

And, having won the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League during his Anfield tenure, the Spaniard aims to win the Premier League and prolong his reign.

"I am quite at ease," Benitez told Sport newspaper. "I would like to fulfil my contract and extend it, if possible.

"My family has settled very well and, to me, the respect and appreciation of the public in England is incredible.

"We are already very close to winning the Premier League. We are now eight points ahead of what we had last year and we have made progress in the Champions League.

"We are in a good position, but others also invest, progress and evolve."

Benitez also played down his row with Gillett and Hicks, and revealed the level of support he had received from Liverpool fans across the globe.

He added: "It has been a little exaggerated. The Americans want the best for the club and so do I.

"The only thing they want is that we sit down and talk because there is a difference in language and a significant distance. I think there must be better lines of communication.

"I am calm. I am confident that things are going to settle and we will succeed.

"40,000 signatures on the internet supported me to continue at the Liverpool helm. The signatures came from Australia or from Asia. Many supporters of Liverpool around the world are supporting a coach who has won major titles for the club."

Fernando Torrres Hopes To Emulate Ian Rush And Kenny Dalglish

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres hopes to emulate Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish and become a Kop idol.

The 23-year-old Spaniard has made an excellent start to life in England following his £20million-plus move from Atletico Madrid in the summer, scoring 12 goals in 20 games so far.

Reds fans have dedicated a chant once reserved for Dalglish and another Liverpool great Robbie Fowler to Torres, and he hopes by the time his career at Anfield is over he will be held in similar high regard.

“To be linked with players like that gives me pride and great satisfaction,” he said.

“They were some of the greatest players in the history of Liverpool Football Club. I have just arrived and still have a long way to go, but I am proud of the association.

“These players, Rush and Dalglish, they defined an era for Liverpool by scoring so many goals.

“It’s not just for their sake that I shy away from these comparisons, it’s for me too. I have only just arrived here. Many years down the line when I eventually leave Liverpool I would like to be held in the same affection as these players but I’ve got a long way to go, so I’ll leave them on their pedestal at the moment.”

Torres again gave his backing to Reds boss Rafael Benitez, who appears to have patched up his differences with the club’s American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

“It was Rafa who called me to join Liverpool, and that showed his trust in me,” the Spain forward told www.liverpoolfc.tv.

“He wanted me to join a team of champions and I saw that as a vote of confidence. This confidence was a serious factor in me joining.

“In Spain he has been at many clubs. He was at Tenerife and led the league, and won La Liga and the UEFA Cup with Valencia. At Liverpool he won the Champions League. He is a recognised winner in Spain both with small clubs and massive clubs like ours.

“He is known throughout Spain as someone who brings success and he is a treasure for all Spaniards.”

Liverpool Face Funding Crisis

Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, have postponed until 2009 plans to borrow £300 million from banks to pay for the club's new home at Stanley Park, plunging the project into fresh uncertainty.

Hicks and Gillett are confident of clinching a separate interim deal before Christmas with the Royal Bank of Scotland and American bank Wachovia to borrow £350 million to refinance a loan used to fund their £220 million takeover last February and pay for initial building work.

However, The Daily Telegraph has learned that there are now serious question marks over the rest of the money required to complete the move from Anfield. A combination of the global credit crunch and nervousness over the level of debt which will be placed on to Liverpool's balance sheet has forced Hicks and Gillett to abandon plans to raise all the money in one go.

Instead they are now looking to borrow £350 million to pay off a two-year loan with RBS worth approaching £270 million, inject £60 million of working capital for the new ground and cover £25 million of credit notes used to finance the summer purchases of Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, again provided by RBS.

It is understood that while the £60 million of stadium financing will get Hicks and Gillett through the first 18 months of work on the Stanley Park project there are serious concerns over how they will raise the remaining £300 million needed to complete the stadium, which has been scaled back after the designs came in £50 million over budget.

Sources close to Hicks and Gillett maintain the Americans are confident of raising the money for the stadium in 2009 when it will be two years from completion and easier to secure contracts with future sponsors for naming rights and to predict income from the sale of club seats and executive boxes.

But contrary to promises made at the time of their takeover earlier this year, the owners are now preparing to load at least half of the new £350 million debt on to the club.

Banking sources said that, while Hicks and Gillett had now agreed to pump in £20 million each of their own cash to secure the new £350 million loan, one of the main sticking points previously has been the American pair's reluctance or inability to put up their own money. In addition to the £40 million in cash, the pair are also underwriting £75 million in letters of credit and £60 million in personal guarantees. The refinancing of the club's debts means that from next season Liverpool will have to shoulder about £30 million in annual interest repayments.

According to financial predictions for 2008, that will swallow up much of the club's spare cash, making it harder to provide funds for manager Rafa Benitez to invest in his squad. And although Benitez called a truce with Hicks and Gillett following a meeting on Sunday, tensions with the owners are likely to resurface if he is forced to sell players to fund new acquisitions in January.

Chelsea 2 - 0 LiverpooL

Liverpool and England striker Peter Crouch saw red as Chelsea progressed to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup thanks to second-half strikes from Frank Lampard and Andriy Shevchenko.

Lampard's deflected 59th minute opener was followed, seconds later, by a moment of madness from Crouch who was red-carded for a disgraceful two-footed lunge on Mikel John Obi.

Referee Martin Atkinson immediately dismissed the England striker who unleashed a four-letter tirade at Chelsea fans before disappearing down the tunnel.

Crouch will now miss Liverpool's home clash with Portsmouth and the visits to Derby and Manchester City over the festive period.

The Carling Cup has never been high on Rafael Benitez's hit-list and he underlined that by putting out a side which did not contain England midfielder Steven Gerrard and Spanish striker Fernando Torres.

Gerrard, laid low with a stomach complaint, was certainly missed by the Merseysiders - who showed little drive in a goalless opening half largely controlled by the home side.

But Chelsea's failure to break the deadlock was largely due to the agility of Liverpool's reserve goalkeeper Charles Itandje.

In the 11th minute he denied Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou when Andriy Shevchenko's low cross had invited him to try his luck from just inside the penalty area.

However, the Liverpool goalkeeper had to rely on his shoulder to prevent Lampard scoring in the 24th minute.

Alvaro Arbeloa's attempted clearance fell to Lampard's feet on the edge of the penalty area but the England man could not finish the job.

A minute later Chelsea had to rely on Petr Cech, playing his first game in the competition this season, when a move involving Andriy Voronin and Crouch set up Lucas.

The Czech international keeper, at fault for Arsenal's winner in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday, produced a fine diving save to deny the Liverpool midfielder.

But they were the only real highlights in a first half littered with poor passes and choked by a packed midfield.

Chelsea continued to look the more likely to score but Lampard was still finding his range when he sent a 20-yard shot high into the crowd in the 52nd minute.

Less than 60 seconds later, Itandje denied Michael Essien, back from his three-match suspension, with a flying one-handed save as the Ghanaian's 18-yard effort looked destined for the corner.

Liverpool's attacks were sporadic at best but they were almost gifted a goal in the 55th minute when Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho, playing his first game since breaking a small bone in his back against Everton in early November, failed to reach Cech with a back-header.

The ball fell straight into the path of Crouch but the lanky striker could not lift the ball over the advancing Chelsea keeper.

But four minutes later, Chelsea were in front. Mikel found Shevchenko with a clever pass and the Ukraine striker put Lampard in the clear thanks to a neat first touch.

The England midfielder's shot was half-stopped by Jamie Carragher but the ball ballooned up and over the stranded Itandje to register Lampard's 99th goal for the club.

But the game erupted in the worst possible way within a minute when Crouch inexplicably decided to launch himself at Mikel right in front of the home dugout.

The two-footed lunge was high and dangerous and Atkinson had no hesitation in dismissing the England striker - to the fury of Benitez and the player himself.

Mikel was later replaced by Michael Ballack, who was returning to action for the first time since April.

In the intervening period, the Germany captain underwent two ankle operations - but he showed no ill-effects as Chelsea went in search of a second goal.

Indeed, it was Ballack's header down to Shevchenko in the final minute of normal time which allowed the Ukrainian to drill an angled shot past Itandje to put Chelsea into the last four of the competition.

Jamie Carragher Snubs Fabio Capello

Fabio Capello last night suffered the first setback of his reign as England manager when Liverpool's Jamie Carragher insisted he would not come out of international retirement.

Named as Steve McClaren's successor last Friday, Capello has already talked of his desire for Carragher to rescind his decision to step down from the international arena. Carragher's performances in the Champions League, particularly against Capello's old Juventus side, had impressed the new England manager.

But Carragher wants to concentrate on Liverpool and will refuse any plea from Capello to return for England. "I don't think so," said Carragher. "I am happy with the way things are now and I get to have a break with the family as well. I cannot see that changing."

Asked if Capello travelling to the North-West and knocking on his door would influence matters, Carragher responded: "I don't think so."

Carragher had grown frustrated at being shifted around England's back-line by Sven-Goran Eriksson, who used him at left-back and also as a holding midfielder. Capello, who sees his England spine involving John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, wanted to add Carragher to his central-defensive options.

Italy's World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, meanwhile, believes that Capello may have to axe an "important player" for the overall good of the England team.

Lippi, who was among the candidates considered for the England job, was not afraid to drop star players during his successful reign with the Italian national team and predicted that his compatriot would also face difficult decisions.

"Capello's most difficult task will be to make a team become a team, something which in recent years it hasn't felt like," he said. "That will be the most difficult challenge. The national team is not the selection of the best players of the country, but in order to make a team you may also need to have to drop an important player that perhaps is not on the same wavelength as the others." Capello plans to study English intensively over the next month and Lippi agrees that mastering the language will be fundamental to his success.

"I have always said that a coach must transmit to his players everything that goes through his heart and head and in order to do so, he can't be talking and then asking the interpreter to translate, it's impossible," he said.

"The fact that I don't speak English is one of the reasons why I have turned down three or four proposals that have arrived from the English Premiership."

Liverpool Want To Sign Kaladze

Reds' boss Rafa Benitez is desperate to add a central defender to his squad as he currently has just Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and the ageing Sami Hyypia among his ranks.

Benitez is a huge admirer of Kaladze, 29, who comes with the added bonus of being able to play at left back, or even as an emergency midfielder.

However the Spanish tactician has been told that he will not be given any extra transfer funds in January, and will only be allowed to spend the money that he makes through player sales.

Benitez is willing to sell giant striker Peter Crouch, who could move to Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Manchester City.

Mali midfielder Momo Sissoko will also be permitted to leave after hitting out at his boss last week over his lack of playing time. Juventus are said to be very interested.

Whether or not Milan will be willing to sell Kaladze is highly debatable, as the Georgian has formed a fine centre-back partnership alongside Alessandro Nesta.

Reds Transfer Cash Pledge

Liverpool's American owners have insisted Rafa Benitez is the manager they want to take them into the future.

But George Gillett and Tom Hicks have stopped short of an unequivocal backing of the Spanish coach, which leaves his long-term position in doubt. Benitez is safe until the end of the season at least after a summit meeting between the two parties on Sunday night thrashed out their immediate differences.

And both the Liverpool boss and the Americans have agreed to use the next six months to help repair the damage to their relationship, and see where the new-found peace agreement takes them. Both sides have also agreed not to air their disputes in public again, and Benitez has been offered some appeasement with the promise of a new signing in the January transfer window.

Gillett spoke about the problems he and Hicks have endured in their relationship with the manager, and insisted both sides will now try to work together.

"This situation wasn't supposed to happen, but it has happened, and now the focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation," Gillett said.

"I've been married over 40 years and have first-hand knowledge about how to solve an argument. Rafa is the one we want as a manager further on, and we have faith in him.

"We concentrated on getting an overview over the situation, and I felt we accomplished that."

While that assures Benitez about his immediate position, it is clear that there is merely an uneasy truce in place, with the potential still for a parting of the ways.

Insiders suggest that both the manager and the Americans want to go on until the summer, and then decide if the relationship is working.

Benitez is still unhappy with the way the club drags its feet over potential deals, and he has been given no assurance that it will change.

He has also been told that chief executive Rick Parry will still conduct all financial negotiations, with the manager expected to take a secondary role in deals. There is further confusion over the sort of transfer budget the Spaniard can expect, both in January and, importantly, next summer.

Parry yesterday revealed the club simply cannot afford the planned new stadium to replace Anfield, and will now have to draw up yet more designs to try to cut projected costs.

It is a massive blow to the Merseyside club, because the hi-tech new stadium was a central platform in their blueprint to generate income.

Parry said: "We are now considering two schemes but the stadium will be a 70,000- seater.

"The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans (from 2001) and a slightly downgraded version of the new ones (which were submitted two months ago)."

These plans will again have to go before Liverpool City Council and then the government for final approval, but it appears there will be less of an emphasis given to areas which generate significant match-day income.

And with the new owners clearly looking to cut costs, Benitez fears that there will be little or no money in the short to medium term for transfers, with all profits set against the interest on massive loans required to pay for the purchase of the club and their new home.

If Benitez feels that he is not getting sufficient backing by the summer, then he has made it clear to his closest associates that he will consider some of the other offers from top European clubs he is bound to receive by then.

Liverpool Revise Stadium Plan

Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr insist their plan to raise at least £500 million to re-finance the takeover of the club and move from Anfield remains on track despite last night's announcement that the new 70,000- seater stadium was being scaled back.

The club's chief executive Rick Parry issued a statement yesterday revealing that the futuristic £350m project at Stanley Park, first made public in the summer, had been replaced by a less "dramatic" design.

He explained two schemes were now being considered but emphasised that the capacity would stay at 70,000 and plans for a single-tier Kop were not being scrapped.

The announcement followed weekend reports that Hicks and Gillett were encountering major problems in attracting banks to finance their scheme.

The Americans, who bought the club from David Moores last January in a £174 million deal, want to re-finance the £298m they borrowed from Royal Bank of Scotland to pay for the deal and give them working capital for players and the stadium.

That two-year loan expires in 2009 and Hicks and Gillett want to roll the deal into a long-term package to help them to pay for the new stadium.

Last month Liverpool were thought to be close to agreeing a deal with RBS and American bank Wachovia, but reports at the weekend suggested Wachovia had walked away.

Last night sources close to the American owners described the reports as "false" and, while they admitted the re-financing was taking longer than they expected, said they were confident it would be in place by January at the latest.

But Liverpool fans will be within their rights to question the owners' confidence given how long the re-financing has been dragging on for. Back in September Goldman Sachs pulled out of a deal with Liverpool after Hicks and Gillett refused to pump in £100m of their own money.

Last night's announcement that the stadium's plans were changing again will only add to the uncertainty around the club, even if manager Rafa Benitez has been given the Americans' backing despite Sunday's home defeat by fierce rivals Manchester United.

"The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans," Parry insisted in a statement released on the club's website.

"It will be a massive improvement on where we were 12 months ago, if not quite as dramatic as the plans unveiled in the summer.

"The single-tier Kop remains fundamental to the design and we are not expecting any delays, it should be on schedule for 2011."

Gillett Regrets Benitez Row

Liverpool co-owner George Gilett has expressed regret at the damage done from the row with manager Rafa Benitez over transfer policy.

With arch-rivals Manchester United not only inflicting another demoralising Anfield defeat on Liverpool at the weekend, but also preparing to announce record turnover and profits, these are trying times for the Merseyside Reds.

The club's owners, the two Aumerican business tycoons Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, watched the United match before holding "clear-the-air" talks with Benítez on Sunday evening.

The club issued a statement saying those talks were "positive, amicable and constructive," and indeed it seems they went as well as could be expected.

However, most observers believe that the long-term job security of Benitez has been compromised by the public sniping, which the Americans ordered the Spaniard to stop, telling him instead to focus on getting the best out of the current squad.

On Sunday night there was a vote of confidence in Benitez from Gillett, who was speaking at a Liverpool Former Players’ Association dinner. Gillett expressed regret at the damage done.

“This [the row with Benitez] wasn’t supposed to happen, but it has happened and now the focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation,” Gillett said.

“Rafa is the one we want as a manager further on and we have faith in him. I’ve been married over 40 years and have first-hand knowledge about how to solve an argument.”

On the prickly question of satisfying Benítez’s desire for transfer funds to spend in January, Gillett would not be drawn.

“The window opens soon and we might use the option that gives us, or we might not,” he said.

Liverpool Eyeing Muntari

Liverpool are reported to be weighing up a January move for Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari if they are priced out of a move for Javier Mascherano.

Muntari has impressed at Fratton Park since his summer arrival from Udinese and his performances are thought to have alerted Reds boss Rafa Benitez.

Benitez is drawing up his list of targets in the January transfer window and could make a move for Muntari if he is priced out of a deal for Mascherano.

The Ghana international has quickly adapted to life in England and he is a big fans' favourite at Pompey.

The 23-year-old has admitted he would be interested in a move to a bigger club if the chance became available.

"I want to end up at one of the biggest clubs - that is every player's dream," Muntari is quoted as saying in The Mirror.

"Of course I will try my best here and help Portsmouth win many things, and maybe qualify for Europe, but eventually I would like to play for a bigger club."

Reds Report 'Positive' Talks

Liverpool have issued a statement describing clear-the-air talks between manager Rafael Benitez and the club's American owners as "positive".

The meeting was arranged following a dispute between the Spaniard and Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the club's approach to the January transfer window.

Benitez was frustrated at what he saw as an unnecessary delay over the pursuit of new players and claimed the American duo did not understand the European transfer market.

But a statement on the Liverpool website said: "A meeting was held this evening involving Tom Hicks, George Gillett, Foster Gillett, Rick Parry and Rafa Benitez which was wide-ranging and positive.

"The discussions were amicable and constructive. All those present are united in their desire to bring further success to the club."

Earlier in the day, the Reds had lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United, a result which seriously dents their Premier League title hopes.

Carlos Tevez scored the game's only goal, but Benitez said: "It is too soon to talk about the title.

"Clearly, it will be harder. If we are going to get closer we need to start winning some games in a row.

"Every team can lose points, so I have the same confidence to keep going and try and keep winning.

"We are a team that has a lot of positives but this defeat is frustrating because we are very close to Manchester United. We just made one mistake and paid for it, just as we did last season."

Liverpool 0 - 1 Man Utd

For the second season running, a close-range goal in front of the Kop proved enough to give Manchester United victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

Whereas John O'Shea's goal in the corresponding fixture came in stoppage time and spurred United on to the title, this time the first half was nearing its end when Carlos Tevez struck.

And while the Argentina forward's effort will not prove decisive in the championship race at this early stage, it has left United nine points in front of their fierce north-west rivals, who, after suffering their first defeat at Reading last week, have now lost their unbeaten home record too.

It is not the ideal backdrop to Rafael Benitez's crunch meeting with co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, although United, unbeaten in Premier League combat on this ground for six years now, will not care much about that.

Twelve months ago, Liverpool did everything but beat United, virtually battering their north-west rivals into submission before O'Shea popped up in the final minute to snatch victory.

The home fans must have endured an uneasy feeling of deja vu as they watched the opening period unfold.

What incisive football was played amid a frenzied atmosphere was all theirs. The chances fell the way of the men in red too. Unfortunately, the shots were either off target or failed to beat a United defender stood on the line.

Liverpool's efforts were assisted by a rare faltering performance from Edwin van der Sar, who twice had his attempts to take what looked like routine catches hindered by his own players.

On the first occasion, the veteran Dutchman ran into a crowd of United defenders as he tried to collect a Steven Gerrard free-kick that had been deflected high into the air.

Harry Kewell was on to the loose ball first but drove his volley straight at Anderson, who was still marshalling a post.

Fernando Torres, a man Ferguson tried to buy from Atletico Madrid on three separate occasions, should have finished off the rebound but, from six yards, nodded disappointingly wide.

Then, when Van der Sar came off worst in a collision with Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand's back header seemed destined to bounce into his own net until Patrice Evra raced back to clear.

Torres was off-target with a couple of efforts, as was Sami Hyypia.

Yet, for all the pressure, it was United who took the lead two minutes before the break as the Liverpool defence fell apart following a Ryan Giggs corner.

After failing to pick up Wayne Rooney on the edge of the area, Alvaro Arbeloa then remained rooted to the goalline as Liverpool pushed up hoping for an offside as the ball fizzed into the box.

Tevez was actually behind Pepe Reina as he scooped home his eighth goal of the season but with Arbeloa behind him, it did not matter and the Argentina forward wheeled away in celebration, the ball hitting virtually the same spot O'Shea had found in March.

For a very brief moment, it appeared Torres would level within a minute of the re-start as the United defence opened up in front of the Spain international.

The ball seemed to get stuck under his feet and before he could regain any momentum, Torres had been robbed.

It was the prelude for more sustained Liverpool pressure, which United countered by throwing their bodies in the way of anything vaguely threatening.

Ferdinand and Vidic were immense figures at the heart of the rearguard action, their efforts only made slightly easier by Dirk Kuyt's poor performance.

The Dutchman was totally ineffective, his contribution paling in comparison to Torres, even though he was not having one of his better days.

Crouch's introduction gave the Red Devils' overworked defence another problem to counter and another substitute, Ryan Babel, almost took advantage of the extra space when he skimmed a shot agonisingly wide of Van der Sar's left post.

Babel injected more life into the Liverpool attack but it was Rooney who would have saved the visiting fans an anxious final 10 minutes if he had not turned Ronaldo's low cross wide from eight yards.

Gerrard Will Go Down Alongside Dalglish As Anfield Great, Says Reds Team-mate Carragher

Jamie Carragher has hailed Steven Gerrard as one of the best players in the world - and puts the England midfielder alongside Kenny Dalglish in the list of Liverpool greats.

Gerrard inspired Liverpool to a 4-0 thrashing of Marseille to secure a place in the Champions League knockout stage - a feat that had appeared impossible earlier this season, after only one point was secured from their first three European games.

Carragher told the Liverpool Echo: "He's definitely one of the best players in the world. You look at Kaka and (Lionel) Messi, but they probably play further forward.

"For me, he'll go down alongside Kenny Dalglish as one of the greatest players ever to have played for Liverpool - and at the moment he's probably in the top four or five players in the world."

Gerrard opened the scoring in the Stade Velodrome and in doing so overtook Michael Owen's record for goals in Europe - and also became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge in 1989 to score in seven successive matches.

Liverpool will face tough opponents in the last 16 - they will be drawn against AC Milan, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona or Seville but Carragher is not daunted.

He added: "We'll be a big game for anyone as well, don't forget. When you're in the Champions League you play the best teams in Europe.

"It's good players and the top teams in the best stadiums. But if you want to progress, you've got to beat the best."

Carragher added he does not have "a clue" whether the result eases the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez.

"That's not up to us," he said.

"We just get on with playing and at the moment we're doing all right - and we just hope to keep it going."

We Must Be One Of The Champions League Favourites, Says Bullish Liverpool Keeper Reina

Liverpool finished second in their group in their Champions League group and will now face an Italian or Spanish team in the last 16.

Inter Milan, holders AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona are prospective opponents, while Sevilla could join the list should they finish top of their pool after Tuesday’s matches.

Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina, however, said his side do not fear anyone in Europe, saying: "We know we will play a Spanish or an Italian team and it will be difficult.

"Playing the second game away will also be hard.

"But it is always a difficult competition and only the best can play in it. We trust ourselves - we have reached the final in two recent seasons so we have to be one of the favourites."

He added: "We have beaten Barca, Juventus, Chelsea (in recent seasons). These have been difficult games and we therefore have confidence in ourselves."

Reina also called on his team-mates to help relieve the boardroom tension that currently exists at the club by continuing their superb recent form on the pitch.

The much-publicised spat between manager Rafael Benitez and co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, which centres around the release of funds for the January transfer window, will come to a head this weekend when the parties meet.

Benitez can go into the talks armed with an amazing recent run of results - Saturday's defeat to Reading aside - that culminated in last night's stunning 4-0 win at Marseille which secured the Reds a place in the Champions League knockout stages.

That made it 25 goals in the last seven games for the Merseysiders, who are also well placed in the Barclays Premier League heading into Sunday's crucial clash with rivals Manchester United.

Benitez's position is surely not under threat after the results of the past month, and compatriot Reina has hailed his team-mates' ability to shut out the off-field issues and concentrate on what is happening on it.

"We have to respect the opinions of the manager and the owners," said the Spain goalkeeper.
"But all we can do is go out there to play and win - that is all. We are trying to play as well as we can on the pitch, and not worry about anything else.

"There are always things happening. But two weeks ago, we said to ourselves we must focus on our play and do our best on the pitch. That's what we are doing."

The club's players and supporters have rallied around Benitez in his time of need and arguably made his position even stronger, despite his public slanging match with the Reds' American owners.

Reina has ultimate faith in his boss, adding: "The manager has a cold mind - he knows what to do at any moment.

"We have showed everyone that people must trust us in what we are trying to do, and in these difficult situations. We have a great team. Now we have to compete at this high level in the Premier League now and play another 'final' against Manchester United."

The thrashing of Marseille will go down as another epic European night for the Anfield club.

Before Tuesday night, every English team who had come to the Stade Velodrome for a European fixture had gone home defeated - that included Liverpool following a UEFA Cup fourth-round clash in 2004.

But the class of 2007 made a mockery of that record, dominating from start to finish in a Champions League masterclass.

Goals by Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in the opening 11 minutes calmed any early nerves, and the Reds made the most of some embarrassing OM defending to add further efforts through Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel in the second half.

Benitez's men picked up just one point from their opening three games but three straight wins, during which the team scored 16 goals and conceded just one, rounded off an ultimately successful Group A campaign.

"The pressure is always there because we are Liverpool and with that, you must win every game," added Reina.

"We are favourites in every competition we play in and that brings its own pressure. It was a must-win game but we knew it was in our own hands.

"Because of the situation we were in, it was one of our best games in terms of completeness.

"We played well going forward and were compact in defence. In the end it was an easy game for us and we just have to keep this momentum going."