Liverpool’s Benitez Upbeat Over Title Challenge

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is confident that his side can go on a winning run and mount a title challenge.

The Reds scored a 4-1 home win over Portsmouth, who have been best on the road in the Premiership this season and had arrived at Anfield with six consecutive away league wins under their belt, to get back to winning ways domestically.

Benitez’s side are however 10 points behind the leaders Arsenal, who earlier on Saturday defeated their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. However, the Merseysiders have a game in hand.

"They showed today that we can do it and that we can win some games in a row," Benitez told Sky Sports News.

"They showed the character they need to at least try to compete for a title.

"We are really pleased. The team was playing well and scored four goals against the best team away.

"It is really important to see the confidence around the players and everything is happy now.

"Today we had a lot of chances and the team was playing with passion and also intelligence."

On the hectic schedule over the Christmas period, the Spaniard commented: "Everybody needs to win every game in this period at least because it is three games in 10 days and we will see what happens with Chelsea and Arsenal or United."

Liverpool Looking For New Signings In January

Liverpool are looking to bring in reinforcement when the transfer market opens next month, according to chief executive Rick Parry.

There was a speculation that the Reds have been told there was no fund to bring in new players in January as American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, had not come out clear on the transfer window strategy when they had a meeting with manager Rafa Benitez recently.

However, all such rumours have been dismissed and Parry said in the Liverpool Daily Post: "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."

Liverpool Money Crisis Deepens As American Owners Miss Deadline Over £220m Debt

Fernando Torres, starting to pay back his £21million transfer fee, scored twice yesterday as Rafa Benitez's Liverpool trounced Portsmouth 4-1 at Anfield to stay in touch with the Premier League pacesetters.

But off the field, the failure so far of efforts by American owners George Gillett jnr and Tom Hicks to refinance the £220million they borrowed from the Royal Bank of Scotland to fund their takeover of the club 10 months ago is pushing Liverpool towards an unprecedented period of uncertainty.

The American owners have missed a selfimposed deadline to strike a deal with RBS before Christmas.

The bank will not allow the club to go under but the problems facing Gillett and Hicks could hasten their departure — and see Dubai International Capital, the state-backed investment firm who were in pole position to buy Liverpool before the arrival of the Americans, back in the market as potential new owners.

Adding to the intrigue over the club's future, it is understood that former Germany World Cup coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been sounded out as a replacement for Benitez.

It is believed that contact between Klinsmann and the club has taken place at a high level and the German is thought to be interested in taking over at Anfield.

Despite assurances that there is money to spend in the January window, Benitez's public rift with Hicks and Gillett over the club's transfer policy may be beyond repair.

Boardroom backing for Benitez has been lukewarm in the wake of reports linking Klinsmann with the job.

Sources close to the ex- Tottenham striker and former Footballer of the Year believe he is eager to end his self-imposed exile from football and take a top manager's job.

A move for Klinsmann could proceed regardless of whether Hicks and Gillett remain the owners of Liverpool, but the crisis in their refinancing plans threatens to undermine the club both on and off the pitch.

Despite revelations last week that talks with RBS and American bank Wachovia over a new £350m loan had stalled, Kekst, the American owners' New York-based PR firm, continued to brief that a deal would be done before Christmas.

But Friday, the last day for business before the festive break, passed without announcement and although it is understood that negotiations will continue, banking sources on this side of Atlantic believe an impasse has been reached.

Hicks and Gillett have until February to refinance the £220m they borrowed from RBS to fund their takeover, plus the interest which has accrued in the past year, the credit notes used to buy Torres and Ryan Babel, and £60m to cover initial work on a new stadium.

If they are unable to strike a deal before the deadline and unable to persuade RBS to take up the option of extending the existing loan for another year, the bank stand to become the de facto owners of the club.

Benitez Laughs Off Transfer Reports

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has dismissed reports that restrictions have been placed on him in regard to strengthening his squad in January.

The Spaniard had a much-publicised disagreement over transfer-window plans with American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks last month, but that was all cleared up at a meeting last weekend following the defeat against Manchester United.

"In our meeting we talked about how to go forward, but we did not talk about the need to sell before we could buy," said the Liverpool boss.

"We don't know exactly (what money will be spent). We need to find the players who can be good for us - I think we will be okay."

On his own future, Benitez admits he would like to extend his stay beyond the end of his current contract - which is due to expire in 2010 - but he has not raised the issue with the Americans.

"I have two-and-a-half years left on my contract, and I will be really pleased if they offered me another. I would say 'yes' - but I'm not expecting one."

Captain Steven Gerrard and striker Fernando Torres are expected to return against Portsmouth, having missed the Carling Cup match with stomach upsets.

Midfielder Xabi Alonso is back in contention after a 60-minute run-out at Stamford Bridge, having recovered from a broken foot, but England forward Peter Crouch is suspended after his sending-off against the Blues.

Mancini Glad To Face Liverpool

Roberto Mancini insists he is happy to have drawn Liverpool in the Champions League. “It’s the weaker sides on paper who are more dangerous.”

Inter were paired with the 2005 winners and 2007 Finalists for the first knockout round and will face off at Anfield Road on Tuesday February 19 before the San Siro decider on March 12.

“It is a good draw,” assured Mancio. “There are no weak sides in the competition now and history teaches us that when you pick those who are weaker on paper, they are the ones where you most risk tripping up.

“It is better to take on the strongest of the lot, as if you want to lift the trophy then you have to beat them all. I think this will be a battle of two great teams.”

Liverpool have only met Inter once before, in the 1964-65 semi-final. The Italians lost 3-1 away, but won the second leg 3-0 and went on to lift the European Cup.

“Liverpool are a strong side, very solid with great players. They have the English mentality, but also the tactical nous of a Coach who studies and prepares for games very carefully,” added Mancini.

“They are very good on home turf and have eliminated Chelsea twice as well as Juventus in recent years.”

LiverpooL 4 - 1 Portsmouth

Rafael Benitez has good reason to go into Christmas in a positive frame of mind after Liverpool returned to winning ways.

Defeats by Manchester United and Reading following a long unbeaten run had raised doubts about their title credentials.

With Portsmouth arriving at Anfield on the back of six away wins this had the makings of being a severe test for Liverpool.

But despite a brief scare they won comfortably, thanks to two goals from Fernando Torres, and will now face struggling Derby on Boxing Day with confidence renewed.

Javier Mascherano, Harry Kewell and Torres all had half chances before Liverpool's pressure paid off in the 13th minute.

Midfielder Yossi Benayoun gave David James no chance with a superb volley from 20 yards after being set up by Kewell.

It was Benayoun's second league goal following his summer move from West Ham.

Liverpool took confidence from making the breakthrough and extended their lead three minutes later.

Dirk Kuyt and Torres linked up with the Spanish striker trying to set up his team-mate.

Sylvain Distin, though, got his bearings wrong and the ball came off his leg and past his own goalkeeper James.

Portsmouth were struggling to get into the match and Steven Gerrard, who had recovered from a bout of sickness, rifled a shot wide of the post in the 21st minute.

Distin and Sol Campbell were having their work cut out at the back as the first half drew to a close.

Portsmouth defender Hermann Hreidarsson's frustration boiled over in the 34th minute and he was booked for holding back Benayoun as he tried to burst forward.

Benayoun then raced away down the right in the 37th minute. He cut inside and tried his luck on goal only for his effort to find the side netting.

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina had not been tested in the first half.

Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes sent a shot in from distance on the stroke of the half but saw it go wide of the post.

Papa Bouba Diop almost pulled a goal back a minute into the second half but his effort went marginally over the bar.

Hreidarsson then sent a header wide following a free-kick on the right from Lauren after 53 minutes.

Liverpool responded and Gerrard tried to release Torres two minutes later.

Torres could not get decent touch but the ball broke to Kewell who rattled a shot wide.

Portsmouth pulled a goal back in the 57th minute with Benjani Mwaruwari's ninth of the season.

He steered his effort wide of Reina from the edge of the area after being set up by Kanu to stun Liverpool.

There was a scare though for Portsmouth in the 60th minute when James fumbled a header from Sami Hyypia after a free-kick from Gerrard. However they were able to scramble the ball away.

Kewell then showed some inspiration to race forward in the 67th minute to send a dipping shot from distance over the top.

Liverpool regained their two-goal advantage a minute later following a glorious pass from Mascherano to substitute Ryan Babel.

Babel's effort was parried by James only for Torres to find the corner from the rebound.

Torres added to his tally in the 84th minute and made it 4-1 to Liverpool with his 14th goal of the season, a clinical finish after he had been set up by Gerrard.

It was tough luck on Portsmouth but they had been carved apart in the second half.

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."