Reina: I'm Happy In England, But I'm An Atletico Fan

Liverpool and Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina admitted that one day he'd love to wear the red and white of Atletico Madrid, but for now he's more than happy at Anfield.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina told Spanish sports daily As of his respect both for his current club and Atletico Madrid.

While he's made little secret of his desire to one day play for Atleti, though, he's absolutely delighted to be at Liverpool for now.

"I'm in my third season here and I'm very happy, and I'm an important figure in the locker room," he began.

"That makes you identify a lot with the side, your commitment is greater to the rest of the squad and to the team as well. I'm very comfortable here.

"People who read this don't know how it is to play for Liverpool in this league. Here we battle for so many titles, and are one of the best clubs in Europe.

"Atletico? I love this team, of course, for family reasons and many others. It's flattering for me to be linked with them, but I'm not looking for change.

"It's a club for which I have a special love - I can't deny it. My father played for them and I have a lot of friends there. Plus, Madrid is a great city.

"I like Atletico, but I have a contract with Liverpool and I'm happy here. Right now there's no reason to switch."

On the subject of a player who made a move in the opposite direction, the ex-Villarreal man had this to say:

"Fernando Torres? He's been received very well. He's very important for the club and has fitted in well. So far everything is going swimmingly.

"The crowd love him. They're very affectionate with him and constantly show their respect."

The 25-year-old then discussed his prospects with the international side.

"Football is full of surprises," he mused. "Iker [Casillas] is a great goalkeeper, a good teammate and a rival for the position of goalkeeper with the Selección, and he'll be tough to topple from his post.

"It takes many years to be elite in a team like Real Madrid, playing well every week, but one must be prepared when the time comes to play. I'm keen to play myself."

Liverpool’s Agger Could Return If Hyypia Fails Test

Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia might make way for Daniel Agger if the veteran fails the fitness test ahead of Sunday’s Premiership clash at Manchester City.

Hyypia limped off the field on Boxing Day with an ankle injury and Reds boss Rafa Benitez feels it will be difficult for the Finland international to recover in time for the City game.

Denmark defender Agger meanwhile had been out with metatarsal injury since September and could provide a timely boost.

"It will be difficult for Sami," Benitez said on the club’s official website.

"He is working hard with the physios and we are waiting to see whether he will be available. We will have to wait and see.

"If Sami doesn't play then we can think about using Daniel. He is training and is very close now."

Liverpool Sign Starlet Cooper

Liverpool will complete the signing of 16-year-old Ross County prospect Alex Cooper when the transfer window opens.

Liverpool have signed Alex Cooper from Ross County - a Scottish Second Division club in the Highlands.

16-year-old winger Cooper will move from Victoria Park to Anfield after the clubs agreed a £100,000 fee.

A winger capped by Scotland Under-16s, he was reportedly tracked by Jose Mourinho when the Portuguese was Chelsea boss.

But Liverpool wowed the youngster and Cooper has signed with the Premiership giants until 2011. His father Neale, a former Aberdeen star, expressed his enthusiasm after seeing his son agree a dream move.

"All his family are delighted Alex has been given the opportunity to sign for Liverpool.

"He could have gone to one or two other clubs but he just loved the way he was treated by Liverpool when he was there."

Gerrard Hailed By Sven Goran Eriksson

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Steven Gerrard is the perfect player and is unsure how to stop him at Eastlands on Sunday.

After spending so long in the England camp together, the pair find themselves in opposition for the first time on Sunday when Eriksson's side look for a home win which would lift them over Liverpool into a Champions League spot.

Despite losing their 100% home record to Blackburn on Thursday night, City have every reason to be confident, particularly as Liverpool struggled badly against bottom club Derby on Boxing Day.

It would have been no surprise to Eriksson that Gerrard should be the man to rescue the Reds with his late winner at Pride Park.

While the Swede is reluctant to single out one individual as the Premier League's best player just now, there are not many who would be afforded such lavish praise as he heaps on Gerrard.

"Steven is one of the best players you can find. He has everything," said Eriksson.

"He can defend. He can tackle incredibly well. He has vision, he is an extremely good passer. He can shoot, score goals and has the energy to get up and down the pitch.

"It is very difficult to say who is the best player in the country but Steven is certainly one of them - and has been for a long time now.

"As long as I was England manager, he was extremely important to me. He was important to England last year after I left and he will be very important in the future as well."

Eriksson admits stopping Gerrard will be no easy task for his progressive team.

With youngster Michael Johnson missing, City will probably rely on the experience of Gerrard's former Liverpool team-mate Dietmar Hamann, who was rested for the Blackburn game.

"I am not sure how to stop Steven," said Eriksson.

"We shall have to find a way but I do know if you give him space and time and the chance to run forward with or without the ball, he is incredible."

With Manchester United among their nine previous home victims this term, City have already claimed one major scalp at Eastlands.

Yet it is a measure of where the Blues have come from that Eriksson still regards it as 'a dream' to beat the club he supported as a child in Sweden.

"Of course it will be difficult, we know that. It can't be easy to beat Liverpool. We will do our best and we will fight. Who knows what will happen after that," he added.

If City are to triumph, they require big performances from their key men.

The form of Brazilian playmaker Elano has dipped in recent weeks and, like Hamann, he was left out of Eriksson's starting line-up yesterday.

However, Martin Petrov's sensational performance against Rovers has given Elano a standard to reach, as well as providing an injury-hit Liverpool side with a major defensive headache.

Courted extensively by Tottenham, Petrov's move to City from Atletico Madrid last summer is proof of Eriksson's pulling power in the transfer market.

As he looks to build a squad capable of challenging for a top six spot consistently, Eriksson will hope the attraction will bring in more players, although he is not keen to play up his reputation too much.

"I have never asked Petrov why he ended up here," said Eriksson.

"I don't think we were the first team but maybe he heard about the new owner and the big project he has. It is a big challenge, which is the same reason why I am here.

"I don't know if Martin is here because of me, although I have been lucky to work at big clubs in Italy and Portugal and, whether you want it or not, it is a fact that when you have been England manager, you do become a little bit more famous because the job is so big."

Benitez Confident On Mascherano

Rafa Benitez says he has no fears that Javier Mascherano will join another club.

The Argentina midfielder is currently on loan at Anfield and Liverpool will reportedly have to pay in the region of £17m in the summer to secure his services on a permanent basis.

And while that leaves open the possibility the player could leave the club in six months' time, Benitez believes there is no need to rush into agreeing a deal.

"We were not talking too much about this because I have a lot of confidence that he will stay with us," he told Sky Sports News.

"He's just training, being ready, trying to enjoy now and being with his family. We will talk again, but he's happy here, so I think we can have some confidence."

Asked if he had any fears another club could get him, he responded: "No. Not in this moment, for sure."

Jewell And Rafa In Bust Up

Derby boss Paul Jewell last night accused Liverpool star Andriy Voronin of play-acting after Rams defender Jay McEveley got booked in a controversial challenge with the Ukranian striker.

Jewell and Reds chief Rafa Benitez had to be separated at Pride Park yesterday by the fourth official as the two rival managers squared up to each other over the second-half flashpoint.

With the scores locked at 1-1, Voronin went down theatrically after McEveley was late closing down the forward and Derby's Scottish defender was cautioned in the incident.

"I didn't think he touched him," insisted Jewell. "If he had touched him Voronin wouldn't have got up."

Advertisement
Benitez played down the episode, concentrating instead on Steven Gerrard's superb form in front of goal.

The Liverpool skipper made it eight goals in 10 games with his late winner.

Benitez says the midfielder is thriving in his favoured central role where he has more responsibility to score.

"We know Gerrard is the type of player who can go from box to box and it is important for us to keep him going forward," he said.

"Gerrard is a key player for us and is the captain and a top-class player. These type of players must be there when you need them and he has been great for us recently."

Jewell added: "We could have nicked it ourselves."

Benitez: We Kept Title Dream Alive

Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool kept their Premier League title ambitions alive with the last-gasp victory over Derby on Boxing Day.

Benitez is unmoved by the good fortune that saw captain Steven Gerrard claim a winner in the last few seconds to secure a victory at Pride Park that had not looked like coming.

With Arsenal and Chelsea both drawing, Benitez knows his team have inched closer to their own unlikely dream as they are now nine points behind leaders Manchester United with a match in hand.

It is still only a slim chance but after Liverpool's second victory in five days Benitez is clearly not bothered about how the wins arrive in packed schedule.

Fernando Torres scored an impressive opener, his 15th in 18 games, before Liverpool-born Evertonian Jay McEveley gave Derby a second-half lifeline with an equaliser.

Gerrard's heroics with his 11th in 14 matches eventually ended the Rams' hopes of a miracle victory.

But Benitez said: "I cannot be disappointed with another three points, I am really pleased. People forget in football the days when you play really well and get nothing.

"We were the best team in the first half, we were the best team at the end. In three months' time nobody will remember, nobody will talk of how we got those points, they will just see the result.

"We have been unfortunate against Chelsea at home, and Arsenal, and did not win. These points are won now and we are a little bit closer.

"When people ask if we have a realistic chance of the title they are really trying to tell me something.

"Let's wait and see. We have Manchester City next and that is very important for us.

"We have two more games over the holiday period. The most important thing for me is that we stay close.

"The question for me is to be as close as possible and we still have one game in hand. You never know what can happen."

Benitez must now cope with the likely loss of defender Sami Hyypia for a spell with a twisted ankle, the one position he does not have sufficient cover for.

"The second half was not the best for us but for me the key was winning three points and we were controlling the game for long spells," he added.

"If we had scored a second it would have been impossible for them. We lost Sami Hyypia and had players returning from injury who were not 100 per cent fit, those are some of the reasons for what happened in the second period.

"But we put ourselves under pressure by giving the ball away too often."

Benitez now has to drill into his team the need to find a killer instinct to avoid such embarrassments as Derby almost achieved and midfielder Xabi Alonso believes he and his team-mates must learn from their narrow escape.

Alonso, who made his first league start for two months, said: "We should have scored and killed the game.

"We should have kept the ball better and not let them have so many chances.

"We were in control in the first half, then we had a few injured players and we were struggling and we were not in control of the situation.

"We must not allow ourselves to be in that position again because we had chances to win the game. We have to learn and not repeat what happened at Derby again."

Alonso has made just eight appearances this season after a double metatarsal blow, and admits it has been a frustrating few months.

"When you are on the sidelines and injured, just watching, it is frustrating, but I am back now and looking forward to the next games.

"The problem is getting the match fitness that you need but I am getting there after almost three months out of the game."

For McEveley, scoring against Liverpool was not enough to make up for the shattering blow of losing a game Derby could have won.

He said: "It was nice to score against the Reds as an Evertonian but it is irrelevant now because they won - a real kick in the teeth.

"It is the way it is going for us at the moment. We were ahead twice at Newcastle and only drew, and it shows we must concentrate to the end.

"But we have shown in these last two games that we can compete in this division. It gives us confidence to go into our next game with Blackburn."

Derby 1 - 2 LiverpooL

Steven Gerrard's unrelenting determination earned Liverpool all three points against a Derby side with every right to feel hard done by at Pride Park.

Liverpool had been comfortably the better side in the first half and Fernando Torres scored his 15th goal in 18 games.

But following on from their outstanding efforts to force a draw at Newcastle at the weekend, injury-ravaged Derby showed magnificent spirit to force their way back into the game with a second-half equaliser from Jay McEveley.

They battered away at Liverpool for much of the second period, with rookie goalkeeper Lewis Price outstanding even if his side finished with 10 fit men - Robert Earnshaw was by then a limping passenger.

Liverpool at times were dreadful, but captain Gerrard showed how to fight by instigating an 80-yard move, finishing it off by bundling the ball past Price in the dying minutes.

Derby believed they had good shouts for two late penalties, but they ended with nothing.

Derby's cause was not helped when they were hit by the late loss of goalkeeper Stephen Bywater, who suffered a shoulder injury in the draw at Newcastle at the weekend.

Liverpool made five changes from the side that beat Portsmouth on Saturday, with Steve Finnan, Andriy Voronin, Fabio Aurelio, Ryan Babel and Xabi Alonso coming into the side, but it was still awesome opposition for young Price.

A string of free-kicks, planted into the box by McEveley, caused some concern for the visitors.

And when Gary Teale fired in a left-wing cross on seven minutes, Steve Howard's aerial pressure created a chance for Kenny Miller to fire over from an acute angle.

But one flash of genius after 12 minutes saw Liverpool go ahead.

Torres took a pass from Babel, pushed the ball through Darren Moore's legs before side-stepping Dean Leacock and blasting a 15-yard strike past the helpless Price.

But Derby's injury woes soon got worse. Two home players collided on 24 minutes, leaving Stephen Pearson hurt. Liverpool stormed away and Babel should have scored when John Arne Riise's cross reached him at the far post. But the effort finished in the crowd.

Pearson eventually received treatment was led away with a damaged right arm, Michael Johnson coming on as substitute, slotting in as centre-back with Leacock moving into midfield.

Derby replaced Moore with American midfielder Benny Feilhaber at the break, another injury problem for Jewell.

But after 53 minutes Liverpool lost Sami Hyypia, the big defender limping away, Yossi Benayoun coming on. Riise moved into the centre of defence, and with Daniel Agger still not fit, Liverpool now could have serious problems in central defence.

Jamie Carragher was then felled by a poor Howard challenge, and Jewell almost immediately sent on striker Earnshaw to try to exploit the problems now at the heart of Liverpool's back line with his pace.

Derby had dominated the opening exchanges of the second half with Giles Barnes coming into the game.

Price saved well to his left from an Alonso effort, but Derby still came forward with belief and a ferocity in the challenge that forced Liverpool back.

And from a 67th-minute free-kick, Derby were level to send Pride Park wild. Eddie Lewis lifted a free-kick into the box from the right and it was allowed to bounce around before McEveley fired past Jose Reina.

McEveley was then booked for a foul on Voronin before Liverpool sent on Dirk Kuyt for Babel. Gerrard fired wide from the edge of the box, before more injury problems hit Derby with Earnshaw's injury.

Price made a stunning save to turn away an Alonso 30-yard strike after 82 minutes, and then Torres fired high over as Liverpool continued to come forward.

Barnes missed with a close-range diving header, the game now on a knife-edge as Liverpool came forward in desperation.

Gerrard hit the bar from 20 yards before he put Liverpool ahead in the 89th minute.

Price made another fine save from Torres, but the ball bounced out for the Liverpool skipper to force home, having started the move 80 yards away in his own half.

EPL Match Preview: Derby County vs. LiverpooL

The last time these two sides met, at Anfield on the first of September, the Rams lost 6-0 in an abject display that proved to be only Premiership appearance for Bob Malcolm this season.

Malcolm, to the relief of most sane Derby fans, is now on loan at Queen’s Park Rangers, and the manager that brought him to Pride Park, Billy Davies, is now four games gone and gradually, like Malcolm, being forgotten as Paul Jewell begins to build a side to his own blueprint.

On Saturday evening, after Liverpool had imperiously swept aside a strong Portsmouth side seeking for their seventh consecutive away win at Anfield, you’d have said that Derby would have no chance in this game.

Especially if you’d taken the time to compare the fortunes of the two club’s record signings.

Fernando Torres scored twice on Saturday, and showed once again why Benitez was willing to invest (allegedly) £26.5 million in his magical feet and fresh-faced looks. Dispatching his chances on Saturday with lethal ease, he looked simply unplayable.

Contrast this with Derby’s record signing, Robert Earnshaw, who simply hasn’t played. The diminutive Welshman has been a perennial bench warmer this season, making limited and ineffectual appearances.

A good job then that Derby signed Kenny Miller. The driven Scotsman clinically converted one of Derby’s chances at Newcastle on Sunday, and his liveliness brought a genuine edge of threat to a much more focused and confident performance from Derby, who managed to pick up only their second away point of the campaign.

Significantly, they also managed to score two goals in a game for the first time since the opening day draw with Portsmouth at Pride Park.

Jewell had been forced into tweaking his line-up once more on Tyneside, due to Claude Davis managing to injure himself in the warm-up for the second time this season. With Leacock moving in to the back four, and Pearson and Barnes operating together in central midfield, the Rams looked defensively frail.

But they managed to produce a performance of confidence and verve, exemplified by Barnes’s clinical first-half goal. Their competitive spirit helped them to push Newcastle all the way, and there are genuine reasons for optimism coming into this fixture.

However, Newcastle, even at hom, do not represent the same level of challenge as Liverpool. Derby dithered too often in their own box on Sunday, a failing that has proved their downfall too often this season, and Torres, Kuyt, Gerrard and the rest may not prove as impotent in front of goal as Newcastle if presented with the same opportunities.

Derby played Newcastle as though it was a cup-tie, and recreating a ‘cup-tie’ atmosphere at a full (yet again) Pride Park may represent their best way of helping to upset the odds. However committed and aggressive they are though, their defenders will have to raise their game another two or three levels to cope with Liverpool’s potency in attack.

The Reds will be in no mood for mercy as they look for a Christmas charge. Anything less, and the title race could be officially over in ten days.


FORM GUIDE (last 5 League Games, most recent first)

Derby

Newcastle United (away) drew 2-2

Middlesborough (home) lost 0-1

Manchester United (away) lost 1-4

Sunderland (away) lost 0-1

Chelsea (home) lost 0-2

Liverpool

Portsmouth (home) won 4-1

Manchester United (home) lost 0-1

Reading (away) lost 3-1

Bolton Wanderers (home) won 4-0

Newcastle United(away) won 3-0



TEAM NEWS

Derby County

Derby are down to the bare bones, with only sixteen fit first teamers to choose from on Sunday. They will wait to assess the fitness of Claude Davis and Stephen Bywater, who damaged a shoulder at Newcastle. Bywater’s absence would be a real blow, as, despite the number of goals conceded, he’s been Derby’s most consistent performer this season.


Liverpool

With Rafa’s endless rotation, who know what line-up he’ll pick for what he’ll regard as one of Liverpool’s lesser challenges this season. However, with the side beginning to look settled and strong on Saturday, he’d be ill-advised to tinker too much.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Giles Barnes (Derby County)

The youngster is beginning to show signs of the talent that so illuminated the Rams’ successful promotion push last season. The way in which he converted his chance on Sunday shows his growing capabilities at this level .Expect flashes of brilliance tempered by lackadaisical naivety.

Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

The young man from Madrid looks unstoppable at the moment. Expect Derby’s dithering defenders to be embarrassed at least once by him.

Gerrard A Future Liverpool Manager?

Steven Gerrard says he would jump at the chance to coach Liverpool one day, though conceded that his team-mate Jamie Carragher would be the most likely to actually do so amongst the current batch of Anfield stars.

Gerrard, 27, has been with the Red since his teenage days, so coaching his boyhood club would be the continuation of what has already been a glorious dream.

“If I was qualified to do it, there’s no way I could turn it down because of my bond with the club and the supporters,” he said.

“But I think Jamie’s got more chance than me. He maybe loves the game more than me. He studies the game more than me so maybe he might be a bit more prepared than me.”

Gerrard was first noticed by Liverpool's scouts at the tender age of 8, and joined the Reds as a schoolboy in 1987.

At the age of 14, the Whiston born boy had trials with various clubs, including the sworn enemy Manchester United, which Gerrard later said was only with the intent of pressuring Liverpool to give him a contract.

He then went on to sign his first professional contract with the club on 5 November 1997 and the rest is history as they say.

Benitez Warns Troops Off Derby Complacency

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has warned his team not to take their Boxing Day encounter with Derby County lightly.

Basement boys Derby County welcome Liverpool to Pride Park on December 26th, and although the Reds are hot favourites, Rafael Benitez (pictured) has characteristically warned his team off complacency.

The Spaniard told the Daily Mail, "Everyone is expecting us to beat Derby but we have had experience of Reading so we will have a lot of respect for Derby and will try to win this game.

"When you play away against a team which is battling relegation it is always very difficult."

Indeed, Benitez is clearly haunted by that Reading encounter, where his team fell to a shock 3-1 defeat to lose ground on league leaders Arsenal.

However, he believes that maintaining his rotation policy will ultimately lead to success.

"Sometimes you can use the same player, sometimes you use the squad," he continued.

"I like to use the squad because this is the key if you want to reduce the gap - it is using the right players at the right moment.

"When you play four games in 12 days it is such a short time you can change players and they can understand.

"Sometimes when you play one game a week and you leave six players out of the squad it is more difficult to explain but this situation is easier."

Carragher Calls For Consistency

With Liverpool falling out of the top four - albeit with a game in hand - many have begun ruling the Reds out as title challengers. Vice captain Jamie Carragher feels it's just a matter of keeping the leaders in sight.

Liverpool thrashed a powerful Portsmouth side 4-1 this weekend, but nonetheless find themselves a daunting 10 off leaders Arsenal.

Fan favourite Jamie Carragher, however, insists such details are irrelevant at the moment.

"It does not really matter who the leaders are, as long as we keep them in sight," he said. "At the moment it is Arsenal up there, so we just need to make sure that we keep hold of them for now."

Whether 10 points can be realistically considered 'in sight' or not in light of recent Premiership seasons is another matter, but the Merseyside stopper seems optimistic.

"I'm sure a time will come this season when they start to find it difficult, especially with all the young players they have in their side," he stated.

"There is no secret they are a great side, but I'm sure they will be tested at some point. We just have to make sure we are there to capitalize when it happens.

"I'm sure Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea will keep winning, so it's up to us to prove we can stay with them. It would be really exciting if it's a four-horse race with ten games to go."

With the bizarrely congested fixture list around this time of year, it often becomes the making of breaking of many sides, whether fighting for survival or for the title.

Liverpool face Derby, Manchester City and Wigan in the next week. Derby and Wigan are playing with a new lease of life under new management, and Sven's men have proven a stern test for the 'big four' so far this season, and indeed occupy the place above Liverpool in the table.

"Christmas is always a crucial time of the season," noted Carragher.

"You can look at this period almost as a separate group of games in that sense. From these three games we would always say that seven points would be fine, but nine would be excellent.

"That would make a massive difference heading into the New Year, hopefully we can them be a lot closer to Arsenal by then."

Liverpool lie fifth in the league table, with 33 points from 17 games.

Rafa - Kaladze Chance Gone

Rafael Benitez feels Liverpool have missed out on the chance to sign Milan defender Kakha Kaladze.

The Reds boss is expected to strengthen his defence in the New Year and Kaladze had been a top target.

But Benitez has suggested that he will no longer be able to bring the Georgian to Anfield when the transfer window reopens.

"I don't think we will be able to sign Kaladze now," said Benitez in the News of the World. "That opportunity has passed."

Instead, reports claim Benitez will look to push through the signing of Czech Republic international Tomas Ujfalusi from Fiorentina.

Ujfalusi is out of contract at the end of the season and his agent has admitted it is '50-50' regarding his chances of staying in Serie A.

Liverpool's interest in the centre-half has been confirmed and he could head to the Premier League in a cut-price deal in the New Year.

LiverpooL For Sale? Again???

The problems at Liverpool just won't go away. On a weekend when the team hit the headlines for the right reasons with a 4-1 win over Portsmouth, they were back in the news for off-field reasons.

Following a public 'argument' last month between manager Rafael Benitez and American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the story this month, in the News of the World, is that Liverpool could be up for sale again, less than a year after the pair bought a controlling stake.

The Sunday Supplement picked up the debate this week and Shaun Custis wondered whether this 'club in turmoil' could really be up for sale.

He said: "There have been suggestions for a while that either both Americans, or one of them, wants to sell up and some of it is to do with the exchange rate apparently.

"There is talk of building a new ground. Can they afford that? And meanwhile Rafa Benitez is saying, 'can I have £17m to sign Javier Mascherano properly?'.

"Now they are not going to do all that, it's simple."

The end result of all this, according to Custis, is that something has got to give, and he believe someone will be walking out of Liverpool forever and sooner rather than later.

He said: "Also in the background there are people like Jurgen Klinsmann lurking around, possibly to be the new manager, you never know.

"At the end of all this, I cannot believe that we will get to the end of the season without something happening, either the owners leaving, the manager leaving or players leaving.

"There is too many things coming out, too often and Liverpool is in turmoil."

Rafa Benitez To Bide His Time On Javier Mascherano Move

Rafael Benitez is confident he can find the funds to make Javier Mascherano’s move permanent – but might have to wait until the end of the season to complete the deal.

The Argentinian midfielder signed on loan from West Ham last January, and when that expires at the end of this season Liverpool will still have first option to buy him permanently.

But while Benitez and the player himself would sooner tie up the loose ends when the next transfer window opens again next week, the Liverpool manager is prepared to wait.

He wants to make an extra centre-half his priority in January and with the Mascherano deal set to be worth £17million, Liverpool could need the extra six months to the end of the loan agreement to come up with the money.

The 23-year-old was also hesitant to commit his future to Liverpool until after Benitez had smoothed things over with American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett following their public fall-out last month.

But after the two parties called a truce following the meeting they had after last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, Benitez hopes that Mascherano will be closer to deciding on his future.

“We’re just waiting. I have confidence he will stay with us,” said Benitez

“I really don’t know (if he will sign in January). The situation is we are working together on a lot of issues, and we just have to wait.

“But it’s always better to get it done as soon as possible.”

Benitez’s desire to keep Mascherano will only have been strengthened his performance in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Portsmouth at Anfield.

The win took Liverpool three points clear of both their opponents and Everton, which is how it stayed yesterday when their Merseyside rivals lost 2-1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It was the way Mascherano nullified the physical presence of Portsmouth’s midfield that laid the foundation for Liverpool to go clear in fifth place, thanks to goals from Yossi Benayoun, a Sylvain Distin own goal and two late strikes from Fernando Torres.

Benitez said: “Mascherano can give us the balance and allow the other players to play their own game.

“When you have a midfielder who is in a good position and can play the ball properly and always supporting the centre-backs and also the attack, it’s really important for players like Torres that they can go forward and sometimes forget they need to defend.

“We have a lot of very good players now with that mentality. Javier has a very good mentality, he’s very professional.

“If you don’t use him he never complains, he’s always ready for the next game. He trains really hard.

“He’s the kind of player you want as a holding midfielder. He doesn’t need to score a lot of goals, just keep the balance of the rest of the team.”

Manchester United’s victory over Everton, coupled with Arsenal’s 2-1 win in the north London derby over Tottenham earlier on Saturday, mean Liverpool remain 10 points behind Arsenal Wenger’s leaders with a game in hand and six off United.

And Benitez insists the complexion of the title race still has time to change, even during the remainder of the congested Christmas period.

“The title race is open,” the Spaniard added. “You never know what can happen over Christmas with three more games.

“We need to keep going. We know we have one game in hand so we need to keep going and try to play well and win, if possible play well and score goals.

“And then maybe it can be closer.”

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp revealed that his team couldn’t train in the two days before the game because their training pitches were frozen.

And that proved fatal for his defence against Torres, whose direct running and pace also played a part in the opening two goals, before he added his brace to round off the victory.

“When he gets down the channels, and he got up their left four or five times in the first half, he is very difficult to deal with,” said Redknapp.

“You don’t want to be left one-on-one with him as Sol Campbell was a few times. The lad has got pace, terrific skill.

“He has that trick where he looks at you then drags it past you and goes outside, which we looked at an awful lot on the video.

“But then for £26m he should be half decent. He is very good player.”

Gerrard: I Tried To Snag Us Henry

Steven Gerrard has revealed that he tried to convince Thierry Henry to join him at Liverpool during the time that it became increasingly obvious that he was set to leave the Emirates Stadium.

The Reds skipper claims a special bond with Henry due to a mutual respect that developed as a result all the times that they’ve played against each other in the league and internationally, but that was not enough to convince the French superstar to opt for Barcelona.

"I sent him a few text messages seeing if he fancied it," said Gerrard.

"I would have loved to have seen him in a Liverpool shirt, just like the supporters would have.

"But he wanted to play in Spain and for Barcelona, so you had to respect that decision.

"However he's got a lot of respect for Liverpool. He speaks really well about us."

In the interview with Liverpool’s official website, Gerrard also shed light on how he and Henry got to be friends.

"Just through the respect from playing against each other,” he explained.

"One day we swapped numbers and ever since we've been sending each other text messages, had phone calls, we support each other and stuff.

"It is really flattering when a player at that level comes out and gives you a bit of praise.

"He is just settling in at Barcelona now and I'm sure he'll prove again he's one of the best players in the world."

Dirk Kuyt: We Must Win Our Next Three Games

Dirk Kuyt emphasised the importance of avoiding a third consecutive Premiership defeat with the win over Portsmouth on Saturday.

The last time Liverpool suffered such a run was when Portsmouth beat them 1-0 in October 2003, but after recent losses to Reading and Manchester United, Liverpool ensured there was no repeat as they completed a comfortable 4-1 victory.

And Dutch striker Kuyt hopes it will kick off a run of three-pointers over the Christmas and New Year period.

He said: “Every defeat in the league is big one for us because you just want to win and compete with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea so we can’t afford to lose any more.

“We just have to look at the next games and look forward.

“We have to win our next three now at Derby, Manchester City and at home to Wigan and if we can get nine points from those games I think we will get closer to the other teams.

“We want to go on a run and win a lot of games.”

Kuyt was Liverpool’s top scorer in the Premier League last season with 12 in his debut season in English football, with all of them coming from open play.

But two of his three league goals this season came from the penalty spot in the derby victory over Everton as he has taken a back-seat to 14-goal Fernando Torres in the scoring stakes.

Kuyt, however, admits that the extra firepower the Spanish record signing, who scored twice against Portsmouth, was necessary to bring in in order to improve the side’s title challenge during this campaign.

“Fernando is unbelievably quick and it’s what the team needs,” added Kuyt. “Quick players and clever players.

“We have got everything in our squad now and we can do something really good so we’ll see how far we can go this season.”

Yossi Benayoun, who opened the scoring, also outlined how vital the victory over Portsmouth was after the first home league defeat of the season to United last Sunday.

“We played a great game against a strong rival in Portsmouth and it was an important win for us after we lost to Man United,” Benayoun said.

“It was good to get back to winning ways and to prove that we can still go to the end of the season. So overall I think it was a good performance for us.

“It was nice to score and the goal was a bonus,” he added. “But it’s not the main thing for me. The main thing is to keep playing and try to do my best for the team so that we keep winning.

“I enjoyed the goal and I caught it well but I’d have to give credit to Harry Kewell because he delivered a great cross from the left to pick me out.

“It gave us the start we needed and we went on from there.”

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.