Champions League Preview: Liverpool vs. Inter Milan

An intriguing tie pits a team who dominate domestically but fail in Europe against one whose proud European tradition remains their only hope in an otherwise terrible season.

The knock-out stages of the Champions League are important for all involved. But few clubs are under quite so much pressure to succeed as Liverpool. Mid-way through February, Europe already represents the Reds’ sole hope of lifting silverware this season.

The collapse in the Premier League was disappointing, albeit greeted by most with a feeling of resignation (it seems it always happens nowadays).

But Saturday’s defeat to Championship side Barnsley brought Liverpool’s season crashing to a new low. The South Yorkshire minnows snatched the result of the weekend as they earned a famous 2-1 win at Anfield with a last-gasp strike. Reds supporters were stunned.

True, there have been unwelcome distractions off the pitch, and Benítez did field a weakened team at the weekend. But there can be no excuses: Even Liverpool reserves (but let’s not forget the likes of Carragher, Finnan, Babel and Alonso were playing) should be capable of pummelling a side 29 places below them in the league ladder.

Liverpool are a team whose confidence has hit rock bottom. There appears little stability, fans are not convinced that the manager knows his strongest side and players are failing to perform. Goals in particular appear hard to come by – the Reds squandered a hatful of chances on Saturday and paid the price. There is no time for Liverpool to wallow in self-pity: a similar showing against Italian giants Inter will render their season a total failure.

Rafa Benítez has shown his ability to outwit Europe’s great sides, the Kop has proved it can will the red men onto victory. Two Champions League finals in three years is a phenomenal achievement, with the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea (twice) all falling foul of the Anfield side.

By contrast, the Reds’ exit against Benfica at this stage of the 2006 competition is often forgotten amongst the hype of Athens and particularly Istanbul. Inter are unquestionably giants, not outsiders, and Liverpool must therefore hope that their reputation for overcoming the heavyweights in Europe yet again rings true.

If domestic failure creates pressure in Europe, one would imagine that Inter enter this Champions League encounter in a state of relaxation. Not so. Roberto Mancini’s side have made Serie A anything but a competition in recent times, this year already enjoying an eleven point lead over second-placed Roma. Saturday’s easy 2-0 win over Livorno means that, 23 games into the season, the Nerazzurri remain unbeaten and have only dropped ten points.

Naturally, they possess both the best attack (48 goals) and the best defence (13 conceded). But history reveals that Inter have traditionally failed to convert domestic success into European honours. They did claim back-to-back European Cup wins – but that was 43 years ago! Not since 1972 have they even reached the final of Europe’s premier club competition.

In these days of multiple Champions League entries from one country, it has been tough viewing for Inter fans as their side have bowed out in the final 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals while domestic rivals have fought it out for Europe’s grand prize. Last season’s bitter defeat to Valencia and Milan’s triumph in Athens were a case in point.

Kings of Italy the Nerazzurri unquestionably are, but can they finally end their European drought? They certainly have the players. Inter possess a phenomenal strength in depth that perhaps only one or two other sides in Europe can match (and none can better).

Mancini has shown rotation can work – players come into the side, know their roles, assimilate quickly and deliver when it matters. In Zlatan Ibrahimović they have one of the best strikers in the world, while the defence is always solid and the midfield both compact without the ball and threatening in possession.

Knock-out football of this calibre does not allow for mistakes, but if Inter can finally replicate their domestic form in Europe there is little reason why they cannot eliminate Liverpool and proceed to win this year’s Champions League.

FORM GUIDE

Liverpool

Liverpool - Barnsley 1 - 2 16/02/2008 FA CUP
Chelsea - Liverpool 0 - 0 10/02/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool - Sunderland 3 - 0 02/02/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
West Ham - Liverpool 1 - 0 30/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool - Havant & Waterlooville 5 - 2 26/01/2008 FA CUP
Liverpool - Aston Villa 2 - 2 21/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE

Inter

Inter Milan - Livorno 2 - 0 16/02/2008 SERIE A
Catania - Inter Milan 0 - 2 10/02/2008 SERIE A
Inter Milan - Empoli 1 - 0 03/02/2008 SERIE A
Juventus - Inter Milan 2 - 3 30/01/2008 COPPA ITALIA
Udinese - Inter Milan 0 - 0 27/01/2008 SERIE A
Inter Milan - Juventus 2 - 2 23/01/2008 COPPA ITALIA

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres were all rested at the weekend and will all start on Tuesday. Rafa Benítez will certainly name what he believes is his very strongest side for this encounter, and only has Daniel Agger (foot) and Andriy Voronin (ankle) out injured.

Likely XI (4-4-2): Reina - Finnan, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa - Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Babel - Crouch, Torres

Inter

Luis Jimenez is injured and will miss out, while Inter's doctors must check on the progress of Luis Figo. Roberto Mancini rested some players during the Livorno game, so the likes of Materazzi, Ibrahimovic and Cruz should all earn recalls. The coach is unsure what to do about Patrick Vieira, however, and might opt to leave him on the bench as he's lacking match practice. Cesar is suspended.

Likely XI: (4-4-2): Júlio Cesar - Maicon, Cordoba, Materazzi, Maxwell - Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Chivu - Ibrahimovic, Cruz

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool – Fernando Torres

Torres has been at Anfield for less than a season, but he’s already one of the key men in Rafa Benítez’ side. It’s simple: when the striker doesn’t play, Liverpool lack cutting edge up front. The Reds smashed in more goals than any other team in the Champions League group stages, but have struggled to find the net of late. Torres’ pace and accuracy in front of goal are vital if Liverpool are to eradicate the recent profligacy which has cost them dear.

Inter – Julio Cruz

Former Inter manager Roy Hodgson says he’s the key and so do we. The striker has developed from a bit-part player at the Giuseppe Meazza to one of the Nerazzurri’s star men. Cruz has scored 15 goals in 19 games this season and if Liverpool’s defence show the same indecisions as against Barnsley they can expect the veteran Argentine to pounce.

Mascherano Primed For Inter Battle

Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano is ready to lay himself on the line to ensure Liverpool beat Internazionale in the Champions League.

Italian champions and runaway Serie A leaders Inter take on Liverpool tonight in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash at Anfield. They could be forgiven for feeling this is an ideal time to tackle the Reds, who appear to be in turmoil both on and off the pitch.

Defeat by lowly Barnsley in the FA Cup seemed to sum up a campaign that has so far fallen woefully short of pre-season expectations, and can no only redeemed by success in Europe.

But there is no hint of defeatism, self-pity or even apprehension in the attitude of holding midfielder Javier Mascherano. He is expected to start in the centre of the Liverpool midfield tonight against Inter, and so come up against fellow countrymen Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Julio Cruz.

They are his colleagues in the Albiceleste, but Mascherano says friendships will be put to one side as soon as battle commences at Anfield, where Liverpool will be looking to bounce back by securing a first-leg lead to take to the San Siro.

"I would die to try to get my team a win in this game. They are my team-mates for my country but my job is to stop Inter Milan's players," Mascherano told the Daily Mirror.

"When I play for Liverpool, I don't have any friends in the opposing side.

"When I go out on to the pitch, when I get my mind into playing mode, I forget about everything except winning. I will die to try and get my team a win.

"If that means getting myself between the ball and people who are friends off the pitch, then that is just the way it is,” he stressed.

Jose, Martin And Frank Lead Early List For Liverpool Ppot

It almost seems that the question on Rafa Benitez has changed from whether he'll be sacked to when.

Which leaves us with some pretty important questions that need to be answered soon. Will he last the season? Who will replace him?

What is the purpose of life?

I added the last one, but there might be some Liverpool fans saying that very same thing when they hear that Jose Mourinho is on a short list of potential Rafa replacements on Merseyside.

It's all speculation at this point, but the names being floated out there are a who's who of managers that might be available.

We know Mourinho is.

We expect that Frank Rikjaard will be after Barcelona's season.

And would Martin O'Neill really leave Aston Villa for Anfield?

Those are the three names that are most often popping up out there.

I think all three could succeed at Liverpool under the right ownership and I know a few Liverpool fans that would celebrate mightily to have O'Neill come in.

But it's too early to make an educated guess, isn't it?

Oh hell. Who do you think should/will replace Rafa at Liverpool? If he's sacked of course...

Alan Hansen's Column from BBC UK

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will not necessarily have to win the Champions League to keep his job but he has to ensure his side triumph in their last-16 tie with Inter Milan to alleviate the pressure he is under.

He might not get sacked even if his squad is beaten by Inter but, if they are knocked out of Europe, then that puts pressure on everybody - the owners, the manager and the players.

What you would have then is Liverpool supporters turning up en masse until the end of the season with their team having nothing to play for - and that is a frightening prospect.

Their Premier League title hopes are gone, the FA Cup went on Saturday and the Champions League is all Liverpool have to play for.

You could argue that they are still chasing fourth place in the league but that is not what Liverpool should be about. This season has been a major disappointment.

What went wrong for them against Barnsley on Saturday can be traced back to the start of the campaign.

In September they walloped Derby 6-0 then went to Portsmouth for their next game, made five changes and drew 0-0.

The Liverpool philosophy has always been to hammer home when you have an impetus and Liverpool did not do that. They have suffered ever since.

There has obviously been too much rotation in selection and there is a lot of caution when they play at Anfield too.

They have lost confidence at home in the last six to eight weeks, even though the crowd have been great, and things have gone a bit flat.

Against Barnsley, Liverpool went 1-0 up but they did not roll over the top of them and they have not looked like doing that against anyone since the start of the year.

Benitez is a cautious manager. That is an observation not a criticism because most foreign bosses, including England coach Fabio Capello, have that element about them.

But Liverpool fans have always been used to seeing their team hem in the opposition and batter them. Now the style is more cautious and I think they have suffered because of it.

I still do not think the team has gone backwards though. They are better now than they were last year and it does not matter if they finish more points behind the eventual champions this year.

While there has been an improvement, however, it has not been dramatic enough to see them challenge for the title.

It used to be that they could rely only on Steven Gerrard to deliver, now you have got Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

But they still do not have enough players of real quality to back up those two.

It has always been the case that to win championships you need to be able to replace quality with quality. Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea can all do it but Liverpool cannot. It is as simple as that.

How long can Benitez survive without delivering the title? Well, a lot of managers survive without doing that but he has to show he is getting closer.

He has got that great track record in the Champions League but obviously it is the Premier League that everyone wants to win and I think the fans have stuck with him because they can see he is going through purgatory trying to put things right.

It has still come to the stage, though, where something - a performance or a result - is needed to lift everyone and that could come on Tuesday in the first leg of their encounter with Inter.

It is a tough tie - Inter are running away with Serie A in Italy - but I would not be surprised if Liverpool reach the quarter-finals.

When they became champions of Europe in 2005, that team was well below the level you would expect from Liverpool and they beat Juventus and Chelsea to get to the final. In 2007, they beat Barcelona and Chelsea.

The atmosphere at Anfield on those four occasions exceeded anything that was there when I played and, whatever people might say, you just do not get anything like it at other grounds.

That will raise the players to a different level. We have already seen it happen and one thing is for sure, it will be one heck of a game.

Facing Inter Is The Kind Of Match I Came To Liverpool For, Says Torres

Fernando Torres is relishing the chance to ride to Rafa Benitez's rescue tonight in their massive Champions League clash with Inter Milan and admits: "This is why I signed for Liverpool."

With pressure mounting on compatriot and manager Benitez following Saturday's embarrassing FA Cup exit to Barnsley, Torres is ready to shoulder the goalscoring responsibility.

Despite his reputation as one of the world's top strikers, the Spaniard has never played in the last 16 of the Champions League and is up for the task.

Torres said: "This is a very big game for the fans and for us. I came here to play in this type of game, in the Champions League and in other competitions.

"Inter Milan are a very good team but I think we can beat them. Why not?

"That is another reason why I came to Liverpool, to work with the manager, and I have learned a lot from him since I joined.

"Reaching two Champions League Finals in three years is an incredible achievement.

"It takes something special to do that and you don't do that unless you have a very good manager.

He added: "We have an opportunity to get an important win. The supporters, the players, the staff at Liverpool are like a big family.

"It is a different mentality to most other clubs and we need to play like a team tonight.

"Big teams win the important games and we are a big team. After losing to Marseille at home we knew we had to beat Porto at home and then win in Marseille and in both games we played really, really well.

"We scored four goals against Porto and four against Marseille. This is what Liverpool can do and we need to do it again in a big game against Inter Milan.

"We were third in our group, we needed to win our games and we did. I also saw Liverpool beat Barcelona in the Champions League last season. That was also a big game, Liverpool played very, very well and got a great result. To win 2-1 away at Barcelona is a big result.

"They were the best team in the world when it comes to ability because they have so many great players but Liverpool played like a team and if you play like a team you can win every game against every team. If we play like a team tonight then we can win, for sure.

"I think this tie is a bit different though because the first game is at Anfield in front of our own fans.

"But it is important to get a similar result because of our position in the league and because we are out of both cups."

Torres Awaits Famous European Night

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is relishing the chance to play against Inter and hopes to help the Reds claim a sixth European title.

Liverpool face Internazionale on Tuesday night knowing that a defeat would probably bring an end to their chances of success in any competition.

The Reds are reeling from Saturday's shock 2-1 home defeat to Barnsley in the FA Cup, but Fernando Torres, who missed that game, is anxious to move on.

The Spanish striker should be passed fit to feature in Tuesday's Anfield clash having shaken off a hamstring injury and knows the game has huge importance for Liverpool football club.

"The game against Inter will be one of those special Champions League nights at Anfield that I have seen countless times before on the television," he explained.

“I have always dreamt of playing in one of these games and would certainly not like to miss it. The Champions League is an important competition. Everyone at Liverpool really wants to win a sixth European Cup and to continue the club’s proud tradition."

Torres has been at the club for less than a year but has already recognised what a special place Anfield is to play at. "(It's) like no other," he said. "The dressing rooms are from 70 years ago - there are none like them still around in Spain. The stadium also has a lot of history and tradition.

"The corridor which leads out on to the pitch is so narrow that the two teams can barely squeeze through. And to hear ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ as you step out into the stadium is unbelievable. You walk out on to the pitch fully charged and with enough energy to run all day. I think the atmosphere at Anfield can give us a real advantage against Inter this week.”

John Aldridge: Loss Of Paco Ayesteran To Blame For Liverpool Woe

Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge claims the famous Anfield club has “imploded” recently and believes the departure of Rafael Benitez’s assistant this season is a major factor in the team’s plight.

Benitez’s side crashed out of the FA Cup courtesy of Barnsley’s injury-time winner at Anfield yesterday.

With their Barclays Premier League campaign now confined to a race for fourth place, which leaves them with just the Champions League to contest, with the first leg of their last-16 tie with Inter Milan taking place this week.

And highly-decorated former striker Aldridge admits ongoing confusion off the field is adding to problems on the pitch.

“It’s not going too well on and off the field at the moment,” he told Setanta Sports News. “The club’s imploded over the past couple of months and it can only get better.

“A lot of people are getting the wrong idea of what’s happening. You can look back to when Paco Ayesteran went a couple of months ago, Rafa’s right-hand man, I think that’s got a massive bearing on it.

“He’s holding the fort on his own without a right-hand man. He’s working very hard on his own and under very difficult circumstances and I think he needs a bit of help right now.”

As for matters upstairs, Aldridge added: “There’s so much speculation going on off the park regarding the American owners (George Gillett and Tom Hicks) that we don’t know who’s going to be the chairman next month.

“If anyone did want Rafa to go then who could sack him at the moment? He’s between parties, the old chairman David Moores hasn’t got a say in the matter. There’s no board at the moment, no-one knows where the club’s going at the present time.”

Inter Boss Mancini Still Wary Of The Reds

Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini says he will not be reading too much into Liverpool's poor form ahead of their Champions League clash at Anfield on Tuesday night.

The Reds crashed out of the FA Cup on Saturday with a shock home defeat to Barnsley, to pile the pressure on Rafa Benitez ahead of the visit of the runaway Serie A leaders.

Former Leicester man Mancini insists he will not be fooled into thinking Liverpool will be an easy opponent for his side and he is wary of the threat posed by last season's losing finalists.

"I am not fooled by Liverpool's form in the Premier League. Or in cup competitions, where they rest their top players," Mancini told The Sun.

"I saw them held to a draw at home to Aston Villa and no, they were not at their best. But that is not the Liverpool I expect to see when we play at Anfield.

"I expect to see the Liverpool of old, the Liverpool that have contested two of the last three Champions League finals, the Liverpool that gave us the greatest final ever in Istanbul against AC Milan. After which, every Inter supporter went out a bought a Liverpool shirt.

"Everyone knows Liverpool, with their history and tradition, are a different team in the Champions League. European nights lift this famous club.

"It is in their blood. They respond - and their supporters respond with them.

"That is why we will have to produce an incredible performance at Anfield. We may have a fantastic record in Serie A but that doesn't mean anything when you come to big European nights.

Mancini admitted that Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are Liverpool's two most important players and that he must stop the pair if his side are to progress.

"Liverpool have great players, yet I still think the most important thing is the team," added Mancini.

"They have a very English centre but other players with European vision. In fact, an Italian vision.

"I don't like to talk about individual players. It sends the wrong message to your own team. But I will admit this. Gerrard and Carragher are the most important players in the Liverpool team - more so even than Fernando Torres.

"They represent everything great about Liverpool. They are the soul of the team."

Rafa Benitez Refuses To Talk About His Liverpool FC Future

Stunned Rafael Benitez refused to contemplate his Anfield future in the aftermath of Liverpool’s sensational FA Cup exit on Saturday.

The loss leaves the Champions League as Liverpool’s only route to silverware this season, with Inter Milan visiting Anfield in the first knockout round first leg tomorrow night.

And when asked whether winning the European Cup for a second time in four seasons would be the only way to save his job, the beleaguered Benitez responded: “I only think about winning the next game.

“I don’t know too many managers who win the Champions League. We need to improve the squad, it’s a young squad with good players, keep working, keep improving the squad if we can.

“Everybody wants to win here, so the way to win is to keep working. If you say against Barnsley that the players weren’t working hard, I would say that’s not true. The team was trying to win.

“We are out of the Cup, that is the situation and we need to think about the Champions League. If we can create the chances that we’ve created against Barnsley I’m sure we’ll score goals.

“We must try to keep going, keep preparing the team for the next games, we have the Champions League and after the Premier League, we must keep working harder and keep creating chances.”

Liverpool created 31 chances but scored just once through Dirk Kuyt’s opener. It allowed Stephen Foster to equalise on 12 minutes after the interval before Brian Howard struck Barnsley’s winner in injury time.

And Benitez said: “In the last month we had a lot of chances in every game and couldn’t score the second goal and kill the game, and now in the last minute we lost.

“To the players you must send the same message: keep working hard, keep creating chances and we will have more confidence if we can score the first and second goal.

“We had chances to score the second goal, very, very clear chances and the keeper made great saves. It means that we need to score the goals and improve our confidence.”

Asked whether his confidence-hit players were afraid to shoot, Benitez said: “Some players maybe, but you could see our players were trying till the end.

“So I had confidence at 80 minutes, I could see the team attacking and attacking and attacking, so I had confidence we could win.

“If you don’t try you will not change anything. You must try to win games, sometimes you cannot. You can’t say ‘oh, because I couldn’t win this game I will stop training and working’, so we need to prepare for the game against Inter Milan and against Middlesbrough, so that’s football.”

Benitez Faces Summer Appraisal

Rafael Benitez's position as Liverpool manager will be reviewed at the end of the season, according to reports.

Liverpool suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday, leaving the European Cup as the only competition the club could realistically hope to win this season.

Benitez clashed with club owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks over transfer policy last year and Hicks later admitted he held talks with the former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann about taking over if Benitez left suddenly.

But they cleared the air at a meeting in December and Benitez was able to sign Martin Skrtel during the transfer window.

After losing to Barnsley, Benitez said: "We cannot change this result, but we must look now at the Champions League and try to finish our chances next time.

"We must think of Europe, we still have fourth place in the league to go for, that is what is coming next."

Liverpool face Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League second round tie at Anfield on Tuesday and they meet Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday.

They are currently three points behind local rivals Everton, who are fourth in the Premier League, but Liverpool have a game in hand.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said: "I wouldn't call this just a bad spell. It's been a lot longer than that. We realise we are not playing well enough. It's not a matter of putting your finger on one reason.

"It's simply because we have not been good enough. We've still got the Champions League to play for and we have to fight for that fourth place, so every league game is going to be important. We have to make sure we are in the Champions League next season."

Benitez: 'I Am Really, Really Disappointed'

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez had little but cliches to offer after his side were stunned by a brave Barnsley side.

Benitez is under yet more pressure after his team were knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley.

Championship side Barnsley caused the biggest upset in this season's competition so far as they came from behind to grab a late 2-1 win at Anfield.

"It is very difficult [to describe his feelings] you must be frustrated today," Benitez told Sky Sports News.

"In terms of work ethic we cannot say anything to the players. They worked really hard, we had a lot of chances, but again it was the same situation as in other games.

"We are controlling games but we cannot take our chances and finish games.

"So today was the same. The keeper was a very good signing, he was man-of-the-match with some great saves.

"I am really, really disappointed.

"We had chances, their keeper made fantastic saves, they score in the last minute and sometimes that is football."

Liverpool now have just one more trophy to compete for, and must overcome red hot Inter to stay in the hunt.

"All we can do now is prepare for the next game, we know it is an important game so we must put our heads up and be ready to work really hard for this game," concluded Benitez.

Smith Blast For Benitez

Legendary Liverpool defender Tommy Smith has launched a stinging criticism of Reds boss Rafael Benitez after his side were knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley.

Brian Howard's injury-time winner at Anfield dumped Liverpool out of yet another competition, leaving them with just the Champions League - in which they face Inter Milan this week - to contest.

And Smith, who captained Liverpool to the 1971 league and UEFA Cup double, has hit out at Benitez's controversial rotation policy and decision to rest several key players for yesterday's visit of the Coca-Cola Championship side.

Smith told BBC Radio Five Live: "In the programme for Saturday's game Benitez said cup competitions are always dangerous if you think you can beat teams easily. So why on earth didn't he put a strong team out against Barnsley?"

Smith admitted Reds fans may finally start to run out of patience with the Spanish boss.

"I should imagine so. At the end of the day Bill Shankly used to tell us you're only as good as your last result. How on earth does Benitez think he's going to win stuff if he puts a second-class team out?

"Because Liverpool's squad is not as strong as I think he thought at the beginning of the season. I don't think he's even got a strong first XI.

"How could he leave (Jose) Reina, (Steven) Gerrard and (Javier) Mascherano out?"

Smith admitted the last-16 European tie with Inter is now do-or-die.

"I'm afraid so," he said. "He keeps going on about winning four cups and all that but at the end of the day it's not even entertaining at Anfield at the moment. The crowd keep it going but they booed everybody at the end of the game and quite rightly.

"The first person you put on the team-sheet is Gerrard. How on earth could he sit on the bench for 75 minutes and watch that...then he (Benitez) talks about chances. Well, they've gone. You can't score after the game finishes."

Benitez Demands Respect

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has hit back at his critics after the Reds were dumped out of the FA Cup by Barnsley.

The Tykes, who sit mid-table in the Championship, recorded a huge upset as they came from behind to knock Liverpool out 2-1 at Anfield.

And the defeat adds increasing pressure on under-fire Benitez as Liverpool can now only realistically target silverware in this season's UEFA Champions League.

But Benitez, who took over at Anfield in 2004, has defended his record at Liverpool after guiding the Merseyside outfit to two Champions League finals in the past three years - including winning the competition in 2005.

Benitez has also steered Liverpool to success in the 2006 FA Cup and Community Shield, alongside the 2005 European Super Cup, and the Spaniard believes that record deserves respect.

"If you analyse the last few years since I came to the club we have won four trophies and been in seven finals, including two in the Champions League," Benitez said in The People.

"How many other managers have done the same in their first three or four years at the club? People can talk about being successful but nobody is winning trophies every year.

"To do that is really difficult so I think we are in a really good position with a very young squad, so I have a lot of confidence in the team for the future."

Benitez's relationship with Liverpool's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks has also been questioned and his future at the club was cast into doubt after the duo met Jurgen Klinsmann, who is set to takeover at Bayern in the summer, earlier in the season.

"When you are trying to work hard and do your job it is hard to accept the criticism that is always following me," Benitez added. "And, yes, it is a big surprise to see another manager in the background."

Benitez, though, is confident Liverpool stand a good chance of progressing in the Champions League when they meet Italian champions Internazionale in the last 16 on Tuesday.

"It could be important to us to progress in Europe because that would give us more confidence, particualry if we beat a team like Inter," Benitez continued.

"It's not impossible. We have done it before and we could do it again - why not?"

Crouch To Leave Amid Kop Crisis?

Sensational rumours are circulating that Peter Crouch may use FIFA's controversial Article 17 to quit Liverpool, having been out of favour for much of the season.

Article 17 produced a huge dispute involving Andy Webster recently; the regulation allows players to hand in a transfer notice if they have played three years (or two if they are over 28) or a four or five year contract.

The move's legality was challenged by Hearts, and FIFA at first demanded the defender pay £625,000 in compensation to the Scottish club, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the fee to just £150,000, which was proportionate to the player's wages as opposed to his transfer value.

This was said to infuriate Hearts — who valued Webster at £4.6 million — but the player managed to engineer the leave, having been frozen out by the Edinburgh club.

Sepp Blatter described the decision as "far-reaching and damaging" — and many concur it is the most controversial introduction to transfer regulations since the Bosman ruling — this, though, taking player power to an almost ridiculous level.

It is now, at least potentially, rearing its ugly head again. Frank Lampard has been rumoured on numerous occasions as one who will exercise the ruling to engineer a move to either Barcelona or Juventus, and now out-of-favour Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is thought to be considering the same.

Despite an impressive goals-to-minutes ratio, the beanpole striker has failed to win over Rafael Benitez for one reason or another, and despite his usually cheery demeanour, he has apparently had enough of playing third or fourth fiddle at Anfield.

There have been no concrete statements made by the player or his agent Jonathan Barnett, but Barnett has spoken to The Daily Telegraph and suggestions are mounting that the threat of Crouch buying his contract out for far less than his market value a la Webster will pose a major threat to the 'Pool, who are already enduring a miserable time, out of both domestic cups, woefully behind in the league and facing Europe's best side Internazionale in the Champions League in just two days.

"Certainly [the new rule] will change the way things are conducted and we are probably heading for a period of shorter contracts," declared Crouch's agent Barnett. "But I've never heard of a player volunteering to leave a club when he is happy and being well-paid."

The rule only applies to cross-border transfers, it has received fierce criticism from many personalities from different sections of the beautiful game. Sports lawyer Graham Shear insists it "would certainly be challenged."

Meanwhile, Leicester Chairman Milan Mandaric went one further, blasting the plan altogether.

"It's totally unfair," he said. "Clubs often take players on long contracts to develop them into better players. To just say goodbye and wind up somewhere else for far less money than you would want to sell them for will cause unbelievable instability. How on earth do you build for the future?"

"We discussed this at the Premier League meeting and you could see some concerned faces," recalled David Gold, chairman of Birmingham City.

The rule was supposedly designed to provide unhappy players a way out — despite the fact the transfer list works perfectly well most of the time — and this move mainly seeks to benefit agents, who are sure to make mountains of money negotiating new deals for their players at every available opportunity, knowing the many clubs will be forced into compliance due to the threat of players walking out for a fraction of their market value.

Hick-up For Rafa ...Dubai Or Sell?

Rafa Benitez has been painted as a whinger, a moaner and a difficult manager since his rant back at Tom Hicks and George Gillett last year.

But Benitez was, in fact, being very shrewd. Rafa flushed out Liverpool's co-owners and effectively went public by raising his concerns in code as to whether the Americans had the financial clout to run the club successfully.

Now it seems as if Hicks and Gillett are ready to sell again to the Dubai consortium who have some serious Liverpool fans as well as finance behind them.

That's the key for Liverpool, to have some proper genuine fans who care about the club.

This has not been about whether Liverpool are challenging for the title or not or about disappointing results.

That has been frustrating for the players and the fans. But this has been about Hicks and Gillett suddenly realising that the new stadium will be a lot costlier than they first envisaged.

That is what has caught Hicks and Gillett by surprise and why they seem certain to cash in and allow the Dubai group to come in and play the real sugar daddy.

I still think Liverpool will finish fourth this season and take the Champions League spot. But almost as importantly, new owners again may give the club, manager and players the direction they need.

Liverpool Face Inter Team Ready For Battle

Thousands of Internazionale fans are in love with Liverpool. It is an exciting romance, barely 2½ years young, built purely on schadenfreude and one hot date. Liverpool did Inter loyalists such a favour in Istanbul that famous May 2005 night by beating Milan, their rivals, that few will ever rip up the “Grazie Liverpool” banners made to commemorate the most dramatic of Champions League finals.

Liverpool supporters can expect to be vividly reminded in the hours ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with Inter at Anfield of quite how cherished they are among Interisti of a certain age simply for that result. Hearing all this, they may in turn wonder how easily the city of Milan can sound like a caricature of their own football territory, the blue half defining itself obsessively against the red. Inter are the Italian champions, and on course to comfortably defend that title, but there sticks to some of them a sense that while they lord it in Serie A in the period Milan remain the reigning champions of Europe, it hurts.

“You can exaggerate the sense of Inter feeling in the shadows of Milan but, yes, there’s bound to be that jealousy,” acknowledges Roy Hodgson, twice head coach at Inter and, were it not for his December detour to Fulham, the man who would be sitting in an office at Inter’s headquarters designing the club’s strategy for the next few years.

Hodgson, the most international of English managers, had been offered a technical director’s role at the Italian champions before he chose Craven Cottage. He has been close to Inter for well over a decade and doubts he has known an Inter in such good health as the present version, no longer Europe’s most notoriously brittle, flaky and impatient overspenders, but champions who consolidate. “The second time I coached them, I was the fourth managerial appointment within a year,” he points out of Inter’s scatty reputation from the mid1990s and beyond.

“But what they have now is stability in the leadership, with no changes to the management in three years, Roberto Mancini as the coach, and now two scudetti in that time, albeit that the first was by default [Juventus having being stripped of the 2006 title, awarded after the event to Inter]. They should win the next one, too, which will make it a great centenary for the club.”

For an institution 100 years old, most of that time among the mightiest three in Italy, Inter’s European Cup record is no more than average. They have won it twice, back in the mid1960s. A more urgent longing developed over the past decade: the need for an Italian league title, which between 1989 and 2006 was mainly shared between the other two of Italy’s so-called Big Three – Juventus and Milan – but also found itself ending up anywhere else – Lazio, Roma, Sampdoria – but Inter. They seemed cursed.

“For a long time, the league was the big target because it had been so long in coming,” explains Hodgson, “and even when we reached a couple of Uefa Cup finals, they weren’t doing cartwheels about it. Now, I’m not sure, now that the title has been won, whether they would still think of that as the priority.

They’ve got the squad for both competitions. They’ve bought well and the players have gelled over the last couple of years. “It helps that they’ve got groups of players from the same countries, like a lot of Argentinians: Javier Zanetti, who came in around my time, and players like Esteban Cambiasso, Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz.”

Hodgson would have liked to add the defender Walter Samuel to that list of Argentinians: he had hoped to call in a favour from Inter president Massimo Moratti and take Samuel on loan at Fulham until he fell injured.

Liverpool should watch out for Cruz, says Hodgson. “He’s vastly underrated. He’d been doing well at Bologna when Inter picked him up, and though they’ve got strikers like Crespo and David Suazo, Cruz has great value to them.’’ Rafa Benitez, the Liverpool manager, would not count among Cruz’s underraters. “People talk about Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cambiasso playing well,” says Benitez, “or Luis Figo or Marco Materazzi, but Julio Cruz is always there, always scoring.” The Argentinian striker has 15 goals this season, and that’s from less than 19 matches in terms of playing time going into last night’s league meeting with Livorno: he often starts as substitute.

But as Benitez says, people do talk about Ibrahimovic. So they should. The Swede has played probably the best football of a still young but eventful career at Inter, whom he joined from Juventus after Juve’s punitive relegation – some of their directors had been implicated in manipulating match officials – in 2006. He was then 24, had been among the elite for three years already, a prodigy who had got into the odd scrape while growing up in Sweden, making the big-time with Ajax in Holland and being captivating to watch without, often, finishing with the directness some of his managers wanted of a centre-for-ward.

Ibrahimovic is now the spearhead striker of the most potent attack in Italy. “I remember him when he was very young, still playing at Malmo in Sweden,” says Hodgson, “and I tried to sign him for FC Copenhagen, but even as a teenager he was beyond our means. He’s a strong character, and has developed a lot as a footballer. In the early part of his career he was maybe more interested in humiliating opponents than accumulating goals. He’s now much more ruthless going forward. I’ve been very impressed with him. He’s got every quality you want in a striker. There’s not many you say that about at the moment.”

Liverpool hope to have Fernando Torres back for the tie, and Hodgson anticipates that it will be tight. “It’s a classic European Cup game. Liverpool are well organised in these situations and a top team at snuffing out opportunities. There’s not much to choose between them. It depends on what those top players do. Will Ibrahimovic be inspired on the night?

“It’s also about different styles. I enjoy watching this Inter team, and like the way they play, but Serie A is nowhere near as intense as the Premier League. In Italy, it is slower-paced and can be more technical, which is maybe why older players such as Figo can still perform at a high level there. It gets intense only around the penalty area, defences drop much deeper, and in midfield there’s not so much flying back and forth. In the Premier League you get very little time on the ball anywhere.”

A possible setback for Inter is that those players who best know Anfield, best know the habits of English football, are short of match fitness. Midfielder Olivier Dacourt, once of Everton and Leeds, has missed a large part of the season; ditto Patrick Vieira, late of Arsenal, whose comeback from injury was interrupted last weekend by a red card and subsequent suspension. Dejan Stankovic and Figo also nurse wounds, making the likely Inter midfield more mundane than it might have been. “Inter have actually had bad luck this season with injuries,” says Hodgson, “but people forget that because it’s such a big bench there.”

Liverpool 1 - 2 Barnsley

An injury-time goal by Barnsley's Brian Howard sent Liverpool crashing out of the FA Cup at Anfield and increased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez.

The Reds led through Dirk Kuyt's first goal since December - but on-loan goalkeeper Luke Steele produced a string of oustanding saves on his debut to keep the Coca-Cola Championship side in the contest.

And, after Stephen Foster headed Barnsley level just before the hour mark, Howard stunned the home side with his late winner.

Liverpool left captain Steven Gerrard on the bench and rested Javier Mascherano, Jose Reina and the almost fit Fernando Torres for this tie, with Tuesday's visit of Inter Milan clearly figuring in Benitez's thoughts.

French goalkeeper Charles Itandje got another run-out, while Jamie Carragher captained the side.

Steele - on loan - was in goal for the visitors, while former Everton midfielder Anderson De Silva was included.

Simon Davey's team had tremendous support at Anfield, with 7,000 Tykes making themselves heard in the Anfield Road end.

In the second minute they were almost celebrating a goal when Istvan Ferenczi's header was blocked by Carragher.

But John Arne Riise and Lucas saw long-range efforts fly wide at the other end, Peter Crouch headed past a post from Steve Finnan's cross, before Kuyt failed to hit the target from Yossi Benayoun's cross.

In the 18th minute Crouch went close with an angled effort that Steele needed to be at full-stretch to touch wide.

Ryan Babel got into the box on the right to fire in a shot that Steele held - but Barnsley had a great chance to opening the scoring in the 28th minute when Daniel Nardiello robbed Sami Hyypia before racing into the box and forcing Itandje into a low save to his right.

Steele was in action again a minute later, clawing away an 18-yard effort from Xabi Alonso - and soon after the Kop let out a roar of relief when they took the lead with Kuyt's first goal since the Champions League win in Marseille in mid-December.

Alonso swept the ball out to Babel, who made ground into the box before pulling the ball back for the Dutch striker to sweep home from six yards.

Steele did well to keep out a Crouch header on the stroke of half-time - and the home side started the second period strongly with Benayoun and Babel going close.

Barnsley took off Nardiello and sent on Kayode Odejayi, giving Davey's team more of an aerial threat - and in the 56th minute it worked.

Martin Devaney launched an excellent cross on the run from the right, and defender Foster rose to power a header that Itandje got a hand to but could not stop crashing into the net.

Benayoun and Crouch had shots cleared off the line in quick succession, then Hyypia had two efforts blocked as Liverpool stormed forward.

Lucas saw a header turned onto the bar by Steele, who snaffled the rebound - then made another good save after Benayoun's run and shot.

Harry Kewell replaced Babel, before Gerrard was sent on for Lucas after 75 minutes.

The England midfielder's first surging run covered 60 yards and won his team a corner - but at the other end Itandje was looking anything but comfortable.

The Liverpool goalkeeper clattered into Odejayi outside the box, and then palmed away a Howard effort.

Kewell had two efforts blocked, then clipped the bar from 25 yards - but all the noise was coming from the Barnsley fans.

Steele then made a marvellous save to turn over a Kewell hook, and Crouch had the ball taken off his foot in the act of shooting.

The same thing happening to Kuyt seconds after - with Dennis Souza again the defender with the right timing.

Carragher was booked three minutes from time - a caution which will see him banned against Middlesbrough next weekend.

But worse was to follow in the second minute of injury-time when Howard found space on the edge of the box to drill home the winner.

The Yorkshire fans erupted, and they had just 30 seconds to wait for the final whistle and confirmation of a famous victory

Betting Recommendation: Liverpool vs Barnsley

Rafa Benitez's refusal to give Peter Crouch more game time has seemed baffling at times this season with Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin repeatedly firing blanks.

But the big striker has started all three of Liverpool's games in the FA Cup and found the net in two of them.

Add in Premier League goals at home to Aston Villa and Sunderland in recent weeks and Crouch has netted in his last three starts at Anfield and can continue that run against Barnsley on Saturday.

Crouch headed in the winner against Manchester United at the same stage of Liverpool's run to FA Cup glory two seasons ago and comes up against a Tykes team which has the second worst away record in the Championship.

Despite being made to look foolish against both Luton and Havant & Waterlooville in rounds three and four, the bottom line is that Liverpool scored five goals against each at Anfield.

Crouch to find the net at 11/8 appeals far more than the hosts winning at 1/5, especially as plenty of bookies have the England striker at 4/6 to score at anytime.



Verdict: Liverpool 4 Barnsley 0

Liverpool Fans Could Copy Barcelona Buyout

If they can do it in Barcelona why can’t they do it in Liverpool?

That was the debate at Liverpool Hope University yesterday into whether Liverpool Football Club could be bought and run by fans.

Academics from Birkbeck College in London suggested Liverpool fans could take control of their club through a mutual structure.

Using Barcelona FC as an example, Sean Hamil and Geoff Walters said public ownership in Catalonia saw fans elect presidents and ensure accountability.

In 2000, Barcelona fans launched the Elephant Blau Campaign against plans to build a commercial re-development around the clubs Camp Nou stadium.

Fan Joan Laporta said the owners were selling out the club’s tradition and value, which led to the ousting of the previous board in 2003 and the appointment of Laporta as club president.

The club now has 156,000 members or “socios” who pay an annual members fee and have the right to vote on the presidency and board and other matters including the club’s charitable works.

Asking if Barcelona is a one off, Mr Walters said Barcelona had still faced all the issues surrounding any football club, including boardroom bust-ups and financial worries.

But he said it was “a shining example of a mutual club with an explicit cultural and social identity which still delivers success on the pitch”.

Mr Hamil expanded on the success of mutual ownership which had raised revenue from 123.4m euros in 2003 to 290m euros in 2007, whilst still maintaining affordable ticket prices.

Under Laporta, player wages had been controlled, broadcasting revenue had been increased and 50,000 extra people had become socios.

Share Liverpool Football Club Group (SLFCG), led by high-profile Liverpool fans, are hoping to launch a £550m buy-out of the club from its American owners.

They are looking for 100,000 supporters to each put in £5,000 to buy the club.

During questions at the second annual conference of the Sport and Politics Group, Mr Hamil said that Tom Hicks and George Gillett promised to buy the best players but this had turned out to mean an increase in season ticket prices.

Liverpool FC Manager Rafa Benitez Has 79 Hours To Save His Season

The FA CUP e-on Fifth round: Liverpool v Barnsley, today, kick-off 3pm GMT Flop against Tykes & Inter and the pressure will mount on Benitez.

Rafa Benitez has urged his Liverpool players to turn the spotlight at Anfield back on to the pitch by winning.

The endless speculation about Benitez's position and the club's ownership is turning into a longer-running soap opera on Merseyside than Brookside.

Some fans plan a protest march to the ground today as part of their campaign to force out US owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Liverpool could do without all these distractions going into the games against Barnsley and Inter Milan over the next four days which will decide their season and Benitez's future as manager.

The Spaniard is trying to remain calm as he counts down to these make-or-break 79 hours and believes his players can take some of the heat out of the situation by getting results.

"It would always be better if we didn't have all this speculation, but the only way we can help that situation is by winning games," said Benitez.

"Then people will talk about goals and wins and things like that. If we start winning games, it will be easier for everyone.

"Everything comes down to the performance of the team. It's a circle. If you play well you can win games, people will talk about football, you will have more confidence, you can win more and that in turn helps the financial situation."

That is easier said than done for Benitez's spluttering side who have already been embarrassed by Luton and non-league minnows Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup.

The Hatters forced a replay and Blue Square South outfit Havant twice led at Anfield before Liverpool roused themselves to win.

Defeat in the fifth round today at home to a Barnsley side with just two wins away all season and featuring on-loan Luke Steele - third choice goalkeeper at West Brom - is unthinkable.

Benitez is well aware of that possibility, having been on the end of a humiliating cup shock by Alicante when in charge at Valencia and hopes his players have learned not to be overconfident.

"It's always difficult when you play against a team from a lower division," he said. "You have to warn against complacency and tell your players to be careful.

"But if they score first, you will play with more anxiety and you are nervous. That's what can happen.

"In these type of games, you don't have anything to gain. People expect you to win. But if you play well and score goals that can be a positive."

Benitez has seized on any little plus point and he pointed to Liverpool's decent goalless draw at Chelsea as a sign the team was improving.

He also said the players had been sharp in training this week and that Fernando Torres was close to returning from his hamstring injury.

But the Spaniard knows what really matters to the fans is what happens at 3pm.

Another poor result would push Benitez further towards the exit and he said: "We've been trying to work out why we've been so inconsistent.

"In the last two games against Sunderland and Chelsea, I think we have done well and deserved to win and score goals. But we'll know more in five days' time whether we have turned a corner or not.

"We're ready for these challenges. People are talking about Inter, but we've got Barnsley first and the FA Cup is an opportunity to bring some silverware to the club.

"The Champions League will be more difficult. But we have a chance in both competitions, and we will try to take it. We know how important these two games are to our season and we don't want to disappoint anyone."