LiverpooL 3 - 2 Middlesbrough

Fernando Torres piled more agony on Middlesbrough as his splendid hat-trick won this game for Liverpool, adding to the stunning 30-yard effort that claimed a point at the Riverside last month for Rafael Benitez's side.

The Spaniard has become the first Liverpool forward to hit 20 goals in a season for five years, his total now being 21 since his £20million move to Merseyside.

But Liverpool were made to fight for the win that takes them back into fourth spot.

Tuncay Sanli's header gave Boro an early lead before Torres struck twice in two minutes before the break.

He completed his hat-trick, the second since he arrived at the club, on the hour.

But Stewart Downing kept his side in the game with a goal in the closing minutes.

However any chance Middlesbrough had of grabbing a point was ruined when Jeremie Aliadiere was sent off after an incident with Javier Mascherano.

Liverpool decided on Alvaro Arbeloa as the stand-in for the suspended Jamie Carragher. Martin Skrtel was only considered fit enough for the bench after an ankle problem.

A ninth minute free-kick from Downing curled into the box for Tuncay to head home, to the dismay of a static Liverpool defence who assumed he was offside. Mascherano's positioning on the back post disproved that theory.

Liverpool's response was scrappy, to say the least. The closest they came was when Dirk Kuyt fired over after a Ryan Babel run and cross.

From a side who had outshone Inter Milan in midweek, Liverpool had reverted to their former self.

Passes were going hopelessly astray, with possession constantly conceded and not a hint of rhythm.

It took Torres to pull Liverpool together. Jose Reina's clearance on 28 minutes was headed by Julio Arca straight to the Spaniard.

He raced away, went round Mark Schwarzer and then found the net with his right foot.

Sixty seconds later Torres struck again. Fabio Aurelio found the striker in midfield and Torres lashed home a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Aliadiere was booked for a foul on Aurelio, before Tuncay thought he had equalised, sending a Downing cross past Reina on 34 minutes.

But referee Lee Mason ruled the Boro man had used his arm and booked the forward.

Boro were still in the game and put Liverpool under pressure early in the second period.

On 53 minutes Reina and David Wheater were booked after an incident at a corner. The Boro defender looked to have flicked his heel at the keeper, who reacted angrily.

Six minutes later Boro sent on an extra striker in Mido, replacing Gary O'Neil.

Liverpool, without Carragher, had not looked comfortable in defence all afternoon.

But again Torres bailed them out when he completed his second hat-trick for the club, the first being at Reading in the Carling Cup in September.

On 60 minutes, Kuyt's hard graft in defence saw him win the ball and launch a 50-yard angled ball towards the Spanish striker.

It looked like Wheater would comfortably tidy up the situation, but with Schwarzer almost alongside him now, there was hesitation between the pair and Torres took advantage to hook the ball home from the edge of the box into an empty net.

Yossi Benayoun came on for Babel before the restart, and Fabio Rochemback was booked for a foul on Torres.

Torres was on a roll by now and took a Steven Gerrard pass before outpacing Emanuel Pogatetz and forcing Schwarzer into a good save to his right.

John Arne Riise came on form Kuyt on 73 minutes, the hard-working Dutchman getting a well-deserved ovation from all sides of the ground.

Middlesbrough got themselves a lifeline on 83 minutes when Downing got in behind Benayoun on the left to run on into the box before beating Reina from a sharp angle.

But three minutes later Aliadiere was sent as he slapped Mascherano after an exchange between the pair on the touchline.

The Liverpool man seemed to have patted the French youngster on the cheek a second earlier.

Two minutes from time Luke Young was booked for tripping Mascherano from behind.

In Defence Of Rafael BenÍtez: Statistics Point Out Why He Should Stay

I love them (the Beatles came from Liverpool), I love them not (so did Militant). I love them (they are admirably sporting and passionate), I love them not (the fans are irritatingly certain that they power their team). I love them (what a club, what a history), I love them not (when I go to watch them play my side, I usually feel that I should take a pillow).

I am, in other words, ambivalent about Liverpool. But about Rafael BenÍtez? About Rafa, I am off the fence. Dr Henry Stott and Dr Ian Graham got up from their sofas after the FA Cup fiasco against Barnsley and started crunching the numbers. Somehow they knew that it would be necessary. And the next day, the papers were, indeed, duly full of stories about the future of Liverpool’s manager.

It is worth, therefore, starting with this. There was a 91 per cent chance of Liverpool defeating Barnsley at home. That they lost did not alter their 50 per cent chance of beating Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, a game they proceeded to win. You simply cannot make judgments based on one result, or even a small clutch of results. You have to take a longer view.

What happens when you do? Using a weighted measure of goals and shots on goal (the weighting is the one we use to beat the bookies season after season), we can compare Liverpool’s attacking and defensive strength with the best in the Barclays Premier League. This allows us to see whether they are getting closer or farther away from the top side and whether there has been a dip this season.

The results are clear. In May 2005, Liverpool’s attack was 71 per cent as strong as Manchester United, now it is 82 per cent. And over the same period their defence has improved from 79 per cent of Chelsea to 89 per cent. This season? Defence shot up, then fell back, but is still higher than it was at the beginning (83 per cent of Chelsea). Attack has remained pretty constant.

The graphic is another way of looking at things. Liverpool’s ranking has been remarkably constant over three seasons. So what, if anything, is going wrong this season? (And they have gone wrong. The chance of a top-four finish is now only 58 per cent). Three things come out of the data. The first is that Liverpool are scoring a smaller proportion of their shots on target than they were. The second is that they are letting in a larger proportion. And the final point is that they are accumulating disappointingly few points for the goals they do score.

Here’s a remarkable set of statistics. This season Liverpool have scored two more goals than Chelsea and conceded the same number. Yet Chelsea have 11 more points.

If all this stuff sounds sort of familiar to you, that’s because it is broadly what happened to Arsenal last season. They had some bad luck and this year they are having good luck. That’s just the way it goes.

There are two more points worth touching on briefly. It may be that in the mix of bad luck, José Manuel Reina has added some pretty poor play. He is having a very bad season, whereas last year he was one of Liverpool’s best players. This year the star is Steven Gerrard - a player the Fink Tank hasn’t always raved about.

One thing I do want you to forget about is rotation. Our new rotation measure (of which more soon) does not show BenÍtez as the biggest rotator.

Rafa must stay.


Article courtesy of Daniel Finkelstein, Times Online.

Jose Reina Rallies Around Rafael Benitez

Jose Reina has reacted angrily to suggestions that the Liverpool squad has become split on nationality lines but admitted members are divided in terms of their fondness of Rafael Benitez.

The goalkeeper, one of Benitez's strongest advocates, made his remarks while issuing a strong defence of his much-criticised manager following Liverpool's Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday.

"He is the boss and he has been quite successful in his four seasons, and there is no doubt about him," Reina said, while conceding that while some players, such as Fernando Torres, have spoken up for Benitez, others have been less willing.

"There is a dressing room and there are different opinions," Reina said. "Rafa brought Fernando to English football and with him he has become an even better player, and its normal he can speak really well about him. I have the same feelings. He brought me here three years ago and all I have done has been improvement."

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are among senior players who have declined to make pronouncements backing Benitez during a period in which the Spaniard has been under fire because of Liverpool's poor domestic form, and the revelation the club's owners held talks with Jurgen Klinsmann about replacing him as manager.

Reina insisted, however, that nothing should be read into this. "To be a good manager you cannot be the friend of the players, because they have to respect you and know who is boss," he said.

He heaped scorn on theories that the Anfield dressing room is divided, with Spanish and English players at odds: "That is being said in a few newspapers that are lying. The dressing room has been absolutely together and quite strong in the bad moments."

Benitez Warns Hat-trick Hero Torres To Expect More Rotation

Rafa Benitez admitted that he is still prepared to rest Fernando Torres despite seeing the Spanish striker rescue Liverpool with a hat-trick in Saturday's 3-2 win against Middlesbrough.

Torres, a 26.5million pounds signing from Atletico Madrid, took his tally for this campaign to 21 goals as Liverpool moved back into fourth place in the Premier League.

Middlesbrough, who had French forward Jeremie Aliadiere sent off on 85 minutes for hitting out Javier Mascherano, had made life difficult for the home side, even taking the lead at Anfield through Tuncay Sanli in the first-half.

Torres, 23, proved to be the difference. Yet despite his increasing value to Liverpool, Benitez insisted that he will not burden the striker with too great a workload in the closing weeks of the season.

Benitez said: "Will he play every week? Well, with one game a week it would be easier for me, but I have explained 100 times that I need everybody fit.

"If you are playing three or four games every ten days, and we have West Ham, Newcastle and Inter Milan all coming soon, you need to see how players are and make sure that they are fit.

"It is not easy for foreign players in their first season, but Fernando is a player with power and pace and I felt that, in England, those qualities are suited to the league.

"We had two or three targets when we were looking for a striker last summer, some good options, but we decided on Torres because he is young, hungry and his ambition was to play in the Premier League. We also knew that he could be good for us.

"It is really difficult for players to score 20 goals in any season, never mind their first season in the Premiership, but Fernando has done that. His work-rate is good as well, so everything is positive for us.

"There has never been a target for him, other than for him to score goals. I want my strikers to score goals, but they also have to make space for the other strikers and play well."

Liverpool, who beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, have struggled to repeat their European heroics in the Premier League this term, so Benitez admitted that this victory was crucial.

He said: "After a Champions League game, the most important thing is always to win.

"After we scored the third goal on the counter-attack, we could have scored more, but the key was to win and we did that."

Boro had been impressive and Stewart Downing's late goal gave them hope of a draw before Aliadiere was dismissed by referee Lee Mason following his clash with Mascherano.

And boss Gareth Southgate admitted that the former Arsenal youngster may now pay a heavy price for his moment of madness.

Southgate said: "Jeremie raised his hands and, although he didn't exactly floor his opponent, you must accept that if you raise your hands, particularly in front of an inexperienced referee, then you are going to get punished.

"It is something that Jeremie will have to learn from. He has done well for us this year, but he will obviously now miss three games through suspension.

"With the great competition that we now have for places up-front, it could be difficult for him to win his place back."

Southgate added: "After a tough game against Inter on Tuesday, I just felt that this game could be an anti-climax for both the Liverpool supporters and players.

"We were very solid and defended well, but we just had a two or three minute spell when the game was turned on its head when Torres scored twice in the first-half."

Fabulous Fernando

Matt Le Tissier hailed Fernando Torres as the difference he fired Liverpool back into fourth place.

The Spaniard's first Premier League hat-trick secured a vital win over Middlesbrough and with Everton playing on Monday night, took Rafa Benitez's side back into the Champions League places.

And last weekend's disastrous FA Cup defeat by Barnsley and indeed, Tuncay's ninth-minute opener for Boro, Torres' treble on 28, 29 and 61 minutes, could not have come at a better time.

It took his tally to 15 in 23 Premier League appearances so far and says Le Tissier, proved just how important he is to Liverpool's chances of salvaging something from what has been a disappointing season at Anfield.

"We all know about his quality," he told Soccer Saturday. "When he's on the pitch Liverpool have a chance of winning games, it's as simple as that. Today he was the difference.

"Today he was fantastic. They were probably the only three chances he had all game and he's walked away with a hat-trick - and that's what you want from a top-class centre-forward.

"The first was a horrendous mistake from Julio Arca. He tried to head it back to Mark Schwarzer and there was no chance of him getting enough power on the header to reach him and Torres just ran on to it, rounded the keeper and tucked it in.

"The second goal a minute later was fantastic, 25 yards out, right foot, he just arrowed it into the far corner. And from that point on Liverpool were a different side and deserved to go 3-1 up when Torres took his hat-trick goal - although again there was another bit of a mix-up."

Le Tissier did have some sympathy for Middlesbrough though and suggested that on this showing, Gareth Southgate's men will not get dragged into a relegation struggle.

He felt they deserved their early lead and hauled it back to 3-2 through Stewart Downing, before the comeback was stopped in its tracks by the sending off of Jeremie Aliadiere.

Which says Le Tissier, was referee Lee Mason's only mistake of the day.

"I've got to say the ref had a very good game the major decisions he made he got right, but I think he was a little bit harsh with this one," he said.

"Javier Mascherano had a little bit of a set-to with Luke Young and Aliadiere didn't have to get involved, but there was a little bit of chat between them and Mascherano put his hand up to his face and just gripped his jaw.

"In response Aliadiere gave him a little slap around the face and that was obviously the moment Lee Mason turned round and saw him raising his hands.

"Once you raise your hands you get sent off, but I think this makes a mockery of that rule because he barely touched him.

"Also Mascherano had raised his hand to Aliadiere's face so if you are going to apply this rule, they've both got to be sent off."

English Premier League Preview: LiverpooL vs. Middlesbrough

Liverpool will hope to convert their European form to the Premier League when Middlesbrough visit Anfield on Saturday.

The Reds silenced the critics with a 2-0 victory over Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Tuesday to ease the pressure on under-fire manager Rafa Benitez.

Tuesday's impressive display against 10 men demonstrates Benitez, who has come under intense pressure this season as Liverpool limp along domestically, has the Midas touch when it comes to football on the continent.

But the Spaniard will be well aware that his fifth-placed side are running the risk of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League and any slip up against Boro will be followed by rapidly returning critical sniping.

However, Boro will be unlikely to want to aid any renaissance on Merseyside and Gareth Southgate's side will be keen to upset the odds as they remain apprehensive about being drawn into a relegation scrap.

Boro are on a fine run of form and last weekend's FA Cup draw with Sheffield United ensured the Teessiders have now lost only once in 10 games in all competitions.

And Benitez will be well aware that should he tinker too drastically with the starting line-up which overcame Inter, he will be leaving himself open to intense tactical questioning.

However, it is expected Liverpool will revert to a four-man midfield against Boro, which will see captain Steven Gerrard drop back into the centre after being given a free role against the Italians.

This is likely to mean Lucas Leiva will miss out, but Ryan Babel could keep hold of his place on the left of midfield after being handed a run of starts by Benitez.

Fernando Torres should also maintain his place in attack, while defender Martin Skrtel has returned to full training following a calf problem, but Andrei Voronin (knee) and defender Daniel Agger (metatarsal) remain out.

Jamie Carragher is ruled out due to a one-match suspension and so full-back Alvaro Arbeloa could partner Sami Hyypia in the centre of defence

Meanwhile, Southgate will make late checks on Robert Huth and Tuncay Sanli before naming his starting XI, but Afonso Alves could make his first start.

Huth missed the FA Cup fifth round trip to Bramall Lane with a foot problem but could return at Anfield, while Tuncay is back in training after a hamstring problem.

David Wheater is available before sitting out Wednesday night's cup replay through suspension, but Lee Cattermole (knee) and Chris Riggott (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.

Capello Warns Liverpool

England boss Fabio Capello has warned Liverpool not to be complacent in their return UEFA Champions League fixture at Internazionale.

The Reds head into the second leg with a 2-0 advantage following their first leg triumph against a 10-man Inter at Anfield on Wednesday.

But Capello warns that Liverpool must in no way think their lead means they have secured qualification to the quarter-finals as Inter will pose some tough opposition at the San Siro on 11th March.

"Liverpool must be very careful at the San Siro," he told Gazetta dello Sport.

"Inter are really strong at home. Even at Anfield they defended with order after (defender Marco) Materazzi's sending off, conceding only a couple of chances.

"They can reverse the result, although it shouldn't be forgotten that Liverpool haven't reached two finals in three years by chance."

The former Milan chief also issued a similar caution to his ex-club, who drew 0-0 with Arsenal on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium.

"Milan must be just as careful as Liverpool," Capello said.

"Arsenal are capable of important feats, they find spaces and they strike at speed."

US Owner Showing Support For Rafa Benitez

Rafael Benitez has revealed that Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is now ‘very supportive’ of him and contacts him several times each week with good luck messages.

Hicks incurred the wrath of many Liverpool supporters when he disclosed that he had entered into discussions with Jurgen Klinsmann in November with a view to offering him the Liverpool manager’s job despite Benitez still being in the position.

The talks occurred after the Spaniard fell out with the club’s American owners over his role in recruiting players and infamously declared “I’m concentrating on coaching and training my players” – a sentence he repeated at least 10 times in his pre-match Press conference for the Newcastle United away game.

Benitez, who usually wears a shirt and tie for matches subsequently donned at tracksuit for the trip to St James’ Park to seemingly emphasise his point and with the battle lines drawn between the owners and manager many fans sided with the Spaniard who brought the European Cup back to Anfield for the first time in 21 years in 2005.

Many fans remain unhappy that Hicks and George Gillett retain ownership of Liverpool and there have been demonstrations both inside and outside the stadium plus various supporter schemes to try and purchase the club but Benitez insists that his relationship with the Texan billionaire is now a positive one.

He said: “After the meeting we had, everything was clarified.

The misunderstanding was clarified and after the meeting I have had the support of Tom Hicks.

“Almost every week, not every day but before or after a game, he contacts me. He sends me e-mails saying ‘come on’, ‘well done’ and ‘you can do it’ – very positive. I e-mail him back saying ‘thank you’.

“He does it for different games. Before this game against Middlesbrough he e-mailed me saying ‘come on.’

“Before and after the Inter game he e-mailed me.

“After Barnsley he said ‘come on, keep focused on the Champions League’ – he’s very supportive.”

Benitez insists that he has had no such contact from the club’s other co-owner George Gillett in recent weeks or his son Foster, who is believed to be back in the USA, but would not comment on whether he thinks Liverpool fans should stop their protests against the Americans.

He said: “No. (I do not have any contact with Foster Gillett or George Gillett).”

“I haven’t seen Foster Gillett (for a long time). I was not doing anything different (before the fall out in November).

“I was just trying to keep in contact with them through Rick (Parry).

“After the meeting, communication has been much better.

“I cannot say anything to our supporters in terms of what they must do or not.

“My relationship with Tom Hicks is good and I don’t have any problems because I’m professional.

“It was a misunderstanding and I think he understands now all the things I was telling him before.”

Benitez insists that it is his will to do well in his role as Liverpool manager that has spurred him on in this difficult period and he prefers to concentrate on football matters rather than the off-the-field issues at Anfield.

He said: “I am a fighter, I have always been a fighter so when we had the problems I was fighting. When everything was much better I was really focused.

“I like to do my job, I am a professional and I try to do my best – always. I don’t have any concerns (that he will approach another manager in the future).”

Benitez added: “I don’t know the situation (over ownership/possible sale of the club) so I am trying to concentrate on football. The communication with Tom is through e-mail, it’s just talking about games or business for the future with players but nothing really serious because we go through Rick to do the other things – it’s just to support me and the team.”

With Jamie Carragher suspended today, Benitez must decide who to pair Sami Hyypia with in central defence.

New boy Martin Skrtel has been declared fit but while Daniel Agger is also finally back in contention, the Dane is not believed to be ready to play 90 minutes yet.

Alonso Key To Future Plans, Insists ‘Confident’ Rafa Benitez

As Liverpool continue their push for Champions League glory and regaining a top four spot to ensure qualification to next season’s competition, now is not the time for Rafael Benitez to consider cashing in on one of his most prized assets.

Benitez’s side can regain their place in the Premier League’s top four this evening – for 48 hours at least – with a victory over Middlesbrough at Anfield and a win would cap an excellent week after Tuesday’s Champions League success over Italian champions Internazionale.

It’s all so different than just seven days ago when Barnsley shattered Liverpool’s FA Cup dreams.

But in maintaining his team’s push home and abroad, Benitez insists he needs at least two quality options in each position and that’s exactly why he refuses to entertain any talk that Xabi Alonso’s days are numbered at Anfield.

For all Benitez’s rotations, the Basque playmaker used to be as close to what could be called a permanent fixture in the Liverpool line-up.

However, the emergence of South American stars Javier Mascherano and Lucas has ensured competition for places is now fierce in the midfield engine room and Alonso, returning from injury has found it difficult to get back into the side.

Although several leading clubs from across Europe are believed to be monitoring the ex-Real Sociedad man’s situation, Benitez says that they’re wasting their time. He said: “Xabi’s agent (Inaki Ibanez) was coming over this week to watch both games as he also has a player at Everton (Mikel Arteta) and I was talking to him because we have a good relationship.

“We were just talking about football but because there had been stories about Xabi I was telling him that he is a player in my mind should be here for the future.

“I like to have four midfielders because each one is different.

“Lucas is different to (Javier) Mascherano and (Steven) Gerrard and Xabi so it’s very positive to the team for me.

“He’s not going anywhere. The agent wasn’t asking, we were just talking about football. We don’t think about selling him.”

Benitez added: “All players who don’t play must be a little bit frustrated but they must compete and Xabi knows my idea.

“He’s been injured for a long time so he needs to improve his physical condition and his tempo and match fitness.

“It is always difficult when you can’t play so you must train and try to be ready.”

Alonso, who cost £10.5million in 2004, was one of Benitez’s first signings at Anfield and the manager is adamant that there has been no fall-out.

He said: “Xabi has been here a long time and if you want to win trophies and you want to compete for all the trophies you need top-class players.

“It’s important to have two good players for each position. He’s a holding midfielder with quality so he’s a key player for us.

“Now he has Mascherano playing with Gerrard or Lucas but he played against Barnsley because he can pass the ball long with accuracy.”

Benitez added: “All the players want to play. I’m sure if I said to (Daniel) Agger ‘you’re not playing because Sami (Hyypia) is playing well’ then he won’t be happy.

“If I say to Mascherano ‘you won’t play because Lucas is progressing’ then he won’t be happy – it’s part of the relationship between a manager and a competitive player.

“I didn’t have any problem with Xabi – he was injured. Now everyone is talking about how good Mascherano and Gerrard are plus Lucas is playing well.”

The Spaniard continued: “Xabi is training really hard. The other day when I was talking to him, he said ‘you told me that I had to train harder’.

“I replied ‘Xabi I know that you train hard but match fitness depends on games – if you cannot play you cannot reach this level.

“You must train harder if you want to stay at this level – all the players who are not playing.”

With Liverpool’s second leg in the San Siro coming a week after the rest of the Champions League matches because of Milan’s return match against Arsenal, Benitez’s side have four Premier League fixtures in which to try and regain a foothold in the push for qualification into next season’s competition.

Three of the games are at home with West Ham United and Newcastle United both coming to Anfield after Middlesbrough’s visit today. Benitez said: “We have two competitions now but we have four games to play before Inter again.

“Our priority now is to win all of these games and get into the top four again.

“Clearly we must think about the Premier League because to be in the top four is really important and we know this. We know that we need to improve in the Premier League and be more consistent, it’s something everyone has been talking about in the last few months and we agree with everyone.

“We need to improve, especially at home and it will be easier for us to approach every game with more confidence.”

He added: “I have confidence. My idea is to finish in the top four because I know we can do it.

“But to win the Champions League is really difficult against top sides – you can play really well and lose.

“It’s important to finish in the top four and try to progress as much as you can in the Champions League.”

Earlier this week, Benitez suggested that he found it easier to influence European matches than Premier League games as they depended more on tactics but he does not feel that the Teessiders’ visit will be a case of ‘After the Lord Mayor’s show’ following the high-profile win over Roberto Mancini’s super stars.

He said: “It’s different. In Europe you can do a lot of things tactically that you can’t do in the Premier League because it’s a different style of football.

“The kind of player that you need and the way you approach the games is different.

“Some people forget that in the Premier League we have finished with 82 points, a record in the history of the club, so we can do it. We can win a lot of games – we won 11 games in a row so we know how to do it but to do it every year and be consistent is the key now.”

Benitez added: “If we start well against Middlesbrough we can maybe see a good game.

“If we get an early goal it can change the tempo of the game.

“It is always important to see the table and see if you’re in a good position so for us it is an opportunity (to go fourth) and we must take it.”

Lucas On A Learning Curve

Liverpool’s Brazilian ace Lucas Leiva is happy to continue to learn from the “best midfield in the world”.

The youngster arrived full in the knowledge that he would have to bide his time to share the field with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard, however, since Momo Sissoko’s departure to Juventus, Lucas has seen a lot more first team action than he expected, and the all-action midfielder is loving every minute of it.

"We have a lot of good midfielders at Liverpool and I am learning a lot from them," said Lucas.

"I think Steven is one of the best players in the world, so I watch him a lot to see the way he plays and the movements he makes.

"Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso are different kinds of players to Steven but they are also very, very good players and it is good to be able to work alongside them.”I have to keep working hard if I want to stay in the team," added the 21-year-old.

"There are so many good players at Liverpool, particularly in the position that I play, that if I was to stop working and doing the right things to improve, I'm sure I would lose my place.

"I think the manager trusts me and has confidence in me though and I am just trying to keep on working hard and learning."

Lucas unexpectedly started in the win against Inter Milan, and although he was subbed off on the hour mark, the fact he started ahead of Alonso reflects manager Rafael Benitez’s faith in him.

He said: "I enjoyed it because it was a good result and we played very well. We'd had a difficult week after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley and we knew we had to deliver a big performance - and we did.

"The atmosphere the supporters created was beautiful. The crowd was fantastic and it was great for me to play in such an atmosphere.

"But now we must concentrate on finishing the job in Milan because we know that it will be tough when we play Inter in the San Siro.

"For me, the Champions League is the most important competition in the world and it would be fantastic if we could do well in it again, because Liverpool have a wonderful history in it.

"Liverpool is one of the top five clubs in the world, so we should always be looking to do well in every competition we are in at home and abroad."

Kuyt Looking To Build On Inter Success

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is hoping that the dramatic victory over Inter on Tuesday will serve as a catalyst for a campaign that has disappointed on so many fronts until now.

The Dutchman scored the crucial breakthrough goal in the 85th minute of the 2-0 success, and he sees no reason why the Reds can't transfer their strong form in Europe to their domestic challenge.

"Everyone I've spoken to, especially the Dutch players around Europe, know how good Liverpool can be - even if we've not shown it over the last couple of games," he said.

"First we have to beat Inter, and reach the next round, and then we can take it from there.

"The manager and all the players are saying the same thing - keep focused. We played well against Inter but want to play more like that in the Champions League and Premier League now.

"If we can go a long way in this competition like last year, it would make up for the disappointments so far this season. We know we have the quality, we just have to show it on the pitch."

Carragher: We Must Forget About Inter Milan

Defender Jamie Carragher has cut short Liverpool’s post Inter Milan celebrations to warn his team mates against losing focus in the Premiership.

Tuesday’s Champions League defeat of Italy’s top side was the highlight of a largely disappointing season for Rafa Benitez’s side.

Carragher wants the performance to be a springboard to a top four finish in the Premiership. He has told Liverpool players not to lose focus in the run up to the return match at the San Siro stadium next month and has demanded total concentration in tomorrow’s home match against Middlesbrough.

"We realise that we've now got three or four league games before the second leg in Milan and we're going to have to make sure that we are in this competition next season,” he said. "There's something about us when we play in Europe but we've got a job to do in the Premiership and we have to make sure we don't lose sight of that.

"I thought Inter defended brilliantly at times but in the end we got a couple of goals. If someone had offered us that before the game we would have been delighted but I'm still expecting a really difficult game when we go over there."

Skrtel Back In Training

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has returned to full training following a calf problem.

The Slovakia international only joined The Reds last month but he has been limited to just four appearances and has not featured since the goalless draw with Chelsea.

However, he could now be available for this weekend's Premier League clash against Middlesbrough after recovering quickly from a pulled muscle.

Skrtel told SITA: "The treatment has been going well. It has got better and better.

"The prognosis was that I should be back in up to 10 days and this is the ninth one."

Skrtel was delighted with the performance of his team-mates in the 2-0 victory over Internazionale on Tuesday, which sets Liverpool up as favourites to make it through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

"The whole team played very well. We were the better team for the whole 90 minutes, we did not give them anything," he said.

"Of course, we had it easier after (Marco) Materrazzi's red card which was perhaps too harsh.

"It was just a pity we did not score more goals, but even so the result 2-0 is very promising ahead of the second leg. I believe we will go through."

Daniel Agger Set To Be Eased Back Into Action

Injury-jinxed Daniel Agger has been given the go-ahead to resume his Liverpool career.

But the centre-back will be eased back into the first-team fray by Rafael Benitez after missing the last five months with a broken metatarsal.

Agger was told he can make his long-awaited comeback after visiting a specialist in Denmark yesterday.

The 23-year-old has been training in a pair of specially-modified boots and was close to making a return last month before suffering a setback.

Now his injury nightmare appears to finally be at an end, although Agger is unlikely to be thrown straight into the team despite Liverpool facing a centre-back crisis tomorrow.

With Jamie Carragher serving a one-match suspension, Martin Skrtel almost certainly still out and Jack Hobbs on loan at Scunthorpe United, Sami Hyypia is the only other senior centre-back available to Benitez for the Premier League visit of Middlesbrough.
Skrtel has missed the last two games after picking up a calf injury during training last week, and isn’t expected to regain full fitness in time for tomorrow’s game.

“The treatment has been going well,” said the Slovakian international yesterday.

“It has got better and better. The prognosis was that I should be back in up to 10 days and this is the ninth one.”

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso will decide on his Anfield future at the end of the season.

The Spain midfielder became a regular in the Liverpool team on his arrival from Real Sociedad as one of Benitez’s first signings in August 2004.

However, this season Alonso has suffered from a metatarsal injury and a loss of form, and has seen both Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva move ahead of him in the central midfield pecking order.

Alonso, who has started just 13 games this campaign, was an unused substitute for the Champions League triumph over Inter Milan on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old signed a new five-year deal in the summer but has long been courted by Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Former Liverpool youngster Besian Idrizaj has been released from hospital in Austria after collapsing while playing for new club FC Wacker Innsbruck on Saturday.

The 20-year-old fell to the floor 14 minutes after coming on as substitute in his team’s game against Sturm Graz.

Extensive heart and brain tests showed no obvious problem and Idrizaj, who never played for the Liverpool first team but scored a hat-trick in the friendly win at Wrexham in July, has been allowed to return home.

The striker left Anfield for his homeland on transfer deadline day last month after loan spells at Luton Town and Crystal Palace earlier this season.

Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt Certain That Reds Can Improve Their Premier League Standing After Champions League Win

Dutch International Dirk Kuyt is hoping that Liverpool can repeat their performance in the Premier League as they did in the UEFA Champions League, where they beat Inter Milan 2-0 at Anfield in the first-leg last night.

Rafael Benitez’s side have had a comfortable time in the European League in the last couple of years attaining the crown in 2004/05 and making it to the finals last season.

Despite their fine performance in the Champions League, the Reds have so far failed to deliver the same level of performances in the Premier League.

However, Kuyt is certain his side will be encouraged by Wednesday's 2-0 UEFA Champions League triumph over Internazionale and deliver some fine performances in England’s top flight league.

“Everyone I've spoken to, especially the Dutch players around Europe, know how good Liverpool can be - even if we've not shown it over the last couple of games," he said.

"First we have to beat Inter, and reach the next round, and then we can take it from there.

"The manager and all the players are saying the same thing - keep focused. We played well against Inter but want to play more like that in the Champions League and Premier League now.

"If we can go a long way in this competition like last year, it would make up for the disappointments so far this season. We know we have the quality, we just have to show it on the pitch."

Benitez: Europe Is My Battleground

Rafael Benitez admits that he finds it easier to influence European games than he does Premier League matches.

The Liverpool boss was reflecting after masterminding the Champions League first-leg triumph over Inter Milan on Tuesday, that lifted months of gloom from Anfield.

What is clear is that European football is his chosen battle ground and he has delivered success against the likes of Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona, AC Milan, Olympiacos and Marseille when Liverpool had been written off.

That the Spaniard produced again on the really big occasion is no longer a surprise to Anfield observers, who have long accepted that Benitez is better in Europe than he is in the Premier League.

How else do you explain how Liverpool can be so poor against Luton, Havant and Waterlooville, Barnsley and Wigan, while capable of beating one of the form teams of Europe?

And with his own back firmly against the wall after continued speculation over his future, Benitez can afford a wry smile as Liverpool dare to contemplate a 12th appearance in a European Cup quarter-final if they can survive in the San Siro on March 11.

Benitez said: "In Europe you can approach a game tactically in a different way.

"In England it is a different style of football and more difficult for the manager to influence what goes on.

"It is not as simple to influence the game with tactics in England the way it is elsewhere in Europe."

Liverpool will take a 2-0 lead to Milan for the last 16 second-leg next month, and Benitez insists: "We have made it very difficult for Inter now, two goals and a clean sheet.

"But they have a lot of good players and we will need to show plenty of respect and approach the game with confidence, but no complacency.

"There, I suppose, is the prospect of history repeating itself with us going for a European final when we are not in the title race (as in 2005).

"But I would prefer not to think that far ahead, I always say 'one game at a time' and never has that phrase been more appropriate.

Liverpool won their 100th home European game, and Benitez said: "We have an important and difficult game still to come, and the San Siro will be full and determined to help their side.

It took late strikes from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard to turn Liverpool superiority into Champions League points.

But Benitez said: "I always had confidence that we would score. We were attacking a lot and one goal I felt was likely. So to get two like we did was I suppose, a surprise. But we certainly deserved to at least score.

"The victory was important for the club. We needed to play well for our own people, and the attitude of the players was very good. The whole night was really important for everyone at Liverpool.

"Everyone knew we needed to perform well, that was really the point after so much had been said about us.

"I have always had confidence in the team. If we can play like we did against Inter over and over again, it will be good and we will win a lot of games.

"I know what people were saying (about me). But as a professional you must be ready for every game, to prepare for every game the best you can and with the same ideas.

"You must concentrate, analyse everything, but above all be professional and do your job as best you can whatever the circumstances.

"Maybe the 'dressing room' felt the need to prove people wrong. But their attitude was no different really to plenty of other games.

"Some games we have played well and not won. The difference this season is that we have not been scoring enough goals even when we are well on top, and we have conceded goals too easily at times.

"That is why the confidence goes and you cannot win games in those situations."

But he added: "This lead now is a big boost. We have confidence, because Inter are at the moment the best in Europe. They are top in Italy and have now lost just two games all season.

"If you can beat teams like that and play well, it gives us a high level of confidence in the squad.

"Now we have another important league game at the weekend at home to Middlesbrough. What we need to be is more consistent now.

"We must also accept that if we cannot score when we have clear chances we must keep going, keep working and make sure we do not concede a goal instead.

"We were aiming for a clean sheet, and two goals makes it better still.

"We will go to Milan with confidence but they are really good so we will not be over-confident.

"You could see the quality of Inter's players. And just look at their bench, they had (Patrick) Vieira, (Hernan) Crespo, (Luis) Figo plus very good defenders like (Nicolas) Burdisso.

"That is the sort of quality you are up against, that is why they will be very difficult in Milan."

Carragher Rebukes Benítez For Rotation

Jamie Carragher will arrive at his 100th European appearance for Liverpool at San Siro next month but, even with his vast experience, he is no closer to an explanation for his team's regular metamorphoses in the Champions League.

The Anfield vice-captain yesterday proffered Marco Materazzi's sending-off and an arcane spirit for Liverpool's victory over Internazionale, though a gentle rebuke for rotating in the wrong places revealed frustration at Rafael Benítez's methods. "There is just something about us that we are always confident in Europe," said Carragher. "We fielded our main players as well, which makes a difference, and the sending-off did help us."

Tuesday night provided another example of Liverpool's improved concentration, sense of occasion and, ultimately against the 10 men of Inter, penetration, as they rebounded from their FA Cup defeat by Barnsley. Four days earlier Benítez omitted Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and José Reina from his starting line-up and invited further pressure on his job as the club's last chance of a domestic trophy went begging (Fernando Torres had been unfit).

Even before graffiti appeared outside Melwood demanding Benítez select his strongest side, the manager admitted to a team meeting on Sunday that rest was no longer necessary in the pursuit of fourth place and a sixth European Cup.

"We've got four league games before the return and we have to reproduce this level of performance because we want to be in this competition next time as well," added Carragher, whose last performance on Italian soil will encourage Liverpool's hopes of finishing the task in Milan on March 11.

Of the defender's 99 European appearances, a club record, few have surpassed the night in April 2005 when he defied a Juventus attack containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero. Fabio Capello's side needed to beat Jerzy Dudek only once to capitalise on their goal scored at Anfield - and this against a Liverpool starting XI including Djimi Traoré, Antonio Núñez, Igor Biscan and Milan Baros - but Carragher is not about to invite complacency.

"Even when they went to 10 men Inter impressed me, so I expect a very different game over there. The sending-off had an impact on the game but they defended brilliantly, even though we ended up getting those two goals. Before the game we would have been delighted with that result, and I must admit I did believe we were going to get a breakthrough. We created loads of chances, kept plugging away, and we got them in the end.

"It does put pressure on them now. It was very important not to concede a goal at home - that was the big thing in the minds of the lads at the back. I think 1-0 would have been a great result, and the second was just the icing on the cake."

The cake decorator, Gerrard, missed that goalless draw in Turin, Liverpool winning the quarter-final 2-1 on aggregate en route to victory in Istanbul, and Carragher believes his captain's performance against Inter demonstrated that he is warming to the competition once again.

"Stevie is one of the best players in the world," he insisted. "There are a lot of world-class players in the big teams in the Champions League but Stevie's the one who makes the decisive impact in the end. He stole the show again."

Dirk Kuyt's role in Tuesday's win should not be overlooked, however, nor Benítez's faith in a player whose father died following a long battle with cancer last year and who has endured a poor campaign since then.

"I have put a difficult period behind me and I only want to look forward now," said the Dutch forward, scorer of the first against Inter. "It was a great moment for me when I scored. It was so important. It's funny because I said to Stevie that maybe we should now just keep the ball and get a clean sheet. He said, 'No, we want another goal,' and he was right."

RED WATCH: Rafa’s A Consummate Tactician - On The Euro Stage

Rafa Benitez had taken so much flak this week that it was a wonder Mohamed Al-Fayed had not accused him of being part of the conspiracy to murder Princess Diana.

The moronic daubing of Melwood apart, much of the criticism aimed at Benitez appeared justified, the pathetic humbling by Barnsley seemingly applying the penultimate nail in a coffin containing Rafa’s Anfield career which could have been hermetically sealed by a poor result at home to Inter Milan on Tuesday.

Yet once again Benitez proved himself to be the consummate tactician on the European stage, engineering a superb victory on another memorable night at Anfield.

He deserves to take the credit for fielding an attacking formation which applied sustained pressure to the superbly-marshalled Italian defence, which culminated in the breach of the tiring 10-man rearguard in the last five minutes of Tuesday’s match.

The patience exercised by Liverpool as they probed for a weakness, while guarding against a potentially fatal breakaway away-goal, was absorbing.

For once, the substitutions were finely-judged and timed, the introduction of Crouch adding a further burden onto the weary backline shorn of the belligerent Materazzi in time for it to have a positive effect, rather than being the cue for a desperate launching of hopeful crosses into a packed penalty area. In short, Benitez got it right.

So in berating Benitez for his failure to date to mount a credible title challenge, are we failing to sufficiently acknowledge his mastery of this competition and the rewards it has brought to the club, and the joy to us supporters?

It appears that winning the league has assumed Holy Grail status amongst the fans, and understandably so, but should that lead to a state of denial about the achievements of Benitez on the biggest stage?

I sense that many supporters are beginning to progress through the five stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Newcastle Supporter) during which unrealistic expectations cause sufferers to focus on failures and become blind to other, perceived less important, successes.

For Newcastle, of course, this means avoiding relegation; for us, winning the Champions League.

I thought I would never feel the experience of those wonderful European triumphs of the late 70s and early 80s again in my lifetime, only for Istanbul and Athens, along with clashes with Juventus, Barcelona and Chelsea, to add to my collection of treasured memories.

Do we really want to risk throwing all this away to gamble on an alternative who might possibly deliver a league title?

Whatever your views on this, let’s not indulge ourselves in Soviet-style revisionism which denigrates the achievements of previous administrations. Gerard Houllier suffered from this in the latter stages of his tenure, with some fans belittling his five-trophy haul in 2001 as ‘lucky’ or won in poor style.

Benitez’s triumphs in Europe are to be admired not disregarded, and should be a source of pride for every true Red brought up in an environment in which Liverpool were one of the most respected teams in Europe.

So the next time you hear yourself saying “the Champions League is all right, but it’s the league we really want”, just reflect on similar sentiments expressed by Newcastle and Man City supporters in the past based on exaggerated expectations of league success, shortly before they changed managers and were relegated.

And just thank your lucky stars that you can experience nights like Tuesday, with the strong possibility of more to come.

Steven Gerrard Dedicates Liverpool's European Miracle To Rafa Benitez

Overjoyed Rafa Benitez hailed the "perfect" performance from his side, as they produced another European miracle at Anfield.

The normally cautious Liverpool boss could barely hide his delight, as mighty Inter Milan were humbled by two incredible late goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard.

Those two strikes in the final five minutes of a game that had everything - even the dismissal of the pantomime villain Marco Materazzi - could just have given Benitez a lifeline in the fight to save his job.

And he certainly believes that his team have taken a massive stride towards the quarter-finals, after delivering a knock out blow to opponents who had not lost for five months.

"I can't say enough about my team. To score twice at the end is perfect, and it will be very difficult for them now, because we have produced a fantastic performance," a delighted Benitez said.

"I am really pleased for the attitude of the players and the supporters, it was a special night.

"I had confidence we would win, even with five minutes remaining because the team was playing well, we were passing the ball and playing with confidence. Even at the end we knew we could score."

Benitez knew that he was under intense pressure going into the game, because defeat would have left his side with nothing to play for with still three months of the season remaining.

There is a growing feeling within senior levels of the club that he has taken the side as far as he can.

But again last night the canny Spaniard showed that he can never be underestimated when it comes to the Champions' League, as an Inter Milan side who proudly stand 11 points clear at the top of Serie A found to their cost.

And afterwards, the Liverpool boss insisted it wasn't just a victory for him, but the whole club.

"We needed to win as a team but we wanted to progress as a team, for me as a manager I am pleased when we win, so it is a time to be happy," he said.

"I know people have said they had to win for me, but the players have to win for this amazing club. It is a big club, a massive club, and they played with passion.

"I was delighted with their performance, and now I want them to go and finish the job. But we have to be careful, because we know Inter are a very good side, who will still be very dangerous."

Inter were furious with Materazzi's dismissal with manager Roberto Mancini complaining: "We had one or two doubts about the red card, you can say."

But Gerrard summed up the night when he said: "We kept going right to the end, and we deserved our reward because we had the spirit to keep playing."

Steven Gerrard Has Transformed Our Season, Says Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt has revealed how Steven Gerrard's inspiration transformed Liverpool's season.

The Anfield striker yesterday offered an insight into the drive and ambition of his skipper, even amid the euphoria of a magical night against Inter Milan.

It was Kuyt who provided the goal five minutes from time that finally broke the deadlock in a tense Champions League tie. At that moment, the Dutch striker and his team-mates were thinking only of protecting their lead to take to the San Siro.

But Gerrard had other ideas, and it was his goal that gave Liverpool a vital two-goal buffer. "It's funny because when I scored, we celebrated, and I said to Stevie maybe now we just need to keep the ball and get a clean sheet," he explained.

"We were happy to get a lead, but he turned to me and said 'no, we want another goal, we can get another' and he was right.

"We got another, and that is really important because it made it a great result, and we are obviously really happy with the way it turned out.

"We lost three days ago to Barnsley when everyone expected us to beat them easily. Then you saw a totally different team, but with many of the same players. I suppose that's the magic of football." Jamie Carragher also heaped praise on Gerrard.

He said: "In the Champions League all the top teams come and you see some of the names they've got. But Stevie's the one who does the decisive thing in the end, who provides the big moments," he said.

"That is what makes him one of the best players in the world."