Liverpool FC Solve Daniel Agger's Injury Mystery

The operation to cure Daniel Agger's longstanding foot problem has been declared a success by surgeons.

The Danish international has been out of first team action for Liverpool since breaking a metatarsal last September.

He has attempted a comeback on two separate occasions but after training and playing for the reserves Agger told Liverpool's physios that he was still feeling pain in his foot and it was decided that surgery was the only option.

Agger went under the knife on Monday afternoon and surgeons discovered a piece of floating bone which they believe was the source of his ongoing discomfort.

The 23-year-old defender will now return to Melwood to begin his rehabilitation with a view to being fit in time for the start of next season, although a comeback ahead of schedule before the end of this season has not been ruled out.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is delighted that the problem finally appears to have been solved.

He said: "Daniel was reporting some pain in his foot so it was decided that he would go for an operation.

"He has now had that operation and the surgeons believe they have found out what was causing him the pain.

"Daniel has more confidence now that the operation is over.

"The doctors have told me that in a normal situation his season is finished but that he will be back for next season. If he improves quickly and makes good progress then he could play before the end of this season, but I think we will wait for next year. It will be like having a new signing when he is back.

"I know he is happier now. He has been trying so hard to get back fit again but now he can look forward to next season knowing it will be a different situation for him.

"It has been a big blow to Daniel and to us that he has been out for so long but hopefully the problem has now been sorted out and he can start working towards being fit for the start of next season.

"Martin Skrtel has come into the side and done very well along with Carra and Sami Hyypia but it will obviously be good to have Daniel back because he is an important player for us."

Kewell Fights For Reds Future

Harry Kewell has vowed to fight to win a new contract at Liverpool.

The Australian international's current deal expires at the end of the season and he could leave Anfield for nothing in the summer.

Kewell has not featured for Liverpool since the shock FA Cup defeat to Barnsley and Reds boss Rafa Benitez has admitted the former Leeds star faces a battle to win a contract extension.

The 29-year-old will miss this weekend's clash with Manchester United as he has been given permission to join up with Australia this weekend for their training camp ahead of the World Cup qualifier with China next week.

Kewell, who has seen his time at Anfield blighted by injury, insists he will not give up on winning a new contract.

"I've got a contract until the end of the season and I'm still fighting for another one at Liverpool," Kewell told the Liverpool Daily Post.

"I've got the Aussie spirit of never say die and I'll take that all the way to the end. I won't give up until the final whistle.

"The best thing for me is to get some games so I can be fighting fit for Liverpool. There's a chance here to play two games and the manager was very happy for me to come across.

"I've just got to play football.

"I've been through some good times and bad times and I've realised now that just want to enjoy my football. That's the important thing."

Celtic have been linked with a possible move for Kewell in the summer, but the winger claims he is unaware of any interest from the Scottish champions.

"It's the first I've heard of it and I've heard a lot of things in my period in football," added Kewell.

"There's a lot of fantastic clubs out there, but for now my goal is on Saturday and then China."

Beware Liverpool’s TAG Team, Says John Arne Riise

John Arne Riise has warned Manchester United to beware the ‘TAG’ team that is wrestling Liverpool’s opponents into submission.

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard have netted 12 of the 18 goals Rafael Benitez’s have accrued since embarking on a seven-game winning streak.

The pairing have struck up a prolific understanding reminiscent of the Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton ‘SAS’ combination that fired Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995.

Liverpool travel to Old Trafford on Sunday hoping to break Benitez’s United duck in the Premier League and strengthen their claims for a top-four finish.

And Norway left-back Riise, who is hopeful of regaining the left-back role at the weekend, reckons the form of Torres and Gerrard can help Benitez’s men secure a first league win over their bitter North West rivals in four years.

“Gerrard and Torres have a partnership like I’ve never seen before,” said Riise. “The two of them are in unbelievable form at the moment, both looking strong and both scoring goals.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised with the way Torres is playing because we knew he was a top striker, but sometimes it can take a while to settle in English football. He hasn’t needed time at all. I know for a fact that defenders hate to play against him because he’s so quick and so strong.

“United will definitely be worried about us because we’re the form side at the moment, but at the same time we have to respect them because they are a top side also.”

Liverpool’s encouraging run of form will be put to the test over the next three weeks. After Sunday’s game at United, Everton visit Anfield a week later for the Merseyside derby before three games in seven days against Arsenal in both the league and the Champions League.

And Riise admits: “These next couple of weeks are going to be unbelievable. We are playing top games against top teams but we are looking strong at the moment and so we can’t wait for the matches to come around.

“This is the sort of run of games you train for and work towards during the season. There’s still a lot to play for for us as we look to secure fourth place and keep going in the Champions League.

“We’ve closed the gap on the top teams of late but we still need three teams to mess up if we’re going to get back into the title race.

“For now I think we have to look to finish fourth and that’s why the derby next weekend is going to be so crucial.”

Riise believes Benitez must take his share of the credit for the manner in which Liverpool have suddenly hit a rich vein of winning form.

“It’s down to the manager and his rotation,” he said. “Because he changed the team around earlier in the season we’re now seeing the rewards of that.

“When you have so many competitions to play in it’s important to rotate and that’s why the manager did it. He cares about the players.

“Now we don’t have as many competitions to go for, that’s why you’re seeing virtually the same players and the same system from game to game.”

Jamie Carragher concurs with the view of his defensive colleague.

“The first three years the manager has been here we have been to three finals so hopefully there will be another one this season in Moscow,” said the centre-back.

“He gets a lot of criticism for it but you have to look at his record, not just here at Valencia too, it does prove successful.

“The manager takes a lot of criticism but over the last few weeks we haven’t been changing too much as there hasn’t been as many games.

“But with these five games coming up, plus the international game, I’m sure there might be a few changes.

“At this time of the season there are maybe a few tired legs and things just need freshening up every now and again.”

Rafael Benitez May Be Forced To Rotate For Liverpool's Crucial Matches

Liverpool’s recent unbeaten run may have coincided with Rafael Benítez breaking from his infamous rotation policy, but Jamie Carragher believes that the manager will revert to his tried and trusted methods during a gruelling three-week period that could make or break the team’s season.

Since their humiliating exit at the hands of Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round last month, Liverpool have won their past seven matches in all competitions, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals and regaining fourth place in the Barclays Premier League in the process.

Benítez has made 16 changes to his line-ups during that time at an average of a little less than 2.29 changes per match, but with Manchester United to play at Old Trafford on Sunday in the first of five mouthwatering fixtures over a 17-day period — not to mention next week’s international schedule — Carragher is adamant that the Spaniard will soon be ringing the changes once again.

“The manager takes a lot of criticism [for his rotation policy], but over the last few weeks we haven’t been changing too much as there hasn’t been as many games,” the defender said. “But with these five games coming up, plus the international games, I’m sure there might be a few changes. At this time of the season there are maybe a few tired legs and things just need freshening up every now and again.”

Benítez will lose many of his senior squad to international duty after the match against United, with the Liverpool manager particularly irked that Javier Mascherano, the midfield player, must travel to Cairo for Argentina’s friendly against Egypt on Wednesday, four days before a Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield that is likely to have a huge bearing on the fight for fourth place in the Premier League.

Liverpool will then face Arsenal three times in seven days, with their league meeting at the Emirates Stadium on April 5 sandwiched between their two-leg Champions League quarter-final, and John Arne Riise is adamant that the club can maintain their fine form.

“These next couple of weeks are going to be unbelievable,” the defender said. “We are playing top games against top teams, but we are looking strong at the moment and so we can’t wait for the matches to come around. There’s still a lot to play for as we look to secure fourth place and keep going in the Champions League. That’s our one chance to win a trophy this season and we want to take it.

“The disappointing thing from our point of view is that we should have been up there fighting for the title. You won’t believe how disappointed we are with some of the points we have thrown away this season, especially at home.

“We’ve closed the gap on the top teams of late, but we still need three teams to mess up if we’re going to get back in the title race. For now, I think we have to look to finish fourth and that’s why the derby next weekend is going to be crucial.”

Riise believes that the form of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who has 27 goals to his name in his debut season at the club, will be vital. “Gerrard and Torres have a partnership like I’ve never seen before,” Riise said. “The two of them are in unbelievable form at the moment, both looking strong and both scoring goals.

“Torres has needed no time at all [to settle in English football]. United will definitely be worried about us because we’re the form side at the moment.”

Torres is confident that he can maintain a spree in which he has found the net nine times in Liverpool’s past six matches. “I hope to score many more goals for Liverpool this season,” the Spain striker said. “I’ve been having a good year so far and I’m hoping the team can continue our good run of results until the end of the season.”

Lucas Outs Himself As Fan Of Rafa's Rotation Policy

Lucas Leiva has credited Rafa Benitez's much maligned rotation policy with allowing him to get a foothold in the Liverpool squad.

Benitez seems to finally have discovered the virtues of a first-choice lineup, but not before the former Gremio standout established himself as a steady compliment to the likes of Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, by impressing in almost all of his 20 appearances so far this season.

"The manager, Rafa Benitez, has a philosophy whereby he likes to rotate, sometimes four players from game to game. And this has worked to my advantage," admitted the 21-year-old, who captained the Brazilian U-20 team before making the graduation to the full Selecao.

"Gerrard is undoubtedly the face of Liverpool Football Club, possibly the face of English football," he added. "But we can play together and have already done so to good effect.

"I must admit I suffered a bit when I first came to England," he added. "But then I realised that there was nothing to be intimidated by, everybody had two legs, we were all equal.

"I managed to get over this when I realized what I had already achieved. I had done big things like being selected for Brazil. Now, I have settled in and everyone has treated me well since I arrived."

Lucas became the first Brazilian to score for Liverpool in January of this year when he struck against Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup.

Dalglish Praises Gerrard And Torres

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has heaped praise on current Anfield stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, hailing them amongst the Anfield greats.

The pair are massive hits with the Kop, with Torres taking no time at all to win over fans following his big-money move from Atlético Madrid in the summer.

The Spaniard became the first player since Robbie Fowler to hit 20 league goals in a season for Liverpool, with many of his strikes thanks to great assist play from Gerrard.

"The understanding that has developed between Torres and Steven Gerrard is becoming telepathic," said Dalglish, who was at Liverpool in the glory years and as manager delivered the Reds' last league title.

"There were a couple of exchanges between them against Reading where one didn't even have to look for the other before a pass was played.

"They just seemed to be able to judge where the other wanted the ball played. It's going to be fascinating to watch over the next few seasons as they get better."

Riise Quiet On Toon Talk

Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has refused to comment on speculation linking him with a summer move to Newcastle, according to the player's representative.

The Norwegian international, who is also capable of playing in midfield, has fallen out of favour at Anfield this season with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez preferring the pairing of Fabio Aurelio and Ryan Babel on the Reds' left-hand side.

However, Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan is rumoured to be an admirer of Riise, who joined Liverpool from Monaco in 2001 for £4.6million.

Keegan is understood to be keen to bolster his shaky defence in the summer after shipping 57 goals so far this term.

However, Riise's representative - Jan Kvalheim - insists the 27-year-old, who has also been linked with a move to Aston Villa, will not add weight to the speculation.

"This is just speculation and John Arne will not comment on this," Kvalheim told the Dagbladet website.

Xavi And Javier Ready To Lock Down United

Xabi Alonso hailed Rafa Benitez's latest tactical reshuffle and claimed one of its less spectacular spin-offs could prove the key to stifling Manchester United's title charge on Sunday.

Goals have been flowing since Benitez unleashed Steven Gerrard in an attacking role just behind Fernando Torres. This has helped resurgent Liverpool score 15 times in their last five Barclays Premier League games.

But as the title race approaches its most momentous 24 hours so far, with Chelsea facing Arsenal soon after Liverpool go to Old Trafford, Alonso described how his new role alongside Javier Mascherano could be just as influential in maintaining his side's recent revival.

Torres and Gerrard have proved a potent force up front but the way Alonso and Mascherano drop anchor behind them may have just as big a say in the outcome of one of the season's biggest clashes, according to the Spain midfielder.

'I am enjoying the partnership with Javier and feel it is working really well,' he said. 'Javier has so many great qualities that bring so much to the way we play. He holds his position really well, is very strong physically when he is challenging another player and is a great team player.

'It is new for us, playing together like this, but we are managing the situation quite well and building up a good understanding that should get even better as we go along.'

Alonso: Torres Loves The Big Stage

Xabi Alonso believes Fernando Torres can realise his full potential at Liverpool after being stifled by the goldfish bowl at Atletico Madrid.

Torres is enjoying a dream maiden season in the Barclays Premier League following his £20million-plus summer switch from the Spanish capital.

His winner against Reading on Saturday made him the first Reds player to score 20 league goals in a season since Robbie Fowler 12 years previously.

Club and international team-mate Alonso thinks the striker is getting better and better, and doubts whether he could have made such progress had he remained at his boyhood club.

"Fernando has improved,'' Alonso said on liverpoolfc.tv.”He has got rid of the pressure he had at Atletico Madrid.

"He is feeling really comfortable playing with his team-mates at Liverpool and because of this he is getting better and better each day, which is good news for the team.

"He has settled into the Premier League very quickly and that is encouraging because it can be difficult coming into a new league.

"He has shown he is not afraid of the physical contact here, with defenders trying to put him off, and that is really important.''

Reds boss Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool can still have an impact on the Premier League title race - and he is happy with them being forgotten for now.

Benitez's men are eight points behind the pace but still have Manchester United and Arsenal to play before the end of the campaign.

"How near we finish to the top now will be interesting,'' Benitez said.”We have been criticised this season, but let us see where we are in three or four weeks.

"We have important games and if we win them we will be a lot closer. If we can beat Manchester United we will be closer to the top, and that will give us more confidence.

"If we beat Everton after that then we will be closer still. Maybe, maybe we can be closer if we do not talk too much about it.

"Do we have a point to prove? Maybe, but only if we can keep winning three points.

We All Fear Special Fernando Torres, Admits Messi

Barcelona star Lionel Messi admits Liverpool’s Champions League rivals fear the “special” talent of Fernando Torres.

The Spaniard has been a major success since arriving at Anfield from Atletico Madrid in the summer, his weekend winner against Reading taking his season’s tally to 27 goals in 36 games.

Following last week’s draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, Barcelona and Liverpool cannot meet in the Champions League until the final in Moscow on May 21.

And Messi has pinpointed Torres, who scored the only goal of Liverpool’s triumph at Inter Milan last week, as a major threat.

“Manchester United are very good and Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player who I watch a lot,” said Messi. “The other top English teams – Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – are capable of success too, because they have special players like Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres.

“The best Premier League clubs also have the experience of doing well in the Champions League.”

Torres has also been backed by compatriot and Liverpool team-mate Xabi Alonso.

“Fernando has improved,” said the midfielder. “He has got rid of the pressure he had at Atletico Madrid. He is feeling really comfortable playing with his team-mates at Liverpool and because of this he is getting better and better each day, which is good news for the team.

“He has settled into the Premier League very quickly and that is encouraging because it can be difficult coming into a new league.

“He has shown he is not afraid of the physical contact here, with defenders trying to put him off, and that is really important.”

Liverpool take on Arsenal in an all-English quarter-final tie next month, while Barcelona face off against German underdogs Schalke.

Before then, Rafael Benitez’s side have a pair of crucial Premier League outings against local rivals Manchester United and Everton as they strive to ensure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for next season.

The Anfield outfit visit United on Sunday hoping to improve on a record under Benitez of drawing one and losing six of their previous seven league meetings against United. No Liverpool player has scored during those games, but having accrued seven straight victories, Alonso believes Benitez’s side are in good shape to end that duck.

“We are in a good moment, playing well and scoring goals, and now we have to think of the next game against Man United,” said the midfielder.

“It is going to be a big game, playing at Old Trafford, we know their qualities but we are really looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, Lucas Leiva has jumped to the defence of Benitez’s rotation policy – and believes it has helped him settle in at Anfield.

The young Brazilian midfielder has enjoyed an encouraging first season since arriving from homeland club Gremio for £6million.

And Lucas said: “I must admit I suffered a bit when I first came to England. But then I realised that there was nothing to be intimidated by, everybody had two legs, we were all equal.

“I managed to get over this when I realised what I had already achieved. I had done big things like being selected for Brazil. Now, I have settled in and everyone has treated me well since I arrived. The manager, Rafa Benitez, has a philosophy whereby he likes to rotate, sometimes four players from game to game. And this has worked to my advantage.”

Liverpool FC Will Determine Outcome Of Premier League Race, Says Rafa Benitez

Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool can still have an impact on the Barclays Premier League title race - and he is happy with them being forgotten for now.

Benitez’s men are eight points behind the pace but still have Manchester United and Arsenal to play before the end of the campaign.

“How near we finish to the top now will be interesting,” the Reds boss told liverpoolfc.tv. “We have been criticised this season, but let us see where we are in three or four weeks.

“We have important games and if we win them we will be a lot closer. If we can beat Manchester United we will be closer to the top, and that will give us more confidence.

“If we beat Everton after that then we will be closer still. Maybe, maybe we can be closer if we do not talk too much about it.

“Do we have a point to prove? Maybe, but only if we can keep winning three points.”

Midfielder Xabi Alonso is also confident, particularly with striker Fernando Torres in good form.

“Fernando has improved,” Alonso said. “He has got rid of the pressure he had at Atletico Madrid.

“He is feeling really comfortable playing with his team-mates at Liverpool and because of this he is getting better and better each day, which is good news for the team.

“He has settled into the Premier League very quickly and that is encouraging because it can be difficult coming into a new league.

“He has shown he is not afraid of the physical contact here, with defenders trying to put him off, and that is really important.”

MARK LAWRENSON: Demoralised Arsenal Perfect Foe For Liverpool

AS each game passes, the feeling that Liverpool got a kind Champions League draw just gets stronger.

That’s what Arsenal is at the moment. Talk about there for the taking.

It’s the mentality there. I’m just not sure some of the players have it, certainly not the type you need to win leagues and European Cups.

They have had nothing but problems since the spat between Adebayor and Bendtner in the Carling Cup semi- final with Spurs.

Two players making it so obvious they don’t like each other is exposing inner weakness – and it’s hardly stopped since.

They went to Old Trafford in the FA Cup and didn’t play, then they went to pieces after Eduardo’s injury.

None more so than William Gallas, the captain and man who should have been pulling them up by their bootlaces – not staring down at his own and blubbing uncontrollably.

The feeble draws they have suffered since then proves they haven’t got a string enough mentality.

So you don’t need me to speculate about how a second leg at Anfield on a European Cup night will affect them...

Rafa Benitez Reveals Fears For International Liverpool Stars Ahead Of Derby

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has hit out at an international schedule which will see several of his players travelling around the world just days before the Merseyside derby.

A 2-1 victory over Reading at Anfield on Saturday, coupled with Everton’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday has seen Liverpool edge three points ahead of their neighbours in the battle to secure the final Champions League qualification spot.

However, Benitez is seething over the prospect of sweating on the return of many of his star performers barely 48 hours before they lock horns with David Moyes’s side on March 30.

Like many Premier League managers, Benitez is frustrated by having to release his big names for effectively meaningless international friendly fixtures at a crucial stage of the season.

Benitez, who was without Fernando Torres for the trip to Chelsea this season after the striker was injured while playing for Spain, is particularly galled at in-form midfielder Javier Mascherano having to travel to Egypt with Argentina.

The 23-year-old, who completed his £18million move to Anfield earlier this month, has been one of Liverpool’s stellar performers in recent weeks and his combative style seems ideally suited to the upcoming derby tussle which could make or break either of the Mersey clubs’ hopes of sealing a place in European football’s elite club tournament next season.

A sarcastic Benitez said: “I’m really, really happy that Mascherano will go to Egypt to play a friendly – things like that you can’t understand. But the rules are rules, so the players must go.

“It’s the same problem for all the top sides. Normally the best players are in the top sides and they are playing Champions League or for the title. We’ve been talking about this 100 times.

“You can’t speak to the coach. You can say ‘be careful’ but they are thinking about themselves, and it makes it very difficult.”

Including the internationals, Liverpool face six games in 16 games, starting with a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday before the derby a week later and a hat- trick of clashes against Arsenal. Having opened up a three-point advantage over Everton, Liverpool will be eager to maintain the gap this weekend when they face a trip to Old Trafford to face the champions.

Rafael Benitez’s side have not won any of their last seven Premier League meetings against Manchester United, a run which has included six defeats, but Brazilian full-back Fabio Aurelio is convinced Liverpool can continue their run of seven straight wins by stunning Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges.

He said: “For sure it will be the real test of where we are at the moment.

“It is a really important game for us, and we must gain points.

“We know against top teams anything can happen but we need to be strong enough to go into these games with confidence.

“Or course playing in Old Trafford is really difficult but we have to believe that we can go and win also. And if we keep doing our job as we are, we will be much closer at the end of the season.”

Aurelio added: “When you get good results, the team starts to believe a bit more. We are in the quarter- finals of the Champions League again and it is really important for the confidence.

“But to be in it next season we have to finish fourth so we cannot forget the Premier League. We need to keep working harder in both competitions.”

Aurelio, who netted his first goal for Liverpool against Bolton earlier this month, is delighted that his fellow South American Mascherano also broke his scoring duck against Reading on Saturday.

He said: “Javier has been having a great season, working really well for the team and deserved to have a great moment like the one on Saturday. Everyone was happy for him.”

MARK LAWRENSON: Will The Mersey Derby Be Advantage Liverpool?

It seems at first glance that the pivotal weekend in the Merseyside battle to get into the top four has just passed.

And given what happened, you have to say it’s advantage Liverpool.

They are on a great run while you always had the feeling Everton’s own superb sequence of results would come to an end at some time.

The fact that they were so short of players at Fulham shows how much the season could be catching up with them and also suggests they’re not really getting the luck or run of the ball Liverpool are enjoying at the moment.

If that game at Craven Cottage was six weeks ago, you feel Everton would have won it, even with their awful record there.

Now things aren’t going their way – they’re going Liverpool’s. And yet.

I get the feeling all that could change again and that’s why I think David Moyes is dead right to insist his team can still break into that elite top bracket.

For starters, it can easily all swing back in Everton’s favour this weekend.

Just for a change, they won’t have the pressure of playing catch-up and they can shift it on to Liverpool instead by beating West Ham.

For Liverpool, going to the leaders away from home is always a tough ask, especially given their recent record.

You get the feeling a draw there would be a result they would take now.

But beyond this week comes the indication that Liverpool still have it all to do to keep Everton at bay.

Doing that at Anfield won’t be easy in the derby – but after that comes the massive triple header against Arsenal.

That period will be defining because it’s the time Liverpool really have to deliver results, rather than just breeze through the bunch of undoubtedly easier fixtures they’ve had over the past month.

And at the same time, whatever Liverpool do, Moyes has to stick to his belief that it’s what his side achieves that will determine their campaign.

And that’s why it’s vital he rallies round his troops and reminds them how they got in this situation in the first place.

Moyes can’t change his team at the moment given the injury situation so he has to look at the men he has got and get them up again following a hard week.

And although he knows that seven days don’t decide a season and it’s how he utilises this coming week that will be key to them engineering another resurgence.

This is a rare week in which Everton have no midweek games – the perfect time for a couple of days off.

Get them refreshed, get them rested and, most importantly, wrap them in cotton wool before the injury situation gets worse. It will make all the difference.

Then I reckon they will be ready to go on another run and stay well in contention in that race for fourth place.

Over the past weekend, Liverpool took a significant step towards it – but that doesn’t make next week’s derby any less intriguing.

It’s still set to go to the wire.

Mascherano: Scoring Was So Very Special

Midfielder Javier Mascherano has admitted that the delight of scoring his first Liverpool goal sent him ‘crazy’.

The Argentina international had only netted once in his previous 111 senior matches and that came for River Plate in Argentina before he went on to turn out for Corinthians in Brazil and both West Ham and Liverpool in the Premier League.

However, the 23-year-old broke his Anfield duck in spectacular style with a stunning 20-yard effort in front of the Kop against Reading on Saturday.

He said: “It was an incredible moment.

“I had not scored a goal since I was at River Plate, so to score one for Liverpool – and in front of the Kop as well – was really special.

“I cannot really describe the feeling but I know I celebrated like I had gone crazy. Some of the lads in the dressing room said I was like Inzaghi in the Champions League final!

“It just meant so much to me and it was important also for the team because we had just gone a goal behind.”

However, Mascherano has warned Liverpool fans not to expect regular goals from him now that he has registered his first effort.

The £18million signing, is reckoned by manager Rafael Benitez to be the best holding midfielder in the world and the Spaniard insisted that he wants to see the player get into more scoring positions around the edge of the box.

Regarding Benitez’s challenge, Mascherano said: “I think the manager was joking.

“It would be nice to score more goals but I don’t think there are many holding midfielders who score lots of goals.

“In this position you have to play deep and try to keep the balance of the team and that is the most important thing for me.

“I will try to score more goals but I know that I have to do my own job first.”

Benitez is now preparing his side for five crucial games that will define Liverpool’s season.

He said: “We now have a very tough spell. Everyone kept saying that because of that we had to win our three home league games with West Ham, Newcastle and now Reading. We have now done that.

“Now we have really difficult games and we needed these seven wins beforehand.

“Now we have five very hard games, three with Arsenal plus Everton and Manchester United away next week. We will only think of each one as it arrives, you cannot start to worry about what is ahead.”

He added: “The first one is the most important. If we can keep our momentum then it will be easier going into the second one. We must not waste our time thinking too far ahead.

“We started the season playing well, winning a lot of games, scoring plenty of goals and we were unbeaten in the league until December.

“Still we have only lost three league games, our problem has been drawing too many and we are aware of that.

“If we had won just three of those drawn matches things would be very different.”

Liverpool are now eight points behind leaders Manchester United, who they meet on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Benitez said: “How near we finish to the top now will be interesting. We have been criticised this season, but let us see where we are in three or four weeks.

“We have important games and if we win them we will be a lot closer. If we can beat Manchester United we will be closer to the top, and that will give us more confidence.

“If we beat Everton after that then we will be closer still. Maybe, maybe we can be closer if we do not talk too much about it.

“Do we have a point to prove? Maybe, but only if we can keep winning three points.”

Liverpool Fans Form A Club In Their Price Range

Supporters of Premier League giants Liverpool, many of whom are no longer able to afford to watch their heroes, have formed a breakaway club.

AFC Liverpool are the latest 'fans' club to emerge following the successful launches of AFC Wimbledon in 2002 and FC United of Manchester three years later.

AFC Liverpool, however, is distinct from the other two in so far as in Wimbledon's case the supporters were implacably opposed to the relocation of their club, and followers of Manchester United were implacably opposed to the purchase of the club by the Glazer family. In Liverpool's case it is primarily a question of money.

The new club's spokesman Alun Parry explained: "This has nothing to do with the ownership issue, it's about affordability. I've been going to Anfield since the late Seventies when I was six years old. A season ticket in the Kop cost £45 in 1985, today it's £650, which I know is a lot cheaper than some other Premier League clubs, but in inflation terms Eighties prices should equate to £98 today.

"We aren't blaming the club, we realise they have no choice, but the sad fact is that a whole community is being denied the opportunity to grow up in the 'match-going' culture. The average age of a Premier League supporter is now 43. At a recent game I spotted only two children, so kids who can't afford to go are forced to learn what it means to support a club from one source - television."

AFC Liverpool will be run along the same lines as other supporter-owned clubs. Everyone can buy into it and get an equal vote. Like AFC Wimbledon and FC United, the new club will be a non-profit organisation.

Parry said: "Far from wishing to be estranged from the club, we are hoping that Liverpool will look upon us as a little brother."

So far AFC Liverpool have acquired more than 200 members, however up to 1,000 emails have been received supporting the idea.

The club have applied to the Vodkat North West Counties League Division Two to enter a team for the start of the 2008-09 season. Last week AFC Liverpool released an advert seeking a manager for the new non-League club, applications for which will close on March 31. They have also put out a call for players and, according to Parry, there has been a huge response.

"We are planning to launch a youth system with FA qualified coaches which will be of benefit to the community and to further the aims of AFC Liverpool," he said.

There are plenty of non-League clubs in the North West who would dearly love the extra revenue but as Parry explained: "By creating a team with an explicit LFC identity it gives us a club that we can collectively own and have a reason to support.

"If there are any ex-Reds out there who would like to manage us or play for us, we would be delighted."

Beware The Top Striker In Europe, Warns Carragher

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes his side’s rivals will feel the force of Europe’s ‘stand-out’ striker Fernando Torres in the five crunch fixtures to be played over the coming month.

In Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Reading at Anfield, Torres became the first Liverpool player to net 20 Premier League goals in a season since Robbie Fowler 12 years ago.

Steve Coppell’s side took a shock fifth minute lead through Marek Matejovsky but the hosts hit back to record a seventh straight win goals from Javier Mascherano, who hit his first strike for the club on 19 minutes, and Torres on 48 minutes.

The victory puts Liverpool in good stead for a crucial period of games over the next four weeks as they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday before hosting Everton in the derby a week later and then going on to play a hat-trick of games against Arsenal in the space of seven days with a Premier League meeting sandwiched between the sides’ Champions League quarter-finals clashes.

Carragher believes that Torres can prove to be vital weapon for Liverpool in these games as the striker, who has netted nine times in his last six outings, is now showing his best form after failing to make much of an impact in the corresponding fixtures against the same opposition earlier in the campaign.

He said: “Against Man United we didn’t really make the most of Fernando, he didn’t play against Everton and he came off injured at half-time against Arsenal. He hasn’t really played against them.

“I am sure they all watch Match of the Day and see each week what damage he has been causing and they will be well aware of him.

“Of course, it’s different in a game. He is going to be facing top defenders and they will relish showing what they can do, just as he will relish showing them.

“He’s on fire at the moment. He is the stand-out striker in European football right now and looks like he has got the lot.

“The header he scored today, you probably wouldn’t expect off a pacey striker. But I was stood right behind him and it was some header.

“It has been a long time since Robbie Fowler got 20 league goals and for Fernando to be the first player since then to do it shows he is a special player.”

Carragher acknowledges that the following month could either make or break Liverpool’s season given the importance of the matches and nature of the opposition.

He said: “It can go two ways. If we win the majority of these games we can hopefully go on and have a fantastic season. Or it can go the other way and it is doom and gloom again.

“That’s the stage of the season we are up to. Every game is important for every team, not just us. Sir Alex Ferguson says March and April are the months that prove decisive in terms of what you are going for and I think that’s going to be the case.

“We have Man United, Everton and then Arsenal three times so those five games are absolutely massive.

“I relish these games though. This is what you are in the game for. If you are going to win trophies you have to win big games and beat big games.”

A seventh straight win on Saturday ensured that Liverpool remain in pole position for fourth place but after their impressive 1-0 success in the San Siro four days earlier, Carragher admitted it was a different kind of test for his team.

He said: “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Reading are fighting for their lives and coming off the back of a Champions League game is always tough.

“To go 1-0 down and come back to win 2-1 is a great result really. I know everyone would expect us to win, but we showed a bit of character. We realise we haven’t played great, but the result was the most important thing.”

Rafa Benitez Insists Liverpool Aren’t Depending Too Much On Fernando Torres

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists that his side are not over-reliant on Fernando Torres’s goals after the Spaniard became the first player at the club to net 20 times in a Premier League season since Robbie Fowler in 1995/96.

The 23-year-old’s 48th-minute winner against Reading was his ninth goal in his last six games but Benitez, who is keeping his fingers crossed over the player who overcame a foot injury in the first half, remains confident that he possesses several other attacking threats if anything happened to his record signing.

He said: “We are not too reliant on Torres. People were asking why do you change, why do you rotate? You do it to try to keep the players fresh and clear of injury.

“So now when you have one week or three or four days in this case, you can use the players.

“But you must be thinking about the next games and three games in six days or six games in 16 days, all of them with very high tempo and demanding a lot physically from the players. We need to think about each game.

“We have also Kuyt, Crouch and Voronin, three strikers who can score goals. Today we have Babel, Kuyt, Gerrard and Torres and all of them are offensive, all of them have chances in every game.

“If you don’t have one player, you must use another player, so I think we have enough quality.”

Benitez was delighted that Torres has broken the 20-goal barrier but also paid tribute to his other forwards, Dutch pair Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt, who are operating in wide areas in Liverpool’s current 4-2-3-1 formation.

He said: “It was important for Torres and also for us.

“Everyone was talking about the money we spent, but it’s funny because everyone says ‘fantastic signing’ and then when you don’t spend money on a player and he’s free and it’s not working, they say ‘really bad signing.’

“Why? Because he was free. In this case, he was expensive and now he’s really good. When you have more money, it’s easier to sign better players.

“If Kuyt plays as a striker, he can score goals. It’s the same with Babel. But for the balance of the team, it’s very positive because they are working very hard for the team. That’s the most important thing.”

Following their shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Barnsley, Liverpool have recovered to win seven straight games and with five crucial fixtures over the coming month against Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal (three times), Benitez admits that motivating his players is easier when they’re on a run like this.

He said: “The team is playing well. We had two or three games that we drew at home that we could have won.

“There’s just a chance that you don’t score or that they score. If they don’t score in those games, that’s the difference.

“Today if they scored in the end, people would be saying ‘Good game, lots of chances, but ...’ But now because we are winning we have more confidence.

“Thinking about these games, it’s clear that we have a lot of confidence now. The mood in the dressing room is very good and the mentality of the players is very positive.”

Sky Sports Under Fire For "Anti Liverpool FC Bias"

Sky Sports was under fire last night over claims the broadcaster was biased in its commentary of Liverpool's Champions League victory over Inter Milan.

A legion of angry fans have accused top pundit Andy Gray of favouring the Italian champions over the British club with his comments.

Now Reds supporters are threatening a boycott of the broadcasting giant unless ex Everton star Gray is removed from the commentary team for their club's televised games.

The ₤20,0000-a-week Scottish pundit incensed Kop fans by branding the sending off of Inter midfielder Nicolas Burdisso "shocking", claiming Liverpool star Lucas commited the foul.

And he got their backs up further by appearing to sound down when Fernando Torres bagged the goal that killed the tie and sent his team into the last 16. Gray said: "It's game over I guess."

Season ticket holder Carl Rittenburg stormed: "I pay £48 per month so I can watch Liverpool's matches on Sky but I'll stop my subscription if they continue to let Andy Gray commentate.

"The man knows his stuff but he is so anti-Liverpool it's shocking and that was clearly evident during the Inter Milan game when he slated us at every chance.

"Gray seemed really annoyed when the Inter guy was sent off - he did nothing but go on about it all game.

"Yet he was calling for Liverpool players to get booked at the end of the match.

"Even when Torres scored the winner - that saw another British side through to the quarter finals - he sounded disappointed. It was like he wanted the Italians to win.

"We're not asking for bias towards Liverpool - were just asking for a fair commentary.

"But in having Gray to cover our games we're not getting that from Sky.

Kop fan Peter Stenton said: "As viewers we pay Sky for a service and a fair commentary when we watch live football - and in most cases that's we get.

"But it seems every time Andy Gray covers Liverpool games out team is given a verbal demolition."

Rita Walsh, 40, said: "I was so disgusted with the one-sided commentary during the game I wrote a letter to Sky to complain.

"Sky Sports has an obligation to provide fair and accurate coverage but in allowing Andy Gray to commentate on liverpool games it is falling woefully short."

Liverpool fans' revolt against Glasgow-born Gray, 53, has been simmering since he was signed up by Sky in 1990.

One Kopite has even set up a facebook group calling for the former nand Aston Villa striker to be taken off Liverpool games.

Scouser Alex Parkin, 28, said: "I set up the group to get Gray off our games.

"If Sky don't take him off then I'll seriously be thinking about scrapping my subscription in protest."

It's not the first time Liverpool fans have revolted against a broadcaster.

In November last year angry supporters called for a boycott of Eastenders after the show linked the HIllsborough disaster to hooliganism.

Campaigners for the 96 dead fans received an apology from the BBC after a character appeared to blame fans for the tragedy.

Sky Sports refused to comment.

Liverpool FC Stadium: Club Looks For Quick Decision

Liverpool FC’s third stadium design is now being scrutinised by town hall planners.

The proposal, revealed by the Liverpool Daily Post in January, was drawn up by Dallas-based architects HKS after the club’s American owners decided the previous idea was too expensive.

Because of a technicality, the Reds were allowed to submit an amended version of their second planning application, which was approved by councillors late last year.

In theory, it should take council officials less time to assess than an entirely new document, speeding up the planning process.

But no date has yet been set for the planning committee to meet and discuss the proposal for a 60,000-seater stadium at Stanley Park.

Liverpool are confident the scheme will be backed by councillors, as the previous two ideas were both given the green light.

A council spokesman said: “An amended application has been submitted because the decision notice from the previous one had not been formalised.”

Community leaders today called on city bosses to demand Liverpool draw up a full planning application.

Liberal councillor Steve Radford, who has campaigned for years against the principle of letting the club build on Stanley Park, said: “I believe it is unacceptable that this scheme is treated as an amended application.

“I am concerned we will not see the same level of consultation as we did previously.”

But the council today insisted more than 11,500 households would be asked for their views on the stadium proposal over a three-week period.

A spokesman also said objections raised when the previous plan was approved by councillors would be passed onto the planning committee again when it eventually meets.

The new design incorporates the 18,500-capacity stand-alone Kop, which Mr Hicks had insisted was crucial to his plans.

There is also room for extra seats to be added at a later date, although this would need council approval