Skrtel To Win Fitness Race For CL Qualifiers

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel will have recovered from his groin strain in time for Liverpool's Champions League qualifying tie starting next week.

The Reds face Standard Liege in the first of two legs on Wednesday, August 13 in Belgium, as they look to continue their love affair with the Europe's premier club competition.

Skrtel injured his groin in the 4-0 win at Ibrox over Scottish Premier League and UEFA Cup runners up, Rangers.

The Slovakian stopper has become a favourite with Kopites since joining the club from Zenit St Petersburg in January for £6.5 million, a club record fee for a defender.

Having been left at home as the Reds travel to Norway for this evening's friendly against Valerenga, there were fears he may miss the start of Liverpool's competitive season,

However, though he will also miss Friday's home friendly against Lazio, it is widely expected he will be fit to face Liege a week tomorrow.

Torres Keane On Robbie Goals

European Championship-winning forward, Fernando Torres, has publicly hailed the work of his future striker partner Robbie Keane, and believes they will be a formidable duo this campaign.

Liverpool's former Atletico hitman Torres, 24, has not been shy of accolades and plaudits during his debut season. As a result of his 24 league goals, he was a contender for PFA Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, and was on the shortlist for the PFA Player's Player of the Year.

As if that wasn't enough, by May, 'El Nino' saw his goal tally exceed that of former Merseyside icon Michael Owen's personal record for netting in one season. He also set a new record for the amount of goals scored by a foreigner in the Premier League, one that had previously been set by Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

It wouldn't be daft to presume that the Kop king will repeat his successes of last season, this. By himself he can tally up a mass of 30 goals, let alone with a strike partner.

Robbie Keane on the other hand is fresh from a semi-successful campaign with Tottenham. Despite a league campaign that promised much but delivered little, the White Hart Lane favourite never stopped working. His final season in the lily white shirt of Spurs was rewarded with a League Cup winners medal.

Like Torres, the Dublin-born international has set many records at club level. By notching 15 goals in his final Premier League campaign he became the first Hotspur to reach double figures in half a dozen Premier League campaigns. Not only did he feature in 250 league appearances for Spurs, he also scored over 100 competitive goals.

On paper, a Torres/ Keane partnership has every chance of blossoming into something quite terrifying for opposition defenders, and this is something Torres has already stressed on www.fifa.com.

"He's a fantastic player. I hope he can score a lot of goals for Liverpool and that I can play alongside him many times. We've only been training together for a few days, but the important thing for me is that he is always talking during games."

On their midfield link with Kop captain, Gerrard, Torres mentioned: "The understanding between us and Steven Gerrard is important as well. He is the midfielder who is passing the ball to myself and Robbie and so the more training we do together the more good things we can do for Liverpool."

Torres will be hoping that his partnership with the effervescent Irishman propels Liverpool to their first Premier League trophy, and/or the Champions League. After experiencing success with his national side, he is eager for this to translate to club level: "It was a fantastic summer for Spain but now my thoughts are with Liverpool. Hopefully we will win a trophy - I want to win the Premier League or the Champions League."

Liverpool begin their league campaign away from home, having to travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland.

Liverpool Back In For Riera?

Liverpool have reportedly revived their interest in Espanyol winger Albert Riera.

Having had to loan Argentine midfielder Sebastian Leto to Olympiakos for two years after being he was denied a work permit, Liverpool are said to have reactivated their interest in a player with whom they were linked earlier this summer.

The Reds are now being linked with a new offer for Espanyol’s left-winger Albert Riera.

Benitez’s plans to play Leto more this season have foundered among the Home Office’s bureaucratic red tape, forcing the Spanish tactician to revise his thinking.

And with Leto unavailable to him he is ready to make an enhanced offer the Spain international Riera, according to Sport.

Liverpool had an earlier bid for the 26-year-old one-time Manchester City loanee rejected by Espanyol.

But a deal could be possible now, with Riera himself reportedly keen on an Anfield switch.

He is reported in the Spanish press as saying: "I listen to the news.

"To play in Liverpool is very attractive but also now I am very motivated in Espanyol."

Leto Completes Two-Year Olympiacos Loan

Liverpool midfielder Sebastien Leto has spoken positively about being loaned to Greek giants Olympiacos.

Argentine midfielder Sebastien Leto has been loaned to Olympiacos by Liverpool after the English Premier League side were unsuccessful in seeking a work permit for him.

Leto played last season under an Italian passport, but that was revoked following an investigation by the Italian authorities into passport irregularities.

And although Liverpool sent a delegation to the UK Home Office to try and obtain a work permit for the player, their efforts failed - much to the annoyance of Reds’ manager Rafael Benitez, who complained that the system is in need of a thorough overhaul.

However, Benitez has agreed a two-year loan deal with Olympiacos for Leto while he qualifies for EU citizenship.

And 21-year-old, who moved to Anfield from Lanus in 2007, arrived in Athens on Monday night to complete a medical and sign the contract with the Greek champions.

Benitez has promised him a future with Liverpool, but the Argentine last night told his new club‘s official website: “Olympiakos is a challenge for me. I know I will be here for two years.

"I've had two weeks of pre-season training with Liverpool and I believe I will be ready to do whatever I have to.

"Olympiakos are a great team who challenge for every honour in Greece and in the Champions League.

"The team has some good players, a well known coach and fanatical supporters which always inspire them."

A statement on the official Olympiacos website confirmed that Leto arrived in Athens late on Monday evening: “Sebastian Leto was in Athens on Monday night at 11:20 pm. The 22 year-old Argentine right-midfielder in his first statement, said that his move to Olympiakos presented a challenge and that his personal aim and the aim of the team was to successfully defend their league and cup double and resume their European campaign, where Olympiakos will try to achieve greater success.”

Leto made 52 appearances for Lanus, scoring eight goals but is yet to represent his native Argentina.

Benayoun Planning To Stay With Reds

Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun has vowed to stay and fight for his place at Anfield, despite attracting interest from Roma.

Roma sounded out a move for the Israeli international as they look to bring in a new attacking midfielder, with the player's agent refusing to rule out a move to the Eternal City.

Benayoun's future at Liverpool has been questioned as Reds boss Rafa Benitez is looking to ship out several players to raise funds for his own transfer plans.

However, the 28-year-old former West Ham man is determined to fight for his future at Anfield, saying he is happy with life on Merseyside.

"It is not true that I am about to leave Anfield," Benayoun told the Daily Star. "I see my future at Anfield.

"I want to stay and that is what will happen."

Rafael Benitez Wants Gareth Barry To Feature For Liverpool Against Lazio

Liverpool have not ruled out the possibility of Gareth Barry making his Anfield debut later this week as one of the most prolonged transfers in Premier League history inches towards a conclusion.

Rafael Benitez had hoped to have secured the Aston Villa player’s signature in time to feature in the friendly against Valerenga in Norway. But the Liverpool manager is now planning to show off his latest signing against Lazio at Anfield on Friday, the club’s final friendly before facing Sunderland on Aug 16.

Much depends on whether Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Liverpool’s co-owners, can meet Villa’s asking price, but the indications emerging from Anfield suggested that the saga will be concluded very soon.

Villa value Barry at around £18 million, more than Liverpool were originally prepared to pay, but Hicks and Gillett are now understood to have agreed to underwrite the fee in what amounts to a short-term loan.

Steve Finnan, who has spent the last five years at Anfield, could move to the West Midlands as part of the transfer.

Another player set to depart is Sebastian Leto, the Argentine winger, after the 21-year-old was denied a work permit.

Leto played several games last season with an Italian passport, but Italian authorities have investigated the validity of the original decision, and his eligibility has been revoked.

Foxes Strike Martin Deal

Leicester have signed Liverpool goalkeeper David Martin on a six-month loan deal.

The 22-year-old agreed a new contract with the Reds this summer to keep him at Anfield until 2010, but he has been allowed to leave temporarily to get some regular football.

He becomes the second Liverpool player to join up with Nigel Pearson's side following Jack Hobbs' arrival last month.

"At my age, gaining first-team experience is of paramount importance and that is why I have come to Leicester," said Martin.

"I certainly want to make the most of my time here and hopefully Leicester will benefit from my arrival as well."

Martin has yet to make a senior appearance for Liverpool but he was on the substitutes' bench in the 8-0 victory over Besiktas in the UEFA Champions League last season.

He has also spent time at Milton Keynes Dons and Accrington Stanley earlier in his career.

Benitez Fighting On Four Fronts As Liverpool Look To Tie Up Barry Deal

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez refused to admit the Barclays Premier League title has become his number one priority as the Merseyside club prepares to successfully conclude their summer-long quest to sign Gareth Barry.

Villa have already rejected a number of bids which fell short of their £18million valuation but manager Martin O'Neill admitted the door was open for Benitez to come in again with an acceptable bid for his skipper.

Robbie Keane was signed from Tottenham in the last week for £20.3million, and although Benitez has said he will have to sell before he can buy Barry, the recruitment of the England international would give added hope of bringing the much-coveted league title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990.

Liverpool demolished Rangers 4-0 in a friendly at Ibrox to keep them unbeaten in six pre-season games, and they would hope to unveil Barry before their friendly against Lazio next Friday.

Benitez was reluctant to comment on the prospect of the Barry deal being resurrected but stressed there was no more importance placed on Liverpool adding to their record 18 title wins than their Champions League aspirations this season.

'Everything is important,' he said.

'Europe is important, the Premier League is important, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, so we will try to win every trophy and you never know.

'We will try to win from the first game and then see the situation. Clearly we have confidence in ourselves and have the quality to try to win every game but you never know what can happen in any competition.

'We started really well and finished really well last season. If we can do the same this time then hopefully we will be better in the middle of the season.

'But we will be working really hard to be as competitive as we can.'

Certainly, Liverpool showed enough at Ibrox to suggest they will offer a serious threat to likely front runners Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal this season.

New striker David Ngog opened his account for the Reds after Fernando Torres had given them a first-half lead.

As Rangers dissolved into disarray, Yossi Benayoun grabbed number three before Xabi Alonso scored from the penalty spot.

Alonso is thought to be one player that could be on the move to free up some money for the Barry transfer but Benitez insists the Spaniard will not necessarily leave Anfield before the transfer window closes.

He said: 'It's simple. He is a very good player who is playing for us and I am really pleased with that.'

Leto To Leave Reds?

Liverpool winger Sebastian Leto’s future at Anfield hangs in the balance with news that his Italian passport could be revoked.

According to The Mirror, the Italian authorities are investigating a series of passport applications after uncovering a number of irregularities in several cases.

The investigation prompted the home office to reject the Argentinean’s work permit application on Friday, meaning that he is still ineligible to move to play in England.

The work permit issues forced Reds manager Rafa Benitez to move the youngster to Olympiakos on loan, though such an agreement would have to be ended should his Italian passport be removed.

The 21-year old moved to Anfield from Argentinian side Lanus, but without a work permit he was restricted to a handful of non-competitive games.

Rafa Happy To Still Have Alonso

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez insists that he is glad to not have cashed in on Xabi Alonso during the summer.

Prior to Euro 2008 it seemed a foregone conclusion that Alonso would end his four-year spell on Merseyside to join Juventus, but the knock on effect of the Italians opting for the cheaper Christian Poulsen instead, and Aston Villa knocking back bid after bid for Gareth Barry has resulted in the Spaniard remaining rooted in Anfield.

Internazionale, Arsenal and Fenerbahce are still reported to be interested in the 26-year-old, but Benitez has suggested that he is no longer looking to sell.

"It's simple. He is a very good player who is playing for us and I am really pleased with that," the Reds boss told Sky Sports News.

Benitez was also questioned about whether the league title in now definitely the priority now that their domestic drought has is almost into its third decade, but the Spaniard refused to paint himself into a corner.

"Everything is important," he added. "Europe is important, the Premier League is important, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, so we will try to win every trophy and you never know.

"We will try to win from the first game and then see the situation. We started really well and finished really well last season.

"Clearly we have confidence in ourselves and have the quality to try to win every game but you never know what can happen in any competition.

"If we can do the same this time then hopefully we will be better in the middle of the season. But we will be working really hard to be as competitive as we can."

Wenger Tells Liverpool To Lower £18m Fee For Alonso

Arsène Wenger wants Xabi Alonso to form a Spanish midfield axis with Cesc Fábregas at Arsenal next season, provided Liverpool dramatically lower their £18m price for the marginalised playmaker.

Arsenal have made an initial approach for the 26-year-old Alonso, who has been told he can leave Anfield for the right price. His first-team prospects are threatened by the imminent arrival of Gareth Barry; Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benítez, hopes finally to complete the saga of Barry's £18m transfer from Aston Villa this week, after Martin O'Neill was forced to make a U-turn over his captain's future, and has insisted on a similar fee for Alonso as he attempts to balance the books.

Benítez's price tag, however, has deterred Arsenal from returning with a firm offer for a player they value at closer to the £10.5m Liverpool paid Real Sociedad for him four years ago. The deal will remain only a remote possibility unless Arsenal revise their stance or, despite Benítez's insistence that Alonso and Barry can operate in his already crowded central midfield, the Liverpool manager's need to raise funds forces a compromise.

"I don't think it will be easy [for him to leave]," admitted Benítez in Glasgow on Saturday. "The value of Alonso in the market will be really high. We are really pleased with him and we don't want him to go unless we get a very good price."

Liverpool had intended to sell Alonso to Juventus to finance Barry's transfer but, despite the collapse of that deal and a lack of suitors apart from Arsenal, Benítez will sign Villa's captain provided Liverpool's co-owners underwrite a loan to conclude the £18m deal. Tom Hicks and George Gillett promised the money before Villa's deadline to complete the transfer last week, only for a revised payment structure to cause Liverpool to miss the cut-off point - whereupon Villa issued a statement insisting, farcically, that the deal was off.

Liverpool's willingness to meet Villa's asking price led Barry and his agent, Alex Black, to insist again on the move on Friday morning. O'Neill and Randy Lerner, Villa's owner, then ended their resistance and put the onus back on Liverpool to come up with the package they had promised last week. "I gave it some thought and realised there is little point in pretending," said the Villa manager. "Gareth would want to join Liverpool and therefore there would be no deadline. I have agreed with Gareth now. That's it, no problem: Liverpool have all the time in the world to do it if they want to raise the money."

Barry Banks On Yanks

Gareth Barry’s dream of finally joining Liverpool now lies in the hands of the club’s American owners.

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has given up hope of keeping the England star at his club and told Rafa Benitez that Barry is all theirs.

But the Liverpool manager is now sweating over whether joint owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks will stump up the £18m needed to clinch the drawn out deal.

Benitez had persuaded the pair to pay the money last week only for Villa to suddenly end talks claiming a 5pm deadline had not been met.

Since then, Gillett and Hicks are believed to have cooled on the idea of paying so much for the 27-year-old.

Reds boss Benitez went out on a limb to convince the Americans that Barry would improve his squad and was value for money.

So he will be fuming if they go back on their decision to pay up with the transfer now in a position to go through in the next 48 hours.

A further complication emerged last night with news that Steve Finnan might not be willing to make a switch to Villa Park as part of the deal.

Finnan, who was officially absent for the 4-0 friendly win over Rangers at the weekend with a minor injury, will be frozen out at Anfield by Benitez who has other options at right-back.

But unless the 32-year-old has a change of heart, Gillett and Hicks will have to eek out a bit more cash to meet Villa’s price for their skipper.

The US tycoons were persuaded by Benitez in a series of transatlantic phonecalls last Tuesday to dip into their own pockets rather than wait for him to first raise the money to fund Barry’s acquisition by trimming his squad.

The Liverpool manager was given a budget of £20m at the end of last season and has raised around £17.5m through the sales of Peter Crouch, Scott Carson, John Arne Riise and Danny Guthrie.

He has spent £30.5m this summer – the bulk on £20m Robbie Keane – and the sums mean Gillett and Hicks would have personally had to find an additional £11m to secure Barry.

O’Neill’s climbdown means Barry’s future is now in the hands of Gillett and Hicks.

Blocking the deal will see the row between themselves and Benitez blow up again. But they can point to their massive investment in the current squad as proof they have backed up their manager.

Barry’s arrival at Anfield would see Benitez’s spending crash through the £100m barrier since last summer, although the Spaniard has also recouped around £51m through sales.

That level of backing demands Liverpool challenge for the title this season with Benitez’s biggest headache working out what team to pick each week.

Barry could yet find himself on the left of midfield with the Anfield boss furious at the Government’s decision to turn down a work permit application for Argentine winger Sebastian Leto last Friday.

Leto played last season with an Italian passport, later revoked by the Italian government and currently subject to an appeal.

Liverpool applied for a permit with Benitez telling a hearing in Sheffield he planned to select the 21-year-old, in light of the departures of Harry Kewell and Riise.

However, the tribunal hearing refused to approve the paperwork.

“The system needs to change, clearly,” said Benitez, who takes his side to Norway today after seeing Fernando Torres, newboy David Ngog, Yossi Benayoun and Xabi Alonso score in their one-sided stroll at Ibrox.

Skrtel Ready For Standard

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel admits he and his team-mates will take a trip into the unknown when they meet Standard Liege in the UEFA Champions League.

Rafa Benitez will take his Liverpool side to Belgium for the first-leg of their third qualifying round clash against Standard on either 12th or 13th of August, before the return fixture at Anfield two weeks later.

And Skrtel, who played against Standard while with former club Zenit St Petersburg, admits the Belgian outfit will enjoy the element of surprise, but insists Liverpool are confident of reaching the group stages.

"We will see in the double-header if they (Standard) are difficult opponents or not. They are an inscrutable team," Skrtel told SITA.

"Last season, when playing for Zenit, I played against them in the Uefa Cup and although we advanced, the two games against them were very tough.

"Our goal is to reach the group stages and we will do our best to achieve that.

"Everyone at Liverpool, players as well as the club management, take appearing in the main phase of the Champions League as an obvious goal, so we simply have to knock Standard out from the competition."

Buoyant Rafael Benitez Targets Four Trophies

The Spaniard, bolstered by the signing of Robbie Keane and confirmation the Gareth Barry deal is still on, claimed the Anfield club would be hunting four trophies this season.

"Everything is important," he said. "Europe is important, the Premier League is important, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, so we will try to win every trophy and you never know. We will try to win from the first game and then see the situation.

"Clearly we have confidence in ourselves and have the quality to try to win every game but you never know what can happen in any competition. We started really well and finished really well last season.

"If we can do the same this time then hopefully we will be better in the middle of the season. But we will be working really hard to be as competitive as we can."

But it wasn't all good news for Benitez, who needs to sell before buying Barry, with confirmation that Juventus have finally ended their pursuit of Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso.

The Spaniard had been tipped for a £10 million move to Italy but Juve manager Claudio Ranieri denied he was interested after watching his side lose 3-0 to Hamburg in London on Sunday.

Across Stanley Park Everton manager David Moyes insisted he would sign a new contract despite reports of a rift with the club's board.

Moyes, 45, has a year to run of his current contract but is reportedly unhappy at the club's lack of transfer funds.

"I am not going anywhere.I am here and intend to see the job through. We have great expectations and I hope that I am able to fulfill them," he said.

"I hope that maybe we can try and get together in the next week or two and sort something out. At the moment my energies are focused on bringing in new players. We have a certain amount of money to improve what we have got here."

Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand has praised team-mate Wayne Rooney, describing his contribution to last season's double-winning campaign as "awesome".

The England centre-back told The People: "He had to take the responsibility of leading the line on his shoulders and he was awesome.

"He played out of position a lot. He played on the left and sacrificed himself so many times for the team. I know the manager wants to see Wayne playing in his more accustomed position, just off the front. Maybe that will happen if we sign a striker and then you'll see how dangerous he can be."

Hull continued their Premier League countdown with a 1-0 defeat away to Scottish club Hearts.

Lithuanian Audrius Ksanavicius scored the game's only goal, heading home in the 33rd minute to hand new Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo victory in his first game at Tynecastle.

Hull included summer signings George Boateng, Anthony Gardner and former Manchester City player Geovanni, who proved their most potent threat as he tested Hearts keeper Steve Banks with a series of free-kicks.

The result left Hull still looking for their first victory after three pre-season friendlies.

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has confirmed that striker Kenwyne Jones will undergo knee surgery.

Keane, speaking after his side's 1-0 friendly defeat to Ajax, said the Trinidad and Tobago international suffered knee ligament damage while playing against England in June and would undergo an exploratory operation to ascertain the extent of the injury.

Meanwhile, ambitious Championship club Queen's Park Rangers have snapped up Real Madrid youngster Daniel Parejo on a one-year loan.

Parejo, 19, scored the 85th-minute winner for Real against Hamburg in Sunday's Emirates Cup match but will spend the new season at Loftus Road instead of the Bernabeu.

"The youth team midfielder will therefore play in the Football League Championship next season, where he will continue progressing and honing his skills," confirmed a Real Madrid spokesman.

Looking Fan-tastic

Liverpool is famous for many things: The Beatles, its historic docks, and now... the best-looking football fans in the country!

A study by Sky HD has revealed when it comes to well-chiselled features and luscious locks, Liverpool tops the table as having the most attractive set of supporters in the Premier League.

High definition television means that it's not just the action on the football pitch which can be scrutinised by viewers - with a picture four times clearer, fans are now finding themselves on show during televised matches.

Sky HD worked with top model agency D1 Model Management to study high definition footage of crowds from every Premier League match last season, and name the top 10 best-looking clubs as:

1. Liverpool
2. Fulham
3. Tottenham Hotspur
4. Sunderland
5. Chelsea
6. Newcastle United
7. Arsenal
8. Bolton Wanderers
9. West Ham United
10. Manchester United

Dean Cleary-Patterson, from D1 Model Management said: "We're used to scouting the cream of British modelling talent in all sorts of weird and wonderful places, but football crowds are certainly a new concept for us!

"We typically take into account a whole range of aspects of a person's appearance, from the symmetry of their features to the glossiness of their hair. It's interesting to know we might need to start scouring the stands of Anfield to find our next big name!"

Sky's Christian Cull explains: "High definition really changes the way you watch TV, so you end up noticing lots more than you normally would.

"With images so detailed, you can see faces in the crowd much more clearly, so we had a bit of fun by teaming up with D1 Model Management to create a league table of the best looking fans.

"I'm a Chelsea fan, so I'm not used to languishing in mid-table."

Gerrard Must Adapt, Says Benitez

Rafael Benitez has reportedly admitted he will continue to play captain Steven Gerrard in a variety of positions ahead of the start of the new season.

The subject of the Liverpool skipper’s best position is one of much debate especially as Benitez played Gerrard in a number of different positions last season, a move which is unlikely to have impressed his skipper.

Yet despite this, the Liverpool manager has admitted that he will continue to play Gerrard where he thinks is best and that his captain must learn to adapt.

According to the Mirror, Benitez said: “I think Steven is clever enough to do that. If he needs to adapt then he will adapt because he is a player of quality who can play in different positions.”

Whilst Gerrard is thought to favour a central midfield role, he spent much of last season playing just behind Fernando Torres. However, that may now change with the arrival of Robbie Keane. Benitez confirmed as much by revealing: “If we play a 4-4-2 formation then Gerrard can play as a midfielder. If we play with Torres on his own up front, then Gerrard and Keane can play either side of him.”

Although the continual swapping of positions is unlikely to please Gerrard, his manager suggested it shouldn’t bother the player. He said: “I don't think that Steven will be frustrated by that.”

Benitez also went on to say that he believes Gerrard now understands the importance of flexibility for players and that he appreciates that this is something he needs to add to his game. Benitez revealed: “I was reading an interview recently about Gerrard's role in the England team and he is now very clear about his role in the football world - that you need to adapt, think about the team, and play in different positions when it is required.”

The arrival of Robbie Keane at the club will certainly bring Benitez more attacking options and should he sign Gareth Barry, this may also cause him to rethink his midfield formation.

Yet with the Barry deal yet to be concluded, the Liverpool manager was keen to reveal some of the many reasons why he had signed Robbie Keane and what he thought he could bring to the club.

“He can play in maybe four positions in the team. I see him as a player who understands the game and who will always work hard,” said Benitez before concluding, “Robbie has a good mentality - a winning mentality. As a manager, you look for these qualities in every signing you make, but I am sure that Keane is this type of player.”

Rangers 0 -4 LiverpooL

Rangers manager Walter Smith wanted a stern test ahead of Tuesday's make-or-break Champions League qualifier against FBK Kaunas - and Liverpool were happy to oblige by handing out a 4-0 thrashing in Saturday's friendly at Ibrox.

David Ngog opened his goalscoring account for the Reds after Fernando Torres claimed the only goal of the first half.

Yossi Benayoun then found the back of the net, before Xabi Alonso completed the rout from the penalty spot.

Rangers failed to score once again after Wednesday's Ibrox stalemate and know an improvement will be needed when they travel to Lithuania for the crucial second leg, as they bid to keep their European hopes alive.

New signing Madjid Bougherra was named on the bench but failed to make his Rangers debut, while Kyle Lafferty made his first home start.

New goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri started between the sticks for the Reds while, at the other end, Rangers faced the daunting prospect of trying to halt a strikeforce worth a combined total of £40million in the shape of new signing Robbie Keane and Torres.

Rangers had the best of the early chances. Lee McCulloch's ferocious long-range shot whistled inches past Cavalieri's right-hand post, before Kenny Miller hooked over after pouncing on a Nacho Novo lay-off.

Torres then came close for Liverpool when he threw himself in front of a cross from the left from Andrea Dossena, only to send his header screaming over the crossbar.

The breakthrough came with 23 minutes on the clock when a powerful Damien Plessis shot was blocked by Allan McGregor - but the goalkeeper could not hold the effort and Torres was on hand to rifle home the rebound.

Steven Gerrard then embarked on a decent run before unleashing a 20-yard drive that McGregor did well to parry but, this time, the danger was cleared with Keane loitering with intent in front of goal.

Then it was Rangers' turn to threaten when Sasa Papac's audacious attempt at lobbing into the top left corner was only just touched out of play by a full-stretch Cavalieri.

A flurry of activity from Rangers followed but the home side failed to restore parity before the half-time whistle.

The best chance came when Miller released Novo into the box, who rounded Cavalieri at the near post, only to somehow be denied from about a yard out by a sliding block from Dossena.

The good news for Rangers was that Torres was one of several players withdrawn at the interval, with both sides making five changes each.

The bad news was the arrival of Ngog, who helped himself to a goal of his own after 57 minutes. The French striker pounced on a loose pass from Kirk Broadfoot and left McGregor with no chance from 12 yards.

Liverpool added to their lead further three minutes later. McGregor managed to swipe at a Christian Nemeth effort only for Benayoun to come racing in at the back post and bury the rebound from close range.

Cavalieri made way for Jose Reina, while McGregor was swapped for Neil Alexander - and he was plucking the ball out of the net with 20 minutes to go.

Broadfoot was deemed to have tripped Nemeth in the box and Alonso stepped up to convert from 12 yards, with Alexander well beaten.

Rafa Impressed With 'Pool's Dynamic Duo

Rafael Benitez was happy with the bustling shift put in by new-look strikeforce Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane as his Liverpool side put Rangers to the sword in Saturday's friendly.

Against Rangers on Saturday, Liverpool gaffer Rafa Benitez started with the partnership that has had Liverpool fans talking this week: Fernando Torres and big-money signing Robbie Keane.

Benitez has wasted no time in pairing Euro 2008 star Torres and former Spurs skipper Keane and liked what he saw as the duo both put in busy shifts en route to a 4-0 victory against SPL side Rangers.

Also delighted with playmaker Steven Gerrard, Rafa told Setanta after the game: "Both players showed good movement and so did Gerrard. The three were key to keeping possession.

"Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun were coming inside so I felt we had five offensive players - very clever and with quality - so we were a threat all the time.

"Keane is very clever and he worked hard; hopefully we will see a lot of good movement and also goals from him."

The Ibrox faithful ironically played a part in the Gers' second half mauling, according to Benitez, who claimed the Reds were able to expoit their eager hosts as they surged forward in search of a leveller, having been a goal down at the break.

He continued: "The first half was okay, but in the second half they needed to go forward in front of their supporters. We had more space and we scored the second goal on the counter-attack.

"In the second half, with the game more open, it was easier for us to keep the high tempo.

"However, from the start of the game we wanted to impress and we wanted to win."

Hungarian Coach Says Nemeth Must Leave Liverpool To Progress

Hungarian National coach Erwin Koeman has claimed that Liverpool youngster Krizstian Nemeth must look for a loan deal in the Championship rather than play another season in the Anfield reserves if he wants to improve.

19-year-old Krizstian Nemeth is amongst a group of young players on the fringes of the first-team at the Reds, along with Paris St Germain Signing David Ngog and Daniel Pacheco.

However, Koeman believes it would be better for Nemeth to progress on loan in the Championship if he can’t make the step into Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez’s plans. Rather than spend another season in the reserves where he impressed last term.

“I think Krisztian Nemeth is an exceptional talent,” Koeman told the press.

“But I think he can't improve enough in the Liverpool reserve team.

“He should play in the first division week by week.

“Of course, it's not a problem if he plays in the reserve team for one or two years, but doing it for a longer period is just not good for his development.

“I don't think that, at Liverpool, he has a real chance to play besides Torres, Keane, Voronin or Kuyt.

“If he could get into the senior team then it would be a fantastic success, but I think it's more likely that he'd be loaned to another team or - it's worse - he may stay with the reserves.”

Nemeth had been linked with a move to League 1 team Leeds United, but if Benitez was to make him available on loan there would be a host of clubs willing to take a chance on the prolific striker.

Robbie's Keane To Join Liverpool's Magnificent No. 7 Club

Liverpool's roll-call of magnificent number sevens includes legends like Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Peter Beardsley - and Robbie Keane is determined to add his name to that list.

Ever since Keegan arrived at Anfield in the 1970s, Liverpool have enjoyed their most successful periods when the number seven shirt has been filled by a dynamic playmaker capable of raising the team's play to a higher level.

When Dalglish, arguably the club's finest player, became manager in the late 1980s he recognised Beardsley as a kindred spirit and paid a then British record transfer fee to make the forward a fulcrum of his attack.

Beardsley was a member of the last Reds team to win the English title back in 1990 and his sublime skills, together with those of team-mates John Barnes and John Aldridge, enthralled one teenage Liverpool fanatic.

Keane, watching at home in Ireland, fell in love with Liverpool's brand of the beautiful game and never lost the feeling.

So when Rafa Benitez offered the 28-year-old the chance to move to Anfield, he couldn't get to Merseyside quickly enough.

During his official unveiling as a Liverpool player after his 20 million pounds (25 million euro) move last month, Keane's face was wreathed in the kind of joyfully dazed grin that suggested all his dreams had come true at once.

Not only had Keane joined his boyhood idols but he would run out in front of the Kop wearing the iconic number seven jersey after the club granted his wish to step into the shoes of Dalglish and company.

"When the interest came in from Liverpool it was the only thing that could have ever taken me away from Tottenham and that's the reason why I'm here," Keane said.

"I couldn't have left Tottenham for any other club. I think that if I didn't come to Liverpool, I'd probably have regretted it for the rest of my life."

Keane's ability to decorate matches with moments of brilliance has made him one the game's most expensive players throughout a career which has included spells at Inter Milan, Leeds and now Liverpool.

But Keane has never been able to turn that talent into trophies on a regular basis.

Now he has the opportunity at one of the game's blue-chip clubs and Benitez expects his partnership with Fernando Torres to help Liverpool end their 18-year wait for the title.

Despite Torres's phenomenal form, Liverpool still drew 13 matches last season as a lack of cutting edge when the Spaniard was out of form or out of the team came back to haunt them.

Keane believes he can take the pressure off Torres, as well as supplying his prolific team-mate with a regular supply of chances.

"I'm a striker and the manager sees my playing up there," he said. "We haven't spoken specifically about what he wants me to do but I have to earn that right.

"It's kind of like the way it worked with (Dimitar) Berbatov and myself at Tottenham with a big lad and a smaller lad alongside him. Fernando is really good in the air and I try to come off and drop into the hole so we'll complement each other.

"You look at the players who are already here, world class players, and to be playing alongside them can only improve me."