Benitez: I'm A Victim Of My Own Success

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says he is a victim of his Champions League success in 2005.

According to the Spaniard, the unexpected 'Miracle of Istanbul', coupled with a penalty shoot-out defeat of West Ham in the FA Cup final the following year, raised expectations to an unattainable level.

Looking back on that defeat of AC Milan, Benitez told The Times: "In some ways made things more difficult because the expectations became so high. Then we won the European Super Cup and FA Cup the following season and so suddenly everyone was saying, 'OK, the next step will be the Premier League title.'

"But then, when you don't win it, people say, 'Oh, you can't go to that next step,' when, maybe, we were operating at the next level up, but because the other teams around us were progressing as well, it didn't seem that way.

"In some respects, we were maybe our own worst enemies, but, of course, I'd prefer to have that problem, to be talking as a Champions League winner. People are talking now about us not having won the league for 18 years, but it was 21 years since this club had last won the European Cup."

Winning the league title has become Liverpool's Holy Grail and Benitez suggested that the time-honoured expectation that this 'will be Liverpool's year' was precisely one of the reasons why the club has failed to mount a sustained bid under his management.

"The key is not to say that we can win the title because it's clear that it's the most difficult league in the world to win. Look at the final of the Champions League last season, it was between Chelsea and United, who are at the top of the table in England," he explained.

"It's clear that we are going in the right direction and progressing. We have got good young players coming through who will be important, while those with experience are settling down now so it could be a very good season for us.

"Everybody can see that the team and squad is improving every year and that now we are much better, but will that be enough to win the title? That's the big question because it depends on the other teams as well."

Delio Rossi Relishing Liverpool Test

Lazio coach Delio Rossi is preparing his squad for their friendly against Liverpool, but he insists that the Biancocelesti cannot use these types of matches to gauge if the team is ready to return to European competition.

Lazio and Liverpool will face off at Anfield today in what many expect will be a physical match-up. Lazio coach Delio Rossi feels the same way and expects that his side will face a difficult test against the Reds. He is particularly concerned about the advanced preparation of their opponents, who began their season two weeks earlier, as well as the fiery atmosphere their passionate fans will generate.

Rossi voiced his concerns to SkySports but at the same time, he is interested to see how his players will react to an environment almost completely different from what they are used to in Italy.

"I want to go there tomorrow to see the character of my players and see who has the kind of spirit to play in this stadium," explained the coach, who risked being sacked this summer due to Lazio's 12th place finish last season, which meant that the team missed out on even the UEFA Cup this season, after competing in the group stages of the Champions League last year.

Lazio have arranged a majority of their pre-season games against high profile international club sides during the off-season including Slavia Prague, Liverpool and PAOK and while these matches will provide good experience for Lazio to get back into Europe in the future, Rossi is sceptical.

"The problem is that friendlies cannot return you on the path to Europe. I think we must go back to what we have done in the past three years, qualifying for Europe through the front door, not through friendlies," he stated.

Lazio's pedigree has fallen in recent times due to their poor results last season in both Serie A and Europe but they are hoping for a fresh start and to have a campaign similar to the 2006/2007 term when they qualified for the Champions League.

Premier League Preview

Everyone has one: a mate who spends ages in front of the mirror before heading out on Friday evening, dousing himself in deodorant and preening like a wannabe Casanova despite the fact that it's obvious to all that he's not going to pull. He'll return home later that night, alone as always, and, ahem, get a grip of himself. His whole sorry routine is an unwitting tribute to Liverpool in the Premier League.

But this time it will be different! It really will!

Well, it might be.

Certainly Liverpool seem intent on playing more attractively than at any other time under Rafa Benítez. Anyone who doesn't expect Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane to strike up a joyously fruitful partnership is a begrudger or a fool. They are both highly intelligent and hard-working performers whose different skills should prove perfectly complementary.

Of course, if they are to sustain a challenge for the title beyond Christmas, Liverpool will have to develop the offensive diversity and unpredictability to turn last season's costly draws against smaller teams into victories. It would have been useful to keep Peter Crouch as an extra option, but the club's finances forbade that and instead the cameo role of lanky frontman who's not very good in the air will have to be entrusted to David Ngog, who does have abundant potential (and speed), even if PSG primarily used him last season as a substitute or a right-midfielder. Liverpool, then, will still find themselves resorting to the sort of improvisation that is beneath Chelsea and Manchester United.

But are they really forced to? Could Benítez really not make better use of the money available to him? The case of Gareth Barry suggests he could. Liverpool's pursuit of the wannabe former Villan is puzzling. Presumably the manager doesn't intend to buy him just so he can boast to United and Chelsea that he can afford £18m squad players (when he clearly can't); similarly it seems improbable that he envisages using him as a left-back (that'll be Andrea Dossena's role, surely). Which means Barry will be deployed in midfield alongside Javier Mascherano, with Steven Gerrard edging closer to the right in a 4-2-3-1. The thing is, that will aggravate Liverpool's biggest problem: they will have even less width.

Granted, the gifted Ryan Babel can be expected to progress even farther this season (once he returns from the Olympics) and carry a growing threat from the left – even though he seems more suited to a central role – but the right will be rendered even more inadequate. Jermaine Pennant and, in particular, Dirk Kuyt have hitherto offered a partially effective sort of nuisance value but, obviously, not enough to win the Premier League; neither is likely to start regularly if Barry comes (indeed, Pennant may be about be sold) but putting Keane there would be to restrict his interaction with Torres. Gerrard can be very effective out there but lacks the discipline or inclination to actually stay there.

The full-backs won't compensate. Alvaro Arbeloa is a tidy defender but he's no raider in the style of Bacary Sagna, Jose Bosingwa or even Wes Brown; Philippe Degen, as you might expect from a freebie, is not up to their class either, though he would offer more going forward than Arbeloa does, albeit at the cost of slack defending. On the left, Dossena is an improvement on John-Arne Riise but, again, inferior to Patrice Evra, Gaël Clichy and Ashley Cole.

In short, Barry's arrival, while introducing greater thrust and variety through the middle, would spell even more limitations out wide. It's not easy trying to overtake United and Chelsea when you have to sell to buy, but if Liverpool do manage to flog Xabi Alonso for the inflated fee they seek, or if the owners manage to piece together £18m despite the credit crunch and uncertainty over the club's new stadium, wouldn't Benítez be better off buying at least one top class wide man, particularly for the right? Instead of bringing in Barry, who, accomplished though he is, isn't really that much of an upgrade on Alonso anyway.

Defensively, at least, Liverpool will again be sound. As hinted above, suggestions that Barry's arrival would mean a switch to 3-5-2 are probably misguided, though that would at least have the merit of showcasing the club's three solid centre-backs. More likely, Benítez will deploy a back four safe in the knowledge that he can't go far wrong regardless of which two he picks from Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. Behind them, of course, is Pepe Reina, a quality keeper who has the concentration level required for the least busy custodian in the division: last season Liverpool restricted opponents to just 90 shots on target in the entire league campaign, the meanest rate in the country. They also allowed less crosses than any other team (go on, guess how many – and go out and get some fresh air if you knew it was 653). But this season must be all about attack for Liverpool.

If taking a respectable tilt at the title means squashing all the small fry, then actually winning it entails doing something else Liverpool failed to do last season (albeit because of obscene refereeing when Chelsea came to Anfield): namely, beat at least one of the big boys in the league.

They'll have a prime early opportunity to do just that in Game 4, when Manchester United will travel to Anfield without Cristiano Ronaldo (and possibly also Wayne Rooney). Victory for the visitors, even another fluky one, would intensify suspicions that this is going to be another fruitless domestic season for Liverpool.

IN: Philipp Degen (Borussia Dortmund - free), Andrea Dossena (Udinese - undisclosed), Vincent Lucas Weijl (AZ Alkmaar - undisclosed) Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras - undisclosed), David Ngog (PSG - £1.4m), Robbie Keane (Tottenham – up to £20.3m)

OUT: Peter Crouch (Portsmouth - £11m), Harry Kewell (Galatasary - free), John Arne Riise (Roma - £4m), Anthony Le Tallec (Le Mans - free), Scott Carson (West Brom - £3.25m)

Exclusive Rafa Benitez Interview: This Is Best Liverpool Squad Ever

It is almost a cliche, but as the season approaches the question must once again be asked of Liverpool: is this finally their year?

Kop boss Rafa Benitez greets the inquiry with a grin. It is the same question he has fielded every year in what is now his fifth at Anfield.

He replied: "A big year for me, no? Another 'big year'!".

Yet he answers with a more relaxed air than in previous seasons.

That is because after four years of wheeling and dealing, he has a squad he believes is ready to challenge for the Prem crown.

The title has eluded Liverpool for two decades, and during that time they have barely made a challenge to the elite of Manchester United, Arsenal and latterly Chelsea.

For all his talk in previous seasons, Benitez knew that he did not have the personnel to make a sustained challenge. Now he feels he does.

And yet he is at pains to stop well short of any predictions about winning the Premier League.

He said: "I am confident about my squad, and I am happy that we have the best squad since I arrived at Anfield. But the key is not to say we will win the title, because the Premier League is now the best - and most difficult - in Europe.

"The standard has gone up so much since I arrived here.

"Back then, there were good players in the league, but Spain, Italy and Germany all signed some of the best players in the world.

"Now, everybody wants to come here, and that quality is amazing.

"Just look at the Champions League. Three of the last four were from England, and Arsenal played really well in the competition too.

"So you have to get past the three best teams in Europe to win the Premier League.

"That will not be easy, but it makes for an incredible league. We have improved and progressed every year since I arrived, but look at the history of the league.

"We got 82 points which was a record for Liverpool, and that has allowed us only to finish third. The standard has risen massively, and we have had to work to keep up."

Benitez was faced with a similar situation at Valencia, when he took on the financial might of Real Madrid and Barcelona and won, despite never matching them in the transfer market.

This challenge though, he argues, is even harder, because United, Chelsea and Arsenal are even better.

He said: "They are the best in Europe. They can spend £20million on players just for the bench. But my belief is unshakeable that we can compete with them.

"We are not the richest club, and we have had a lot of work to do, but I have kept my desire and my confidence that it is possible to win."

Despite European success, the Spanish coach is loathe raising expectations, but has lost none of his drive for the title.

Every season he has crept closer to the sort of squad he wants in a masterplan that has taken five years. But despite his caution, Rafa is happy and quietly confident.

"When I arrived maybe I didn't realise exactly how big a job it would be, but once inside you learn little by little the things about your club that nobody knows.

"It has been slower than we like because the others are so strong, but last season was the best squad we have had, and this year could be better.

"It has not been ideal, because we have had to bring in maybe seven or eight players a year, and that can't help you win things.

"The squad we had at the start did not have a very high value, and this squad is the equal in value of the other top teams. We have been spending big, but selling big, and the net is less than the other big clubs.

"They were spending to add to very strong squads already, where we have created a totally new squad.

"There are only three or four players now from when we arrived, but they are very, very good players, and we have a very, very good squad. Maybe our European success hasn't helped us, because it made people believe we were ready to challenge for the league when we were not.

"Now though, we are in the position we always wanted to be. You can say it's the starting point in a way, but we have the benefit of learning from the mistakes of recent seasons, and we are at another level now."

Benitez also wants to repay the faith of the supporters who stuck with him through his darkest hour last season, when it looked like he would be forced out of Anfield.

He said: "I always had confidence I would be here, because I went through a similar thing in Spain.

"The only thing you can do is work harder, and keep confidence in yourself.

"I had fantastic support from the staff, and I think we learned a lot from it.

"The fans were amazing too, and I feel a responsibility to them, because they give so much. It would be nice to give them something back."

YEAR ONE: THE NEW BOY
Benitez laughs about his side that won the Champions League in this season. Biscan, Baros, Nunez, Josemi, Smicer, Hamann and Morientes were also regulars, but Alonso arrived.

YEAR TWO: STOP GAP
Reina was key, along with Crouch, as a procession of players were bought and sold, heralding the brief Anfield careers of Kromkamp, Gonzalez, Paletta and Zenden.

YEAR THREE: GOING DUTCH
More recognizable as Benitez's team, Mascherano was the key signing, along with Agger, to give more quality to the team that reached the Champions League final.

YEAR FOUR: TORRE DE FORCE
The record signing of Torres transformed Liverpool and suggested they could go further, but Babel, Lucas and Skrtel were also key signings.

YEAR FIVE: MISSING LINK
Keane is already secured, and if Barry follows Liverpool will have a completely new look again. With Babel, Kuyt, Alonso, Degen in reserve, this may be Rafa's strongest squad yet.

Gareth Barry Transfer Hits New Snag As Liverpool Run Out Of Money

Gareth Barry's move to Liverpool is in fresh doubt as the club's owners have failed to put the money in place to complete the deal.

American tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks had confirmed they would underwrite the £18million transfer for the Aston Villa skipper, allowing manager Rafael Benitez to sign Barry by the end of this week without first selling players.

But the money has not arrived, prompting fresh speculation about their commitment to the club.

Benitez is still keen to do the deal because he wants Barry at Anfield in time for the start of the season, and will not give up hope of securing the money needed.

He is hoping Villa will agree a deal to take Steve Finnan in part-exchange for Barry, meaning he will need to raise around £6.5m from the sale of players.

Hamburg Not To Match Liverpool's Valuation Of Dirk Kuyt - Report

Bundesliga outfit Hamburg are reportedly unwilling to match £16m valuation of Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt.

With captain Steven Gerrard injured, the Reds, who have earlier failed in four separate bids for Aston Villa’s £18m-rated experienced centre-midfielder Gareth Barry, are looking keen to raise funds to make a successful move for the England international, but their effort to sell the Holland international, Kuyt has reportedly come to naught.

Hamburg boss Martin Jol is looking to fill in the void as Rafael van der Vaart joined Real Madrid, and according to the Telegraph, enquiries have been made about Kuyt, who has been preferred by Reds boss Rafa Benitez in wide roles.

Nevertheless, Benitez, who had earlier priced out Juventus in Xabi Alonso pursuit, has some more options up his sleeve as reports have suggested that any players including Yossi Benayoun and Jermaine Pennant, could be sold to raise the funds.

Gareth Barry Unhappy At Delay Over Liverpool Switch

Gareth Barry would consider pulling the plug on his prospective move to Liverpool from Aston Villa if the transfer is not resolved come the start of the Barclays Premier League season in eight days' time.

Barry is eager to join Liverpool, but the England midfield player is becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of time the deal is taking, after Villa paved the way for the move last weekend, and he is not willing to wait much longer.

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, has been waiting patiently for Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. to produce the cash promised to him last week, but that has yet to materialise amid rumours that the club's American owners have run into more financial difficulties, claims that were strenuously denied yesterday.

If the Americans do not stump up the money, Benítez's hopes of landing Barry will be dependent on him offloading Jermaine Pennant, the winger, and Andriy Voronin, the striker, given that he already has about £10 million in the coffers. However, Liverpool have yet to receive an offer for either player.

Benítez is insistent that Yossi Benayoun, the midfield player, and Dirk Kuyt, the striker, will not be sold.

Boro Eye Finnan As Young Joins Villa

Aston Villa have signed England right-back Luke Young from Middlesbrough, who reportedly want Liverpool's Steve Finnan as his replacement.

Young, 29, completed a medical on Thursday evening before becoming the second new full-back to arrive at Villa Park following the capture of Nicky Shorey from Reading earlier in the day.

"I'm really pleased to be here at Villa. It's happened quite quickly. One minute I was training up at Boro and the next I'm down here for a medical," he told Villa's official website.

"Obviously I'm glad to be here now, but it could have been a year earlier. There was interest last summer, but it didn't quite happen for whatever reason. I'm just glad to find myself here now.

"I think this is a great opportunity for me to try and win something. I think at the minute Villa are a notch above Boro, and there's a great opportunity for me to play European football as well."

Boro boss Gareth Southgate reportedly sees Finnan as the ideal replacement for Young, and Rafael Benitez is likely to be open to a transfer as he has Philipp Degen and Alvaro Arbeloa fighting for the right-back spot at Anfield.

Young has seven England caps but has not featured for the national team since a friendly against Argentina in November 2005.

He could make his first competitive appearance for the Villans in next week's UEFA Cup qualifier against FH Hafnarfjordur, and Young admits the promise of European football was a major element in his decision to leave the Riverside Stadium.

"The chance of European football was definitely an important factor in my decision. You always want to test yourself at the highest level," he added.

"I had a brief stint playing European football at Tottenham. But that was almost 10 years ago, and it will be great to get another chance this season.

"It's definitely a case that Villa's ambitions match my own. I've worked hard over the last 10 years to perhaps get this chance to show what I can do on a little bit of a higher stage."

Young spent just a season at Boro after his cut-price £2.5million move from Charlton, following the Addicks' relegation.

He will finally provide Villa with a first-choice right-back after the departure of last year's incumbent Olof Mellberg, who has since left the club for Juventus.

O'Neill added: "The right-back position caused a few problems for us last season, in terms of us not having a natural right-back.

"Luke is a natural right-back and played for England not so long ago. He did very well for Boro last season, and this is a great opportunity for him."

Young is Villa's fifth summer signing after Shorey, Steve Sidwell and goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan.

Kuyt and Benayoun stay - Benitez

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez insists that Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun will not leave the club this summer.

Dutch forward Kuyt, 28, is a target for German club Hamburg while Benitez admits Roma are interested in midfielder Benayoun, also 28.

But Benitez, after meeting with both players on Thursday, said: "Neither of them will be leaving.

"I have no more news about Yossi - he will be staying. [And] I am really pleased with Kuyt. He will be staying."

It had been suggested that the Anfield boss would let both go in order to finance a deal for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.

Liverpool have had a number of bids rejected for the England international, the latest of which was believed to be just short of Villa's £18m valuation.

But Benitez has made it clear he still considers Kuyt and Benayoun part of his plans.

"I have talked to Yossi and told him I want to keep him. He is a player with quality and has shown that during pre-season," he said.

"I also talked with Dirk Kuyt this morning. I am really pleased with him."

Liverpool signed Dutch international Kuyt from Feyenoord in August 2006 in a £10m deal while Israel's national captain Benayoun joined from West Ham in July 2007 for £5m.

At present Benitez seems no nearer to concluding a deal to bring Barry to Anfield, though Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill gave the green light to the deal - if the terms are right for Villa - at the weekend.

Fenerbahce Release Statement On Liverpool's Alonso

Turkish club Fenerbahce have issued a statement on reports linking Spanish International Xabi Alonso with a move to the Sari Kanaryalar from Liverpool.

26-year-old Alonso had been linked with a move to Juventus all summer, but La Vecchia Signora’s valuation of the EURO 2008 winner did not meet that of the Merseyside club. With Juve opting to sign Christian Poulsen from La Liga side Sevilla instead.

Alonso was then linked with a move to Fenerbahce, who are now coached by former Spain boss Luis Aragones, but the Turkish club have now moved to dismiss the reports as press speculation.

The statement said: “For a while now, there are reports in the press saying our club is after Xabi Alonso and that even a deal has been reached upon his transfer.

“Today, a lot of newspapers published news that we were negotiating with Liverpool and that we had a tactical strategy of bargaining. “

“These reports are not true. Our club has no intention on transferring Xabi Alonso.”

This would seem to end any link with Alonso, with Anfield boss Rafa Benitez deciding on if he will keep Alonso at the Reds in light of the recent injury to captain Steven Gerrard.

Yossi Benayoun Sale May Seal Deal For Gareth Barry

YOSSI BENAYOUN will join Roma this month according to the Serie A club’s coach Luciano Spalletti.

Despite Liverpool claiming that the Israeli midfielder is not for sale, Benayoun, who joined the club from West Ham United last summer is one of the players Benitez would consider sacrificing should the right offer come along in order to raise funds to finally seal a deal for Gareth Barry.

Roma have already made one successful raid on Anfield this summer, recruiting Norwegian left-back John Arne Riise for £4million and with Javier Mascherano at the Olympics with Argentina and Steven Gerrard injured, Benitez could be tempted into letting Benayoun go as he looks to add more steel to his midfield.

Spalletti revealed that he will bring two new signings to the Stadio Olimpico, claiming one of whom is Benayoun, whose squad number has been moved up from 11 to 15.

The 28-year-old winger declared earlier this week that he had no desire to leave Anfield, but speculation continues to mount over his future, with Manchester City and former club West Ham also linked with a move for the player who has netted in both of the last two matches, at Rangers and Valerenga.

However, Spalletti insists that Benayoun will be one of two arrivals in the Italian capital this summer.

He said: “There will be two new signings. The names? They’re the names you’ve heard. (Jeremy) Menez (of Monaco) and Benayoun are both top class players.”

Captain Gerrard remains a doubt for next Wednesday’s Champions League third qualifying round tie in Belgium against Standard Liege after a scan yesterday confirmed the club’s initial diagnosis.

Gerrard hobbled out of Tuesday night’s 4-1 win in Norway and is definitely out of tomorrow’s friendly against Lazio at Anfield.

Benitez said: “Scans have confirmed our diagnosis of a thigh strain.

“Steven will be out for more or less a week.”

Gerrard’s injury could help convince Liverpool to part with Benayoun as in-form Xabi Alonso could retain his place in central midfield for the Standard game thus making him cup-tied for Champions League matches and thus a less desirable target for suitors.

It would therefore be less likely that the Spaniard could be sacrificed to help fund the Barry deal.

One player who remains very much part of the Anfield furniture as he prepares to embark on his 10th season at the club is Sami Hyypia and the 34-year-old Finn claims that Liverpool’s more youthful players help to keep him feeling young.

He said: “Of course it gets a little bit more difficult as you get older but I have enjoyed this pre-season. I have played and I feel fit.

“We all get older but there are a lot of young lads who keep me fit in this team.”

Since arriving on Merseyside in 1999 from Dutch club Willem II, Hyypia has won every major domestic and European honour – except one.

With one year left on his contract the centre-back accepts the 2008/09 campaign could provide him with a final chance to land the Premier League title and if it is his last season then he is determined to go out on a high.

He said: “Hopefully it won’t be my last opportunity but of course every year we have high hopes that we’ll be closer to the top. This year is the same.

“We have strengthened the team with good quality players in the summer and hopefully we will be stronger this season.”

With less than a week to go until the start of Liverpool’s competitive fixtures, Hyypia is pleased with the team’s form having played in the second half of the 4-1 victory over Valerenga.

He said: “It was a good work-out for us and that was the main point, to get a good work-out before the season.

“We have been working hard and it showed a little bit against Valerenga. I think we will be ready for next week and the Champions League qualifier.”

Liverpool FC fans Declared ‘Sexiest’ In The Premier League

Liverpool FC players may be physically fit, but now their supporters have been officially declared the “fittest” or sexiest in the Premiership – and that’s official.

The club’s supporters – whose high-profile fans include Daniel Craig, Angelina Jolie, Dr Dre, Mel C and Joss Stone – came top of the domestic table in the attractiveness stakes, following a study conducted by a TV channel and scouts from the top London- based agency, D1 Model Management.

High-definition footage, which is four times clearer than traditional TV images, was used to study faces in the crowd at a Liverpool home match.

The results compared favourably with the results from footage taken in similar circumstances of 19 other sets of supporters in the Premiership last season.

These included fans of Premiership winners Man United in 10th, Everton 16th and Portsmouth, who came bottom.

The survey was carried out by Sky’s High Definition TV division, and spokesperson Tara Hicks said: “It was just a bit of fun, really – we supplied them with crowd footage taken from a home game of every Premiership club and they made their decision about Liverpool fans – both male and female – being the most attractive.

“The serious side of it, I suppose, was to prove that with HD you really can focus in on a face in the crowd without a problem.”

Dean Cleary-Patterson, from D1, who had the final say in the decision, said: “Yes, it’s true that beauty is subjective and in the eye of the beholder, but I have spent 15 years as a top talent spotter for international model agencies which means I’ve worked with some of the heavyweights in the TV world, on the catwalks and advertising so I think I kind of know what I’m talking about.

“But there is also a criteria that you have to typically take into account.

“There are important things to look for such as symmetrical face, the glossiness of the hair and lips being perfectly full.

“I know a good face, a face that can sell. I can take one look at someone and tell them if they are Givenchy or Primark!”

Mr. Cleary Patterson confirmed that D1 representatives would be following up the study to track down some of the unwitting potential models caught on camera and sign them up. “We’re planning something major very soon in the wake of this, and Liverpool is definitely right up there as the first stop,” he said.

Reds Let Trio Remain In Beijing

Liverpool have made it clear they have no intention of forcing their players to return from the Beijing Olympics, despite a ruling by the CAS.

Suggestions Javier Mascherano, Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva would be told to return to England have been discounted by club sources.

The confusion had arisen during the day following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholding an appeal from Barcelona, Werder Bremen and Schalke that allows the clubs to recall their players from the Games.

The argument has centred around the fact the Olympics do not figure in the FIFA schedule.

But Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has taken the view that although he would ideally like to have all his players available for next week's Champions League qualifier and the first day of the Premier League season, he has no intention of denying his young stars the chance of a lifetime to win an Olympic medal.

Liverpool declined to comment officially today on the surprise ruling but Benitez has let it be known he does not want to upset his three players who are about to start the tournament later this week, particularly Mascherano, who wants to win a second gold medal with Argentina.

To recall them now would certainly leave Benitez with three very unhappy players, all of whom have made it clear they want to be in China.

A club source said: "Liverpool want to make it clear that they have no intention of denying their players their wish of playing in the tournament."

Hyypia's Hopes As High As Ever

Liverpool veteran Sami Hyypia is desperate for league success as he nears the end of his illustrious career.

Many would consider it one of the greatest crimes in English football if Hyypia were to end his career without a Premier League medal.

The Finnish defender has been an instrumental figure ever since arriving at Anfield in 1999. Indeed, his £2.6million purchase from Willem II is widely regarded as the best bit of business Gerard Houllier ever did during his time as Liverpool manager.

Hyypia has won almost everything there is to win besides the league title: the Champions League and the UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, two League Cups, two European Super Cups and two Community Shields.

But the 34-year-old has only a runner-up medallion for all his efforts in the league - a situation he is determined to rectify before he hangs up the boots.

And he believes the Merseyside giants have a great chance this season to finally end their 18-year drought.

"Hopefully it won't be my last opportunity but of course every year we have high hopes that we'll be closer to the top," Hyypia was quoted as saying in The Sun.

"This year is the same. We have strengthened the team with good quality players in the summer and hopefully we will be stronger this season."

He added: "Of course it gets a little bit more difficult as you get older but I have enjoyed this pre-season.

"I have played and I feel fit. We all get older but there are a lot of young lads who keep me fit in this team!"

Hammers Join List Of Pennant Admirers

Despite starting a Champions League final, Jermaine Pennant hasn't quite cut it at Liverpool. He has however, got a list of admirers, and West Ham United have emerged as a potential suitor.

Liverpool's wideman, Pennant, 25, has been frozen out of Anfield affairs due to last summer's acquisitions of Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, and Dirk Kuyt. In order to find first-team football again, he would need to move away from the Mersey.

Aston Villa are believed to be interested, so to was Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, and Blackburn Rovers are also thought to be keen. Newspaper reports even linked Newcastle United with a bid, but it is the East London club at Upton Park who may back up their interest with an official bid.

If Alan Curbishly were to move for Pennant, he would be an immediate replacement for the recently released Fredrick Ljungberg.

Alonso Set To Secure Liverpool Future Following Gerrard Injury

Steven Gerrard's thigh injury will almost certainly scupper any thoughts Liverpool had of selling Xabi Alonso to raise money to sign Gareth Barry. Gerrard returned from Oslo having picked up the injury in the 4-1 win over Valerenga on Tuesday and had a scan and further medical tests yesterday.

Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, believes it is "touch and go" whether Gerrard will be fit for the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round tie at Standard Liege next Wednesday, but he is certainly out of the friendly against Lazio tomorrow.

If Gerrard is sidelined, Alonso will have to play, considering that fellow midfielders Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva are away at the Olympics. Once the Spaniard becomes cup-tied in the Champions League his value will drop significantly.

Alonso, rated at over £16m by Benitez, is likely to only consider a move to another Champions League side. With the deal to bring Barry to Liverpool seemingly no nearer completion, despite the green light from Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill at the weekend, Benitez may soon have to look at other means of raising the cash.

It was thought that the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would provide a short-term loan to allow Benitez to sign Barry then sell players.

It had been expecting the deal would be completed by now, bearing in mind that it was supposed to have been almost tied up last week before O'Neill's self-imposed deadline, which was withdrawn at the weekend. However, any chance of Barry being unveiled at the Lazio game seems long gone.

Benitez has clearly been impressed by Alonso's pre-season form – he has scored two goals in two games – while Yossi Benayoun's desire to stay at Anfield is also obvious. "Xabi scored a good goal after scoring a penalty against Rangers on Saturday so this is very positive," Benitez said after the win over Valerenga. "He is showing that he is a good professional but then we already knew this and I am very pleased with his commitment on the pitch."

If the money is not forthcoming from Liverpool's American owners to push the Barry deal through, Benitez is expected to look elsewhere for finance rather than sell Alonso or Benayoun.

Buying Barry would require him to find half of the £18m fee now, the rest payable in a year. So the likes of Jermaine Pennant and Andriy Voronin are likely to be sold to raise around £9m, but that would mean Barry's move is unlikely to be completed until the end of the transfer window.

Liverpool Owners Set To Provide Money To Buy Barry

Though Gareth Barry was still waiting for news of any breakthrough on his move to Liverpool yesterday, there is a feeling that the club's American owners are willing to provide the cash needed for his purchase. The Tom Hicks camp appears to be relaxed about the issue – perhaps too relaxed for Liverpool's liking – though Barry will be hoping that next week, rather than this, might deliver the moment he has been waiting for.

Hicks and Gillett may be waiting to discover how much cash Rafael Benitez may put towards the purchase of Barry through sales, though the prospect of Xabi Alonso reaping £18m looked less likely than ever yesterday after Steven Gerrard returned from Oslo having picked up a thigh injury in the 4-1 win over Valerenga, which may rule him out of next Wednesday's Champions League third qualifying round, first leg fixture away to Standard Liege.

If Gerrard is not fit for that match then Alonso will have to play, considering that fellow midfielders Javier Mascherano and Lucas are at the Olympics. Once Alonso becomes cup-tied in the Champions League, his value will drop significantly.

The £6m sale of Andrei Voronin remains a possibility, with several German clubs interested, as does Jermaine Pennant's £4m move, with Blackburn Rovers believed to be among those interested.

Liverpool declined to comment officially on the surprise ruling that allows clubs to withdraw their players from the Olympics after Barcelona, Werder Bremen and Schalke appealed.

l Luke Young is expected to join Aston Villa today in a deal that could bring Middlesbrough £5m, double what the Teessiders paid Charlton for Young just over a year ago. Martin O'Neill requires cover at full back and Young, 29, had a solid first season at Boro. Villa are also trying to sign a left back and Reading's Nicky Shorey is believed to be close to moving to Villa Park.

A Spanish Conquest

Gareth Barry may not have been in Oslo last night, but there was no getting away from him.

If it wasn’t an injury scare to Steven Gerrard which suggested a move for the Aston Villa man might need to be completed sooner rather than later, it was the imperious form of Xabi Alonso which begged the question of why Liverpool remain ready to spend around £18m on a central midfielder.

Should Tom Hicks and George Gillett get their act together and finally give their approval to the proposed deal, Barry could be a Liverpool player before the week is out.

What that would mean for Alonso is unclear, with a likely need to balance the books putting his Anfield future in doubt, but at least the stylish midfielder is making it hard for his manager to allow him to depart by showing Rafa Benitez exactly what he would be missing if he decided to let him go.

The debate about whether Barry is a better player than Alonso or would better complement the current Liverpool side is likely to go on for some time and, if letters pages and internet message boards are anything to go by, the fans are yet to be convinced that he is.

But what cannot be doubted is Alonso’s enduring professionalism and willingness to give his all for the team even when his own future at the club is shrouded in such severe doubt.

Against Valerenga, he swept the ball about with consummate ease, protected his back four and popped up on the edge of the box to score with the kind of precise finish only players with studious technique can even contemplate.

If there is a criticism of Alonso, it is that he hasn’t done this more often, particularly when he can hit the ball at least as sweetly as any other member of the current Liverpool squad.

It could be argued that the fact that his Anfield status is threatened has actually brought out the best in him because against Rangers at the weekend and the Norwegian outfit last night he adopted a shoot on sight policy which has brought him two goals and could easily have brought him even more.

Had it not been for a sloppy goal conceded just after half time when Liverpool’s defence totally lost its shape, the symmetry with Saturday’s game at Ibrox would have been complete.

As against the Scots, Liverpool scored once in the first half and three times in the second. Even the identity of the goalscorers was identical, with Alonso being joined on the score sheet by Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and David Ngog.

A similar gulf in class was evident also with the Reds having far too much for their willing, but limited, opponents in front of a crowd which could not have been more partisan in favour of Benitez’s side had it been played at Anfield.

The backing of the Norwegian fans is nothing short of a phenomenon, you only have to witness the huge numbers wearing newly-acquired Liverpool shirts on the streets of Oslo to realise that.

But they also have a commitment to the club which easily exceeds the stereotype of so many out of town supporters – they even sing Scouser Tommy in an almost Scouse accent.

Their vocal and vociferous backing meant Liverpool were not going to do anything other than put on a show and at times their football was excellent, underpinned by an eagerness to attack at every opportunity and a fluidity of movement which has allowed the team to express itself more and more as pre-season has worn on.

There is still no genuine width and the idea of having Robbie Keane stationed on the left wing is one which will take some getting used to, but, in the absence of players who get chalk on their boots, Liverpool are still managing to use the central areas of the pitch to good effect.

Such an approach relies on imaginative movement of course and Torres in particular is adept at finding space and creating it for others to often devastating effect.

But if there is one weakness which the current pre-season programme has thrown up it is that Liverpool still do not possess a player who is likely to get to the byline and get crosses in.

Modern football lacks such players, and Benitez would dearly love to have one at his disposal if he could find, and afford, one.

In the absence of a top-class winger, Andrea Dossena is being asked to get forward from left back at every opportunity and after a difficult start to his time in a red shirt the Italian is now settling in well and is undoubtedly a threat when he joins the attack.

Yossi Benayoun is certainly enjoying working with an overlapping full back as his second half strike illustrated as he moved inside from his station wide left and produced a jinking run and finish which brought the Ullevaal Stadium to its feet.

That goal was sandwiched between a brilliant strike by Torres and a calm and assured finish by French teenager Ngog, who has certainly impressed in his last two outings.

Besides the poor goal they conceded, the only other worry for Liverpool was their continued inability to deal with set pieces played into their own box.

Having plagued them for much of last season, this recurring problem is still to be eradicated and at times last night Valerenga caused chaos just by floating a high ball to the back stick.

If a side as limited as Valerenga is having this effect then you can bet your life that the Premiership big guns will be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of Liverpool’s Achilles heel still being on show when the Premiership season kicks off in less than two weeks time.

But the positives far outweigh the negatives at present and Liverpool’s commitment to attacking football looks greater now than it has at any stage in Benitez’s tenure.

He now wants Gareth Barry to add to what he’s already got and it is now down to Messrs Hicks and Gillett to decide if they are willing to back their manager’s judgement.

VALERENGA: Perkins, Storbaek, Reid, Muri, Jepsen, Berre, Haestad, Strand, Zajic, Holm, Shelton.

LIVERPOOL: Cavalieri (Reina, 46), Arbeloa (Darby, 67), Carragher (Hyypia, 46), Agger, Dossena (Insua, 67), Kuyt (El Zhar, 75), Gerrard (Spearing, 27), Alonso (Plessis, 53), Benayoun (Pacheco, 67), Keane (Ngog, 67), Torres (Nemeth, 67).

REFEREE: Tom Henning Ovrebo.

ATTENDANCE: 25,277

Liverpool Boss Rafa Benitez's Delight At New Boy David Ngog's Big Impact

Rafa Benitez today hailed the instant impact made by David Ngog and backed the French youngster to get even better when he gets used to the Liverpool way of playing.

Ngog, a £1.5m summer signing from Paris Saint Germain, scored his second goal in three pre-season friendly matches in last night’s comfortable 4-1 win over Valerenga in Oslo.

The 19-year-old added to his first goal in a red shirt against Rangers at the weekend with a cool finish to score Liverpool’s fourth of the night against the Norwegians.

And his manager couldn’t hide his delight with the way Ngog is settling into the Reds’ first team squad.

“David is a young player but we knew when we signed him that he had a lot of ability and a lot of potential,” said Benitez.

“It can sometimes be difficult for young players when they move to a new club, but he has done well and it will be good for his confidence that he has already scored two goals.

“It is now important that he keeps on working hard and trying to get better because he still needs to improve. I think that he will do that.

“His goals are positive but equally important is his movement because this shows that he has game intelligence which was one of the main reasons why we brought him to Liverpool.”

Reina Wary Of Cavalieri Presence

Pepe Reina believes the promising early performances of recent signing and new rival for to be the number one glovesman, Diego Cavalieri, will provide stiffer competition that can only benefit the team.

Sao Paulo-born and Palmieiras educated, Cavelieri, 25, targetted a first team place on his arrival from Brazil. He hasn't arrived at Anfield to simply make up the numbers and collect his cheques, and his recent performances in pre-season have alerted last term's number one, Pepe Reina, to his presence.

Reina told Liverpool's official website: "Diego is a good keeper. Technically, he is almost perfect, and he is quite complete. It is important for him to come in and do well and because if he does that it can only be good for the squad."

"It is always positive to have competition for places and it is no different for me. Hopefully, Diego will continue to play well and that will make me play well also because that will be good for the team."

On the direction that Liverpool want to take this season, he said: "It's all about improving little by little and hopefully I will get some more time on the pitch in our next game. Results now are not significant but the way we play is."

"We are looking to get better in every game and the way we pressed and counter-attacked against Rangers showed we are going in the right direction, but we know there are things we will still need to improve."