Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt Praises Recent Signings - Striker Unlikely To Make Hamburg Move

Amid a cloud of rumours of his possible exit from the club, Liverpool Kuyt has come forward to praise Rafael Benitez’s summer signings.

The Reds have included five new faces to the team so far in the season, namely Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane, David N’Gog from P.S.G, Andrea Dossena from Udinese, plus Phillip Degen and goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri.

Kuyt, who has been linked with a move away from Anfield to SV Hamburg, which is now coached by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Martin Jol, is now expected to stay at Liverpool for the coming season.

28-year-old Kuyt is excited about the coming Premier League season, saying to the official Liverpool website: "The new players have come in and all done well.

"It is always good to have a few new faces in the group and hopefully we have made them feel welcome also. Sometimes you only need a few changes to make a big difference and hopefully the players who have been signed will help us achieve that.

"We already had a really strong team and now we have added to what we had so that can only be a good thing", added the Dutch international striker.

Xabi Alonso Could Still Be Sold Says Rafa Benitez

Rafael Benitez is still refusing to rule out the possibility that he could sell Xabi Alonso - despite the astonishing support the midfielder has received from Liverpool fans.

But the Anfield boss, who also insists that “Liverpool are ready for the Champions League” next week, maintains Alonso will only leave now if the club receives a massive offer for his services.

Benitez is still embroiled in the Gareth Barry saga, despite failing to receive financial backing from the club’s American owners and their support for the £18million transfer.

And he clearly needs money to continue his stubborn pursuit of the Aston Villa midfielder just a week away from the Premier League opening weekend.

Benitez also acknowledges the clear support for Alonso from the Liverpool fans, and their obvious distaste for the Barry deal voiced during last night’s 1-0 friendly win over Lazio at Anfield.

But not even that reaction from the fans will make Benitez confirm that Alonso will not be sold.

Benitez said: “We knew Alonso was a very good player and as a result he had a good price (on his head). We had offers, but they were not enough so we decided he needed to stay with us.

“It could be that he does stay with us.

“For me it is not a problem if he stays or not. He can stay, we always have felt he is a good player.

“We are only talking about a very, very good price. He is a good player, if he is not going to bring a good price then it is very simple, easy to understand.

“I heard the crowd, obviously. We know now, as we knew before, that he could stay with us.”

Andriy Voronin’s winner against the Italians could also be his last for the club, because Benitez clearly is looking to sell to fund the Barry deal.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the saga of the Americans’ ownership to discover that money is not readily available and new objections to a deal are being placed on Benitez at a very late stage of negotiations.

He added: “It is not positive that we may not have the players we want here before the Champions League game. But the transfer window closes at the end of August, we will try to do our best to bring in the players to improve us by then.

“I try to do the best for my club with the possibilities that you have, I have done this every since I have been here. And I am trying to do the same for this coming season.

“I do not feel any more pressure, every season is the same. We have a good squad, better than before, but we can improve a little bit more.”

Benitez obviously intends to continue his master-plan to recruit Barry, who he sees as a player who can fill three different roles. Barry can play central midfield, left side of midfield or left-back.

The 28-year-old will probably not be there in Belgium next Wednesday for the Champions League third qualifying round first leg against Standard Liege.

But after seeing his squad stay unbeaten in eight pre-season friendlies, Benitez believes they are ready for the demands of making sure Liverpool reach the Champions League group stages.

He said: “More or less the side that played against Lazio will be the one that plays in the Champions League on Wednesday in Belgium.

“Most of the senior players were involved, this will be the side that plays against Standard Liege.

“The situation has been very difficult for us, we have had a lot of players returning to training late after international games in the summer and now we have players at the Olympics.

“It has given me a chance to see the young players during pre-season, and I am sure that the future of the club is guaranteed.

“I believe we are ready for the Champions League tie, the experienced players are ready. But we know that we have quality from the young players.

“I have not decided whether any more will go out on loan, it depends on whether we sell anyone else. If we do not bring anyone else in, maybe we do not need to add anyone or loan any of the youngsters.”

Benitez now will determinedly continue his chase for Barry, with the risk that he could find himself again at loggerheads with Liverpool’s owners.

Last time that happened his outbursts almost cost him his job. This time around he is more aware of how far he can go with any defiance. But he still wants Barry.

Tellingly, Benitez said after the Lazio game: “(This deal) is not about money.

“We have a good player(Alonso) and we have another good player coming in soon.

“We can improve the squad, so we will try to do that. We will bring in one more player if we can.

“Who comes in? It could be another left-sided player rather than a central midfielder.

“The player I want can play in three different positions, that is a positive thing. I am talking about one player, but I won’t say the name.

“He is English and he can three different positions, but I am talking about someone who can play on the left.”

Finnan Finished At Anfield?

Steve Finnan's future at Liverpool hangs in the balance following a reported row with manager Rafael Benitez.

News of the World claims that Finnan was omitted from the Reds' pre-season trip to Norway after exchanging less-than-friendly words with Benitez regarding his status at the club.

The Irish defender is something of a forgotten man at Anfield despite being considered one of the most consistent full-backs in Europe up until last season, when his campaign was ruined by injury and indifferent form.

Finnan was offered to Aston Villa as part of the Merseyside club's bid for Gareth Barry - a proposal that did not please the 32-year-old one little bit.

For although he now faces stiff competition from Alvaro Arbeloa, Philipp Degen and even Jamie Carragher for the right-back slot, the former Fulham man is eager to regain the place he once owned in Liverpool's starting XI.

Age is not on Finnan's side, however, and nor is Benitez's focus on attack-minded wide defenders, as the ex-Notts County man has often been criticised for his sometimes cautious approach.

And with the list of suitors appearing short indeed, the Champions League-winner may be doomed to a season of bench-warming unless he can patch things up with his boss.

Silva Lining For Furious Rafa?

In an attempt to placate manager Rafael Benitez, Liverpool's owners have reportedly authorised an £18million move for Valencia star David Silva.

Benitez is livid with Tom Hicks and George Gillett after the Reds co-owners vetoed an £18million deal for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.

The Americans' decision has strained their relationship with the Spanish tactician to breaking point, as it has recently been revealed that their reason for blocking the buy is not a financial one.

For it is believed Hicks and Gillett have sided with the Kopites' view - which was voiced strongly during the club's recent friendly against Lazio - that there is no need for Barry when Xabi Alonso is already at Anfield.

Such a line suggests that the owners have doubts over Benitez's judgement - an insinuation that has understandably ignited the manager's wrath.

But according to News of the World, a compromise has been put forth in the form of Silva, who was near the very top of Rafa's wish-list earlier in the summer.

One of the reasons Benitez has been hell-bent on signing Barry is the England international's left-sidedness and versatility, something the Merseyside giants have lacked in midfield over the last few years.

Indeed, the former Valencia boss highlighted his concerns regarding the left flank after the win against Lazio, as Ryan Babel is currently at the Olympics and Sebastian Leto has been loaned to Olympiacos after being denied a work permit.

Therefore, Benitez will likely have little issue raiding his old club for the left-footed Silva, who can play all across the attacking third.

Liverpool will not waltz in unopposed, however, as North West rivals Manchester United have supoosedly joined Barcelona in the tango for the 22-year-old.

Dalglish Delighted With Keane Signing

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has lauded the signing of Robbie Keane and believes his versatility will be an asset to the Reds' attack ahead of the new season.

Keane signed from Tottenham Hotspur for an initial £18 million, a fee criticised by many, though his quality has been hailed as well and it is expected he will be what Liverpool need to push on and mount a genuine Premier League challenge.

Liverpool striking legend compared Keane to Dalglish, who himself is confident Keane has what it takes to be a success at Anfield: “Robbie is one of those players who can come in straight away and hit the ground running.

“He has played all his career in the Premier League with a one-year spell in Italy, so he doesn't need to take any time to settle in.

“He can make an impact from the first whistle. There is no getting used to the speed of the game or anything like that.

“All he has to do is get to know the boys and tune in to their games, where they like to make runs, where they are going to want him to run to and so on.

“He will give the manager plenty of options in the striking positions. He can play straight through the middle as a partner for shoulder to shoulder.

“Or you can withdraw him slightly from Fernando and play him in the hole between the strikers and midfield.

“He will be effective in either role. You only have to look at how he fitted and moulded his game around Dimitar Berbatov at Tottenham to see the potential that he and Torres have as a pairing.

“Berbatov scored a lot of goals from direct final passes from Keane, or from his movement and ability to create space.

“And when Keane gets into position himself in front of goal, he can finish as well as anyone.

“Torres is maybe just a step above Berbatov because he is a lot younger so you have to be licking your lips at the prospect of them being unleashed on the Premier League.”

Liverpool chief executive Parry Says Aston Villa's Barry Price 'Too High'

Liverpool's quest to sign Gareth Barry has taken another twist after the club's chief executive Rick Parry admitted that "the price quoted is too high". Parry's comments appear to contradict those made by manager Rafael Benítez after the Spaniard claimed that money was not the issue.

The Aston Villa midfielder was identified as a summer transfer target by Benítez but the two sides have so far been unable to agree a fee. Last month the Midlands club announced that the deal was off after Liverpool missed a deadline to submit an acceptable offer. However, just days later Martin O'Neill was forced to concede that Barry could still leave Villa Park before the transfer deadline at the end of August.

In an official statement on the club's website, Parry insisted that Benítez has the backing of owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks "There has been a lot of comment regarding our position with regards to Gareth Barry," he said. "This is not about questioning the manager's judgment or the ability of a particular player. The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year they are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.

"It is obviously the selling club's prerogative to put whatever price they want on the player, but on this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high."

Trio Handed First-Team Squad Numbers

Three of Rafa Benitez's young pretenders have been given first-team squad numbers for 2008-09.

Damien Plessis, Krisztian Nemeth and Martin Kelly have all been allocated numbers for the first time.

Central midfielder Plessis, who borrowed the number 47 for his debut at the Emirates last term, will wear 28 on a permanent basis.

Nemeth, who top-scored for Gary Ablett's title-winning reserves in 2007-08, has been handed the number 29.

Defender Kelly will have 34 on his back should he make his first-team debut in the forthcoming campaign.

Meanwhile, three youngsters have swapped shirts: Emiliano Insua has moved from 48 to 22; Jay Spearing from 34 to 26; and Nabil El Zhar from 42 to 31.

Rafa Hails Youngsters After Lazio Win

Rafael Benitez hailed the performance of Liverpool's young guns after they concluded their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 win over Lazio at Anfield.

The Reds boss admitted he was pleased with his side's overall display after Andriy Voronin stoppage time winner sealed a deserved victory against the Italians and Benitez felt the impact of the likes of Jay Spearing - who created the winning goal - was the main highlight of the night.

"I think it was a very good game against a good team," he said.

"You could see they were pretty sharp, comfortable on the ball and played well on the counter attack. We had two or three really good chances to score and win the game so overall it was very positive, particularly as we had a lot of young players in the side.

"The young players were good too. We know all about the senior players but they all played well. Nabil El Zhar, Jay Spearing, Damien Plessis, and Nemeth - they were all good."

Benitez also had words of praise for Xabi Alonso, who enjoyed a superb display at the heart of the Reds' midfield.

"He was playing well," he said.

"That was positive for us. He is a good player and hopefully we will have another good player coming in soon. We can improve so we will try to improve."

With a Champions League qualifier away to Standard Liege and a Premier League encounter with Sunderland just around the corner, Benitez is now focused on putting the final touches to his squad and admitted a left-sided player was still a priority.

"Clearly we have problems on the left," he said. "We have sold Riise and Kewell and Fabio Aurelio is injured. Leto doesn't have a work permit and Babel is at the Olympic Games, so I think we can improve in this area."

Utrecht Strike Brouwer Deal

Utrecht have struck a deal with Liverpool to take promising striker Jordy Brouwer on a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old is yet to break through into the Reds' first team after joining from Ajax's academy in January 2007.

Brouwer is a regular in Liverpool's reserve side, although he is now set to garner experience in the Eredivisie.

Utrecht are reportedly keen to have the option of buying Brouwer permanently in the deal, but the Reds are against selling.

Brouwer could well have the option of a second destination with ADO Den Haag also enquiring about his availability.

In what could turn into a double deal for Utrecht, the club have also agreed a deal with Real Sociedad for Morten Skoubo.

"He wants to come here," said technical director Piet Buter. "He is looking forward to playing for an attack-minded team."

New Liverpool Power Struggle Could Split The Club

With the Gareth Barry deal hanging in the balance, Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, must have known when he sat down on Thursday afternoon and expressed hope in an interview with this newspaper that the new season would be free of the turbulence that blighted the previous campaign, he was asking for the impossible.

As it turns out, the season has yet to begin and already Benítez appears to be on another collision course with Liverpool's controversial American co-owners, the outcome of which is probably too difficult to predict at this early stage.

Ignoring for a moment the ins and outs of the Barry saga and where the responsibility lies for the collapse of the summer's most protracted and farcical transfer, it is first worth asking how Benítez will respond to being undermined for a second time by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

Benítez had to grin and bear it the first time after it had emerged that Hicks and Gillett had met Jürgen Klinsmann not once but twice with a view to the former Germany coach, now in charge at Bayern Munich, taking over the reins at Anfield. Whether he is prepared to stomach the ignominy of being embarrassed so publicly yet again, however, is an altogether different question.

Benítez may have handled the prospective Barry transfer poorly and, in doing so, irked the owners, but that Hicks and Gillett let it drag on for so long, only to pull the plug at the eleventh hour after questioning the manager's judgment opens up a whole new can of worms.

The Spaniard has insisted that he wants to see through what he started at Anfield in 2004, but whether the manager now views his position to be untenable after being defied in public once again remains to be seen.

The Barry deal could certainly have been handled better on Benítez's part. The Americans were initially led to believe that the Aston Villa midfield player would cost considerably less than £18million, hence Liverpool's opening offer of £10 million, and that a deal was all but in place to sell Xabi Alonso to Juventus for £16million. But, when a formal offer for Alonso from Juventus - or from any other club for that matter - failed to materialise and the cost of signing Barry soared, Hicks and Gillett began to ask questions.

In addition to concerns about Barry's price and resale value, the owners believed that, with Alonso still on the books and a host of other central midfield players to pick from in Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Lucas Leiva and Damien Plessis, Benítez had more than enough cover in that department.

Contrary to widespread belief, Hicks and Gillett are understood to have had the money to sign Barry, but the fact that they even rejected a £12million interest-free loan from a wealthy Liverpool supporter underlines just how opposed they were to paying through the nose for a 27-year-old. Having already spent a projected £20.3million this summer on a 28-year-old in Robbie Keane, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, they felt that a comparable outlay on a player of a similar age made no sense.

In some respects, it is a fair point, but even accounting for the way in which they feel they have been misled, the Americans could have informed their manager much earlier than they did that there was little appetite for the deal at that price and while Alonso was still at the club. By failing to do so, though, they have dealt a potentially fatal blow to Benítez's pride.

Furthermore, where all this leaves Barry has almost been forgotten. Having made no secret of his desire to join Liverpool, the England midfield player has incurred the wrath of both sets of supporters and Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, and, unless Arsenal come to his rescue, he will have a lot of bridges to rebuild. Whether Benítez and Liverpool's owners can do the same, however, is unclear.

Liverpool Edge Lazio As Keane & Dossena Make Anfield Debuts

Andriy Voronin scored at the death to give Liverpool a 1-0 win over SS Lazio at Anfield in their last pre-season friendly.

The kick-off of Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Lazio tonight was delayed until 20:15 because of ticketing problems.

New signings Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena were making their Anfield debuts against Lazio, with Pepe Reina and Damien Plessis returning to the starting XI in place of Diego Cavalieri and injured captain Steven Gerrard.

But Andriy Voronin, only just on as a late substitute, kept his composure to fire a shot that dipped over keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo to give Liverpool a victory they deserved.

The win puts leaves them in good shape ahead of next week's Champions League and Barclays Premier League games against Standard Liege and Sunderland, respectively.

After just nine minutes, Fernando Torres fired narrowly over from 25 yards.

Italian full-back Andrea Dossena impressed on the left, particularly when charging forward, while fellow Anfield debutant shot wide after a good link-up with Dirk Kuyt.

At the other end, Stefan Mauri glanced a free header wide, before Yossi Benayoun gave Dirk Kuyt a chance just before the break but the Dutchman failed to make contact with the empty net yawning.

In the second-half Kuyt was foiled by Carrizo after good play from Benayoun and Alvaro Arbeloa, then Keane fired narrowly wide after another fine one-two with Kuyt.

On the counter, Stephen Ayodele Makinwa headed just over for Lazio, while Xabi Alonso saw a 25-yard free-kick deflected just wide and Daniel Agger forced Carrizo save well from the resulting corner.

Lazio substitutes Pasquale Foggia and Mauro Zarate both brought saves from Reina, but Voronin settled things in stoppage time.

Teams:

Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Carragher (captain), Agger, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Alonso, Plessis, Kuyt, Torres, Keane. Subs - Hyypia, Ngog, Cavalieri, El Zhar, Voronin, Darby, Pennant, Insua, Finnan, Spearing, Nemeth.

Lazio: Sorin, Radu, Siviglia (captain), Rozenhal, Lichsteiner, Matuzalem, Dabo, Mauri, Ledesma, Pandev, Makinwa. Subs - Zarate, Diakite, Tuia, Mendicino, Cinelli, Faraoni, Manfredini, Meghni, Foggia, Muslera.

Rafael Benitez On Warpath As Gareth Barry Deal Falls Through

Rafael BenÍtez’s relationship with Liverpool’s owners reached crisis point last night when it emerged that not only had Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr vetoed the manager’s bid to buy Gareth Barry but that the American duo had turned down an offer of a £12 million interest-free loan to help to buy the Aston Villa midfield player.

The loan - which The Times understands was proposed by a millionaire Liverpool fan concerned about the ramifications for the club if the deal fell through - was offered this week and rejected by the owners. The £12 million would have financed the initial installments demanded by Villa.

Hicks and Gillett agreed to provide the £18 million to buy Barry a week ago after Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, conceded defeat in his battle to keep his captain. However, the owners have made a U-turn and told BenÍtez on Thursday that Barry is too expensive and, at 27, lacks resale value. The club last month paid Tottenham Hotspur £20.3 million for Robbie Keane, who is 28.

The owners had failed to express their reservations about Barry during the protracted transfer saga and their misgivings this week drew suspicions that they could not find the cash to pay for him.

Hicks and Gillett have strenuously denied rumours that they are in financial trouble. Sources close to the owners suggested last night that they had refused the loan because they had enough money to seal the deal themselves.

Either way, the news that money was available will infuriate BenÍtez, because it appears that Hicks and Gillett are questioning his judgment. The Americans have also raised questions about the number of central midfield players in the squad and suggested that BenÍtez has enough talent to work with in that area.

Spokesmen for both Gillett and Hicks refused to comment last night.

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.