DIC Back In The Frame

Reports from the Middle East indicate that Dubai International Capital (DIC) are ready to re-launch their Liverpool takeover bid, as tensions mount between manager Rafael Benitez and the club's current owners.

DIC attempted to take control of the Merseyside club in March, but their £400million bid was rebuffed despite the widening rift between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The Arab firm had planned to buy out Gillett's majority stake with the aim of then challenging Hicks for sole ownership by offering up cash for the club's new stadium, which the Americans have so far struggled to do.

But Hicks, the more prominent of the co-owners, vetoed that deal and relations have since improved between him and his business partner.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the pair's associations with Benitez.

The Spanish tactician has had to operate under strict sell-before-buy guidelines in the transfer market, and to his credit had been doing so with a minimum of fuss as he offloaded the likes of John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch before signing Andrea Dossena and Robbie Keane.

However, Benitez had been under the impression that he would be allowed to fork out the £18million required to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa without selling Xabi Alonso, whose proposed move to Juventus collapsed earlier in the summer.

Either the owners have reneged on their promise or a massive miscommunication has occurred, because Hicks and Gillett have told the manager that Barry is not needed while Alonso is still in the squad.

It is not the first time during the Americans' short reign at the club that Benitez has been told certain targets are off-limits, and this latest case will only further infuriate both he and the fans - who, despite their backing of Alonso, have been equally supportive of Rafa's designs for the team's progress.

Hence, a DIC takeover would be widely welcomed, and Dubai newspaper The National claims that the firm are set to refresh their bid.

A source close to the DIC directors said: "Just because it is has been a quiet summer does not mean DIC have lost interest. They are happy that things have now become low key, and they are awaiting developments."

Keane - Liverpool Plus Barry To Win League

Sunderland manager Roy Keane believes Liverpool will be favourites for the Premier League title should they secure the signing of Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry.

In a saga to match that of Cristiano Ronaldo's mooted move to Real Madrid, Villa have rejected three offers from The Reds as they hold out for the £18 million asking price they have placed on the 27-year old's head.

Should a deal be completed, it will not be the first big-money arrival at Anfield following the £20 million purchase of Robbie Keane, but The Black Cats manager believes Barry could be the final piece in the jigsaw as Liverpool aim to end their long wait for the league title.

“They have to beat the Uniteds, Chelseas and Arsenals to win a trophy. They haven’t done that in recent seasons - it’s as simple as that," Keane said.

“That’s why they have paid £19m for Robbie and are ready to buy again with Gareth Barry.”

“They are both very good players and you need these sort of players to win crunch games. That is why they are going for big money.”

“Trust me, if Liverpool win the league this season they won’t look back and say they spent over the odds for Robbie Keane.

“When Chelsea were winning trophies nobody mentioned to Mourinho how much he had spent.

“Of course I would have taken Robbie in a flash. He would certainly bring something to our team - without a shadow of a doubt.

“My job is to get Sunderland into the top six and playing European football so that we can attract the Robbie Keanes of this world.”

Liverpool Deny Rift About Barry

Liverpool have denied there is a rift between manager Rafa Benitez and the club's American owners over the proposed signing of Gareth Barry.

Yet chief executive Rick Parry has confirmed that owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks think Aston Villa's £18m asking price for Barry is inflated.

"On this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high," Parry said.

Benitez has made no secret of his eagerness to add the England international to his squad.

Reports had claimed Benitez was at odds with Hicks and Gillett over the player's signing. This is not about questioning the manager's judgement or the ability of a particular player

Benitez was said to be willing to pay the £18m asking price for Barry, while the American owners believed it was too much for the 27-year-old.

But Liverpool issued a statement on their website late on Saturday in which Parry said: "This is not about questioning the manager's judgement 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."

After Liverpool beat Lazio 1-0 in a friendly on Friday, Benitez reiterated his desire to sign Barry.

"The situation is not a question of money," he said. "He is English and can play three different positions, but I am talking about someone who can play on the left."

Barry can play in central midfield, on the left side of midfield and at left-back.

Benitez Won't Change Much For Liege

Rafa Benitez has revealed his starting XI against Standard Liege on Wednesday is unlikely to differ too much from that which took to the field against Lazio.

Most of the club's big guns were on display on Friday night, aside from our three Olympians and Steven Gerrard, who faces a race against time to be fit for the Belgium trip due to a thigh strain.

If the skipper doesn't recover in time, it could be Damien Plessis who again fills the midfield void.

Benitez 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 loan any of the youngsters."

Keane Eyes CL Proper After Home Bow

Robbie Keane claims he will never forget the night he first stepped out in front of the Kop wearing a red shirt - and the Irishman now has his sights on another career landmark.

It is well-documented that the Dublin-born striker grew up dreaming of emulating the likes of Ian Rush and John Aldridge by leading Liverpool's attack at Anfield.

After three run-outs on the road, Keane finally made his home bow against Lazio on Friday night, and though he didn't mark it with a goal, the 28-year-old insists it was just how he imagined.

"It was nice to get my Anfield debut - it was a childhood dream," he told Liverpoolfc.tv. "It was great to step out and look at the Kop – it's something I've always dreamed of, you know. It is something I will never forget.

"It's nice to get it out of the way, but obviously the most important thing is the win. That gives us confidence going into next week and all the players are now looking forward to the challenge of the Champions League and Premier League."

Next up for Keane is a trip to Belgium for Wednesday night's Champions League third qualifying round.

The Republic of Ireland captain has never appeared in the competition proper and doesn't intend to let the chance of doing so in 2008-09 slip away.

"Of course I'm looking forward to Champions League football. Liverpool is a massive club and we're expected to beat teams, so I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.

"I certainly am ready. Ask any player and they'll tell you that pre-season is just about getting fitness. Now the real business starts.

"Whenever Liverpool were playing in the Champions League or in a game which had no effect on Tottenham, I'd be cheering them on.

"The Champions League is part of why I wanted to come here. This is my opportunity now.

"I've not had a chance to go to any European games at Anfield since I was a kid.

"Once you're playing it becomes difficult, especially when I was playing in the UEFA Cup with Spurs, which would usually be a day later.

"I'm looking forward to every game, whether we're playing Manchester United or Wycombe away in the cup, but obviously I can't wait for the Champions League."

The Lazio friendly provided a third opportunity for Keane and Torres to acquaint themselves with one another.

Though still to get off the mark since signing from Spurs, the new boy feels an understanding is already developing – and predicts the duo will be firing on all cylinders sooner rather than later.

"It's only going to get better as we play games and get to know each other. As the games go along we will get better and hopefully we can score a lot of goals together for this club."

U-18S Crash To Opening Defeat

There was disappointment for Liverpool Under-18s as they lost 3-0 to Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol in their opening game of the Villarreal tournament.

Nathan Eccleston had a great chance in the opening minute of the game when he found himself clean through but was denied by a good save, and that was at good as it got for Liverpool.

Hughie McAuley then suffered a blow when German Christopher Buchtmann was forced to leave the field after 10 minutes with a knee injury.

"We made some poor mistakes and I have to say that on the night they were better than us," McAuley told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"We didn't play as well as we have been doing in pre-season and we didn't pass the ball like we normally do.

"We created some decent chances but Nathan and Marvin Pourie couldn't take them and we gave away some poor goals.

"I will be looking for a response from the players when we face Real Madrid tonight. That will be a big test for us."

Liverpool team: Chris Oldfield, Jack Metcalf, Christopher Buchtmann (Michael Roberts 10), Andre Wisdom (Under-16), Joe Kennedy, Astrit Ajdarevic, David Amoo (James Ellison 83), Adam Pepper, Lauri Dalla Valle (Marvin Pourie 45), Nathan Eccleston, Alex Kacaniklic (Thomas Ince 65).

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.