Wigan's Bruce Won't Rule Out A Bid For Liverpool's Pennant

Wigan Atletic manager Steve Bruce remains coy about the prospect of a bid for Liverpool's out of favour winger, Jermaine Pennant.

The Latics have been credited with interest in the 26-year-old, who has been deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.

Pennant has emerged as an in-demand commodity ahead of the winter transfer window, with Celtic also rumoured to be interested.

More outlandish speculation saw Pennant linked with Real Madrid in today's batch of rumours, a side that have also run the rule over Wigan's own highly rated winger, Antonio Valencia.

Steve Bruce was reluctant to discuss the fate of a player at a rival club, but admitted that he admires Pennant from their time together at Birmingham City.

He told a press conference: “He’s going to Wigan yesterday and Real Madrid today.

“With speculation you’re never going to get me to comment on other people’s players, that’s for sure.

“I had Jermaine before so I know what he’s all about, he’s a very good player but that’s the way it is at the moment.”

Bruce also addressed the issue of his own players being seen as rich pickings for some of the league's bigger clubs, with Valencia and the likes of Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios seemingly ready to leave the JJB.

He explained: “The biggest challenge I’ve got is keeping hold of the squad I’ve got.

“For a calendar year we’ve taken something like 54, 55 points which is an incredible achievement for a club like ours. That proves to me over a year that we’ve got some good players here.

“The last thing we want to be doing is trying to sell them but also I am a realist. I know that the big clubs are circulating because we have got some really good players.

“I want to try and keep them all together and if I can add one or two then of course I will.”

Carlsberg: Liverpool Are For Sale

Carlsberg bigwig says "it is a badly kept secret" that Liverpool Football Club is up for sale.

The international marketing director of Liverpool's main sponsor, Keld Strudahl, has welcomed any takeover by DIC and bemoaned the decision to postpone plans for a new stadium.

"That Liverpool is for sale is a badly kept secret but nobody has the money to invest right now," he told The Guardian. "The only people who can invest are those not interested in making a profit.

"If DIC become the new owners, I cannot foresee any problems working with them.

"We had a good dialogue with them before Hicks and ­Gillett. As the main sponsor, we saw their business plan and it looked good.

"As far as I understand, DIC is as big a player in a potential Liverpool takeover as previously believed. You shouldn't underestimate the impact the credit crunch has had on clubs. At the moment there are not a whole lot of investors interested in buying Premier League clubs."

Strudahl clearly suggests that Liverpool are standing still with Tom Hicks and George Gillett as owners, saying: "While we have a good relationship with Tom Hicks, we are naturally unhappy that the planned new stadium has been postponed. That cannot be good for Liverpool as a long-term business."

Insua Determined To Succeed At Liverpool

Liverpool's young Argentine left-back has spoken of his desire to succeed in England, after recently signing a new contract that will keep him at Anfield for another three years.

Emiliano Insua is determined that he will be a success in the English Premier League with Liverpool. The 19-year-old defender staked a claim to be the Reds' permanent left-back during the weekend's 1-1 draw with Arsenal, and today told The Liverpool Echo of his will to suceed where other young South Americans have failed.

"I got my chance at Arsenal after playing well in training and I really enjoyed the game," he said.

"It was a difficult match to play in because Arsenal are a very good side. It was amazing when I walked out there and saw 60,000 people. I had never played in a game as big as that before and I think I played well.

"I tried to do the simple things well and to get forward as much as I could to help the attack. Now I hope to keep going in this way and stay in the first team. I want to play every game.

"Always in training I am working hard and I will continue to try to do my best. The boss gave me an opportunity to show what I can do and hopefully I’ll get another chance against Bolton on Boxing Day. Anfield is always a very special place to play."

Insua made his debut for the Reds in the 2006/07 season, making two first-team appearances. He followed that up with three more last season, as well as playing a key role in the reserves' capturing of the Premier Reserve League crown.

He was recently rewarded with a new contract which will keep him on Merseyside until the summer of 2011, and the young Argentinian appears delighted with his situation.

"Signing for Liverpool was a fantastic moment and one I didn’t expect at such a young age," he added.

"Every Argentinian footballer sets out to play in Europe and I just want to make the most of the opportunity. I know how fortunate I am to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"This year, I have played in the Carling Cup and got my chance against Blackburn and Arsenal in the Premier League. The manager has given me a lot of confidence. There is a lot of competition for places at Liverpool but that is a good thing.

"There are a lot of great players here but my job is to show that I can play with them. We have a chance to win the title this season and this squad of players will fight until the end."

Arsenal Go Back In For Liverpool's Xabi Alonso

Arsene Wenger will revive his interest in Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso after losing captain Cesc Fabregas for four months with knee ligament damage.

London's Evening Standard - the Daily Mail's sister paper - understands that Arsenal made a £14million deadline day bid for the Spaniard in August but Wenger refused to meet the Anfield club's valuation of £17m.

The Gunners manager is notoriously reluctant to spend big money but the fact an offer was made at all reveals that, privately at least, there is an admission that the midfield needs to be strengthened.

That feeling will only be exacerbated by Fabregas's absence, the result of a tackle with Alonso during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Liverpool.

New chief executive Ivan Gazidis will formally join Arsenal on January 1 and brings with him great experience in player contract negotiations from America.

A source close to the board blamed the club's failure to land Alonso in August on the delay in naming a successor to David Dein, who departed as chief executive last year.

The source said: 'Hopefully Gazidis can come in and recognise that Wenger needs someone like Dein in his ear to reassure him that the money is there to spend.'

Alonso is close friends with Spain team-mate Fabregas, who said in the summer that Alonso's possible arrival in London 'would be perfect - I'd love it'.

Inaki Ibanez, Alonso's agent, had previously insisted his client would leave Liverpool in the summer after becoming frustrated with a lack of first-team football, having only a year earlier signed a deal to stay until 2012.

Subsequently, Alonso has become a key part of Rafa Benitez's side but Ibanez left the door open to a move by stating ambiguously: 'We will see what happens in January.'

Should Liverpool wish to do business, the asking price may be lowered as Alonso would be cup-tied in Europe.

Other Arsenal targets include Yaya Toure, the Barcelona midfielder, Juventus youngster Sebastian Giovinco and Stephane Mbia of Rennes, who claims to have been the subject of a failed 11th-hour bid from Arsenal in August.

Liverpool Determined To Stay Top

The Premier League reaches the halfway mark on Boxing Day with Liverpool holding a narrow lead at the top.

Liverpool, who face Bolton at Anfield, have not won the title since 1990 but are one point ahead of Chelsea.

Rafael Benitez's team might have had a more substantial lead but have drawn their last three home games.

"It has been so long since Liverpool won the title, I was a 12-year-old Everton fan the last time it happened," said Reds defender Jamie Carragher.

"We have had a few draws and we have to start turning those into wins but we are still top."

Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee is adamant that the Reds can maintain their title charge.

"I know that at the start of the season no-one else thought we could be top of the table, but we did," Lee told the club's website.

"We don't prepare for failure, we believed we could be top, and we believe we can stay there. We're not surprised at the position we're in."

Chelsea would have moved to the top of the table had they defeated Everton on Monday - a game that finished goalless and saw John Terry dismissed.

Terry will now miss the Blues fixture at home to bottom side West Brom, as well as Sunday's game against Fulham and the FA Cup tie against Southend.

The draw against the Toffees also ended Chelsea's sequence of 11 successive away victories.

But manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is boosted by the news that central defender Ricardo Carvalho is close to a return from a knee injury.

"It's the first time Ricardo has trained with us normally and I think after seven days - 10 days maximum - he'll start to play," said Scolari.

Surprise package Aston Villa are five points behind Liverpool in third - and Martin O'Neill's team take on fifth-placed Arsenal in what could be Boxing Day's most significant fixture.

The Gunners can move level on points with Villa if they win, but Arsene Wenger's team go into the fixture without injured skipper Cesc Fabregas, who is out for several months after damaging his medial knee ligaments.

Wenger's team are also without striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who is suspended, while Theo Walcott (shoulder), Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring tendon) remain sidelined.

Despite the injury problems at Arsenal, O'Neill expects the current generation of players at the club to grow into a great team.

"Arsenal have been able to produce some very fine sides," said the Villa boss.

"I just think that this side they have at the moment has the potential to be a great team."

O'Neill has injury worries over Martin Laursen and Carlos Cuellar.

Manchester United have played 16 fixtures - two less than their title rivals - and return to Premier League action after their trip to Japan, where Sir Alex Ferguson's team won the Club World Cup.

Title rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all failed to win while United were in Japan.

And boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "A similar thing happened when we went to Brazil for the world championship in 2000.

"While we were away, our title rivals Arsenal and Leeds both failed to get a win.

"I would obviously rather be top on Christmas Day, but I always wanted to be close to the leaders going into the New Year and we have managed that."

United, who are seven points behind Liverpool, travel to a Stoke side looking for their first win since 22 November.

The last time United travelled to Stoke for a league fixture was on Boxing Day 1984 - a match that the Potters won 2-1.

"Manchester United was always a massive game for the Stoke fans 20-odd years back, and I'm just delighted it is the fixture we can all look forward to on Boxing Day," said Stoke boss Tony Pulis.

"No disrespect to Barnsley and Plymouth, but we were playing those clubs away last Christmas and this year we've got United at home and then go to West Ham."

Hull are in sixth place in the table - and just eight points separate the Tigers and the 11 teams below them.

Phil Brown's side play at troubled Manchester City on Boxing Day, with Mark Hughes side spending Christmas in the relegation zone.

City have won one of their last nine Premier League games.

"It is difficult for everybody at the moment. We need to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible because this run has gone on for too long," said Hughes.

But Hull boss Brown is looking to pile on the misery when they meet.

"There is a lot of pressure on Mark Hughes and hopefully we can compound that situation with a good performance," said Brown.

"It is going to be a difficult game, a toughie - Man City were expected to be in the top six at the start of the season."

Blackburn are second from bottom in the table but go into their match with Sunderland buoyed by their victory over Stoke last weekend - their first match under new manager Sam Allardyce.

The future of Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz is the subject of recent speculation and the Paraguayan misses the match with a calf injury.

Ricky Sbragia is currently in charge of the Black Cats following the departure of Roy Keane - and Allardyce is backing the man who was a member of his coaching staff at Bolton to land the job permanently.

"He keeps saying he doesn't want the job but I think with the experience he has gained over many years at many clubs he is more capable than he thinks of having a dabble," said Allardyce.

"He has always been a very good coach but if that job comes along I would seriously consider it if I were him, I wouldn't dismiss it."

West Ham are one place above the relegation zone and ahead of their match with Portsmouth manager Gianfranco Zola has denied that he could be forced to sell players during the transfer window.

Players such as Craig Bellamy have been linked with other clubs, but Zola said: "As far as I'm concerned, no, they won't be going. The club have told me I won't be selling those players.

"I would be very annoyed if we did."

The other Boxing Day fixtures in the Premier League see Newcastle travel to Wigan, Everton visit Middlesbrough and Tottenham entertain Fulham at White Hart Lane on a rare day when all 20 sides are in action.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has warned his players to forget all about Christmas.

"Christmas in terms of enjoyment of food and drink is out of the window, as far as I am concerned," said the Boro boss.

Sammy Lee Warns: Liverpool Are Getting Stronger Every Week

Leaders Liverpool have a powerful warning for the chasing pack as the Barclays Premier League title race hots up - “we are getting stronger”.

The claim comes from assistant manager Sammy Lee, who knows a thing or two about winning titles with four to his credit as a Liverpool player.

Now he is bringing his experience to the club’s best chance of lifting the crown in 19 years.

Currently Lee is standing in for boss Rafael Benitez, who is still recovering from a kidney stones operation.

The Spaniard, who has had a second minor operation this week, is still expected to be back on the bench for the Boxing Day home game with Bolton, when Liverpool will be bidding to complete a calendar year without losing a home league game.

Lee and the rest of the Anfield staff have witnessed Chelsea twice in successive games, failing to take advantage of Liverpool draws to steal top spot from them.

So Liverpool go into Christmas top at this stage for the first time since 1996.

And Lee believes the Anfield squad have improved vastly on last season, and says: “There have been an awful lot of improvements from last season, the way we are playing. The points tally show there is an improvement.

“People ask and expect more, and they are entitled to want that. That is the esteem that Liverpool are held in that people do want more from us all the time. We are stronger, getting stronger.”

Liverpool, who were 10 points behind the leaders last term at this stage, have a strong backroom staff with title-winning experience.

Benitez has won two titles with Valencia, Lee four with Liverpool, while coach Mauricio Pellegrino also won the Spanish crown under Benitez.

Liverpool Transfer Tips

Liverpool have made their best start to a Premier League season under Rafa Benitez and Peter O'Rourke assesses what Benitez needs to do in the transfer window if the Reds are to finally win the Premier League title.

Rafa Benitez was again busy in the transfer market in the summer as he tries to transform his troops from pretenders to contenders and he could be tempted to make more forays in January to enhance their title challenge.

The Spaniard brought in six new faces in the last transfer window with varying degrees of success.

Robbie Keane was his biggest outlay from Tottenham and the Irishman has failed to hit the heights expected of him.

The striker arrived amidst a fanfare that he could be the missing piece in the jigsaw, but Keane has struggled to establish himself as a regular in Benitez's side.

Keane has scored only five goals in all competitions, but his case has not been helped by the fact that Benitez has shown a tendency to substitute the player early on in the second half of games.

The signing of Albert Riera from Espanyol raised many eyebrows following a far from convincing loan spell at Manchester City in 2006, but he has been a success for Benitez who moved for his fellow Spaniard after failing to land Gareth Barry.

Riera has given Liverpool much-needed width and he has provided an extra attacking dimension to Benitez's side.

Italian defender Andrea Dossena arrived with a big reputation from Udinese, but he has struggled to impress.

The full-back has shown signs that he is finding it hard to cope with the pace of English football and the jury is definitely still out on the Italian international.

Diego Cavalieri arrived from Brazilian club Palmeiras, but it has been hard to judge the goalkeeper as he been brought in very much as an understudy to Pepe Reina.

Philipp Degen has endured a nightmare time since his move on a free transfer with the Swiss full-back spending most of his time in the treatment room and we have yet to see the player get a run in the side.

David Ngog was something of a surprise signing and he is seen as someone very much for the future with the 19-year-old seeing his chances few and far between.

The whole right side of the Liverpool team is where Benitez will look to strengthen in the New Year as it has been a problem area for the Spaniard.

Alvaro Arbeloa has almost been an ever-present at right-back and Benitez would like to bring in cover and competition for the Spanish international.

A right-sided winger will be Benitez's top priority as it is a position where Liverpool look short.

Jermaine Pennant looks to be on his way out of Anfield and Yossi Benayoun has struggled to establish himself as a regular.

Dirk Kuyt has done a commendable job out on the right, but it is very much a case of square peg in round hole as the Dutchman is not a traditional winger and has been moved out to the right from his preferred striking role.

A new central defender could be an option for Benitez if Daniel Agger, who is continually linked with a move away from Liverpool, leaves for pastures new in January.

Benitez has a wealth of talent in central midfield so the only area he could look to bolster could be in attack.

Fernando Torres has been sorely missed through injury for a large proportion of this season and Benitez could decide to look for someone with pace to add to his forward options.

Well, that all depends on what money is made available to Benitez by American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. If rumours are believed Benitez may have to wheel and deal in the transfer market as substantial funds are unlikely to be made available to him despite currently sitting at the summit of the Premier League table.

Benitez could decide to sell some fringe players to raise funds with reports suggesting he is keen on doing a swap deal with Tottenham by offering Pennant in part-exchange for Aaron Lennon.

Another alternative for the right winger spot could be Croatian Darijo Srna who is attracting envious glances from a number of Premier League clubs.

Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson is thought to be a target after impressing at Fratton Park this season, but the price-tag on the England international could put Liverpool off.

A couple of old boys have also been linked with returns to Anfield with Emile Heskey and Michael Owen believed to be on the transfer radar.

The signing of Owen from Newcastle would be popular among Liverpool fans, but Benitez has always played down talk linking them with a move for the striker.

Heskey, who is coming to the end of his contract at Wigan, has admitted he is flattered to be linked with a move back to Anfield and Benitez could see the big striker as someone who could help take the burden off Torres when the Spaniard returns to fitness.

There is more likely to be more outgoings than new faces at Anfield in the New Year as Benitez looks to trim his squad.

The likes of Pennant, Benayoun, and Andrei Voronin, who is currently on loan at Hertha Berlin, could leave permanently.

It has also been mooted that Benitez could dispense with the services of Keane and Dossena after less than six months at the club, but it is expected the Reds boss will give them more time to prove themselves.

Dutchman Ryan Babel has cut a frustrated figure this season after being tipped to have a major impact this term.

Babel has tried to engineer a move back to Ajax without success and it is unlikely Benitez will listen to offers for the attacker as he looks to keep their championship push on track.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fan David Aston thinks that Liverpool should really splash the cash this transfer window if they are serious about winning the Premier League. Rafa Benitez should bring back Michael Owen for £3million as he would be the bargain of the season.

A right winger would be a good signing someone like Aaron Lennon and a young defender, maybe Gareth Bale.

He should think of getting rid of Andrea Dossena, Phillip Degen, Jermaine Pennant and Yossi Benayoun.

Reds Consider Pennant Bid

Sky Sports News sources understand Liverpool are considering a bid from Real Madrid for Jermaine Pennant.

As revealed by skysports.com, Pennant was attracting interest from La Liga and now Real have made a bid for Liverpool man as they look to bring in a new winger in the January transfer window.

New Real coach Juande Ramos has made a new right-sided winger one of his top priorites and they have been linked with a host of players including Ashley Young, Aaron Lennon and CSKA Moscow's Milos Krasic.

Real have been priced out of the move for the trio and now they have turned their attentions to forgotten Liverpool man Pennant.

Pennant has made just four appearances for Liverpool this season and it appears he does not figure in Rafa Benitez's long-term plans.

The former Birmingham and Arsenal ace is out of contract in the summer and he could agree a pre-contract with any interested continental sides next month.

Real are now hoping to do a deal with Liverpool to bring Pennant to El Santiago Bernabeu when the transfer window reopens.

Liverpool could be willing to cash-in on Pennant next month rather than risk losing the 25-year-old for nothing at the end of the season.

Liverpool Plan To Unwrap Fernando Torres And Wrap Up The Title

Liverpool have warned their rivals the return of Fernando Torres can bring them a first title since 1990.

Rafa Benitez's men lead the table going into the Christmas program despite Torres being sidelined for a month and are ready for an even stronger second half to their campaign.

The Spain striker could be on the bench for the visit of Bolton on Boxing Day, and assistant boss Sammy Lee was confident that would fire up his team-mates.

With centre-back Martin Skrtel also ready to return Lee said: "When you have a world-class performer ready to come in, then of course it makes you better, and gives everyone a lift.

"The class of Torres would obviously be missed by any team, and when he's available for us he'll be a massive addition.

"I know that at the start of the season no one else thought we could be top of the table...but we did. We don't prepare for failure, we believed we could be top, and we believe we can stay there.

"We're not surprised at the position we are in. I don't want to sound conceited, but we're in a position we expected to be in."

Boss Benitez is still not back at his desk after having further treatment for kidney stones, but is likely to return for training on Christmas Day and be in the dugout for the clash with Wanderers.

Liverpool will have an almost full-strength squad to choose from with Javier Mascherano recovered from illness, and Benitez will leave it late to see if Torres is fit enough after his torn hamstring to be named as a substitute.

Rafa Benitez May Make Boxing Day Touchline Return For Liverpool

Rafa 'the gaffer' Benitez is in line to make a return to the dugout in time for Liverpool's Boxing Day date with Bolton Wanderers.

Liverpool visited Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Sunday without key forward Fernando Torres.

The silky, skilful striker's absence though was not the main talking point, because assistant coach Sammy Lee had to oversee affairs as key tactician Rafa Benitez never made the north London journey.

The Spanish manager is still recovering from an operation to cure him of his troublesome kidney stones, and even though he was not at Ashburton Grove, he was still in communication with the Liverpool bench so that they could alter the line-up as he watched on from television.

The Reds now face Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day and Liverpool are confident that Benitez will return in time for the Anfield clash in three day's time.

A statement on the club's official website said: "Rafa has undergone a second minor operation which went well.

"He's feeling a little better and is hoping to be back for the game against Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day."

The procedure was Benitez's second kidney stone operation.

Jermaine Pennant To Replace Aiden McGeady At Celtic - Report

According to a report in the British tabloid the Daily Mirror, Scottish giants Celtic have made an offer for Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant.

It is thought that Celtic manager Gordan Strachan has bid £3 million for the 25-year-old, who has been told he can leave Anfield in the January transfer window.

The former England under-21 international looked likely to leave the Reds last summer, but opted to stay and fight for a place in the side after rejecting moves to Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers.

However, the former Arsenal winger, whom Liverpool paid around £6.5m to sign from Birmingham City in 2006, finally looks set to be on his way out of the club.

Talk of Pennant arriving at Celtic has sparked rumours that Irish winger Aiden McGeady is set to leave the Bhoys after falling out of favour with Strachan recently.

While the likes of Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen of Germany are thought to be interested, it is thought that the 22-year-old could be on his way to the Premier League, with local rivals Sunderland and Newcastle United heading the queue for his signature.

Agent Denies Andrea Dossena's Milan Link

The agent of Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena insists that his client will not be making a January transfer from England to AC Milan.

The Italian international has experienced a tough start to his Anfield career, with inconsistency and errors littering his opening few months in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has failed to dislodge Fabio Aurelio as the club's first choice left-back, and has had to be content with a role on the bench.

As such, the former Udinese man was strongly linked with a transfer back to Serie A, with Uefa Cup contenders AC Milan thought to be leading the chase for his signature.

However, the player's representative: Roberto La Florio, has confirmed that no contact has been made with a view to a January switch, and also revealed that Dossena is happy with life on Merseyside despite his indifferent displays on the field since his £7 million switch from the Friuli.

La Florio told tuttomercatoweb: "I do not know of an approach at this time from the Rossonero club.

"Andrea is good at Liverpool and Mr. Benitez keeps him under consideration.

"There was talk of Milan in the summer, along with Juventus, but in the end it was Liverpool that won his services and gave the required figure to Udinese."

Liverpool Can Win The Title - Venables

Liverpool sit top of the table heading into the hectic holiday period, and the club's fans are buzzing after what has been perhaps their most impressive start to a Premier League campaign.

There are questions as to whether the Merseysiders can sustain their title tilt, however, as some pundits believe their inexperience as pace-setters will show come May.

But others have noticed a change in mentality in Rafael Benitez's men, as they have demonstrated an uncanny ability for picking up points when under the pump.

Terry Venables is of the latter persuasion, although he added that Liverpool might struggle to keep up if their Spanish superstar remains on the sidelines much longer.

"Of course they CAN win it. Whether they WILL win it is another matter," the former England manager told The Sun.

"There has been a definite improvement at Anfield this season and they are much more difficult to beat than in recent years.

"But they haven’t looked the same team since Fernando Torres got injured."

Torres is expected to return to action sometime next month, after embarking on an in-depth diagnosis and treatment of his problem hamstring.

Carlsberg Chief Blasts Team America For Delay In New Liverpool Stadium

Liverpool shirt sponsors Carlsberg has blasted the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, for their part in delays to the building of their new 60,000 seater stadium.

And in a stinging attack on the controversial pair, the Danish brewery insists it is an open secret that the Anfield club is up for sale.

Work on the club's new stadium, which began in June, has been delayed due to the increasing cost of finance.

The Barclays Premier League leaders have denied claims they are considering redeveloping Anfield or even sharing a new ground with neighbours Everton to quell rumours that the plans for a new stadium could be in long-term jeopardy.

But speaking to The Guardian, Keld Strudahl, Carlsberg's international marketing director, said: "While we have a good relationship with Tom Hicks, we are naturally unhappy that the planned new stadium has been postponed.

"That cannot be good for Liverpool as a long-term business."

And the lager giants, whose relationship with Liverpool stretches back 16 years, have risked the wrath of Hicks and Gillett after admitting it would be happy doing business with Dubai International Capital (DIC) — who have longed been linked with an Anfield takeover.

"We want the owners to say whether they intend to keep the club," Strudahl said.

"If DIC become the new owners, I cannot foresee any problems working with them.

"We had a good dialogue with them before Hicks and Gillett. As the main sponsor, we saw their business plan and it looked good.

"As far as I understand, DIC is as big a player in a potential Liverpool takeover as previously believed. You shouldn't underestimate the impact the credit crunch has had on clubs.

"At the moment there are not a whole lot of investors interested in buying Premier League clubs."

DIC's previous attempts to take control at Liverpool have been unsuccessful due to Hicks' unwillingness to sell his half of the club - though Gillett is willing to surrender his 50 per cent stake.

But Strudahl fells Hicks and Gillett might be interested in selling if they received the right offer.

He said: "That Liverpool is for sale is a badly kept secret but nobody has the money to invest right now. The only people who can invest are those not interested in making a profit."

Ian Rush: Don’t Go And Draw The Wrong Conclusions Now

The fact there was a sense of frustration after leaving Arsenal only with a point shows how far Liverpool have come this season.

It was disappointing that we didn’t create more chances after Emmanuel Adebayor had been sent off but what happened was that Arsenal’s players started to work twice as hard.

It isn’t always easy playing a side down to 10 men and so it proved as Arsenal got men behind the ball and made it difficult for Liverpool to get through.

In the end I thought a draw was a fair result and there were a lot of positives to come out of the game for the Reds.

Arsenal had to win more than Liverpool and the onus was on Arsene Wenger’s side to go for it.

That’s the difference with this season compared to last. Last year, we went into games like Sunday’s having to win to stay in contention. Now it’s the other way around and others have to beat us to make up ground.

If we had won then it would have been the end of Arsenal’s title hopes and it would have been down to a three-horse race.

A draw means Arsenal are still hanging on in there but it was a much better result for us than for them. The team showed a lot of character to come back from a goal behind again and it was a fantastic strike from Robbie Keane.

I was so made up for Robbie because he was in a position he doesn’t usual play in. He normally likes to play off Fernando Torres in the same way as he played behind Dimitar Berbatov at Spurs.

But at the Emirates he was asked to play the lone striker role and I thought he was fantastic.

He worked so hard for the team and will take a lot of confidence from that goal.

It was also a great reaction after the comments made by Mark Lawrenson last week about Keane’s future.

To come out and say what he did about Keane moving on in January was absolutely stupid – it didn’t help the club or player.

I was also impressed by the professionalism the players showed in the absence of Rafa Benitez.

It would have been strange not having the boss around and it would have been easy for people to switch off, but everyone stuck to their task.

Possibly Liverpool could have been more attacking in the closing stages but Arsenal actually played better with 10 men and a point is a decent return.

Having won at Chelsea, beaten Manchester United at home and now drawn at Arsenal it just shows it’s not the big teams that seem to worry us.

It’s against mediocre sides at home that we really need to raise our game – starting with Bolton on Boxing Day.

Bolton aren’t an easy side to play against and they’ve been in good form recently but having drawn the last three home games against Fulham, West Ham and Hull, we can’t afford another slip-up.

With the Bolton game followed by a trip to Newcastle, we’ve got to be looking to get six points.

We’ve got a good record at Newcastle and I think the fact they like to attack at home will play into our hands.

It’s vital Liverpool see off the likes of Bolton and Newcastle so that when they come around to playing against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal again they are in control of their own destiny. We want to be in a position where those sides have to really go for it against us.

If we can start 2009 in top spot then history shows we’ll have a fantastic chance of going on to clinch the title.

Sami Hyypia Praise For Emiliano Insua And Nabil El Zhar

Sami Hyypia is backing young guns Emiliano Insua and Nabil El Zhar to continue making an impact on Liverpool's first team.

The reserve team regulars have featured increasingly in Rafa Benitez's side in recent weeks, with Insua starting against Blackburn and Arsenal and El Zhar coming off the bench in four of Liverpool's last five league fixtures.

Insua, in particular, has staked a claim for a more regular place in the side and did his chances of making the Reds problematic left back position his own with a man of the match display against Arsenal on Sunday.

Hyypia, now the senior figure in Benitez's squad, has been impressed by the way both players have adapted to life in the first team squad and believes they will benefit from the experience gained.

"Both of them have done well and they are both good players," said Hyypia.

"It is good for them to get time in the first team because this will help them to improve even more.

"For young lads like Nabil and Emiliano there is nothing quite like getting experience in the first team and in the Premier League.

"Hopefully this will give them the motivation to work even harder and get even better because they have tasted life in the Premier League with Liverpool and I am sure that now they will want even more."

Ian Rush: Insua's Show Of Strength

I was really impressed by Emiliano Insua’s performance at the Emirates.

I’ve heard people say he’s too short but the young Argentine did nothing wrong against Arsenal.

He was very solid defensively and got forward well to support our attacks.

Left-back is one of those positions that nobody has really nailed down this season.

It’s up for grabs and it was great to see someone come into the side and show they are determined to hang on to their spot.

I believe Insua did enough to keep his place for the game against Bolton on Boxing Day.

He took his chance and now he has to prove he can perform like that on a regular basis.

Jamie Carragher: Liverpool Fans Deserve To See Us Win The Title

Jamie Carragher is desperate to secure title glory for the club’s younger generation of supporters – but is bracing himself for the most competitive race in Premier League history.

Domestic football’s biggest prize is the only piece of silverware missing from Carragher’s CV and he is determined to ensure the club’s 19-year wait for a 19th league crown is ended next May.

“A lot of the supporters probably have not seen us win the title, especially the young ones, because it has been that long,” he said.

“They grew up on stories from their fathers and grandfathers. That is why winning the Champions League a few years ago and the treble was great for the younger generation so they could see what it means to people.

“But it has been too long since Liverpool won the title – the last time they did I was an Everton fan!

“It’s been too long and hopefully we can change that this season.”

The Reds’ heroics over the first half of the campaign have put them firmly in contention but the 30-year-old insists nobody is getting carried away ahead of the festive programme.

“We are not talking about the title in the dressing room,” he insisted.

“People keep talking about us being up there but we are not a small club, we are Liverpool Football Club. We are where we should be so it’s no big deal.

“This season a lot of teams seem to be taking points off each other.

“The last few years, teams have been winning the league with over 90 points, which makes them look a great side, but I don’t think it says a lot about the league to be honest.

“It’s a lot more competitive when teams take points off each other. It creates a better league and I think we have seen that this season.

“We have done all right so far but there’s still a long way to go and we will see what happens.

“There is no secret ingredient. It is just the best team which wins the league in the end and hopefully that will be us.”

Carragher admits Liverpool were frustrated not to take maximum points from Sunday’s clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. However, he was impressed by the way they responded to falling behind to Robin van Persie’s goal midway through the first half.
“We were a bit disappointed not to have won the game because of the fact Arsenal went down to 10 men,” he said.

“When it was 11 against 11 I thought we were going to go on and get the three points. But the sending off seemed to galvanise them and the crowd’s reaction gave them a big lift.

“They looked a little bit more dangerous when they went down to 10 men and we looked a bit less dangerous.

“For the last 18 months we have probably been one of the hardest teams to beat in this league. We do not lose too many games but now we have to try and turn those draws into wins.

“Both ourselves and Arsenal have got a decent record against the other big teams. But like us, Arsenal could probably improve against the other sides now.”

Xabi Alonso Offers Support As Cesc Fabregas Faces Lay-Off

Xabi Alonso has wished compatriot Cesc Fabregas a speedy recovery after the Arsenal midfielder was ruled out for four months with a serious knee injury.

Fabregas suffered a partial rupture to his medial ligament when he was tackled by Liverpool midfielder Alonso during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Emirates.

The Arsenal midfielder is now only likely to be back for the final month of the season, dealing a damaging blow to the Gunners’ fading title hopes. And Alonso, who alongside Fabregas was a member of Spain’s Euro 2008-winning squad this summer, said: “I’m hoping for a rapid recovery for Cesc. Now comes the most tedious bit, the recuperation, but I will be there encouraging him.

“If anything, I’m even more upset than Fabregas is. It always affects me to see a companion injured, but especially if it is a friend and a national team-mate like Cesc.

“I already went to see him after the game, and from what he told me we both expected it was something serious. But I spoke with him on Monday and, bearing in mind the situation, he was in quite good spirits.”

On the challenge that caused the injury, Alonso added: “It was just another incident of the game and, of course, there was no malicious intent.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: “The news is not good. It will take three to four months, we count four. He will be working hard to come back earlier but I count four months.”

Lucas Reveals 'Bad Times'

Lucas concedes that he has not always covered himself in glory during his time in a Liverpool shirt.

The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Gremio with a lofty reputation having captained his country at Under-20 level but has often struggled to stamp his mark on the side.

Although the likes of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano remain ahead of him in Rafa Benitez's pecking order, Lucas has become a frequent fixture in The Reds' midfield.

"I have had some bad times, especially the last time I started at Anfield against Fulham but you just have to keep your head up and keep working hard," he told the club's official website.

"I'm trying to improve in every game and hopefully I can show my quality every time I play."

Lucas was handed a starting berth in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal on Sunday and admits the side were disappointed not to capitalise on the sending off of Emmanuel Adebayor.

"We had a chance to win at Arsenal, especially because we had one more player than them for most of the second half so we have to be disappointed with a draw," he added.

"We tried to do everything we could to get the second goal but unfortunately we couldn't get the three points.

"We must now focus on our next game and try to get the three points at Anfield against Bolton. We have had three draws in a row at home so it's important we win this game. We need to win our home games.

"Our supporters are always behind us and we want to send them home happy with a win.

"We are at the top of the league and we have to keep going. We have to be confident and just do our job. Everybody at this club wants to win the league and we will trying our best to make that happen."