Liverpool Join The Hunt For Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing

Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, who it was today revealed, is ready to hand in a written transfer request to Boro manager Gareth Southgate tomorrow.

Reds manager Rafael Benitez is reportedly ready to offer Boro £12 million for the services of the talented left winger.

Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in acquiring the 24-year-old's services, and have had several bids for the player turned down by Boro, but Downing is now apparently ready to move on from the Riverside, and the list of clubs interested in him is growing by the day.

Spurs have already failed with bids during this transfer window and have now seen Downing's transfer request as their opportunity to pounce for the England international.

Liverpool bought Albert Riera during the summer transfer window and already have Ryan Babel in their squad, but Benitez seemingly wants Downing as a squad player, which he will inevitably be should he move there.

Downing has been playing for Boro for his entire professional career, only playing seven games for another team, at Sunderland during a loan spell in 2003.

Since he was promoted from the infamous Middlesbrough youth team, the 24-year-old has made a total of 154 Premier League appearances and scored 17 times in the process.

Liverpool-Everton Cup Clash Has 'Extra Significance' - Carragher

The Liverpool versus Everton FA Cup 4th round tie has been given some extra significance in a year that commemorates the 20th anniversary of some of the most dreadful events in English football's long history.

When Everton make the short trip across Stanley Park to Anfield later this month to take on city rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round, memories of more than just local pride will be mournfully rekindled.

The two clubs met in the FA Cup final of 1989, and events that led up to that game cast a grim shadow over English football to this day. Although Liverpool won a dramtic final, beating the Toffees 3-2, the real story of that season had occurred in Sheffield the previous month.

During Liverpool's semi-final with Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium 96 supporters were killed in a terrace crush that represents probably English football's biggest tragedy.

Events that day led to the Taylor Report, to all-seater stadia, to stands without fences, indeed, to the Premier League itself, but what was more important in 1989 was that Liverpool won the Cup for the fans who'd died. That they beat the other great club from their city in doing so just made it more appropriate.

As we approach the 20th anniversary of that dark day, both clubs are aware of the significance of today's draw. Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher summed up what this year's competition really means to the Reds players.

"Hillsborough is something we are all obviously aware of," Carragher said.

"Extra significance will be attached to the competition for us. Going on to win it would be the perfect tribute to those who died."

The Liverpool FC badge now features flames at its sides as a memorial to those supporters who lost their lives at Hillsborough.

Hobbs Focused On Foxes

Jack Hobbs is not worrying about his long-term future at Liverpool during his loan spell at Leicester City.

The promising defender has made 26 appearances for the Foxes after joining the League One club on a season-long loan.

He is tipped as a bright prospect for the future and has played five first-team games for Liverpool since his 2005 move from Lincoln City.

The 20-year-old is unsure how he fits into Rafa Benitez's long-term plans at Anfield, but will wait until the end of the season before discussing the situation.

"I'm here until the end of the season and I'm in a winning side," said Hobbs in the Daily Star. "I'm developing well as a player.

"My main aim is to do well for Leicester and then I will go back to Liverpool in the summer.

"I can't tell you what will happen in the future, but I'm just focused on this season.

"I've got another year at Liverpool and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Fernando Torres: I Will Win Premier League Title For Liverpool Fans

Fernando Torres claims he is desperate to win the Premier League for Liverpool's fans. Torres is hoping his injury troubles are over after marking his comeback with a goal.

Torres had been sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring complaint, but came on as a substitute in Saturday's FA Cup tie at Preston North End.

He tapped in Steven Gerrard's pass in injury-time to seal a 2-0 win in the third round and is happy to be back on the pitch.

With Liverpool leading the Premier League, Torres is now eager to play a full role in the club's bid to win the title for the first time since 1990.

"The relationship I have with the fans is special," he said. "I know that. When I was injured, to hear them still singing their song about me was special.

"I could hear it on the TV when I was at home. That's fantastic.

They seem to love me and I want to win the title for this club.

"You want to be out there helping your team-mates and working hard, but the injury is in the past now.

"I have forgotten about it and I am only looking forward.

"I hope all my hamstring injuries are over and that I can keep playing and scoring for Liverpool.

"The team has shown they can win without Stevie and without me. That is very important. It shows that we play as a team."

Carragher Buoyed By The Return Of Torres

Jamie Carragher believes the return of Fernando Torres can fire Liverpool to glory this season.

The Spain international, who netted 33 times in all competitions last season, returned to action as a goal scoring substitute in the 2-0 FA Cup third round win over Preston on Saturday following five weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Liverpool's season could be defined by back-to-back meetings with Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup and Premier League later this month.

And Carragher says that having Torres back has provided a massive lift to a squad who have performed admirably in his absence, opening up a three point gap at the top of the table.

"Having Torres back has given everyone a big lift," he said. "It is great when you see a player of that calibre coming back for the second half of the season.

"Hopefully, the time he has been out will refresh him because he had a long season with the Euros.

"A lot of players have played a lot of games this season because the manager hasn't changed it around so much and it will be good to have someone like him to come back in.

"It has been a feather in the cap for everyone concerned with the club that we have reached the top of the table without having the best striker in the world over the last 12 months for periods.

"You miss a player of that quality, but it will give us a lift to have him out there."

Liverpool Wait On Alonso Injury

Liverpool are waiting on news of the injury to Xabi Alonso, who needed seven stitches in his foot during Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup victory against Preston.

The midfielder was taken off at the end of the first half and he was later seen on the bench wearing a protective boot.

Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee said: "We do not know the full extent of the injury, apart from the fact he will be very sore.

"Hopefully there will be no damage but we won't know for 24 to 48 hours."

Alonso, 27, suffered the injury when his attempted shot was blocked by the Preston defence after a well-placed Robbie Keane laid the ball to him on the edge of the box.

The Spaniard was then treated as the players walked off for half-time but he did not appear for the second half of the third-round tie and was replaced by Lucas Leiva.

Alonso has enjoyed a fine first half of the season for Liverpool after he was on the verge of joining Juventus in the summer when Liverpool attempted to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.

He also said as recently as October that he was still interested in a move to the Turin club.

Liverpool's next game is against Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday followed by Everton in the Merseyside derby on 19 January. They also face Chelsea on 1 February.

Liverpool FC Aim To Win Every Match, Says Sammy Lee

Liverpool signalled their intent to fight it out on all fronts with the line-up they named at Preston at Saturday – but Sammy Lee has banished talk about going for a treble.

The assistant manager again led operations from the bench for the third-round tie, although Rafael Benitez was sat just a row behind him as he closes in on a full recovery from his kidney stones operations.

With Benitez all but back in full charge, choosing a weakened side would perhaps have been more forgivable than it has been in past years, given Liverpool’s strong position at the top of the Premier League and a Champions League campaign to resume next month.

However, Diego Cavalieri replacing Pepe Reina in goal was the only obvious delve into the second string, although Dirk Kuyt was also rested.

With Steven Gerrard captaining the side in a bid to banish the troubles of the past week and Fernando Torres also sent on for his first action since November, there seems to be no sign of Liverpool sacrificing their FA Cup ambitions in favour of arguably more pressing concerns in the second half of the campaign.

“We’ve got nothing but respect for the competition and the opposition,” said Lee. “We feel we showed that with the team we put out.

“We never think we’re comfortable anywhere – we’re never in a comfort zone and we’re working very hard to make sure we improve on a daily basis.

“We’ve never made any rash promises at this football club. We’re just working hard to improve and hopefully that will manifest itself in results.

“Every side we put out we feel is our strongest side to go and win in any given scenario. I have nothing but credit for these group of players and they are working tirelessly on a daily basis to improve.

“At this football club anything is possible, but I have to be careful and I don’t want people to think that’s me saying we’re going to do this and that.

“We’ve never talk about titles, trebles or make rash promises at Liverpool.”

Lee has, however, promised to keep working with Robbie Keane to help boost his goal tally.

The £20m man spurned a host of chances at Deepdale as his struggle to hit his stride since joining from Spurs last summer continued into the new year.

Lee said after Saturday’s game: “Robbie shouldn’t be down because I thought he got in some great positions.

“The main thing is that we continue to keep creating those chances. Robbie’s worked very, very hard for this football club.

“People talk about this and about that, but we know the quality Robbie’s got and you’ve seen that today in abundance where he’s made some great runs.

“There’s no need to press the panic button – far from it.

“We know his quality and what Robbie Keane brings to this football club. There’s no problem with him – none whatsoever.

Preston North End Keeper Hails Gerrard After Defeat

Andrew Lonergan hailed Steven Gerrard as 'the best player in the world' after keeping him off the scoresheet at Deepdale.

The Preston keeper saved everything the Liverpool skipper threw at him and then revealed: "It was a privilege to be on the same field."

Lonergan kept out half a dozen efforts from Gerrard – one an acrobatic fingertip stop which earned a respectful nod from the England star himself.

He also frustrated a wasteful Robbie Keane on a night when North End gave the Premier League leaders a few frights of their own.

In the end class told. But Lonergan and his team-mates were able to walk away with the heads held high after pushing English football's top side all the way.

"To be honest I thought two-nil probably flattered them a little bit," said Lonergan, who needed a painkilling injection in his thigh to play.

"One-nil would have been about right – that second one was a bit harsh on us.

"I am proud of the way we stood up to a team with so many great players, especially in the second half.

"In the first half, we couldn't believe just how good they were.

"We had seen them against Newcastle last weekend and they were awesome that day.

"But face-to-face, the quality they have got is even more frightening.

"We managed to keep them to just the one goal by half-time and the gaffer said to keep our shape and we would do all right. And we did."

Preston pushed Liverpool back in the second half and even had the ball in the net after 64 minutes.

But referee Martin Atkinson chalked off Sean St Ledger's header because Jon Parkin was wrestling on the ground with Jamie Carragher in the goalmouth.

Throwing bodies forward late on in a bid to snatch a replay at Anfield cost North End a second goal, with Gerrard racing clear to gift Fernando Torres a simple tap in.

But Irvine's team were still given an appreciative ovation at the end as they claimed some big name shirts as souvenirs – Paul McKenna getting Gerrard's and Sean St Ledger bagging Torres'.

Lonergan said: "I can't speak highly enough about Liverpool, they are unbelievable.

"I feel privileged to play on the same pitch as Stevie Gerrard and Robbie Keane.

"I know Keane missed some chances. But their movement is just outstanding.

"That is the thing we can learn from. We can also learn a lot from how good, how fit, how fast and how strong you have got to be to play in the Premier League.

"In the first half I was thinking, 'I don't know if I'm cut out for this Premier League business'.

"But we were better second half and we gave a decent account of ourselves.

"I only made one or two saves really, but I thought they were good saves.

"I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have liked to be beaten by four or five – that wouldn't have been nice.

"The save from the Gerrard shot which was going into the top corner was a good one. I was happy with that one, especially being against a player who in my mind is the best in the world.

"I'm not totally over the moon because we got beaten. But at the end of the day it could have been worse, much worse.

"That second goal was when we were pushing everyone forward and we were down to just one defender – and it was probably a foul on him anyway."

Liverpool rolled out their big guns to face Preston after coming unstuck in the FA Cup with a weakened team against Barnsley last season.

Rafa Benitez granted skipper Gerrard's wish and put him in the starting line-up despite the traumatic week he had gone through off the field.

PNE fans taunted the 28-year-old, although the chants were never going to have a significant effect on a player assistant manager Sammy Lee described later as 'a terrific professional'.

Capello: Don't Be Like Gerrard!

Fabio Capello aimed a sideswipe at Steven Gerrard’s lack of discipline when giving advice to Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo.

The Liverpool midfielder was recently charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray after an alleged nightclub brawl.

Gerrard has often been held up as a positive example for young Italian players to follow, while Montolivo has singled him out as an idol.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t want to imitate Gerrard in every way, especially with regards to recent behaviour,” said England manager Capello on firenzeviola.it.

It is still unclear whether Capello will exclude Gerrard from internationals until the legal situation is sorted out, but Liverpool have rushed to defend their star player.

Capello was speaking to Montolivo when he visited Fiorentina’s winter training camp in Marbella yesterday afternoon.

“I was happy to be here and I always have fun chatting with [Cesare] Prandelli about football. Fiorentina are a great squad.

“I won’t talk about tactics because it doesn’t seem appropriate for me to do so, but I can only say that what I saw here was really very interesting.”

Capello also had a special word for Adrian Mutu, who had worked with the Coach when they were both at Juventus.

“He is doing extremely well and represents a crucial figure for this team.”

Milan Set To Make Move For Liverpool Star Agger

AC Milan are set to make a move to sign Liverpool defender Dan Agger, according to reports in Italy.

Agger is waiting to be offered a new deal by Liverpool and Milan hope to take advantage by snapping up the player for around £7million, reports today's Gazzetta dello Sport.

Milan have also targeted Arsenal defender William Gallas but Agger is their first choice.

Rafa Benitez is believed to be reluctant to sell because the club are still in three competitions but should they sign Glen Johnson from Portsmouth, may allow Agger to leave.

Liverpool And Everton To Clash In FA Cup

A Merseyside derby was the pick of the ties following the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup.

A third-round draw that largely failed to hit the heights was outdone by the very first match as Liverpool and Everton were pulled out of the hat.

To add further spice to an already legendary fixture, the tie comes in the same week as a league game between the teams at Anfield while Reds captain Steven Gerrard is due in court on charges of assault and affray.

The match also comes in the year of the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, following which Liverpool beat Everton in the FA Cup final.

A second heavyweight Premier League clash sees Manchester United hosting Tottenham.

Non-league Kettering were drawn at home to Fulham, while Arsenal travel to last year's beaten finalists, Cardiff.

Nottingham Forest's reward for beating Manchester City is a trip to bitter rivals Derby - a huge game for former Rams boss Billy Davies, who takes over as Forest's manager today.

Birmingham/Wolves v Middlesbrough
Cardiff v Arsenal
Chelsea/Southend v Ipswich
Cheltenham/Doncaster v Aston Villa
Derby v Nottm Forest
Hartlepool v West Ham
Hull/Newcastle v Millwall/Crewe
Kettering v Fulham
Leyton Orient/Sheff Utd v Charlton/Norwich
Liverpool v Everton
Man Utd v Tottenham
Portsmouth/Bristol City v Histon/Swansea
Sunderland v Blyth/Blackburn
Torquay v Coventry
Watford v Leicester/Crystal Palace
West Brom/Peterborough v QPR/Burnley


Matches to be played over the weekend of January 24 and 25.

Match Report: Preston North End 0 - 2 LiverpooL

Steven Gerrard rose to the occasion with a cool performance for Liverpool in their FA Cup third-round tie against Preston.

The Reds captain was charged with assault and affray earlier this week but was composure personified at Deepdale, producing an inspired display which ended with him creating the injury-time clincher for substitute Fernando Torres.

At the end Gerrard swapped shirts with Preston skipper Paul McKenna and pointedly marched towards the bank of Liverpool fans behind the goal, held his arms aloft and blew kisses to his followers.

Albert Riera had given Liverpool a first-half lead with his fourth goal of the season, but the Anfield men wasted a hatful of chances which gave Preston the belief that they could salvage something from the match.

That they did not had much to do with a class display from Gerrard.

Liverpool made four changes from the side which won so well at Newcastle last weekend.

With Steven Gerrard already confirmed in the side after his traumatic week, boss Rafael Benitez also recalled Robbie Keane, Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso to the starting line-up, with Diego Cavalieri taking over in goal.

Yossi Benayoun, Lucas, Dirk Kuyt and Jose Reina were all rested, while Preston brought in former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor, Jon Parkin and Chris Sedgwick from the side which drew at Barnsley last weekend.

Gerrard predictably found himself being booed by the home support whenever in possession, but Liverpool's 5,000 plus fans were treating him like a hero.

Preston's spirited start to the tie soon distracted their fans from what soon became mild barracking.

The home side's midfield of McKenna and Richard Chaplow were quick to harass Liverpool and force errors, and a 20-yard free-kick from Ross Wallace forced Cavalieri into a plunging save to his right.

Liverpool responded with as twisting run from Riera and a lay-off that Keane could not direct goalwards as he arrived in the six-yard box, the first of a succession of squandered opportunities for the Irishman.

Chaplow and Mellor both went close before Liverpool were ahead after 24 minutes.

Riera picked up a fortunate deflection on the right of the box, and although there was a clear opportunity to drill the ball into the danger area, the Spaniard opted to cut inside and crack the ball into the top corner with his left foot.

Gerrard, who was finding acres of space to operate in just behind Keane, had two long-range efforts which flew close.

Liverpool were slowly taking command, and Chaplow was booked for a late tackle on Alonso, who equally was constantly drifting into dangerous areas.

And Liverpool had a string of chances near the break to settle the issue. Keane should have made it two when he squirmed clear in the area, but Andy Lonergan saved bravely at his feet.

Then Keane produced an even worse effort, arriving in the box to meet a Gerrard cross, only to send his shot hopelessly wide.

Gerrard was in fine form by now and another glittering chance was created by the Liverpool skipper, but it was squandered by first Keane, who opted not to shoot. Instead he pushed the ball to Babel, who was equally wasteful.

Liverpool sent on Lucas for a limping Alonso at the break, and within minutes Daniel Agger had headed narrowly wide from a corner.

The sight of Torres warming up on the touchline had the Liverpool support bursting into song, a sight that would also have concentrated Keane's mind.

But without the cushion of a second goal, there was plenty of anxiety creeping into Liverpool's play and Preston were clearly encouraged.

Preston lost Callum Davidson with what looked to be an ankle injury after 56 minutes, Eddie Nolan coming on. Gerrard's free-kick gave Javier Mascherano the chance for a 25-yarder that flew just over.

Babel's touch gave Gerrard the opportunity for a dipping drive that Lonergan superbly turned over the crossbar at full stretch. Mellor, to a rousing ovation from both sets of fans, went off after 62 minutes to be replaced by Stephen Elliott.

Preston had an effort disallowed after 64 minutes when Sean St Ledger netted, only for Jon Parkin to be penalised for holding down Jamie Carragher.

Preston should have been out of the game by now, such had been Liverpool's string of missed chances but they were heartened by Liverpool's failures, so much so that Benitez appeared on the touchline.

And Torres soon appeared, after 73 minutes, to replace Keane.

Liverpool conceded a string of free-kicks, and there were a couple of loud shouts for penalties as the pressure from the home side heightened.

Gerrard saw a fierce shot on the turn blocked by St Ledger, before Preston sent on Barry Nicholson for Chaplow after 81 minutes.

Liverpool then pushed Gerrard back into central midfield, took off Mascherano and sent on Fabio Aurelio on the left, with Babel moved forward.

But in injury time Gerrard broke away to set up Torres for a simple tap-in to clinch the game.

Liverpool and Tottenham Target Lafita

Angel Lafita could be on the move soon, with two Premier League clubs joining a long list of clubs interested in him.

Deportivo winger Angel Lafita is a wanted man, with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool being the latest sides to chase his signature.

According to The People, the two clubs are at the front of the queue to sign the winger, who has scored five goals so far in his second season at Deportivo.

Lafita has made no secret in recent times of his desire to move to a bigger club.

The player's contract is not due for expiry until the summer of 2012 but it is believed that Depor are willing to sell for a fee of around €3 million.

Liverpool: 58% Want Pennant Gone!

In the result of our poll, a comprehensive 58% of voters didn't think Jermaine Pennant would be leaving for Real Madrid, but did want to see him leave.

While I think the lad hasn't had all the credit he deserves during his time at Anfield (he was many people's man of the match in the 2007 CL final), I do agree.

With our current situation in terms of finance and squad, sentimentality must take a back-seat while we challenge on three fronts (or possibly two if things don't go well this evening).

As for the full result of the poll, 14% thought it was all pie in the sky. 12% of you sat on the fence and thought it was a possibility, nothing more. And 16% of you took pity on the lad and thought he should be in the team more.

Palsson Set For Anfield Arrival

Liverpool appear set to complete their first piece of New Year business by landing Icelandic starlet Victor Palsson.

The teenage sensation is currently on the books of Danish outfit Aarhus, where he has been attracting interest for some time.

He is yet to be handed a senior debut in the Superliga but is widely regarded as an exciting prospect for the future.

At just 18-years-old he is already viewed as being one of the brightest talents to emerge from Iceland in recent years.

Standing on the verge of a glamorous switch to Anfield, Palsson will be hoping to make the same impact on Europe's biggest stage as his countryman Eidur Gudjohnsson - a man who has represented Chelsea and Barcelona during his distinguished career.

"I expect it will all be settled and ready to be completed next week," said Palsson, in regards to his imminent arrival in England.

Reds Waiting On Alonso News

Liverpool are waiting to discover the extent of Xabi Alonso's injury after the Spaniard limped out of the Reds' 2-0 FA Cup success at Preston.

Alonso failed to reappear for the second half after colliding with a Preston defender in the closing seconds of the opening period, and assistant boss Sammy Lee revealed the club won't know the extent of any damage for at least 24 hours.

"Unfortunately Xabi has had seven stitches in his instep," he said after the game.

"We do not know the full extent of the injury, apart from the fact he will be very sore tonight.

"Hopefully there will be no damage but we won't know for the next 24 or 48 hours."

Meanwhile, Lee paid tribute to Steven Gerrard who put his recent troubles behind him to turn in a wonderful midfield display - capped by an injury time assist for substitute Fernando Torres.

"Steven is a top professional," he said. "He has the full support of this football club. You have seen what he is today, a footballer. He produced a terrific performance, he is a modern professional and we're all behind him. He's a great servant to this club, a terrific ambassador and we'll continue to support him throughout."

Torres' late goal finally killed off the challenge of Preston, who had fallen behind to a first half Albert Riera strike as Liverpool ensured they wouldn't be the victims of any Cup shock.

"Preston made it hard for us. We knew it was going to be a battle but we withstood the battle and withstood the challenge," added Lee.

Tony Barrett: Emlyn’s Eye For An Anfield Starlet

The official Liverpool Supporters Club held their annual awards dinner at Anfield during Christmas week and as usual it was a fantastic event.

Not surprisingly, Fernando Torres picked up the player of the year award with Steven Gerrard and Pepe Reina named in second and third places.

Promising right back Stephen Darby won the Ian Frodsham young player of the year award in recognition of both the progress he has made on the pitch during the last 12 months and the excellent way he conducts himself off it.

A pair of Anfield legends spoke of their pride at adding to their trophy collections with Jimmy Case being named this year's Tom Saunders award winner and Alan Hansen collecting the Billy Liddell award.

Along with Torres, the most popular winner of the night was Gerrard who was presented with the Emlyn Hughes award by his widow Barbara and daughter Emma.

Barbara made a moving speech in which she recalled watching a Liverpool game on TV with Emlyn featuring a teenage Gerrard and he told her: "This kid can be whatever he wants to be."

Taking in a later game together Emlyn again sang Gerrard's praises to his wife, insisting to her that "only him and Kenny (Dalglish) could have played in any of the great Liverpool teams".

After hearing such praise a humble Gerrard told guests that "to be mentioned in the same breath as Emlyn is really flattering.

"If I can win half of what he won in his career then I will be more than happy."

John Aldridge: Benayoun And Lucas Deserve Bags Of Praise

Liverpool were absolutely magnificent in their two victories over Christmas.

I haven’t seen a Liverpool side pass the ball as well as that since the team I played in back in the late 80s.

We were great against Bolton and the performance at Newcastle was the best I’ve seen for years.

Forget how poor Newcastle were, we were excellent and the thing that really impressed me was how creative we were.

We carved out so many opportunities and Newcastle just couldn’t handle us.

I’ve given Yossi Benayoun and Lucas a bit of stick this season but they deserve praise for the way they performed.

Benayoun looked very comfortable on the right and for the first time I saw why Rafa Benitez decided to pay £6million to bring Lucas to Anfield.

Lucas got a lot of space against Newcastle and that helped him but it was by far the Brazilian’s best game in a Liverpool shirt and he looked a real player.

I just hope he uses that as a springboard and consistently produces performances like that.

I saw a poll this week voted Jamie Carragher the best defender in the Premier League, Steven Gerrard the best midfielder and Fernando Torres the best striker.

That speaks volumes for how strong the spine of this Liverpool team is.

It was a great end to 2008 and there’s good reason to be optimistic about 2009.

Team selection will be very interesting and Rafa has some difficult decisions to make.

Obviously the Premier League and the Champions League are more important, but if we were to go out of Europe and lose our way in the league, we need to have the FA Cup on the back-burner.

Last season we were trophy-less and we don’t want that to happen again.

You would like to think the squad is strong enough to enable Rafa to make four or five changes but still ensure we get through.

It’s vital he gets the right balance between giving players a rest but avoiding an upset as we don’t want a repeat of what happened against Burnley or Barnsley.

Those players who get the nod have to be prepared for a scrap.

Lee Hails Tterrific' Gerrard As Torres Returns In Style

In front of the club president, Sir Tom Finney, proud Preston lived up to their tradition and reputation last night, though they did not quite have the quality or luck to prevent Liverpool reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Premier League leaders, victims of a giant-killing twice in the past four seasons, were dominant for an hour but fell away to cause their supporters an anxious last period until the outstanding Steven Gerrard broke away to set up substitute Fernando Torres for a second goal to add to Albert Riera's.

In between Preston should have had a penalty when Jamie Carragher held down the local hero Jon Parkin. The ball finished in Liverpool's net but Parkin had fouled Carragher in return, so Sean St Ledger's header was disallowed.

Seventh in the Championship under the former Evertonian Alan Irvine and with 10 wins in their 13 home games, North End had gone into the tie on the back of a good run, but were unable to build on a smooth start. In attack, they relied on the strength of beefy Parkin and Neil Mellor rather than the pace necessary to trouble Sami Hyypia . There was little scope for either of them and Mellor was withdrawn just after the hour. For the remaining period, however, Liverpool lost the authority that Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso had provided as a formidable midfield triangle, abetted by Riera on the left. Alonso had to be replaced at half-time, requiring seven stitches to his instep, and the home side were able to press forward albeit without finding the final touch.

"We didn't make it hard for ourselves, Preston did," said Sammy Lee, who was again doing the media round instead of Rafa Benitez. The manager, who sat in the second row of the dug-out, must have been equally impressed by Gerrard, whose night in the cells appeared to have had no adverse effect; just the opposite in fact. Lee said: "He's a top professional. Things have been written about him this week, but he's gone out there and produced a terrific performance."

Four years ago Benitez underestimated both the importance of the FA Cup and the quality of Football League opposition, sending out a reserve team to lose at Burnley. In last season's home defeat by Barnsley he took fewer chances but still did not send Gerrard on until the final 15 minutes, so it was no surprise that his captain started here in his attacking midfield role, from where he immediately imposed himself on the game.

The one negative for Liverpool, apart from Alonso's injury, was the performance of Robbie Keane. Dropped last week after scoring three times in two games, he was restored in place of Dirk Kuyt but wasted three chances in the first half alone, the worst of them from four yards following Gerrard's perfect cross. Fortunately,Riera's aim was true midway through the half when Preston were unable to deal with a left-wing corner. Gerrard thought briefly about a spectacular volley, then settled for nudging the ball on for Riera, who came inside on to his favoured left foot and shot high into the net.

By half-time the home crowd were grateful not to be further behind, though after Mascherano, Gerrard and Riera had all gone close, there was an uncomfortable moment to emphasise the fragile nature of the lead.

Parkin, rightly convinced that he had been held by Carragher, unwisely grabbed the defender's leg just as St Ledger headed in. St Ledger later failed to make sufficient contact at close range, and his team were hopelessly outnumbered as Gerrard unselfishly squared for Keane's replacement Torres to tap in. "We've come out with our pride intact," Irvine said. Pride matters to Preston.

Jamie Carragher: We Made Life Difficult For Ourselves

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher admitted the Reds made life difficult for themselves before sealing a 2-0 FA Cup third-round triumph at Preston.

Albert Riera gave the visitors the lead in the first half with a superb strike but the Coca-Cola Championship side came back into it in the second half and it was not until the last minute that Liverpool sealed victory through Fernando Torres.

Carragher told ITV1: “It was a tough game. We always seem to have problems against lower league opposition but thankfully we’ve come through. There were a couple of scares near the end and great credit to Preston.”

Carragher was at the centre of the most controversial moment of the game when Sean St Ledger’s header, which would have made it 1-1, was disallowed for a foul by Jon Parkin on Carragher. Preston were furious the defender had not been penalised for an initial foul on Parkin in the area.

“I wasn’t aware of the flag (to disallow the header) until the lad headed it in,” said Carragher.

“But he was trying to stop me getting up and I realised I was playing everyone onside.”