Premier League Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool

Middlesbrough downed West Ham United during the week to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the fourth year running. It was a confident performance and they were good value for their 2-0 victory over Gianfranco Zola's Hammers. If only the same could be said of their recent Premier League form.

The Teessiders are currently mired in the relegation zone, second from bottom and two points from the safety spots. They haven't won in 14 league outings and their last goal came against Sunderland on January 10. Attendances at the Riverside are dropping week by week and the forecast is not a sunny one for Gareth Southgate & Co.

Still, Boro hold a fairly decent record - although one win in 12 outings sounds less than impressive - against their upcoming opponents, who needed a last-gasp Steven Gerrard special to steal the points at Anfield toward the start of the season. And in context, the visitors are similarly desperate for a turnaround in their domestic fortunes.

Liverpool went into their Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Thursday after dropping yet more points in the title race, having drawn 1-1 with Manchester City to slip seven points shy of the tabletop. But they returned to England all smiles after claiming a monumental victory at the Santiago Bernabeu with what some are hailing as one of the most accomplished defensive performances in recent memory.

However, the Reds have a history of European hangovers - i.e. brilliant CL results followed immediately by sloppy, goalless league showings. But they will be confident of picking up a win by the Tees, as they presently boast the longest unbeaten record on the road - they last went without points away from home on November 1, against Tottenham Hotspur.

Off-field issues could play a part, though. It was confirmed on Friday that the club's chief executive, Rick Parry, will leave at the end of the season, while there remains considerable doubt over manager Rafael Benitez's long-term prospects.


FORM GUIDE

Middlesbrough

Feb 25 Middlesbrough 2-0 West Ham United (FA Cup)
Feb 21 Middlesbrough 0-0 Wigan Athletic (Premier League)
Feb 14 West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough (FA Cup)
Feb 07 Manchester City 1-0 Middlesbrough (Premier League)
Jan 31 Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)

Liverpool

Feb 25 Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool (Champions League)
Feb 22 Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (Premier League)
Feb 07 Portsmouth 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League)
Feb 04 Everton 1-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
Feb 01 Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea (Premier League)


TEAM NEWS

Middlesbrough

Boro are expected to sport the same side that beat the Hammers in midweek, while Marlon King should return to the squad after being ineligible for the last three games. Didier Digard, Chris Riggott and Andrew Taylor are all unavailable.

Last XI (vs. West Ham United): Jones - Hoyte, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz - O'Neil, Arca, Bates, Downing - Tuncay, Aliadiere

Liverpool

Fernando Torres is back on the sidelines after injuring his ankle against the Merengues, but Steven Gerrard could start after making a late substitute appearance in the same game. Daniel Agger is nursing a back problem.

Last XI (vs. Real Madrid): Reina - Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio - Benayoun, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera - Kuyt, Torres


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough)

The Englishman was perhaps the best performer against the Irons on Wednesday and netted the opener with a beautifully taken free-kick. His touchline-hugging play on the left could cause serious problems if he gets his final ball right.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Who else but Stevie G? Until his injury-time jog at the Bernabeu, the super-skipper had been absent since tearing his hamstring in the FA Cup loss to Everton on February 4. With Torres out, all eyes will be on the Scouse hero - if he starts, of course.

How Will Liverpool FC Players Deal With The Off-Field Distractions?

BARELY a week goes by without a journalist asking Rafa Benitez how he thinks his players will cope with the ongoing off-field distractions.

It is a question which is usually answered with platitudes about how Liverpool’s squad is filled with professionals who are not easily distracted by politics, boardroom battles and daily headlines.

But how the Liverpool players manage to rise above the speculation and the subterfuge is something which is becoming almost impossible to work out.

Like everyone else in Madrid during the week they will have heard all the rumours suggesting that their manager would be leaving after the Champions League clash with Real.

And like everyone else there will have been an element of doubt in their minds about what the future holds for them and the club they work for.

But when it came down to the game they went out and to a man executed their manager’s tactics and produced a performance as professional as any in Europe last week.

It is to their eternal credit that they did so and it also serves to underline just how remarkable Liverpool’s performance was in beating the Spanish giants.

Success is usually extremely difficult to attain without togetherness and somehow Liverpool’s players are managing to create a collective spirit even when other parts of the club are so clearly lacking it.

Should they go on to lift a major trophy this season it will be an incredible achievement because no other set of players in world football are having to deal with the levels of acrimony and distraction that they are coping with pretty much every single day.

Benitez Won't Commit To Liverpool Until Ownership Issue Is Resolved

Uncertainty over the future ownership of Liverpool is the main obstacle preventing Rafa Benitez from committing himself to a new Liverpool contract.

In what has been a tumultuous week for Liverpool, manager Rafael Benítez has made it clear that he will not sign a new contract until he receives guarantees about the Merseyside club's future ownership.

On Friday, Liverpool announced that chief executive Rick Parry would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season. But Benítez made it clear that his decision about whether or not to sign a new four-year deal was never dependent upon Parry's future at the club, even though there has been a public power struggle between the two.

One of Liverpool's co-owners, Tom Hicks, is ready to agree to Benítez’s demands for greater control over the club’s transfer policy and youth system, but Times Online reports that the main stumbling block to the ex-Valencia boss committing himself to a new contract is the continuing uncertainty about who will own Liverpool. “It is too simple to say [if Rick Parry goes, I will sign a new contract],” Benítez said.

Benitez's stance underlines the need for Hicks and George Gillett Jr, his estranged business partner, to resolve the ownership issue before the summer, when other clubs, possibly including Real Madrid and some Premier League rivals, make a move for the Spanish tactician.

However, Hicks is not in a position to give Benitez the guarantees he is seeking. Gillett still has to find a buyer for his 50 per cent share in the club, and The Times claims that even if he wanted to sell to Hicks, his partner does not have enough funds to buy it off him.

Under the terms of their ownership agreement, Gillett could sell two per cent of his stake to Hicks, which would give the Texan majority control. However, Gillett would risk not being able to sell the remaining 48 per cent - because neither the would-be investors from Kuwait nor those from Dubai want to buy into a club that Hicks still controls.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking financially. In July, a £350 million refinancing package must be repaid by the two American co-owners.

George Gillett And Son At Risk As Tom Hicks Wins Liverpool Power-Play

Checkmate Hicks. Rick Parry's impending departure not only marks the end of his troubled tenure at the helm of Liverpool, but also the stalemate which has enveloped the club for more than a year.

Parry, closely aligned with co-owner George Gillett and his son, Foster, in Anfield's fractured boardroom, acted as one of the few obstacles to Tom Hicks's attempts to force his partner out of their joint venture. Now Parry has fallen, the rest will surely follow.

To the dismay of many fans, Hicks has made it plain he has no intention of giving up on his investment just yet, not while the potential rewards remain so great. Parry survived one assault last April, but was in no position to come through a second.

When Hicks spoke out against Parry last year, describing him as a "disaster" and claiming that he had been asleep at the wheel as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea drove off into the gilded sunset of worldwide merchandising and money-printing stadia, Gillett stepped in to save him.

That he did not do so again not only suggests Gillett, like Hicks and Rafa Benitez, had lost faith in Parry but also that the diminutive American might be prepared to follow him out of the door. Hicks has been actively seeking to trade in his current partner for a richer, more pliable model. Gillett has bowed to the Texan's wishes once. There is no reason to suggest he will not do so again.

Unpalatable to the Anfield faithful it may be, but Hicks's position of strength is good news for Benitez, the man they cherish above all others. Nobody is bigger than a club like Liverpool, but after the miracle of Istanbul, to many on the Kop, Benitez, the heir of Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish, comes close.

Privately, those inside Liverpool admit the relationship between manager and chief executive had become unworkable. Benitez may not have actively brought him down, but he was part of it. They fell out over Parry's inactivity on transfers, his valuations of players, his lack of speed in tying current employees to new contracts.

Benitez insists those issues, as they pertain to his own four-year contract extension, have been ironed out. Now the problem concerns guarantees over what happens to him if the club's ownership changes. The Spaniard wants to know his position is secure and that he can get out if the boardroom vision of the club suddenly differs from his own.

One opponent has been vanquished and even if the other, wounded, does not follow, Hicks's power play has left Anfield in no doubt as to who is in charge. The stalemate has been broken. Hicks is calling the shots. Now he can give Benitez answers.

Rafa Benitez Now Has To Deliver Trophies After Winning Liverpool Power Struggle, Says Mark Lawrenson

Rafa Benitez has won his power struggle with Rick Parry - but must make sure he keeps the fans onside.

It was an impossible situation with a manager and chief executive barely speaking and at loggerheads over key issues at Anfield.

Clearly, Liverpool have backed Benitez over Parry. Now it's time the manager puts pen to paper as quickly as possible on his new contract.

The fans have stuck with Benitez and been loyal to him and their support will only have been strengthened by Liverpool's win in Madrid. But their patience will eventually wear thin.

My theory is that George Gillett does not want him at Liverpool but Tom Hicks does. So there are still obstacles to overcome. It is unsettled at Liverpool, a club renowned for being private, successful and protective of what goes on within Anfield's corridors of power.

Benitez is trying to engineer his new contract so that he has total power. He has won his power struggle with Parry, so why not just sign as quickly as possible?

I'm with Benitez in that if you've £25million to spend it should be up to the manager who he signs. He wanted Gareth Barry and got Robbie Keane.

But Benitez has got his way and must start rewarding the fans for sticking by him.

That means signing a new deal and winning some silverware. And the Liverpool fans really want the Premier League title.

Rafa Benitez: I Did Not Make Rick Parry Quit Liverpool

Rafa Benitez last night insisted that he did not demand the departure of Anfield chief executive Rick Parry.

And the Liverpool manager warned he still has issues to resolve before he will sign a new contract that has been on the table for the past five months.

Parry will leave at the end of the season after losing a long and acrimonious power battle with Benitez and Tom Hicks, the club’s American co-owner. Benitez said: "My negotiations are not a question of power, they are about normal football matters. I have never said I won’t sign a contract if Rick Parry stays.

"This won’t have a bearing on whether I sign or not. Rick Parry going is not one of the issues. I don’t see why people say I won."

While it’s hard to believe Benitez had nothing to do with Parry’s departure, it is true that he was not the sole instigator.

Parry has gone because Tom Hicks has wanted him out for a year, and co-owner George Gillett has decided he can no longer protect the chief executive, pointing to his own imminent departure.

How Rick Parry Lost The Liverpool Power Battle With Rafa Benitez

For Rick Parry, yesterday proved one battle too many in the long-running Anfield war.

But his departure as chief executive of Liverpool at the end of the season does not mean yet that peace will come to one of the bitterest disputes English football has witnessed.

Manager Rafa Benitez kept a straight face yesterday as he insisted the removal of his sworn enemy had nothing to do with him.

What Benitez meant to say was that, while he believed he couldn't work with Parry, he doesn't have blood on his hands - because it was co-owner Tom Hicks who was ultimately responsible for his axing.

The chief executive had been marginalised at Anfield for more than a year after Hicks demanded his departure.

Last April, the Texan billionaire called for Parry's head by openly questioning Liverpool's less than sparkling commercial performance, and insisted: "If you look at what has happened under Rick's leadership, it has been a disaster."

It was only the support of joint owner George Gillett that kept Parry in place, but it seems that support has evaporated in recent weeks as negotiations began over a pay off.

Contrary to reports though, Gillett has not fallen out with Parry, but is merely paving the way for his own departure.

Gillett has been looking for a buyer for his 50 per cent stake in Anfield for the past 12 months, and The Mirror understands that he is now ready to accept Hicks will assume full control at the Merseyside club, by either buying the shares himself or finding a partner to buy Gillett out.

Hicks has moved against Parry to appease Benitez, who wants more control over football matters.

But he has also done it to flex his own muscles, and show that he is ready to become more hands on at the club he hopes to have majority control over by the summer. Parry, aware of this, has negotiated a lucrative package to ease himself out of the club.

With Hicks and Benitez working together closely, that will ultimately mean that the Anfield manager will sign a new contract... but not just yet. He still wants other assurances over his control of football matters and transfer budgets.

For Parry, the fight became too arduous. He won his first battle when arriving at Anfield from the Premier League back in 1998 when he replaced Peter Robinson as the chief executive.

His biggest battle was to try and find the right investors to buy Liverpool and build a new stadium, but he and the previous owner David Moores have admitted they made a mistake in selling to the Americans.

Parry's first fight with Benitez came straight after the Champions League triumph of 2005, and since then the relationship between the pair has been increasingly fraught.

A major fall out between the two after the Champions League final of 2007 saw the Americans back Parry and almost sack Benitez, but with Hicks switching sides to win the support of Liverpool fans the chief executive's days were always numbered.

He will leave with a handsome settlement. But for Benitez the pay off could be even more substantial as he gets what he always wanted - full control of the club.

Liverpool FC's Alvaro Arbeloa injured

Liverpool suffered a fresh injury blow last night with the news that Alvaro Arbeloa will be out for at least 10 days.

The full-back has a slight hamstring tear and is a doubt to make the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid at Anfield a week on Tuesday.

Arbeloa sustained the injury during his impressive display in the 1-0 win in Madrid on Wednesday and is currently undergoing treatment.

He will miss the Premier League games at Middlesbrough today and at home to Sunderland on Tuesday.

Arbeloa’s injury is further bad news for manager Rafael Benitez, who is ready to throw Steven Gerrard back into his starting line-up today.

The Liverpool manager’s attacking options have been severely rocked by the absence of Fernando Torres following the injury he picked up at the Bernabeu.

Torres suffered a twisted ankle and has been ruled out of today’s game, and now faces a race to be fit in time to face Sunderland.

And with Gerrard making his return from a hamstring tear for the final two minutes in Madrid, Benitez is considering putting his captain back in from the start.

He will be assessed this morning before a final decision is made but Benitez is aware of the need to play as strong a side as possible at the Riverside.

Benitez said: “Every game is so important now because we need to put United under pressure.

“So we need to win and to win you need to have your best players.

Fernando Torres Injury Ruins Liverpool Plans For Must-Win Middlesbrough Game

Rafa Benitez has a massive injury headache for the game he says is a must-win for Liverpool's Premier League title hopes.

The Anfield boss hasn't yet conceded the Premier League to Manchester United despite trailing by seven points, but he will be without Fernando Torres for the visit to Middlesbrough.

Benitez admits that the Reds can kiss goodbye to the title if they lose today, and the loss of Torres is a massive blow, but he said: "We have to go to win as we are still thinking of winning the title.

"It is really important for us to get three points in each game.

"We can talk and talk about the difference but the main thing for us is to win our games to put pressure on United.

"We cannot let the gap get any wider, but we have not given up because many things can happen before the end."

Torres has an ankle problem and will miss the game, but could be back for the visit to Anfield of Sunderland on Tuesday night.

Benitez explained: "He wants to play but the doctor says we have to wait. In this situation two or three days can be a big difference."

Skipper Steven Gerrard is in the squad but could again be on the bench at the Riverside Stadium. Alvaro Arbeloa is out with a hamstring, forcing Jamie Carragher to switch to right back and offering a chance to Daniel Agger.

Liverpool Back In For Barry: Transfer Talk

Rafa Benitez will sign a new contract after winning his power struggle with Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry and his first move after putting pen to paper will be to launch a £20m raid for Aston Villa and England midfielder Gareth Barry.

This column revealed on Monday that Benitez faced the axe because support on the Anfield board was wearing thin.

But owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have decided the club's imminent failure to regain the Premier League title was because of a lack of quality purchases in the transfer market last summer.

That was when Benitez set out his stall to lure Barry from Villa to Merseyside only to be thwarted in his plans when the Reds refused to increase their £16m to match Martin O'Neill's £18m valuation.

There was a bizarre twist when Liverpool then splashed out £20.3m for Spurs striker Robbie Keane only for Benitez to run him out of town last month when he returned to White Hart Lane for just £12m.

The Liverpool manager still wants Barry to team up with talismanic Steven Gerrard as he feels they would form a midfield partnership which would be the fulcrum to Liverpool's success.

Now Parry is stepping down, after apparently losing Gillett's support, Benitez holds the upper hand although he will be under pressure to produce silverware next season.

Liverpool FC Must Treat Middlesbrough Like Real Madrid, Says Javier Mascherano

It’s a long way from Madrid to Middlesbrough in just about every possible sense – but Javier Mascherano believes that what happened in the Spanish capital on Wednesday night could have a positive effect on what occurs in the North East tomorrow.

Liverpool head to Middlesbrough still basking in the glow of their glorious victory over Real and in the knowledge that another win is required if their fading Premier League hopes are to be reignited.

Mascherano – who was at his belligerent best at the Bernabeu – knows that the Reds need to pick up three points to try and raise the pressure on league leaders Manchester United and he is hoping that the feel good factor from their victory over Real will still be evident at the Riverside.

He said: “We are still fighting in the Premier League and we know that there are still quite a lot of games to go.

“So it is good that we have had a result like this against a team like Real Madrid because it gives us confidence for the games to come.

“On Saturday we face Middlesbrough and then after that we play against Sunderland so if we can beat them maybe we will be a bit closer than we are now.

“You never know if Manchester United can drop some points, so we are happy and we need to keep going.”

For a player whom Rafa Benitez reckons fits the bill of a Duracell bunny, keeping on going is something that seems to come naturally to Mascherano.

On Wednesday night he covered pretty much every blade of Spanish grass at the Bernabeu in a game which was always going to suit his playing style which is built on seeking out and destroying potential causes of danger wherever and whenever they exist.

After shackling the likes of Gago, Diarra, Marcelo and Gutti, the Argentinian is now ready to turn his attentions to doing whatever it takes to ensure Middlesbrough suffer a similar fate to Madrid.

“It is a different game against a different team but we need to try and play the same way and with the same concentration,” he said.

“Of course it was amazing to win against Madrid but now we must focus on our next game because Middlesbrough need points as well and it will be a tough match for us. “But we are showing that we are a good team and the important thing now is to do it again.

“What happened on Wednesday night was great news for Liverpool and for all the Liverpool supporters – the ones who were in Madrid for the game and the ones who were watching at home – because it showed that Liverpool can fight.

“I do not know if it will mean that we will go through to the quarter finals of the Champions League, we will see what happens.

“But we were playing at the same level as Real and that is good news for us.”

The victory over Madrid was far from being the first time that Liverpool have come up with a positive result on their European travels following a domestic setback.

Last weekend’s disappointing home draw against Manchester City left Benitez’s side trailing United by seven points and led to increased questioning about their ability to go the distance in this season’s title race.

Though Mascherano concedes that suffering such a disappointment just days before they came up against the nine time European champions was far from being ideal preparation, he insists the character within the ranks at Anfield will always stand them in good stead even when the chips are down.

He said: “Obviously when you draw like we did against City on Sunday it is difficult because we wanted to win that game before we went to Madrid to play against a good team.

“Unfortunately we could not do that but the important thing after this was that we responded in the right way and I think that we did that.” As far as the 24-year-old midfielder is concerned, few Liverpool players epitomise this spirit more at present than hero of the hour Yossi Benayoun.

When the Israeli international rose highest in a packed penalty area to send the winning header soaring past Iker Casillas, Mascherano was one of a number of Reds stars who had to do a bit of a double take due to the identity of the scorer.

But Mascherano insists he is not in the least bit surprised that Benayoun was Liverpool’s matchwinner – even if the manner in which his goal arrived was a bit of a stunner.

“It was amazing and I could not believe it,” laughed Mascherano.

“But I am really delighted for him because he is a good team mate and I know how hard he works all the time.

“He deserved this goal and like I said I am really happy for him.”

Should Benayoun manage to repeat the trick at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow afternoon, then the distance between Madrid and Middlesbrough will have been well and truly bridged.

Liverpool Suffer Injury Blow As Fernando Torres Is Ruled Out

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres looks set to be ruled out of playing against Middlesbrough at the weekend because of an ankle injury picked up against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The Spaniard lasted for just an hour at the Bernabeu in midweek, before limping off, delivering yet another blow to manager Rafael Benitez's Premier League title campaign.

The injury was assessed after the side returned from Madrid, and while they wait to find out the extent of the damage, Torres looks set to miss out on the weekend's must-win clash at the Riverside.

"The ankle was bad but it maybe wasn’t the worst injury," Benitez said. “He was limping and uncomfortable and we decided to bring on Ryan Babel.

“We don’t know yet how bad it is. Probably he will miss some games. We have a game on Saturday and it will be difficult for him to be ready."

Already seven points behind Manchester United in the league, Benitez will not want to rush his striker and so could sit him out next week when Liverpool host Sunderland.

Should this be the case, along with the FA Cup giving the club a rest next weekend, Torres stands to return for the second leg against Real and the potentially title-deciding match at Old Trafford four days later.

The injury will frustrate Torres who has struggled for fitness all season with a series of hamstring injuries.

Liverpool Make A Special Request For Jose Mourinho If Rafa Benitez Goes

Jose Mourinho is being lined up as the next manager of Liverpool if Rafa Benitez refuses to sign his new contract.

The former Chelsea manager, now at Inter Milan, is top of an Anfield shortlist in case Benitez’s dispute with the club leads to him walking out.

Liverpool’s American owners are increasingly alarmed at the refusal of the Spaniard to sign a new deal after months of negotiations.

And associates of co-owner Tom Hicks have made contact, through a third party, with Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes to explore the possibility of a summer move. Frank Rijkaard, AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti and former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson are also being checked out.

Benitez has consistently moved the goalposts during negotiations even though the Americans have met most of his demands.

That has led to a frenzy of speculation which reached its peak this week, with bookies making him favourite to be the next boss to leave a Premier League club.

It is thought that Benitez is keen to see chief executive Rick Parry moved aside, and the manager has also indicated that he finds it difficult working with co-owner George Gillett.

He also wants assurances in the event of the club being sold.

Hicks is a staunch supporter of the Spaniard but Gillett is less committed and questioned if Benitez should be offered a deal that runs until 2013.

Both men are standing by their offer but they also realise they could be left in a desperate position if Benitez stalls until the end of the season and then decides not to renew - paving the way for his departure.

That is a position that becomes more likely with each day that passes without agreement.

And the owners have acted in the past, interviewing Jurgen Klinsmann for the manager’s job a year ago.

Mourinho clearly fits the bill if a replacement is needed. He has repeatedly stated in recent weeks that, despite success in taking Inter Milan to the top of the Italian League, he would love a return to England.

And he makes no secret of his admiration for Liverpool and the history of the club.

Javier Mascherano: Liverpool FC Players Glad Rafa Benitez Wants To Stay

Javier Mascherano has led the declarations of delight from Liverpool players that Rafael Benitez wants to stay on as manager at Anfield.

Benitez’s future was the subject of intense speculation ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Real Madrid, with some bookmakers stopping taking bets on the Spaniard being in charge by the end of the week.

Liverpool’s players shrugged off the rumours to earn a famous 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu to take a stranglehold in their first knockout round first leg tie.

Afterwards, Benitez reiterated his desire to stay and dismissed the suggestion of an imminent resignation by revealing further negotiations over his proposed four-year contract are expected in the coming days. And Mascherano believes the Liverpool squad are firmly behind their manager, who signed 15 of the 18 players on show at the Bernabeu.

“Rafa is doing a great job,” said the Argentina midfielder. “We are a top side and he has got us playing at this level. We have shown it against Barcelona, Inter last season and now Real Madrid.

“We know we are a team that works really hard and the manager has to take credit for that. Every single player gives 100% for him.

“It is hard to explain exactly how much he means and how much he has done for me.

“When I came to Liverpool I did not have any confidence left at all because I hadn’t been playing at all for West Ham.

“But now I find that I am always calm when I am playing because he has put such trust in me.

“All I can say to Rafa is thank you.

“He has taken me from the lowest point in my career to this. Now, everything I do is not only for the team but for Rafa too.

“Obviously I am delighted he has said he is staying. I haven’t spoken to him about his situation but Liverpool are doing a great job in the Champions League and Premier League and he is the main reason for that.”

Albert Riera, another player Benitez brought to Anfield, echoed the sentiments of Mascherano and believes the whole of the Liverpool squad feels the same.

“Of course I am happy to hear he will stay,” said Riera.

“He was very important in helping bring me to Liverpool and it is the same for a lot of players at this club.

“I am sure if you asked all the players if they wanted Rafa to stay with us, 100% would say yes.”

Benitez is confident the obstacles that have prevented a deal being brokered with Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett can be overcome.

However, the longer the impasse continues, the more likely it is the American owners will start to investigate an insurance policy in the event of Benitez failing to agree terms, with Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho likely to be one manager sounded out.

Liverpool’s victory over Real was all the more impressive given it was achieved largely without talismanic duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

Torres suffered a twisted ankle in the opening minute of the match and was clearly hampered by the injury before finally forced to concede defeat by hobbling off shortly after the hour mark.

The striker is now almost certain to miss tomorrow’s Premier League trip to Middlesbrough, with a bulletin expected on his fitness later today.

Gerrard failed to fully recover from the hamstring tear that sidelined him for three weeks, appearing only as a substitute for the final two minutes.

And Benitez revealed Liverpool’s players were always aware the skipper would not start in the Bernabeu.

“The team was always thinking about playing the game without Steven Gerrard because they could see he was not fully fit,” said the Liverpool manager.

“We delayed the decision until the very last, and in the end we decided it was not right for him to start.

“But the team already knew that from what they had seen.”

Liverpool Release Statement Confirming Rick Parry Departure

Liverpool have confirmed chief executive Rick Parry will leave his position at the end of the season.

Parry's position has become increasingly unstable in the last few months as a result of boardroom divides between American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

A statement from Hicks on the club's website liverpoolfc.tv read: "Rick's commitment to Liverpool Football Club is epitomised by his desire to ensure that this transitional period is managed efficiently and we are grateful to him for his help. He will always remain a friend of the football club."

Parry, 54, made no mention of the ongoing feuds as he confirmed the end of his long association with the club.

Last April he was asked to resign by Hicks in a move he branded "offensive" and has had to compete with the American forming a 'shadow executive' led by commercial director Ian Ayre and finance director Steve Nash, who operates out of a city centre office away from Anfield.

"I have had 12 very exciting years at Liverpool and am extremely proud of what has been achieved by the club over that period," Parry said.

"The victory in Madrid was a wonderful reminder of the many high points we have experienced and adds to the moments that make Liverpool and its magnificent fans so special.

"It has been a privilege to serve the club and as a lifelong supporter I wish the owners, Rafa (Benitez), the players and the wonderful staff all the very best for the future.

"I will be leaving at the end of the season knowing that the club remains strong and with a set of supporters who deserve success in all that Liverpool does."

Gillett added: "I would like to thank Rick for his significant service to the club and the assistance he has given us since we joined Liverpool. He has been integral to the club's success over the past decade and leaves with our best wishes for the future."

Ironically, Parry facilitated Hicks' and Gillett's purchase of the club in February 2007 after Dubai Investment Capital's bid fell through and he was understood to have received a £500,000 bonus when the deal was completed.

But the relationship between the trio gradually disintegrated, leaving Parry allied with Gillett and Hicks to side with manager Rafael Benitez.

Rumours of boardroom discontent and instability have blighted Liverpool's last two seasons, and rumours that Benitez was on the verge of quitting earlier this week threatened to overshadow the crucial 1-0 defeat of Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last 16.

Parry has already considered resigning this season when he was touted to be chief executive of England's 2018 World Cup bid but opted to remain at Anfield and stand his ground.

Having been born and raised on Merseyside, Parry studied at the University of Liverpool before becoming a management consultant.

He was chief executive of the Manchester 1992 Olympic bid and director of the 1996 bid, and was consulted about plans to found the Premier League in 1992 before becoming its first chief executive.

Liverpool confirmed they will begin their search for Parry's replacement and will "update supporters and other stakeholders when appropriate".

Benitez Must Not Leave Us, Warn Loyal Liverpool Stars

Liverpool players have given their full backing to manager Rafael Benitez and urged him to stay at the club.

The Champions League win at Real Madrid was overshadowed by pre-match rumours Benitez was on his way out of Anfield over the stalemate that has developed over his new contract.

After the 1-0 win, Benitez made it clear he had no intention of resigning, with further talks on his future due with owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks this weekend.

But this did little to allay the concerns of the Spaniard's players.

Midfielder Javier Mascherano said: 'The manager brought me to Anfield, he has done a very good job here.

'He is important for me. When I came to Liverpool I did not have any confidence after being at West Ham. The manager gave me that confidence.

'I cannot say what is going to happen but with him here, Liverpool is doing a great job.

'If we want to keep going in both the Champions League and Premier League it's important to have him with us.'

Spain full-back Alvaro Arbeloa agreed, adding: 'I do not really know what the problem is but people must know how important Benitez is for us. I hope he will continue with us for many years but in these things you never know.'

Winger Albert Riera said: 'Of course we want Rafa to stay. He is very important, not only for me but for the other players too, we all want Rafa to be here at this club.

'If you asked everyone, 100 per cent they would say they want Rafa to stay with us.'

Liverpool FC Are Top Ranked Club In Europe

Liverpool are officially the top ranked club in Europe.

Wednesday night's famous victory in the Bernabeu has sent the Reds to the top of UEFA's ranking system for the first time since 1985.

Based on performances in European competition over the past five years, the complicated system awards points for matches won and quality of opposition.

The victory in the Bernabeu has seen the Reds overtake Chelsea at the top of the table, with Barcelona third and AC Milan fourth.

Liverpool's five year record under Rafa Benitez – who arrived at the club in the summer of 2004 – has been phenomenal.

In his five years the Spanish coach has won the Champions League, taken his team to another final, reached last season's semi-final and got to the last 16 in 2006.

It's a record of unparalleled consistency in recent times.

Even when the Reds won the Champions League in 2005, their ranking for the season put them second behind AC Milan, while their five year record left them in fifth behind Barcelona, AC Milan, Valencia and Real Madrid.

This is the first time the Reds have topped the co-efficient rankings since 1985 when the European ban was imposed, effectively asking them to start their ranking points tally from scratch.

Liverpool also have the highest ranking for this present season with (18.1775 points) closely followed by Bayern Munich, who handed out a 5-0 demolition at Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night.

UEFA's latest rankings:

1 Liverpool FC (114.077)
2 Chelsea FC (110.077)
3 Barcelona (109.403)
4 AC Milan (109.306)
5 Arsenal (101.077)
6 Sevilla (100.403)
7 Man Utd (99.077)
8 Bayern Munich (93.664)
9 Lyon (90.576)
10 Inter Milan (87.306).

Liverpool Aim To Beat Bolton And Reach FA Youth Cup Semi-Finals

Showing they have something to offer is just as key to the Liverpool Youth team players as reaching a third FA Youth Cup semi-final in four years tonight.

Hugh McAuley sends his young stars into tonight’s quarter-final clash with Bolton Wanderers at Anfield (kick-off 7pm), hoping they can make the most of another opportunity in front of a wider audience.

During the competition several attacking players like Lauri Dalla Valle, David Amoo, Nathan Eccleston, and Tom Ince have been key, while at the back Aussie keeper Dean Bouzanis and the central defensive pairing of Joe Kennedy and Daniel Ayala has looked particularly solid.

Liverpool had the perfect build-up with an impressive 3-1 win over Crewe in the Academy League last weekend and McAuley is looking for the same tonight. McAuley said: “They had a good attitude and played some good football and created good chances. And they defended well when they needed to.

“We have to build upon that and look forward to playing at Anfield again and hopefully taking advantage of a good situation for ourselves.”

He added: “It is a second time for a lot of them and a third for some of playing at Anfield. It does get easier – there shouldn’t be the same nerves – but at the same time it should give them a buzz playing on the first-team ground. For me you can’t play on that ground enough.

“It is another fantastic opportunity for the players to prove to themselves, their family and friends, the senior management and the supporters that they are good players and they have something to offer. Hopefully our better players who we think can move up and perform at a higher level can perform on the night.”

Liverpool know Bolton will be tough opponents. McAuley’s side scored a 5-0 win over the Trotters at the Kirkby Academy in the league earlier in the season. But the Liverpool coach doesn’t feel that result will have any bearing.

He said: “Bolton are a team we know well. They will have different players who have played for the reserves this year, like ourselves, and don’t play week-in, week-out for the Academy team.

“We will give Bolton the respect they deserve, because they are a good team. But at the same time we have the confidence in our own ability and the confidence from how we have performed in the previous rounds to play our own game.

Forward James Ellison is unlikely to feature due to a back injury, but left-back Christopher Buchtmann is expected to shake off a knock picked up on international duty with Germany against Scotland.

Attacking midfielder Tom Ince is also likely to return after being away with England under-17s at the Algarve Tournament for the past week.

LIVERPOOL YOUTH (from): Bouzanis; Scott, Metcalf, Ayala, Kennedy, Buchtmann, Ince, Kacaniklic, Amoo, Pepper, Roberts, Irwin, Eccleston, Dalla Valle, Cooper, Chamberlain, O’Connor.

Liverpool Won't Be Defensive When Hosting Real Madrid - Benitez

After returning from Madrid with a crucial away goal, Rafa Benitez has declared that his side will still be aiming for a win in the second leg at Anfield, and won't be employing defensive tactics.

Primera Division heavyweights Real Madrid have an arduous task on their hands when they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League clash in two weeks' time.

The Reds have a formidable reputation at home in Europe, bolstered even further by their vocal fans who have often been described as the club's 12th man.

Due to Israeli captain Yossi Benayoun's match-winning goal in the Santiago Bernabeu, it would not have been absurd to assume that Liverpool - who still harbour hopes of a memorable domestic and European double - would be looking to protect that lead with a defensive display at home.

Rafael Benitez though is adamant that the best form of defence is attack, and that his side will do all they can to ruin any chance of a Real Madrid comeback by going for the win.

"The away goal could be crucial but playing against Real Madrid is always difficult, so we have to approach the game at Anfield trying to win," he told the club's official website.

"I think with the fans behind the team we can beat anyone, so now we have to go forward. If we can work as hard as on Wednesday and play a little bit better at times I think we will have our chances."

Regarding the manner in which the club battled to a 1-0 win in their first ever game at Real Madrid's home ground, Benitez said, "I am really pleased - pleased for the players, the team, the club and for the fans. To win here in Madrid is very difficult and I think we did a very good job. The players were working so hard - they deserved to win."

On the injury to Fernando Torres, who is expected to be sidelined for the club's weekend Premier League tie with Teesside club Middlesbrough, the Spaniard added, "The ankle was swelling so we needed to protect him."

Regarding the manager's own future, most Reds' fans will be pleased to hear that the flurry of activity that prompted bookmakers to suspend betting temporarily yesterday morning was, in fact, founded on hearsay, as Benitez said, "I was not thinking about resigning, I was thinking about trying to win. Concentrating on the game was my idea, clearly."

Albert Riera: I Let Benayoun Hit Liverpool's Winner

The Reds' Spanish winger has told of his part in the winning goal at the Bernabeu, heaping praise upon the man who put it away.

Liverpool are in the box seat to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League after beating Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie in Spain.

It was the diminutive Yossi Benayoun who rose late in the game to head home Fabio Aurelio's free kick, but Albert Riera was also lurking beneath the Brazilian's sumptuous ball.

"I was just in front of Yossi," Riera told the club's official website. "I think [Gonzalo] Higuain touched me and that made a bit of space for Yossi, so I left the ball for him and he made a great contact.

"It was a great header and a really important goal for us so you have to give Yossi a lot of credit for that. It was really good to see the ball hit the back of the net because we know how important away goals can be.

"It was the most important moment and it was a big victory for us because it means that maybe now we have a little bit of an advantage – but it is not a massive advantage."

Liverpool were made to work hard at the Santiago Bernabeu, but they came away with the spoils thanks to a ruthless display of defensive organisation.

Riera continued, "We made the game uncomfortable for Real Madrid because we knew that was what we had to do if we were to give ourselves a good chance.

"We always feel that we have a chance because we have some great players and we were waiting for the big moment to come and when it did we were delighted."

Statistically, the tie is well and truly in the Merseysiders' favour, considering they have never a lost a European Cup knock-out clash after winning the away leg.

But Riera said, "In big games like this no-one is ever the favourite – it comes down to what happens on the pitch on the night," he added.

"But we were not just thinking about what happened in this game at the Bernabeu, we were looking upon it more as a game over 180 minutes.

"At 0-0 we were thinking that maybe it could be a good score but to win the game 1-0 is an unbelievable result for us.

"Now we have to come up with another big performance in the second leg at home. But I am confident that we will go through to the next stage."