Dominic King: Why The Knee Will Never Jerk With Liverpool FC Supporters Over Rafa Benitez

THE hardest thing to do in testing times, when adversity and animosity is mounting in equal measure, is stick to your guns.

It’s all too easy to fly off the handle the moment something is not going how you want it and it is a sad indictment of the way football is in this day and age that everything must either be black or white – grey areas no longer exist.

Win a couple of games and certain managers immediately find themselves feted as a tactical genius, hailed for breathing fresh life into teams that had gone stale; it’s why Chelsea are back in vogue and why Carlo Ancelotti is getting rave reviews at Stamford Bridge.

Lose a few, though, and the opposite is true; those who see results betraying them have their odds in the ‘sack race’ cut by the day, find headlines in certain sections of the media becoming more and more sensational and discover they are the hottest topic on phone-ins.

Nobody, it seems, wants to look for reasons why a situation might not be going as planned. Quite simply, when a team is failing to win, somebody must carry the can and that person, invariably, is the man charged with team selection.

With that in mind, then, it was both inevitable and predictable Liverpool’s failure to see-off Birmingham City on Monday night left Rafa Benitez stuck in the middle of the storm that has been swirling around him for the past month.

The Racing Post’s back page on Wednesday, for instance, led with a banner which proclaimed “Beleaguered Rafa clinging to job” and how Irish bookmakers Paddy Power had slashed his price on being the next Premier League boss to go to 3/1.

Now before we go any further, Paddy Power, it must be remembered, have recently had their betting partnership with Liverpool cancelled and, upon hearing that news, promptly drew up a market regarding which Reds’ player would have their house burgled.

Fortunately, the vast majority of those who turn up at Anfield every other week are a much more rational bunch and it explains why there have been no signs of public mutiny during a run which has yielded one win in nine games.

There was no booing following the draw nor was there any dissent after the second half collapse at Craven Cottage; when Liverpool conceded a last-minute goal in Lyon, the players were cheered back onto the field.

Critics will say this is a group of supporters blindly following their manager but that, of course, comes from the school of thought which demands knee-jerk reaction – something which is not The Liverpool Way.

There is a reason why the Reds have fallen off the pace in the Premier League and find their aspirations in the Champions League hanging by the flimsiest thread and that, quite simply, has been a catastrophic injury list.

Benitez, remember, has yet to pick his strongest side from the start in any game this season and it is going to be another month at least before he gets the opportunity to pick the Liverpool team he really wants.

Granted a fully-fit squad, it’s safe to assume the identity of the ‘A team’ would be Pepe Reina in goal with a back four in front of him consisting of Glen Johnson, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio.

Javier Mascherano would then provided a protective shield for that quartet behind a midfield of Steven Gerrard and Alberto Aquilani; Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun should patrol the flanks with Fernando Torres then being left to fire the bullets.

Do you think that eleven would win only one in nine games? Draw your own conclusion but if Benitez had been able to call upon them all consistently during the past month, it is doubtful he would now find himself under siege.

Reassuringly, he still has the complete backing of the board and the amount of hours he has spent at Melwood in recent days, searching for reasons why results have dipped, shows he is not letting the barrage of criticism affect his daily routine.

Yes, it’s true to say he has bought some players who are not good enough to improve this team and that there is an element of Liverpool’s support which fears Benitez has taken the team as far as he can.

It has, of course, been a miserable start to the campaign but until the treatment room empties, it is too early to make definitive judgements – and that’s why it is vital to keep things in perspective at this moment in time.

Jamie Carragher: Liverpool FC Will Be Raring To Go After International Break

Jamie Carragher insists the mood remains positive at Melwood following the latest spate of injuries to hit the treatment room.

Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio all withdrew from international duty this week with minor knocks, but Carragher is hopeful his team-mates will be ready to face Manchester City next weekend.

Carragher, who will be back from a one-match suspension for the game, said: “We haven’t had that many players training due to the international break, plus the injuries at the club, but everyone’s in good spirits.

“From a club point of view, if you’re going to get injured the best time is maybe during an international break.

"At least it gives the medical staff time to work with the players and try and get them ready for the next match.

“Hopefully we can get everyone back and raring to go ahead of the Man City game.”

City boss Mark Hughes brings his team to Anfield next Saturday and will have ambitions of sending out a message of intent that the Premier League billionaires can break into the top four and claim a Champions League position this season.

For that to happen, either Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool will have to forfeit their place. On current form it is the Reds who appear most vulnerable.

With Liverpool currently 11 points behind leaders Chelsea, and six points behind Arsenal and United – the Gunners have a game in hand – Rafael Benitez needs to halt a run that has brought just one win and three defeats from the last five league outings.

Despite starting the season with four straight wins, City’s form has also dipped recently. Five consecutive draws in the league sees them just a point and one place ahead of the Reds in sixth, and Carragher is calling on the team to display a fighting spirit to ensure they don’t pull further away.

“Man City is a massive test,” he said.

“They’re probably looking at us and thinking they can maybe take our place in the top four because of the way we’ve started this season.

“It’s up to us to show some fight and character to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Pellegrino: Rafa Is Calm Man In Storm

Mauricio Pellegrino today acclaimed the leadership qualities of Rafa Benitez during a difficult start to the 2009-10 campaign.

The first-team coach, who played under Benitez at Valencia and Liverpool, describes him as a man who stays calm amid the storm.

And Pellegrino is confident his boss is building a team capable of dominating English football despite a dip in form this term.

"Rafa has gained a lot of experience from his last clubs," Pellegrino told Liverpoolfc.tv. "Like everyone he encounters good moments and bad situations but he's always really calm - he's really calm when things are not the best.

"He keeps going and he convinces the rest of the people to keep going in the same way as always.

"Last season we were really close to winning the league. We got 86 points - and if you look at the last 20 years, this points total would have been enough to win 15 of them.

"So, this team can improve a lot - there is a huge amount we can still improve on, and we are in a difficult moment, but this team is working very hard. We need to win a couple of games and everything will change."

Pellegrino made his own tentative steps into the coaching world with Valencia after hanging up his boots in the summer of 2006.

Two years later he was brought to Melwood for a senior role alongside Benitez and assistant manager Sammy Lee.

On his own managerial ambitions, Pellegrino added: "I don't know. In football our life changes every single week. We don't know what will happen in the future so I don't like to think about it. I enjoy my job right now, try to improve every single day and think about the best for the team and club.

"I have learned a lot in this past year from Rafa. I worked with him as a player too. The mood now among the staff here is very good."

As a championship-winning centre-back, Pellegrino knows what it takes to cut it at the top level.

He has high hopes for budding defenders like Daniel Ayala, Martin Kelly and Chris Mavinga - and has urged them to be ready to grasp any opportunity Benitez gives them.

He explained: "We never know if they will go on to become first-team regulars, but if these boys are here it's because they have the qualities and characteristics to be good footballers and be in the Liverpool squad.

"Emiliano Insua is an example. One week he was in the reserve team, the next he was on the bench, then the next week he was in the first team and now he is frequently in the starting XI. And he's played for his national team.

"The life of a young player can change in one month. You have to be ready in every moment because you never know when your moment will come."

Jose Mourinho Puts Manchester City And Liverpool On Alert For Premier League Return

Jose Mourinho could be set for a Premier League comeback with Manchester City after hinting he wants to return to England.

The under-fire Inter Milan coach, who could be fired if the Italian giants to not reach the knockout phase of the Champions League, said: "I am ready for the next phase of my career. I want to work with a different perspective.

I love Inter and would love to build for the future here... but Italy is not the country for this.

"England is the country. And my football is English football."

City could well decide to bring the self-styled Special One home is Mark Hughes' side continue to stumble. They have drawn their last five matches and face a crucial month with matches against Liverpool and Chelsea in the League and Arsenal in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

Liverpool could also be interested if Rafa Benitez fails to reach the Champions League knock-out stages.

Liverpool's Andrea Dossena: Alberto Aquilani Is A 'Complete Midfielder'

Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena has hailed Alberto Aquilani as a "complete midfielder", and believes that the former Roma player can forge a strong partnership with Steven Gerrard.

The 25-year-old made his Premier League debut as a substitute during the club's 2-2 draw against Birmingham City at Anfield, though he was said to be in contention for a spot in the starting line-up.

"Potentially, Aquilani is a great player," Dossena said in the News of the World.

"He is only 25, he has yet to gain experience, especially at international level, but he is a tremendous talent.

"He is a complete midfielder who can do everything at both ends of the pitch - he can run, defend, make a hard tackle or score with his terrific shot from long distance.

"He and Gerrard together can give us the strongest midfield in the league, and one of the strongest at European level."

There are question marks concerning Aquilani's injury record, but Dossena is confident that his fellow countryman will prove the doubters wrong when his chance comes.

"Over the past two seasons he has played little football because of his injuries, but when he is fully fit he will prove his value," said the left-back.

"Give him just a little time to settle in England, on and off the pitch, and he will be a sensational player."

Babel Happy At Liverpool

Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has dismissed reports that he is looking to leave the club in January.

Babel has struggled to hold down a regular place in Rafa Benitez's plans, making just two starts in the Premier League this term.

While the 22-year-old is keen to be playing more regularly as he looks to seal a place in Bert van Marwijk's Holland squad for next summer's World Cup finals, he insists he does not want to make a move away from Anfield in search of more first-team action.

"He [van Marwijk] wants players to be playing at their club to get a chance to go to the World Cup so that's also for me what I try to reach and work every day very hard," Babel told Sky Sports News.

"Liverpool are a very good team everybody knows that and I am proud to be part of Liverpool."

Meanwhile Babel believes Liverpool's current slump in form - with the side winning just one of their last nine games in all competitions - is down to bad luck.

The Reds drew 2-2 with Birmingham last time out but Babel believes they would have won the game with ease with a bit of luck.

"If you analyze the last game [against Birmingham] we had enough chances to win by three or four goals and we failed to score more than two," noted Babel.

"In the end we drew and I think maybe just that little bit of luck isn't there."

Liverpool's UEFA Champions League hopes are also hanging by a thread with the Reds needing Lyon do them a favour against Fiorentina if they are to reach the knockout stages.

But Babel, who scored in the draw with Lyon in the last European outing, remains hopeful Liverpool can beat the odds to qualify for the next phase.

"Maybe it is not best situation, but we still have confidence," added Babel.

"We have chances to qualify so we go for it."

John Aldridge: Blame Injuries Not Manager Rafael Benitez For Liverpool FC’s Plight

The vast majority of Liverpool fans are still right behind Rafa Benitez and rightly so.

There is enough instability at the club with the owners and the debts, and the last thing we need is to be looking for a new manager.

One win in nine games isn’t great but you don’t turn into a bad manager overnight. Injuries have taken their toll and we all knew how light the squad was before the season started.

Any team would struggle without Torres and Gerrard. The difference is United and Chelsea have players who can come in and do a job, we don’t have that luxury.

We have to call on the likes of Degen, Dossena, Voronin and Babel – hit and miss players who simply aren’t good enough.

When we got injuries it was always going to be a big problem. We can carry one or two, but when you are without four or five of your best 13 players it becomes very hard.

I couldn’t fault the effort against Birmingham but it was another disappointing night. We have leaked so many goals and that’s the reason we’re struggling.

You can argue all you want about zonal marking but there seems to be a lack of belief when it comes to dealing with set-pieces.

We don’t attack the ball, there’s no aggression and it is costing us dearly.

It happened on the opening day at Spurs and it’s still happening – we haven’t learned our lesson.

The only way to sort it out is on the training ground. When I was a player if we leaked bad goals we would spend ages in training defending as a unit. The coaches would ensure you didn’t enjoy it to ensure it didn’t happen again.

We played pretty well on Monday but if you can’t defend you aren’t going to win games.

David Ngog came in for a lot of stick for the dive he took to win the penalty against Birmingham.

I’ve slaughtered Drogba and Ronaldo for diving in the past and I can’t condone what Ngog did.

As a striker you’ve got to be canny. When a challenge comes in like that you have to let the defender take your legs and get your penalty – that’s the way I did it.

Ngog saw the tackle coming and tried to get out of the way of it but you can’t go over a defender’s legs when you haven’t been touched.

I’m sure Rafa will have had a quiet word and hopefully Ngog has learned his lesson.

Mata Signs New Valencia Deal

Juan Mata has finally agreed to a new contract with Valencia after widespread interest in his services.

The 21-year-old has received a significant increase in salary but the length of the contract has not been extended while the minimum release fee clause remains the same of 90million Euros.

The deal means that the winger is still contracted to the club until 2012 so clubs reportedly interested, including Liverpool and Barcelona, are likely to continue to monitor the situation.

However, after two impressive seasons since breaking into the Valencia side in 2007 the club has been keen to tie Mata down to a longer deal but talks have recently stalled as a result of the club's perilous financial position.

"This is the price for the excellent two seasons that the kid is developing at the club," Mata's father and agent Juan Manuel said.

"We are satisfied after the last meetings."

Sporting director Fernando Gomez was quick to play down any notion that Mata would soon be leaving the Mestalla.

"We have not received any formal propositions. I do not say that will be the same in the future," he said.

Hammers: Cole Not For Sale

West Ham insist in-form striker Carlton Cole is not for sale at any price despite reports that Premier League's big guns are preparing January bids.

Manchester United are the latest club linked with a £20million bid for Hammers hot-shot Cole when the transfer window reopens, with misfiring Liverpool also reportedly interested in a player who has flourished under the tutelage of Gianfranco Zola.

Sir Alex Ferguson wants to add strength to a squad weakened by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez and has identified the England man as a replacement.

Nevertheless, a spokesman at Upton Park insisted that Cole is "not for sale", and added: "We want to keep all our best players and the suggestion that we need to sell because of a financial crisis is not true."

Cole has missed out on England's friendly against Brazil in Qatar on Saturday because of injury but his development under Fabio Capello, as well as the progress he has made working with Zola and Steve Clarke at West Ham, has made him an attractive proposition.

For Ferguson, though, Cole is someone who could play with Wayne Rooney and who offers something different - more of a physical presence - from the forwards he has at Old Trafford.

Ferguson has hardly touched the £80million United received for Ronaldo.

Liverpool Fear Fernando Torres Could Now Miss Merseyside Derby Due To Extended Hernia Treatment

Liverpool are bracing themselves for yet more devastating news as Fernando Torres yesterday began his bid to avoid surgery on his abdominal injury.

The Anfield striker is faced with a three week stint of treatment and therapy to overcome the pain and restriction of the 'sportsman's hernia', which he has endured for the past month.

Boss Rafa Benitez is still hopeful the treatment will be a successful way of negating the need for an operation, which would sideline Torres for at least a month, and could require up to three months on the injured list.

But there was a resignation within Anfield yesterday that the rest cure will mean the striker now looks set to miss not only the huge Premier League showdown with Manchester City and crucial Champions' League trip to Debrecen, but also possibly the Merseyside derby in three weeks' time.

Liverpool were hoping that Torres could play against Birmingham last Monday night and then begin his treatment program, but the Spanish forward complained of feeling discomfort, and was forced to rest.

This week though, he has been able, belatedly, to begin the rehabilitation plan which experts have suggested might cure the problem, which is a tear where the abdominal muscles meet the pubic bone.

Benitez is praying that Torres might reduce the treatment time to just over a fortnight, but that would now still make him touch and go for the Everton game, which is on November 28.

The manager though, remains hopeful that the rehabilitation will be quicker than expected, and allow the player to avoid surgery.

"With Fernando Torres we are now talking about two or three weeks of treatment and working with the physios," he explained.

"Hopefully he can be running in a few days and we will see how he progresses."

Benitez has become increasingly concerned about the injury woes that have struck his side this season, with the low point coming in Lyon when he travelled without 14 members of his first team squad.

He has called summit meetings with the club's medical staff to see if there is anything he can do to reduce the number of injuries.

The Spanish coach is concerned that many of his players, such as Torres, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Yossi Benayoun have suffered muscle injuries, and now he will conduct a far-reaching enquiry to see if training or treatment methods are contributing to the problem.

Rafa Benitez: Liverpool FC Only Have Minor Problems To Fix

Liverpool FC boss Rafa Benitez believes there are only minor issues to address with his faltering side and has urged his players to start their season afresh after the international break.

The Reds have already lost five Premier League matches - three more than during the whole of the previous campaign - and critics have already written off their title hopes.

Manchester City, one of the teams looking to take advantage of the Merseysiders’ inconsistent form to snatch a Champions League place, are the visitors to Anfield a week on Saturday when Benitez believes a victory would re-ignite his Liverpool FC squad.

"We have to change some small things that we need to improve on. We talk about the positives and analyse the negatives," said the Spaniard.

"We have to look at the big picture. We know we’ve had some problems and we’ve made some mistakes but still we are so close.

"Everything will be different if we win two or three in a row. The confidence will be high and everything will be easier.

"Maybe we can start the season right now. Winning against City will be a big boost for everyone and if that happens I’m sure we’ll see the best of the team.

"I am 100% sure everything will be totally different if we can win the game against City after this international break. The season can be good if we do well."

Benitez has been hamstrung by the worst injury crisis of his five-and-a-half-year reign at Anfield.

Striker Fernando Torres has a hernia problem which will keep him out for at least another three weeks while captain Steven Gerrard is nursing a groin problem.

England right-back Glen Johnson and wingers Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun all have hamstring injuries, with the latter pair sidelined until at least December.

Centre-back Daniel Agger’s back continues to be a concern, while Fabio Aurelio pulled out of Brazil’s squad to face England at the weekend with a calf injury.

Benitez admits the injuries are causing him difficulties but is confident when he gets everyone back Liverpool FC can return to top form.

"We have a better squad than people think," said Benitez.

"It’s a question of getting some key players back. You could see the other day (in the 2-2 draw with Birmingham) that with Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard we were creating so many chances. The quality is there."

Andriy Voronin Keen To Prove He Can Make The Grade At Liverpool

Ukraine international Andriy Voronin, brought to Liverpool in 2007 from Bayer Leverkusen, is yet to challenge for a consistent first-team role in Rafael Benitez's side, but the 30-year-old hopes that the goal ratio he secured while on loan last season will help elevate his status in his manager's mindset.

Voronin was loaned to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, but amid speculation in the summer that he would secure a permanent deal with Die Alte Dame, the forward ended up staying at Anfield.

"Last season was good for me because I wanted to play more matches," he informed the official website of the Premier League.

"I went to Hertha, played a lot of games and scored goals.

"I was happy there but I always wanted to come back to Liverpool because they are a massive club. It is very important for me to be here.

"I've spoken with Rafa [Benitez] and I want to take my chance, work hard and play for Liverpool. I hope in the next game I play, I can give the Liverpool supporters more."

Benitez has reportedly been looking at winter window recruits to supplement his attacking ranks. A £20 million move for West Ham United striker Carlton Cole has been rumoured, as has a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur misfit Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Roma Have Enquired After Liverpool Defender Andrea Dossena

The agent of Liverpool left-back Andrea Dossena has revealed that Serie A side Roma are prepared to battle Napoli during the January transfer window for the signature of the Italian international.

“Roma have made an initial approach,” representative Roberto La Florio told Romanews.eu.

“They are clearly a great team and Rome is a wonderful city. I am also aware that Napoli are interested in the lad. So, we’ll see what happens.”

The 28-year-old defender has failed to make an impact at Anfield since his move from Udinese in the summer of 2008 and is said to be keen on a return to his homeland to boost his chances of making Marcello Lippi’s Italy squad for next summer’s World Cup finals.

“Andrea is getting little space at Liverpool and would like to go back to Italy to play more regularly,” explained the agent.

“He wants to be part of Lippi’s 23-man party for the tournament in South Africa. We are evaluating the possibility of continuing with the English side.

“It will depend on the Reds too. We have to understand whether they want to loan him out or plan to sell him. In that case, we should assess his transfer fee.”

Liverpool Want An Amazing £14million For Lucas

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wants an amazing £14 million for Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva - and plans to keep him despite needing to sell players.

The Kop chief has been approached by a couple of top European sides who hoped to exploit the Anfield cash problems by landing Lucas in a bargain deal.

However, hard-line Benitez wants the stunning sum for the 22-year-old who splits opinions among Liverpool fans but is always solidly backed by his manager.

Benitez knows he must move out players in January to bring in cash to strengthen his squad - but his sky-high valuation suggests Lucas is not one of those he will sacrifice.

Lucas has been a regular in the Liverpool side this season and even the arrival of Alberto Aquilani will not mean he is surplus to requirements.

The Brazilian will be watched by some of his admirers against England, but Benitez is steadfastly holding on to him.

Ngog - Torres Is World's Best

Liverpool striker David Ngog claims team-mate Fernando Torres is the best striker in the world and has played down his role as a direct replacement.

The French youngster has netted four goals from nine games this season and now heads the list of replacements for crocked first-choice Torres.

Usually deployed as a lone striker, the Spaniard has struggled with a hernia problem this term, despite leading the Premier League goalscorers charts.

With Dirk Kuyt now a recognised winger, manager Rafa Benitez favours Ngog as a direct replacement for Torres as opposed to the unfancied pair Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin.

While 20-year-old is so far revelling in his new found dependency, he is keen for fans not to get too carried away and insists the burden of replacing Torres is a difficult task for any striker.

"Fernando is the best striker in the world, so any player would find it hard replacing him," said the France Under-21 international.

"All I can do is play my own game and try to be myself because few players can do the things Fernando does.

"I feel tactically I can play as a lone striker, behind the striker or with another partner, so I am desperate to prove to the manager that I am ready to play in any situation."

Ngog is enjoying the best spell of his short Liverpool career and he hopes to build on his four goals this season to secure a long-term future at Anfield.

He added: "I believe that I have enough quality to be a good striker for the club and score many goals but I understand that will come with time and experience.

"I am not 21 until next April so I have plenty of time to learn and I couldn't be learning from a better manager than Rafa Benitez or a better striker than Fernando."

Liverpool are suffering from a wretched run of form with just one win in nine games leaving their Champions League hopes dangling by a thread, while their title hopes have already been written off.

The departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid has been highlighted as a primary cause of their downfall, but Ngog insists the squad is just as good as the one which pushed champions Manchester United all the way last season.

Ngog said: "We need to remain confident in our own ability as individuals, as well as a team, because not much has changed from last season when we weren't far away from winning the league.

"The team is still very strong and we have to believe in ourselves.

"I know that Liverpool demands success and needs to win trophies, so losing games like we have isn't acceptable."

Lucas Feeling The Heat At Liverpool Even More Than Brazil

Lucas Leiva believes the pressure is greater playing for Liverpool than Brazil because of the current predicament at Anfield.

The Liverpool midfielder is preparing for his country's friendly against England in Doha on Saturday. But thoughts of the situation on Merseyside are also on his mind with Liverpool facing Champions League elimination and currently seventh in the Premier League.

Lucas said: "How do I find the pressure of playing for Brazil and Liverpool? To be honest, the pressure now at Liverpool is worse.

"With Brazil, we are qualified for the World Cup. We always have pressure when playing, especially when it is against England, a big team.

"But in Liverpool now it is greater because we are in a difficult situation.

"We have to qualify now for the Champions League and also in the Premier League, we have to be in the top four.

"I know the pressure at Liverpool is difficult but now we have to think about the games for the national team and, when we go back, to try and change the situation.

"Even now when I am here, I don't feel well for Liverpool and no-one feels well.

"Of course, the results are not the best but I think if we keep the same mentality it will be okay. It is the time for Liverpool to keep together.

"I think Liverpool are playing well. Maybe we need something more but I hope we turn the bad situation around. Even against Lyon and Birmingham, I think we played well.

"We conceded some goals, maybe from our mistakes, and we have to keep working and hopefully the national break will come at a good time for us.

"Some players are injured so hopefully they will be fit for the next game."

Lucas believes England have a realistic chance of winning the 2010 World Cup and has massive respect for the way they have developed under Fabio Capello.

And he feels the weekend meeting between the two sides will be an ideal yardstick of how they are progressing ahead of the finals in South Africa.

Lucas said: "I think England is a top-level side. We have a lot of respect for them. We know all the players very well.

"Is this England's best chance of winning the World Cup? I think so. Of course, England have always had a good squad but I think the last results show the quality."

Eintracht Frankfurt Plot Swoop For Andriy Voronin:

Eintracht Frankfurt is plotting a swoop for Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin during the January transfer window.

The mid-table Bundesliga outfit has yet to make an official approach but is keen on securing the services of the Ukrainian international.

Voronin has struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League since he arrived at Anfield on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in 2007.

However, the 30-year-old is highly rated in Germany and scored 11 goals during a successful loan spell at Hertha Berlin last season.

Hertha wanted to make the move permanent this summer but a proposed £3million deal with Liverpool fell through.

Boss Rafa Benitez’s attacking options are severely limited, but if Eintracht match that fee and the Spaniard are guaranteed he will be able to reinvest the funds he may decide to do business.

Voronin has yet to find the net in three starts and nine substitute appearances for the Reds so far this season and young Frenchman David Ngog has leapt above him in the pecking order to be Fernando Torres’ understudy.

The Ukrainian, who is under contract until 2011, may also have to move on in search of regular football in order to fulfill his dream of playing in next summer’s World Cup after he was left out of the squad for their play-off with Greece on Saturday.

Prodigious 14-year-old Returns To Old Trafford Despite Liverpool Loyalty

Manchester United have asked Norwegian youngster Sondre Tronstad to return to the club for a second trial having impressed the Premier league champions’ coaching staff recently.

The 14-year-old suggested it was a strange experience going to United’s Carrington training ground not least because he is a Liverpool supporter.

Tronstad told fvn.no: “They have said that it went well and that I should come back in February or March,”

“It's a bit special to visit Manchester United since I am a Liverpool supporter. But I felt it was a good chance.”

New Hillsborough Memorial Statue To Be Unveiled In Liverpool

A striking new memorial could be erected in Liverpool at the 21st anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.

The metal artwork, to be funded by the public, is set to be unveiled in the city next April by the council’s Lord Mayor office.

It is expected to be initially stationed in the Town Hall ballroom before being moved to different locations within the city centre.

The lifesized model will stand 15 foot high and have a spiritual element with a top figure looking upwards to the heavens.

All the 96 names of those who died after the Sheffield crushes will be inscribed on the 96 flames carved into the metal stand.

The families hope football fans will drape their own scarves onto the flames when they visit the artwork.

Creator Tony Evans has created a model of the memorial and is keen to gain the backing of both grieving families and survivors for the model.

But the design, which features a top figure seemingly strewn on top of a metal fence, seems set to be controversial from the outset.

A number of families and survivors have expressed concerns about the very immediate portrayal of the 1989 disaster.

Letters have been sent to the 96 families and a period of consultation is set to begin, asking people for those opinions.

The Lord Mayor’s Office, who are behind the project, are keen to stress that nothing has been approved.

A letter to Hillsborough Family Support Group members read: ““The statue is not intended to elicit sympathy, but to tell the story of a tragic event which unfortunately part of Liverpool life, and which brought, and which continues to bring, Liverpool people together and those touched by this from further afield.

“It also shows that, 21 years later, feelings have not diminished, and so many still wonder why.”

Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: “When I first saw the model, I went into quiet mode because of the way it looks.

“I think it does, however, tell the story of what those people went through.”

But in other quarters, the artwork not have won favour, and was today criticised by some people.

Both the Glover family, who lost their son Ian, 20, on the Leppings Lane terraces, and mum Anne Williams, whose son Kevin, 15, died, have registered their unhappiness with the design.

Dad John Glover told the ECHO he was taken aback when he first saw it, and he said: “For those people who were at Hillsborough, seeing this could knock them back to day one.”

Cllr Steve Rotheram, last year’s Lord Mayor and Liverpool FC fan who was heavily involved in the 20th Hillsborough anniversary, first had the idea for a permanent memorial.

He said: “We will ask all the families and survivors. If it causes concerns, perhaps it’s not the right time for it.

“The first time I saw it, it knocked me back. It’s very poignant. But the last thing we want to do is cause offence.

“This design is certainly not sanitised, it’s like Jimmy McGovern’s play which was warts and all.

“It provides a visual representation of what people will automatically recognise. The main figure seems to be looking to the skies, asking ‘why?’

Artist Tony Evans, however, stressed that the approval of the families and everyone affected by the 1989 disaster was of utmost importance.

He said: “I was asked to realise something in my style and create a suitable memorial, and being a Liverpudlian and an LFC fan I was only too happy.

“I tried to create a striking image of what it must have felt like to be in that position on that day, and it hopefully shows something of the strength of character of those people and how well they coped, rather than seeing them as victims.

“I realised it was an emotional subject and we had to tread carefully. The last thing we want to do is upset anyone. I thought it was a very worthwhile subject, and will go ahead if people thought it was worthy.

“Hillsborough is a major thing for me and most of Liverpool.

“We are looking for feedback of what people think of what I've come up with, we have contacted all the support groups and are giving them a chance to see it and comment on it. They are integral to the whole thing, and that is in the process of being done.

“It's a very delicate subject and it's all very well wanting to make a great piece of artwork, but when it's something so emotional you have to speak to those who have been affected by it, and give them the final say.”

Liverpool Set To Swoop For Real Madrid’s Rafael van der Vaart

Rafael Benitez is considering a move for Rafael van der Vaart after the Dutchman hinted that he is becoming more and more frustrated at Real Madrid.

The Liverpool manager is keen to add to his attacking options and the former Hamburg star could be made available at a knock-down price in January by Los Merengues, according to The Mirror.

Van der Vaart stated recently that he would not want to go back to his first club, Ajax, but he knew of several major teams interested in his services.

Since joining Madrid in 2008, the Netherlands international has struggled to impress and could view a move to Anfield as a great chance to revitalise his career.

Benitez could make a bid to loan Van der Vaart in the winter transfer window. He could then make the deal permanent in the summer.

Seen as a creative midfielder or as a possibility to play the supporting role behind Fernando Torres, Van der Vaart would add an extra dimension to the Reds' options.

Madrid was willing to sell the 26-year-old at the end of last season, but he was kept on after Manuel Pellegrini saw Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben leave the club.