Ian Rush: Liverpool Should Buy Real Madrid Striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy In January

Liverpool legend Ian Rush believes that the club must bolster their strike force by bringing in Ruud van Nistelrooy from Real Madrid in January.

The Reds have been found lacking in the attacking department, with no proven hitman to replace or partner Fernando Torres up front apart from the inexperienced David Ngog.

While Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt both have the capability to play as a forward, Rafael Benitez has preferred to play them primarily on the flanks.

With the exit of Robbie Keane last season, Rush now insists that the Merseysiders will have to strengthen their front line with someone like Van Nistelrooy.

The 33-year-old is widely expected to leave Los Blancos in the upcoming transfer window.

"Sometimes Torres needs a break, and if Rafa has only one wish in the transfer window, I hope it’s a top-class striker," Rush told The Mirror.

"I would love to see him bring in someone like Van Nistelrooy, a proven goalscorer with experience at the highest level."

The Dutchman had a sensational five-year spell with Manchester United, scoring 150 goals in all competitions.

And despite the fact 'RVN' is a former Old Trafford hero, Rush believes that the fans will have no trouble taking to the striker.

He said: "World-class predators like him don’t become available every day of the week, and it doesn’t bother me where he’s played before - all it would take is a couple of goals and the supporters would take to him in a flash."

Liverpool's Fernando Torres Is £60m Chelsea Target

Fernando Torres is a £60million target for Chelsea.

There is a growing belief among Europe's richest and most powerful clubs that a season of Liverpool failure will force Torres - and his advisers - to review the player's career.

Torres has publicly insisted he is committed to the Anfield cause and does not want to create any issues that could destabilise Rafa Benitez's managerial authority.

But the Liverpool hierarchy is aware that if their struggling team fails to qualify for the Champions League, hanging on to Torres could become a major issue.

And Torres will quickly be made aware of alternatives homes where he can play at the highest level of the club game.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is a huge admirer of Torres and the 25 -year-old Spaniard is the man the Blues boss wants to bolster his strike force.

Ancelotti has been repeatedly linked with a £45m move for Atletico Madrid's 21-year-old Argentine Sergio Aguero.

But the Italian boss stressed after the 3-3 draw with Everton eight days ago that "100 per cent" he will not be involved in any player recruitment during the January transfer window.

Unless he's forced into a strategic review, that suggests Ancelotti will seek to strengthen his squad next summer - and Torres will be at the top of his wanted list.

Last summer Benitez rejected an approach from Manchester City before the cash-rich Eastlands club could get a £50m offer off the ground.

Benitez has acknowledged: "Fernando is one of the best strikers in the game and, at his age, can only get better.

"Every major side would want him in their team."

Chelsea accept their much derided attempt to break even by 2010 has now been put on the back burner. Any attempt to lure Torres to Stamford Bridge will force owner Roman Abramovich into the kind of investment he was committed to around five years ago.

Any bid for Torres will shatter the Chelsea club record of £32m paid to AC Milan for Andrey Schevchenko.

Despite the stuttering form displayed by his team Torres has emerged as an Anfield hero in the 29 months since his £26.5m recruitment from Atletico Madrid.

Boss Benitez has worked on finding the best attacking set-up to bring the best out of his master marksman. The likes of Robbie Keane and Fernando Morientes were tried and discarded while Dirk Kuyt has ended up operating as a wide attacker.

In effect, Liverpool's most effective strike force comes when skipper Steven Gerrard operates in a withdrawn role behind Torres.

The acclaimed duo has immense professional respect for each other. In troubled times they have been the players who have consistently met the exacting standards expected at the club.

The potential loss of Torres would spark a massive outcry on Merseyside. The striker signed a new contract worth £5.5m a-year in May.

He still had four years remaining on the contract he signed on his arrival from Atletico but Liverpool felt the new, extended deal reflected the player's status as "one of the world's top strikers."

The current agreement runs to 2013 with an option for the deal to be extended to 2014.

One obstacle to Chelsea's chances is the ongoing Gael Kakuta affair.

Chelsea have appealed against a two-transfer-window ban imposed after they were found guilty of enticing the youngster to break his contract with FC Lens.

Liverpool Make Shock Move For Moses

Liverpool have joined the race for Crystal Palace ace Victor Moses.

The 19-year-old midfielder is in blistering form and scored against Barnsley on Saturday with a wonderful overhead kick.

Spurs, Hoffenheim and Barcelona are keen on Moses but the Reds reckon they can land him for £5million.

The foreign clubs have already made their intentions known to Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock but they are set to be disappointed.

It is understood Moses does not want to leave England so early in his career, while Tottenham are keeping tabs on the youngster.

Warnock admits he is fighting a losing battle to keep Moses at Selhurst Park - but he will hold out for as much money as possible to help the cash-strapped Eagles recoup some cash.

Tottenham seemed to be in pole position to land Moses but Harry Redknapp claims he needs to sell before he can buy. He may have trouble shipping out the right players, meaning Spurs are now behind Liverpool in the chase for Moses.

Money is also tight at Anfield but Rafael Benitez is confident he can raise £5million to capture Moses.

He has been told there is a limited amount of money to spend in January and the Spaniard is set to launch his bid for the starlet as he is keen to build for the future on Merseyside.

Gary Lineker: 12 Months Of Tears, Rants... And Possibly The Worst £20m Ever Spent On A Player

What was your football highlight of 2009? Being a Leicester City fan, nothing could top promotion back to the Championship for me but elsewhere we had 12 months of tears and laughter, cheating, rants and the world's first £80million player.

It's a time to look back and reflect on the best and worst of what has happened. Stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres have graced 2009 but my player of the year is Wayne Rooney, who has grown from world-class talent to the talismanic leader of Manchester United and England.

United were always going to be weakened by Ronaldo going to Real Madrid but the way Rooney has thrived on the extra responsibility has been stunning. He has to be the chief goalscorer and shirt-seller at Old Trafford now. And so far he hasn't put a foot wrong.

It struck me how special he is when I went to Stamford Bridge earlier this season to see Chelsea play United. There were outstanding players on both teams but even in that company Rooney stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Besides winning a third Premier League title in a row, he scored 29 times for club and country in 2009, a great record for a player who offers more than just goals.

If he delivers at the World Cup, we'll be talking about him as the greatest English player of all-time alongside Tom Finney and Bobby Charlton.

Talking of England, Fabio Capello gets my vote as manager of the year, for getting to the World Cup without any palpitations and putting us in a position where we could win it. That is a huge turnaround for a team that didn't qualify for Euro 2008.

Capello has brought discipline to the set-up and given the players confidence. It might be a surprise that Premier League stars can lack self-belief but that was the case with England pre-Capello.

The highlight was the 5-1 win against Croatia in September. Significantly, Steve Gerrard and Frank Lampard scored twice each - at one stage people didn't think they could play in the same team.

The year was mind-boggling for the money spent on transfers. Manchester City spent £135m, Real Madrid beat that on just two players, Ronaldo and Kaka.

The best business was done in January, however, when Tottenham paid £15m to Portsmouth for Jermain Defoe. Always a good striker, Defoe has become lethal in the last 12 months, improving tremendously in his penalty box awareness. The buy of the year in my view. He's worked with former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright and that shows he is prepared to listen and learn.

Defoe is at the stage now where I would love to see him play with Wayne as the No 1 strike partnership for England. My instinct says that they would be brilliant together. Over to you, Fabio.

Alberto Aquilani cost more than Defoe - but you wouldn't have realised it from his appearances this season. At a reported £20m, he's got to be the worst buy. He was meant to replace Alonso but spent the first three months injured and hasn't been pushed into the team by Rafa Benitez now that he is fit. It suggests the Liverpool boss is not confident about his ability to fit into the English game.

Benitez came up with the best soundbite of the year. But, although funny, it ended up rebounding on Liverpool. His line, 'I want to talk about facts', while ranting about Sir Alex Ferguson in January was great entertainment.

But the timing was strange - Liverpool were top of the table and Benitez didn't have to say anything at all. The next day his side were held by Stoke and never recovered the title initiative.

At least Liverpool had a reasonable season, Newcastle's relegation was a huge shock. The turmoil off the field finally cost them on it.

Best goal of the year came last weekend by Wigan's Maynor Figueroa against Stoke. To score from inside your own half is not easy – even Pele managed to miss from there. Figueroa's shot could not have been struck more sweetly.

We have all the Premier League games on a Saturday coming in on a live feed at the BBC. One of the biggest reactions from those of us watching in 2009 wasn't for a goal but for Jimmy Bullard's goal celebration against Manchester City.

His impression of a finger-wagging Hull boss Phil Brown had everyone bursting out with spontaneous laughter and applause. As Alan Shearer said later, it wasn't just the best goal celebration of the year but maybe of all-time.

On the negative side, Thierry Henry became the biggest villain of the year when his handball sent France rather than the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup. The striker has built a fantastic reputation and it was shattered in a moment.

I just wish the culture in football would have allowed the referee to ask him outright if he'd handled. I am sure Henry would have been honest if put on the spot and all the bitter recriminations since could have been avoided.

Most sadly of all, we lost one of my greatest role models and inspirations in football this year when Sir Bobby Robson died in July after a long battle against cancer.

It was so fitting that his funeral service in Durham turned into the greatest football gathering of the year, where I was able to catch up with former Italia 90 team-mates Peter Beardsley and Paul Gascoigne and two of my former team-mates from Barcelona, Jose Alexanco and Txiki Begiristain.

Bobby's passing meant 2009 was a bittersweet year for football. Rooney could make 2010 really special.

Liverpool's Tom Hicks Tells Jurgen Klinsmann: You Will Never Manage Reds

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has told Jurgen Klinsmann he will NEVER manage Liverpool.

The Anfield hierarchy have been stunned by the German's recent attempts to undermine Rafa Benitez and offer himself up as the perfect replacement.

Klinsmann, who was sounded out about succeeding Benitez two years ago when the Spaniard was embroiled in a dispute with the club's two American owners, gave a damning assessment of Liverpool's team on a Champions League television show.

He followed that up with a newspaper interview in Germany in which he claimed he could be Anfield-bound next summer.

And when Sunday Mirror Sport asked Hicks whether Klinsmann would ever be considered as a future Liverpool manager, his reply was an emphatic: "Never."

Hicks added: "I don't know what his (Klinsmann's) motives are."

Benitez, who is less than 12 months into a five-year contract, has been told he has the full support of Liverpool's owners despite an early Champions League exit and seven Premier League defeats this season.

Klinsmann, 45, forged himself a reputation as one of the game's best up-and-coming coaches when he took Germany to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.

He was an advocate of attacking football and his personality and communication skills helped him become a popular global figure.

The following year, with Benitez's future in doubt following a power struggle with Liverpool's then chief executive Rick Parry, he was approached by Gillett as a possible replacement.

Klinsmann met with Gillett, Hicks and Parry in the United States but, once the crisis at Anfield had ended, he was appointed coach of Bayern Munich.

His reign in Bavaria lasted less than a season and Benitez has since viewed his attempts to undermine him at Liverpool with as much amusement as derision given the way he was dumped by Bayern.

Reds Need To Revise Targets - Rafa

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez tellingly spoke of the need to "change your targets" after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth.

The Spaniard may well have been talking about shifting focus to the Boxing Day clash against Wolves but following the performance at Fratton Park, the comment could easily apply to Liverpool's season.

Goals from Nadir Belhadj and Frederic Piquionne, either side of Javier Mascherano's dismissal, made Liverpool look every inch the Europa League team they currently are.

This came days after Benitez offered guarantees of a top-four finish in the Premier League with the right approach.

"We have to start working this week, preparing the next game," he said.

"You have to change your targets and think about one game at a time. That is the only way. We know we have to work harder now."

Anfield legend Alan Hansen, in his role as a BBC pundit, suggested the pressure was on Benitez to deliver and that the club would not make any knee-jerk reaction during the season.

Hansen was also critical of Liverpool's performance at Pompey, regardless of referee Lee Mason's decision to dismiss Mascherano for a lunge at Tal Ben Haim.

Last season Benitez's outburst aimed at Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, when he kept repeating "facts", was criticised as counter-productive - this time he continually described Mason as "perfect".

For a flavour of his reaction, Benitez said: "The referee was perfect. He didn't make any mistakes. He was perfect in giving fouls to (Fernando) Torres, he was perfect in everything. He was perfect."

Benitez, however, did claim the sending off just before half-time changed the game.

"The 10 players were working very hard," he said.

"Credit to them, they were in the game. They (Portsmouth) were playing counter-attack and with the pace up front it's not easy."

Belhadj's goal came after a poor header from former Pompey right-back Glen Johnson, while Piquionne span around Jamie Carragher before finishing, ruining the Liverpool centre-back's 600th appearance for the club.

"You have to be disappointed when you concede goals," Benitez added.

At least Benitez has £20million summer signing Alberto Aquilani back for the Christmas period after missing the Pompey trip with a calf problem.

"He has a kick in his calf and he didn't train properly," Benitez said.

"He is not serious so he will be okay for next week but he couldn't be here."

Javier Mascherano Will Serve Four-Game Ban After Portsmouth Dismissal

Liverpool's Javier Mascherano is shown a red card by the referee Lee Mason at Portsmouth, an offence that has landed the Argentina captain a four-match ban.

Liverpool have confirmed that Javier Mascherano will serve a four-match ban after his sending-off at Fratton Park. The Argentina captain was shown a straight red card by the referee Lee Mason and now faces a second suspension of the season.

Mascherano will miss the fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, the FA Cup third-round tie at Reading and the league match against Tottenham Hotspur on 10 January.

However, his participation in at least some of those games would have been in doubt anyway as he had to be helped off the field having been show the red card and is believed to have sustained medial knee-ligament damage.

The absence of the Argentinian, who was just starting to rediscover his form, will be a huge blow to the manager, Rafael Benítez.

It means the Liverpool manager must decide whether to drop Steven Gerrard back from his attacking role just behind Fernando Torres or play the £20m summer signing Alberto Aquilani, whom he has been holding back because of concerns about his fitness.

Liverpool Boss Rafael Benitez Is Tipped For The Chop After Defeat At Portsmouth

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is now 9/1 to lose his job before the turn of the year, thanks to his side's 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday.

Manager Benitez, who this week "guaranteed" that his side will finish fourth in the Premier League, is a front-runner to be fired, after five years in the hot seat at Anfield.

Bookmakers William Hill are also offering 13/8 that Liverpool will finish in the top four and 4/9 that they will not after their 2-0 defeat at bottom-of-the-table Pompey.

"Rafa's guarantee has a hollow ring to it after the defeat by Portsmouth," William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe told sportinglife.com.

"We are now offering just 7/1 that Liverpool finish in the bottom half of the table," he added.

Match Report: Portsmouth 2 - 0 Liverpool

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez suffered a disastrous trip to Portsmouth after Javier Mascherano was dismissed during a miserable defeat at Fratton Park.

Pompey's victory, with the goals coming from Nadir Belhadj and Frederic Piquionne, will ignite hope of survival in the Barclays Premier League.

However, Liverpool chances of finishing in the top four are uncertain - they missed a chance to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since September.

It means Avram Grant maintains his unbeaten record against Benitez after recording two wins and two draws during his time at Chelsea in the 2008 season.

Back then he ended the Spaniard's Champions League hopes at the semi-final stage - this time he has dented their chances of even qualifying for the competition.

Benitez was furious with Lee Mason, who sent two Liverpool players off during the defeat to Fulham earlier in the season, for his straight red for Mascherano, who will now miss four games through suspension.

The defeat also meant there was no celebration to mark Jamie Carragher's 600th appearance for Liverpool - until Belhadj's strike he would not have enjoyed an easier 30 minutes in his previous 599.

In truth, both sides needed time to find their a footing in a game played under tricky conditions. The match was able to go ahead due to the pitch being covered during the week, although there were traces of snow on the shaded areas of the turf meaning passing was sometimes hindered.

Benitez was boosted by the return of Fernando Torres after the Spain striker rested his troublesome groin in the midweek win over Wigan - but he was limited to half-chances.

Torres had a sight of goal early on but Hermann Hreidarsson was back in time - his sliced clearance could have gone anywhere but ended up in Asmir Begovic's hands.

Torres then got closer midway through the half after collecting a pass from Andrea Dossena and curling just over the bar, then he was inches from Steven Gerrard's cross.

Dossena's selection was a curious decision, especially with Yossi Benayoun relegated to the bench and Ryan Babel back after an ankle complaint.

And any plans Benitez had of his changes ensuring a simple victory were blown away just after the half-hour mark when Pompey took the lead.

Belhadj started the move himself by nutmegging Emiliano Insua to set up the attack. When the ball was cleared, Kevin-Prince Boateng forced Pepe Reina into a save with a powerful volley, former Pompey full-back Glen Johnson cleared the ball only as far as Belhadj and the Algerian lashed in at the near post.

Belhadj has been out of favour under Grant, this was his first game since October and resulted in his first goal of the campaign.

Daniel Agger should have levelled before the break. Gerrard's free-kick found him unmarked but the centre-back headed over from close range.

To make matters worse, then came Mascherano's dismissal.

The Argentina midfielder recklessly crashed into Tal Ben Haim, although his feet did not leave the ground. Nevertheless, Mason consulted the fourth official before giving a straight red card.

It was a decision that infuriated Benitez, who had chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" aimed at him from home fans.

Benitez made his move eight minutes after the break, introducing Benayoun for Dossena to the delight of Liverpool fans, many of whom had set off at unsociable hours for the lunchtime kick-off.

Michael Brown made himself busy in midfield, winding up his opponents. When Torres snapped and fouled the Pompey skipper it earned the striker a yellow card, then the striker may have been fortunate to stay on the pitch when he led with his arm in a challenge on Ben Haim.

Johnson also earned a booking for tripping Jamie O'Hara when the on-loan Tottenham midfielder robbed him deep in Liverpool territory.

Begovic needed to be at his sharpest to deny Gerrard after the England midfielder's shot struck Brown and Hreidarsson. The Pompey goalkeeper was falling the wrong way but managed to palm the ball away.

Piquionne doubled the lead with eight minutes remaining, latching onto Boateng's cross, spinning around Carragher and finishing crisply.

Rafa Benitez: Javier Mascherano Dismissal Cost Liverpool FC Dear At Portsmouth

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes the first-half dismissal of Javier Mascherano signalled the beginning of the end for his side as they fell to a 2-0 loss at Portsmouth today.

The Argentinian midfielder saw red shortly before the interval after recklessly crashing into Tal Ben Haim, although his feet did not leave the ground.

Liverpool were already trailing to a Nadir Belhadj goal when they were reduced to 10 men and Frederic Piquionne added another late on to complete the scoring.

Benitez said: “If you analyse the first half we were doing well, even with their goal but then came the Mascherano incident.

“We were a good team in the first half and the sending off changed everything.

“We had some chances, we should have scored, we were controlling the game and everything changed with Mascherano.

“Now we have to hope we can win our next game.”

Pompey’s victory will ignite hope of survival in the Barclays Premier League.

The result also means Avram Grant maintains his unbeaten record against Benitez after posting two wins and two draws during his time at Chelsea in the 2008 season.

Grant was thrilled to claim the scalp of Liverpool having narrowly missed out to leaders Chelsea in midweek.

“Today we played like a team,” he said.

“From game to game we are playing better and today we deserved the win.

“We played on Wednesday against a team in first place at home, and we showed ourselves if we can do things well at the bottom of the table we can still surprise the other team, and today it went well.”

Pompey midfielder Michael Brown added: “We’ve been playing well in general. It was a fantastic result for us.

“It’s a matter of getting some points and three points is fantastic against a strong Liverpool team with a lot of talent. It’s an enjoyable day for us.”

Rafa Benitez Putting Faith In Liverpool FC Defender Glen Johnson

There is an irony attached to Rafa Benitez’s signing of Glen Johnson, if you are willing to believe the chatter in some parts.

It goes like this. The manager who is more preoccupied with defending and making sure the back of his team is in order actually weakened his rearguard by selling a player who could occupy a number of positions for someone who struggles to do his main job.

Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. Yet ever since he played for England in Ukraine on October 10, Johnson has found his positional sense and ability to help Liverpool keep clean sheets called into question.

Never was that more apparent than after last Sunday’s alarming 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal as Johnson put through his own net to give Arsene Wenger’s side a route back into the game before having his pocket picked by Arshavin for their winner.

Every player, at some point in their career, experiences a 45 minute spell when nothing goes right, but for there to be suggestions that Johnson has struggled since swapping Portsmouth for Liverpool in the summer would be grossly unfair.

Fast, skilful and decisive in the tackle, Johnson has made an assured start to life on Merseyside; yes, there has been the odd lapse, but ask Benitez about the man he bought to replace Alvaro Arbeloa and you are left in doubt about the manager’s views.

Having shaken off the problem which forced him to miss Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Wigan, Johnson will take his place alongside Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio at a ground he knows well.

An FA Cup-winner during his time on the south coast, Johnson is sure to get a good reception at Fratton Park, but all Benitez is bothered about is the 25-year-old making a key contribution to another Liverpool win.

“When we looked at Glen, we knew we were signing an attacking full-back,” Benitez explained. “Everybody knows he is really good going forward but, at the same time, we know he can improve in defence.

“It’s too early to talk about how he has done for us so far, but we have seen him take good positions on the pitch and he does well in certain situations; sometimes he makes a mistake, but generally he is doing very well.

“But he has an attacking mentality and that is good. He is improving and he will keep improving; it is all a question of time, but, clearly, we know he is going to be a good player for Liverpool.

“Last Sunday was just a bit of bad luck. First the cross took a deflection off Fabio then another off Carra and it was really difficult for him to get out of the way; but the main thing always for me is the reaction.

“This week we have watched Glen and he has been very good. He has a good mentality and he is keen to learn; at this moment he is showing that he can become a key player for us for a long time. He just needs to keep improving the little details.”

What will help him achieve that aim is if Benitez can get Carragher, Agger and Aurelio alongside Johnson on a regular basis – it is no surprise Liverpool have conceded more goals this season than usual, given how much shuffling the manager has had to do.

Agger and Aurelio may have had more injuries than most, but Johnson has suffered his fair share and Benitez is hoping the former Chelsea and West Ham can put those niggles behind him to play one week after another.

“The injuries have been very important,” said Benitez. “Glen has had problems, but we have also had other problems with too many players having injuries at the same time and they (the back four) haven’t been able to play together regularly for a while.

“But if we can change that, I think it will be much easier because the understanding between defenders is very important. Glen was Portsmouth’s best player last season and I’m sure he will get a good reception.”

Johnson was in opposition back in February when Liverpool staged one of their most dramatic comebacks of the season, scoring twice in the last five minutes to snatch a 3-2 win when it seemed like they were going to return empty-handed.

“We showed there last year that we have got a very good mentality,” said Benitez. “We were able to win a lot of games at the end and we have shown we can do it; the mentality we are looking for now is this one.

“When you have some problems you have to show character and I think the players are ready. Hopefully we can play well and we will not need to win in the last minute, but if we have to that’s fine, too. We have got to keep the momentum going.

“We needed to win on Wednesday and that was the main thing. We had a situation with which I was furious – it should have been a free-kick when Pepe Reina was trying to catch the ball but the referee allowed them to play on and they hit the bar.

“I was really disappointed because it would have meant us having to score another goal when we were nervous. But still the performance was good.”

Carra Keen To Emulate Giggs

Jamie Carragher hopes to remain a key part of Liverpool's plans for several years to come.

The defender will make his 600th appearance for the Reds when they travel to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth on Saturday lunchtime, having made his debut as a teenager back in 1997.

Carragher, now 31, has already admitted he would rather leave Liverpool than stay with his hometown side beyond his best years.

However, he believes he can continue playing to a high level for some time if he is managed carefully like Ryan Giggs has been at Manchester United.

The Welshman is no longer a permanent fixture in the Red Devils starting XI but he is enjoying some of the best form of his career.

"I'd like to do what Giggs has done. Alex Ferguson is very clever in deciding when he plays. I could do that role one day," Carragher said in The Sun.

"It's a little bit different at centre-back where managers do not like to rotate it as much but it is a position where there isn't a tremendous amount of running, so it can work both ways.

"Either way, I'd like to think I'd be capable of playing 25-30 games for Liverpool a season at the age of 34 or 35."

Carragher received criticism for his performances during the early part of the season but he has learned to deal with the pressure.

"I've got 18 months left on my contract so I'd like to be playing regularly next season," he added.

"I could finish this season on 620-625 games. Then, hopefully, play another 40-odd next season taking me to second in the list.

"It would make me happy. It will prove that I've been up for the fight for a long time.

"I've not been playing as bad as has been made out.

"Liverpool is a great club to be at when everything is going well but when we're struggling, it's a very difficult place to be.

"That's why I'm still here after 15 seasons - I can take the flak."

David Ngog Is Looking The Ideal Second Striker For Liverpool FC

Statistics can be made to say anything you want so here’s one to mull over; at this stage of last season, Liverpool’s second striker had scored four goals this year the total is six.

When Robbie Keane arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2008, with many lauding him as perhaps the final piece in the jigsaw, the promise was of him forming a devastating partnership with Fernando Torres that would fire Liverpool to the title.

As you can see from the figures above, though, the reality was somewhat different, as Keane failed to get to grips with Liverpool’s style of play and never looked capable of dovetailing to any great effect with Torres.

Yes, there were a couple of assists a delightful cross at Goodison Park, for instance, which Torres smashed in to give the Reds a crucial lead but nothing to ever suggest he was capable of filling the legendary number seven shirt.

True, his effort could not be faulted but the running stood for little as, more often than not, he looked incapable of doing the one thing Rafa Benitez brought him to the club for ie. scoring a considerable number of goals.

That he went into the Christmas period with just four strikes to his name said everything about the effect he had and it is not being unfair to say that an experienced international should have had double the tally.

Now contrast that with David Ngog. When it became apparent the young Frenchman who arrived at Anfield a month after Keane would start this campaign as Torres back-up, there were groans of frustration among Liverpudlians, who feared the worst.

It is no secret that Benitez wanted to sign a second striker in the summer and had the goalposts not been moved, there is reason to believe Stevan Jovetic, Fiorentina’s gifted Serbian star would have ended up at Anfield.

You may understand, then, why Benitez glowered more than he has ever done during a game, when Jovetic scored twice at Stadio Artemio Franchi in September to put Liverpool on the road to Champions League oblivion.

Would Jovetic have made a difference during the time Torres spent fighting to overcome his nagging groin problem? That is open to debate. What we do know, however, is Ngog has slowly started to come of age in the last couple of months.

He has taken his chances and it is very important for him, noted Javier Mascherano. As a footballer it is not easy to play all the time if people are expecting David to do the same job that Fernando does.

That is not possible. He is under pressure all the time. But quietly he is doing a good job. When he has had to play, he has scored goals. He is trying to do the right thing and he is doing well for the manager.

Ngog does not yet have the physical strength or stamina to cope with the intensity of 90 minutes of Premier League combat once every three or four days but, as he is only 20, that will come with time.

For the moment, however, his efforts have been more than sufficient and what has impressed most of all is that the vast majority of his goals in the last couple of months have been all significant not token strikes at the end of games that have already been decided.

His effort at Leeds secured Liverpool’s passage into the next round of the Carling Cup, he showed composure to put Manchester United out of their misery, came up trumps in Debrecen and showed a poachers instinct against Wigan on Wednesday.

Of course, brows were furrowed with the way he won a penalty against Birmingham City but the young Frenchman will not make that mistake again; he is learning all the time and working with Torres can only be to his benefit.

Something that could not be said for Keane who would have thought the young man who cost 13 times less than him would go on to have an infinitely more successful Anfield career?

John Aldridge: It’s Vital That Liverpool FC Go Fourth And Conquer

Portsmouth have been written off as relegation certainties already but I wouldn’t be so quick to condemn them to the drop.

With that in mind, Liverpool face a huge task this afternoon on the south coast at one of the most atmospheric, noisy stadiums in the country. Coming away from Fratton Park will prove easier said than done.

Though we managed to get back to winning ways against Wigan, I didn’t see any signs of confidence being restored and its a good job Charles NZogbia’s goal didn’t come five minutes earlier as the jitters would have well and truly set in.

Still, the victory was gratefully received and Rafa Benitez has got to start Fernando Torres this lunchtime to improve our chances of securing back-to-back wins for the first time in the league since September.

But if we can see off Portsmouth no easy task when you consider that Avram Grant has managed to get some improvement out of them and they acquitted themselves well at Chelsea then I think you will see a real difference.

Hopefully we would then be able to see off Wolves without too much fuss. It would be nice if my old mate Mick McCarthy brought the reserves again, or is he now too much of a Manchester United fan? We could then go into the Aston Villa game on a high.

The Reds cannot allow Villa to sneak too far away, as they are riding on the crest of a wave after beating Manchester United and Sunderland, and are probably the side who will come closest to getting into the top four.

Fortunately, given how badly we have played, we are not too far off fourth spot but we are miles behind in the race for the title and that goes to show that wool has been pulled over our eyes in terms of what we are fighting for.

All we wanted from this season was to challenge for the title, but that is not to be as things stand. We have to make the best of a bad situation and ensure we have Champions League football to look forward to next year its the least we expect.

Liverpool's Rafael Benitez Attacks Premier League For Fixture Failure

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has weighed into the fixture debate, criticizing the Premier League for handing his men a congested schedule.

Benitez joins both Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson in attacking the Premier League's fixture list that has the Reds playing Wigan Athletic on Wednesday night, before travelling to battle Portsmouth the following afternoon.

He is frustrated for fans who wish to attend both matches as they would most likely have to take the train to Fratton Park from Lime Street Station at no later than 6:45 am for a nine and a half hour return journey, during one of the busiest weeks of the year.

Telling the The Guardian: "It is the worst time to travel and it is something the authorities have to consider because a lot of fans will be on the road and maybe it will be snowing."

"But it is something that is very easy to change.

The Spaniard, who has already formally protested about the fixtures and match scheduling to the Premier League, says that he has a solution to the problem.

"My idea is simple, you draw the fixtures at the start of the season and you mirror it in the second half as they do in Spain. It would be a level playing field.

"In Spain they have the same number of teams in La Liga as they do in the Premier League, the same television rights issues and the same press. They can do it in Spain and the rest of Europe where the games are strictly home, away, home, away. I don't know why they cannot do that in England," he said.

Lucas Leiva Remains Confident Of Liverpool's Top Four Hopes

Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva has reiterated his hopes for a top four finish, despite the team struggling.

The Merseysiders remedied falling to a sixth Premier League defeat of the season last weekend by triumphing with a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic on Wednesday, and the win has restored confidence in the Reds camp as burgeoning.

"We could feel the taste of victory again in midweek which was really important after the defeat by Arsenal," Lucas informed the club's official website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.

"It was an important win for us as we want to be as close as possible to the top four.

"We have to fight for every point and each game left for us will be like a final for the rest of the season.

"We are working really hard and hopefully the second part of the season will be even better.

"We have to think about each game and win some games in a row.

"That will give us a lot of confidence and I have confidence we will finish in the top-four."

Liverpool are currently sixth; five points behind Aston Villa in fourth.

Match Preview: Portsmouth vs. Liverpool

Pressure has become the key word for Liverpool in the past month, Jamie Carragher has even turned to the man upstairs, but Portsmouth are in a significantly worse situation as the pair prepare to meet this weekend.

Ahead of Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Fratton Park, it is difficult to imagine two sides in the Premier League whose seasons have drifted so badly off course since the beginning of the campaign.

In truth, financially-stricken Pompey already appeared in dire straights in the summer and since that time they have managed to get through three owners and two managers, with current boss Avram Grant replacing Paul Hart.

Rafa Benitez's Liverpool, meanwhile, are not involved in Friday's draw for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages and they sit sixth in the table only on goal difference, five points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Every match for the Reds now almost takes on a must-win status and Carragher, who is set to make his 600th appearance for Liverpool, has therefore resorted to praying to God for a reward at the end of the season.

Grant has only one win since succeeding the sacked Hart, a recent appointment at Queens Park Rangers, in November but he has overseen a marked improvement in performances of the league's bottom club.

If West Ham lose to Chelsea on Sunday, Pompey could climb the division and their boss will be desperate for three points against a club he earned a UEFA Champions League semi-final win against when in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2008.

Last season's meeting was an epic as Liverpool grabbed a late victory on the South Coast and Pompey, who lost at Chelsea in midweek, will want to avoid a repeat, with their cause boosted by the return from suspension of Younes Kaboul.

Kevin-Prince Boateng and ex-Liverpool defender Steve Finnan both overcame viruses to start against Chelsea and should keep their places.

Liverpool are set to restore Fernando Torres to their first XI after the Spaniard was rested on the bench before essentially turning matchwinner in the 2-1 midweek victory over Wigan at Anfield.

Full-back Glen Johnson is fit to face his former club after he missed Wednesday's match with a hamstring problem.

Winger Albert Riera still has a hamstring injury and is not available, but Ryan Babel returns to the squad after an ankle complaint.


Possible starting XIs

Portsmouth: James, Ben-Haim, Kaboul, Wilson, Hreidarsson, Piquionne, Yebda, Boateng, Brown, O'Hara, Dindane.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Insua, Kuyt, Lucas, Mascherano, Aurelio, Gerrard, Torres.

Mascherano Coping With Pressure

Liverpool's Javier Mascherano is using the tense experience of only narrowly qualifying for the World Cup with Argentina to deal with pressure at club level.

The midfielder just reached next summer's international finals in South Africa after a nerve-shredding qualifying campaign with his country.

Mascherano is therefore using that experience to deal with the expectation as Liverpool struggle to meet the minimum target of a place in the Premier League's top four.

Rafa Benitez's Reds recorded only their third win in 10 league games to move sixth in the table with a victory over Wigan in midweek and the 25-year-old hopes for more ahead of Saturday lunchtime's trip to Portsmouth.

"We were talking about this (Argentina's struggles) and it has been good for me to have that experience," said Mascherano in the Daily Mirror.

"The pressure with Argentina to get them into the World Cup was worse. Not because it is my country and Liverpool is my club, but because here you have a little bit more time to do the right things.

"We know that we have to keep winning if we want to be in the top four, but we have a game every week to do that.

"With Argentina, I would go for two games then have three or four months to wait for the next one to put things right."

Mascherano also has high praise for David Ngog as the young striker continues to impress in his development this season after scoring the opener in the 2-1 win over Wigan when starting ahead of the rested Fernando Torres.

"David has taken his chances really well and it is very important for him," said Mascherano.

"It's not easy to play all the time if people are expecting David to do the same job Fernando does.

"That is just not possible, so he is under pressure all the time. But quietly he is doing a good job.

"When he has had to play, he has scored goals. He is trying to do the right thing and he is doing well for us and the manager."

Dalglish - Reds Respect Unirea

Kenny Dalglish insists Liverpool will not be under-estimating Unirea Urziceni after being pitted against the Romanians in the Europa League.

The Reds, like Unirea, dropped into the Europa League after failing to progress from the group stage of the Champions League.

Unirea finished third in Group G and picked up a memorable win over Rangers at Ibrox in the group.

Dalglish admitted Reds boss Rafa Benitez is likely to speak to Rangers counterpart Walter Smith to get the lowdown on their opponents.

"I think they got eight points in their Champions League group which included Rangers, Sevilla and Stuttgart so that's a decent number of points," Dalglish told Sky Sports News.

"Obviously there is plenty of coverage now, it's not as if you're going to get a team that won't have been on television so there's plenty of tape there for Rafa (Benitez) to have a look at.

"And also there's a phone call up the road to Walter Smith at Rangers, I'm sure he'll be happy to disclose any information he's got on them.

"It will be a difficult game. They go on a break until March now but whether the rest helps them or hinders them remains to be seen."

Liverpool could face a return to Istanbul, scene of their famous Champions League success of 2005, in the last 16 if they overcome Unirea with Fenerbahce or Lille waiting in the next round.

Dalglish admits the club would relish a return to Turkey, but insists they are not thinking too far ahead of themselves.

"We've got happy memories of Istanbul," added Dalglish. "But we've got to pay Unirea the respect they deserve."

Former Reds boss Dalglish conceded Liverpool would rather be still in the Champions League, but insisted they will be going all out to win the Europa League.

"We'd rather be in the Champions League," noted Dalglish.

"But we'll give it as good a go to win it, as we would the Champions League, I don't think the boys will let anyone down."

Rafa Targets Euro Success

Rafa Benitez has set his sights on claiming Europa League glory after Liverpool was drawn against Unirea Urziceni.

The Reds saw their UEFA Champions League hopes ended at the group stage and must now make do with the consolation of Europe's second-tier tournament.

Benitez knows his side faces a tough task against the Romanian champions, who have also been parachuted into the competition after finishing third in their Champions League group.

Anfield boss Benitez will not treat the Europa League as a distraction and will do his homework on the side who are managed by former Chelsea midfielder Dan Petrescu.

"For me it is too early [to talk about it] because we know we will play in February so we have plenty of time to prepare and learn about the other team," said the Spaniard.

"It will be tough. Unirea won the league in their country and were in a tough group with Sevilla and Stuttgart - I have some friends in Sevilla so maybe I'll be in touch with them.

"But it is important to have an option to win any trophy. The Europa League is different to the Champions League but there are some good teams in it.

"We have to progress if we can and then it is an opportunity to win a trophy and we will try to do it."

Liverpool, as an unseeded team after their poor Champions League display, will play the first leg at home on 18th February before travelling to Romania the following week.

"We would prefer to play the second game at home but we have to be ready. It will be interesting," added Benitez.