Liverpool Board Would Block Anfield Mortgage

Liverpool's owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks attempted to refinance their loans this summer by mortgaging the club's remaining assets - the stadium, training ground, players and guaranteed TV revenues.

There are fears the American owners might attempt another refinancing deal ahead of the October 6 deadline to repay £237 million owed to Royal Bank of Scotland, plus the £60 million of additional fees run up since April.

But the rest of Liverpool's five-man board would - once again - legally block any attempt to use the players or stadium as 'assets' to raise a mortgage to pay off existing debts.

Any refinancing will be opposed by the board who can outvote Hicks and Gillett 3-2, but the Americans might issue a legal challenge.

At present, the £40 million annual interest repayments come directly from club profits but ESPNsoccernet has learned that the debts are not loaded against the stadium and players. When Hicks and Gillett tried to find a new £290 million 'mortgage' using the stadium and players as assets a few months ago, the board threw out the proposal and took legal advice to ensure that they were within their rights to do so.

With the October 6 bank deadline rapidly approaching, Hicks and Gillett stand to lose their stranglehold on Liverpool if RBS chooses to take over the club and hand it over to their asset recovery experts to sell as a distressed asset. An RBS effective takeover of the club from the October 6 deadline would meet with Premier League approval. Liverpool have also informed the Premier League and UEFA that they have set aside financial measures to ensure that they can continue to pay the £8 million-a-month wage bill and fulfil their fixtures this season.

When asked if the club could still afford their substantial wage bill, a spokesman said: "Liverpool FC has prudent working capital facilities that allow the club to make proper provision for outgoings as and when they arise. These working capital facilities are totally satisfactory to both the Premier League and UEFA."

The annual wage bill in the 2008-09 accounts was £90.8 million and this year the figure will be around the same, but for the first time Liverpool have dipped into the red. When asked whether the crippling £40 million interest repayments which wipe out all operating profits are paid monthly, putting a strain on the club's cash flow, the response was that, as such detail is not a matter of public record, the club have declined to answer.

However there are fears that the club is heading for financial meltdown unless a new owner can be found, and so far there are no "credible" bidders. There has been nothing from a mystery bid involving Keith Harris, let alone the Kenny Huang bid that also failed to materialize. City experts are now estimating that Liverpool's price tag in an RBS fire sale could be as little as £150 million, far short of the original expectations of Hicks and Gillett, who demanded £800 million and then dropped their asking price to £600 million.

Talk of a takeover before the transfer window proved to be a disappointing false dawn, and City financiers believe the value of the club will now plummet. Liverpool suspects that potential new owners are waiting to grab the club for a knock-down price when RBS faces the prospect of selling the club itself from the October 6 deadline, when the bank's £237 million loan has to be repaid.

Manchester United And Liverpool Pondering January Move For Karim Benzema

Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool are both weighing up January transfer window offers for Real Madrid misfit Karim Benzema, according to reports from Spain.

AS comments that Jose Mourinho is concerned about the former Lyon forward’s ability to provide back-up to first-choice striker Gonzalo Higuain, and has also criticized his attitude in recent training sessions.

It is believed that should a suitable offer be received for the Frenchman, the Portuguese coach would be willing to let Benzema leave in order to fund a replacement of his own choosing.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson has previously been linked with a swoop for the 22-year-old while Liverpool are desperate to bolster their attacking options to take the strain from Fernando Torres.

Mourinho has allegedly given the striker three months to prove himself at the Santiago Bernabeu, and if his performances do not reach the required standard, the former Inter and Chelsea boss will look to cut the club’s losses.

Benzema arrived as part of Florentino Perez’s revolution last summer, but managed just 10 goals in 33 appearances.

Athletic Bilbao Fear Chelsea & Liverpool Offers For Starlet Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta

Athletic Bilbao is bracing themselves from an offer to arrive for Liverpool and Chelsea target Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, according to Tutto Mercato Web.

De Galarreta, 17, is understood to be the jewel in the Basque side's youth set-up and made his first team debut in a friendly against Lemona this summer.

Watching scouts have been impressed with the midfielder's technique and vision, with bids expected to be lodged in the near future.

The Premier League pair are not expected to get a free range at his signature as Barcelona are also eager to snap the player up.

Martin Kelly Hopes That Home-Grown Player Ruling Will Help Him

Martin Kelly is hoping that he can benefit from the Premier League’s new home-grown squad ruling and add to his solitary league appearance for Liverpool.

The promising defender – who was an unused substitute as England under-21s beat Lithuania 3-0 last night – is still only 20-years-old so can supplement the 21-man Barclays Premier League squad Roy Hodgson was able to name last week.

Kelly has made eight appearances in total for Liverpool, but his only league appearance to date was against Portsmouth last season.

The youngster is a confirmed advocate of the League’s new home-grown ruling.

“It’s the right rule to bring in because it’s good for us to get opportunities,” he declared.

“If you don’t take your chance then you don’t take it, but as long as you’re given it, that’s what matters.

“That’s what seems to be happening with the home-grown rule and it’s helping quite a bit.

“Roy Hodgson just told me to keep working hard.

“It’s a great experience working with a manager like Roy.

“Working with him and the players here is the best thing I can be doing at this moment in my career.

“I am enjoying the fact I am training day in, day out with such good players and such good management staff.”

Kelly made his U21s debut earlier this year against Uzbekistan – and scored.

Last night he didn’t play, but two goals from Sunderland’s on-loan striker Danny Welbeck and another from Aston Villa’s Marc Albrighton gave Stuart Pearce’s side a 3-0 victory.

Kelly added: “It was one of my targets last season.

“When I played for the U19s, I was telling my family I wanted to play for the U21s.

“Going to work with a manager like Stuart Pearce was brilliant, as was working with all the top young players who are coming through and just breaking into the senior squads at their clubs.”

Liverpool confirmed yesterday that Dirk Kuyt, meanwhile, will be out of action for four weeks with a shoulder injury.

The club’s medical team examined the Dutchman following his early return from international duty.

Liverpool’s head of sports medicine and sports science Dr Peter Brukner said: “Dirk has damaged his shoulder at the A-C joint, which is between the collar bone and the shoulder.

“He is likely to be out for four weeks.”

The Dutch media have reported that the injury was sustained after Kuyt fell awkwardly attempting a bicycle kick in training.

The 30-year-old now appears likely to miss games against Birmingham, Steaua Bucharest, Manchester United, Northampton, Sunderland and an emotional return to former club Utrecht.

Reina Vows To Recover From Spain Howler

Liverpool's Pepe Reina has vowed to bounce back from his goalkeeping blunder which helped Argentina defeat Spain 4-1 in an international friendly in Buenos Aires.

Reina, who was making a rare international start in place of rested captain Iker Casillas, slipped while attempting to deal with a straightforward back pass and was unable to prevent Carlos Tevez from swooping to score Argentina's third goal.

The recently crowned world champions were 3-0 down at half-time and Reina was unable to atone for his error as he was replaced by Barcelona's Victor Valdes in a pre-arranged interval substitution.

But despite his howler in a sobering defeat for Spain, Reina insists he can bounce back and challenge Casillas for the number one jersey.

"In football when a goalkeeper makes a mistake the full weight of the team falls on your shoulders," he explained.

"It was an accident, I prefer a slip to a technical failure. I must accept it, see it as an accident and move forward.

"Now I have to think about making use of whatever minutes the coach gives me."

Speaking about the heavy defeat in which Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero also featured on the scoresheet, Reina added: "They were highly motivated because they played against the world champions and many Argentine players are known because they play in Spain.

"It's a loss like many in football. I wish I only got defeats in friendlies. We should not dramatize it. The third goal condemned us for the entire game.

"Argentina should be congratulated but the loss was too severe."

Carra: We've Got The Strikers

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool have more than enough firepower up front despite not signing a striker in the transfer window.

Roy Hodgson made no secret of his desire to add striking reinforcements - but only if the right player came along.

That didn't happen, but Carragher is not concerned.

"If you take into account the changes at the club in the sports science department, I think up to now we have done quite well at the start of the season with injuries," said the vice-captain.

"We are looking for Fernando Torres to stay as fit as possible but I think David Ngog in the last 12 months is a completely different player, and his start to the season has been fantastic.

"We've also got Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel as well."

'Raul Can Be New Terry Mac'

Alan Hansen believes new signing Raul Meireles can provide Liverpool's midfield with the sort of dynamism that made Terry McDermott a Kop legend in the 1970s.

The Reds completed the signing of the Portugal international from FC Porto last month and, having been impressed with the 27-year-old's performances at the World Cup, Hansen feels the deal represents a coup for Roy Hodgson.

And the Scot is convinced Meireles has all the attributes to be as influential on the team as the legendary free-scoring McDermott.

"They can't be compared directly, but the closest thing we had to Meireles when I was at Liverpool would have been Terry McDermott," Hansen told LFC Weekly.

"Terry Mac was probably better technically, but he was the same type of energetic box-to-box midfielder who would start the build-up on the edge of our box and 10 seconds later would be at the other end of the pitch putting the ball in the net.

"I'd be stood there thinking 'Christ, where has he come from?'

"That's the sort of thing we've been looking for - someone who can go from being in a defensive position to ghosting into the other penalty area as a move builds up - and I believe Meireles can do that job."

Meireles played in all four of Portugal's matches at the World Cup and was on target during their resounding 7-0 group-stage victory over North Korea.

Hansen continued: "I spent the summer in South Africa at the World Cup and Meireles had a very good tournament for Portugal.

"If you were looking for a midfielder who was good at getting from box to box on a regular basis then I would say Meireles was as good as anybody in the competition.

"He is noted for his work-rate, but it was his work-rate plus a degree of quality that shone out. Every time I saw him he was very impressive, so from that perspective it looks like Roy Hodgson has made a really good signing for Liverpool Football Club.

"As is always the case with every new signing, you can never tell how a player is going to perform until he is bedded into the team, but from what I have seen he has the attributes to do well at Liverpool."

Meireles's arrival significantly bolsters Hodgson's midfield options - and Hansen is excited about what Anfield's new No.4 can bring to the team.

He added: "Meireles will add energy to the midfield. He'll shake things up in terms of movement in the centre of the park and get from box to box in a way that no other Liverpool midfielder has done in recent times with the exception of Steven Gerrard.

"He is a dynamic player. One minute he's in defence, the next he's in the opposition's box and maybe that's what we've been lacking a bit of in the last four or five years.

"Whether he will play alongside Steven with Joe Cole ahead of them, or alongside Christian Poulsen or Lucas with Steven further forward is difficult to say at present, but Roy will have all those options open to him.

"It's up to him to decide how he deploys Meireles and the most important aspect he will consider is how he gets the best out of the player."

Amoo Secures Newcastle Draw

Liverpool Reserves claimed their second point of the 2010-11 season as they came from behind twice in an enthralling 2-2 draw with Newcastle United in the North East on Tuesday evening.

Philip Airey put Newcastle ahead on eight minutes when he converted a penalty after being tripped inside the box by Chris Mavinga.

Suso netted an equalizer on his Barclays Premier Reserve League North debut with a thumping drive midway through the first period to spark a spell of real dominance for the Reds.

Samuel Ameobi restored Newcastle's lead near the hour as he prodded the ball over the line following a goalmouth scramble.

However, David Amoo found the net via a deflection with just over 10 minutes remaining to secure a well-deserved point for Liverpool.

John McMahon's men travelled to Whitley Park aiming to build on the opening-day point they picked up during last week's goalless stalemate with Wigan Athletic at the Academy.

Spanish teenager Suso, who last week completed a transfer from FC Cadiz on a scholarship agreement, was handed a competitive debut in what was a youthful team selection by the second-string boss.

Also named in his XI were Jack Robinson, Andre Wisdom, Michael Ngoo and Tom Ince, joining the likes of Stephen Darby, Steven Irwin, Amoo and Mavinga.

Meanwhile, there were a couple of familiar faces in former Kop hero Peter Beardsley's Newcastle selection.

Experienced ex-England international Sol Campbell started at the heart of the Magpies' defence, while there was also a place for Greg McDermott - son of iconic 1970s Anfield legend Terry.

The visitors began brightly and Darby brought a good early stop out of Ole Soderberg with a powerful near-post header from Suso's corner that required the Newcastle 'keeper to divert it around the upright.

The Reds had made all the early headway, but Newcastle was awarded a penalty on eight minutes when Mavinga brought down Airey inside the box.

The No.9 dusted himself down and took the spot-kick himself, beating Martin Hansen with a powerfully struck effort into the bottom corner.

Liverpool was visibly shaken by the setback, but they gradually began to find their footing in the contest once more.

On 22 minutes, Suso's dangerous in-swinging free-kick was diverted away from the head of Mavinga by Campbell. From the resulting corner, the Spaniard's enticing delivery was nodded over the bar by the unmarked Amoo.

Then, Suso's clever flick into the path of Ince sent the winger scurrying into the box, only for his control to let him down at a crucial moment.

The 16-year-old was at the heartbeat of every offensive foray by the Reds - and he duly drew McMahon's troop level on 27 minutes.

Collecting the ball midway inside the Newcastle half, Suso motored forward before driving an unstoppable effort into the back of the net from 25 yards, leaving Soderberg grasping air.

The home side's Swedish stopper fared better moments later as he plucked another tantalising set piece by the Spain starlet away from the head of Mavinga inside the six-yard box.

Liverpool were now firmly in the ascendancy and Ngoo was unfortunate not to put them into the lead five minutes before the break when the striker outmuscled Campbell to reach a long-ball forward, only to see his effort from a tight angle repelled by Soderberg.

There was still time for one more attempt from the guests, but Suso flashed well wide after a jinking run as half-time loomed.

Liverpool could not maintain the same intensity in the early stages of the second period as Newcastle made a promising start with Airey drilling into the side netting when well placed.

Nonetheless, a lightening raid forward from the visitors almost paid dividends as Irwin's clever pass released Ince into the left-hand channel of the box, but his low centre agonizingly evaded both Amoo and Ngoo courtesy of a timely deflection.

The livewire wide man then lofted an effort straight into the grateful hands of Soderberg after Ngoo's piercing pass released him into space on the edge of the box.

After their sluggish opening to the second 45, McMahon's side had regained control and Ngoo shaved the base of the post with a curling shot on the hour.

But Liverpool were struck by a sucker punch on 61 minutes as half-time substitute Ameobi bundled the ball over the line after Ryan Donaldson had headed Airey's deep centre into his path six yards out.

After overcoming the setback of falling behind undeservedly for the second time in the contest, the Reds' response saw Irwin sting the palms of Soderberg with a fiercely-struck effort.

And Amoo deservedly equalized for Liverpool on 78 minutes as he powerfully surged onto Irwin's pass into the area and saw a shot deflect off Paul Dummett to find the back of the net.

Robinson could have won it for the the Reds late on, but he drilled straight at Soderberg after collecting Michael Roberts's pass, while Ince was millimetres away from converting Darby's cross at the death.

Roy Hodgson Counting Down Days Until New Owners Are Found

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson wants to see an end to "the strange times" as the club awaits a takeover.

Owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks tried to sell up this summer but interested parties such as Kenny Huang failed to conclude a deal. With a debt of £351.4 million, the ex-Fulham supremo has had to operate with his hands tied behind his back in the transfer market while a fresh cash injection is awaited.

Speaking to the League Managers' Association's magazine 'The Manager', Hodgson bemoaned the current state of affairs.

He said: "The club is up for sale and nobody knows what direction it will take if and when new owners are found.

"A few years ago when the situation was far more stable, the money to buy new players was available.

"I hope the situation will change when the club is eventually sold and owners who are prepared to invest in the club come in.

"When that situation arises I'm pretty sure that it won't be difficult for us to start achieving things again but at the moment the task is really to hang on to the players we've got and make certain we don't have a situation where we have got a total rebuilding process."

Despite the prospect of falling into the hands of creditors the Royal Bank of Scotland in October, Hodgson insisted Liverpool's past achievements still make them competitive.

"The stature, traditions and ability of Liverpool to attract players certainly makes it an achievable task even though we are in strange times," the 63-year-old stated.

"You should never try and dampen people's enthusiasm and optimism.

"Furthermore every season we see teams not expected to win titles winning them.

"It doesn't always go to the favourite in any country.

"So we should never play down the Liverpool fans' incredible desire and passion to keep winning trophies - and the Barclays Premier League in particular - and keep their noses in front of Manchester United."

John Aldridge: Roy Hodgson Must Find A Cure To Liverpool FC’s Travel Sickness

One major challenge facing Roy Hodgson this season is improving Liverpool’s shocking away form.

We were so poor on our travels last season that at times it left me lost for words. There was a serious lack of belief and desire when we played away and when things went against us heads went down.

The fact that we only won five and only scored 18 goals in 19 away games speaks volumes. We were too negative and didn’t take the game to opposing teams.

If we’re going to achieve anything in the league this season that has to be put right – starting with Sunday’s difficult trip to Birmingham City.

We’ve slipped up there a couple of times in recent years and they are a decent side.

But we should be going to places like St Andrew’s looking to win rather than sneak a point.

The manager has to install some belief in the players that they’re capable of going to tough places and getting three points. We need to put that defeat away to Manchester City firmly behind us.

Victory in the Midlands would breed confidence ahead of the following weekend’s clash away to Manchester United.

I feel sorry for Hodgson this week because it’s tough preparing for a game when you’ve got so many of your players scattered across the world playing internationals.

But at least with us not playing until Sunday he has an extra 24 hours to work with them on their return.

It was good to see Fernando Torres score a couple of goals for Spain against Liechtenstein last Friday and Liverpool should benefit from that boost to his confidence.

I just hope Torres comes through Spain’s game in Argentina unscathed. Having a friendly in South America at this time of year is just crazy. After all his injury problems, Torres needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, not taken halfway around the world for a meaningless game.

Torres has to be nurtured very carefully and I’m sure Hodgson will be looking to take him out of the firing line for Carling Cup games and some of the matches in Europe.

It was a disappointment to me that we didn’t sign a striker before the window closed. As a result so much hinges on Torres being fit this season.

When Torres doesn’t play, I would have Dirk Kuyt up there. Kuyt was bought as a striker and has the qualities needed to lead the line. Hopefully he will recover from his shoulder injury quickly.

Dirk Kuyt Set For Several Weeks On The Sidelines

Netherlands head coach Bert van Marwijk has dealt Liverpool a blow after he declared Dirk Kuyt would be sidelined for several weeks with a shoulder injury.

Kuyt, 30, started Friday's 5-0 Euro 2012 qualifying thumping of San Marino but has been ruled out of Tuesday's clash against Finland. De Telegraaf has reported that he was sent to hospital for scans to determine the extent of the damage after he sprained a joint landing awkwardly after acrobatically trying to connect with a cross.

Van Marwijk has now confirmed the attacker has flown back to Liverpool for further treatment.

He was quoted as saying by Voetbal Primeur: "Dirk always does a rainbow kick, but this time it didn't went well.

"He will be out for probably a few week. He stepped on an airplane to Liverpool at 4pm."

"It's not possible to play a very tough season without any punishment. These guys play in tough competition, they proceed in the Champions League, after that they immediately went on to the preparations of the World Cup and then they had a very tough tournament," the ex-Borussia Dortmund boss added.

"These players need four, five, maybe even six weeks of vacation. The pressure gets bigger and bigger, not just physically but also mentally.

"A lot of them will not go without injuries in the coming months."

In a costly session for the Dutch, Kuyt could be joined on the sidelines by VFB Stuttgart and former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz after he fell victim to a groin strain.

Van der Vaart Snubbed Reds

Rafael van der Vaart has revealed that he chose to join Tottenham ahead of Liverpool this summer.

The Holland international made a dramatic deadline day switch to White Hart Lane after seeing Harry Redknapp move late for his services.

It had appeared that the playmaker was all set to remain at Spanish giants Real Madrid, with no agreement in place to take him away from the Bernabeu.

However, Spurs snapped him up, with the move among the more intriguing to be completed during the summer transfer window.

Redknapp claimed at the time that he pounced for Van der Vaart after seeing Bayern Munich come up short in their efforts to do a deal.

However, the 27-year-old insists it was not the German giants who had made a late bid for his services.

Instead, he claims that Liverpool were the other side hoping to push through a deal, forcing him to choose between two Premier League heavyweights.

Van der Vaart told Sky Sports News: "Liverpool were interested. Bayern were not interested.

"In the end you have to have a good feeling, and with this manager I got a good feeling. I am happy and I am going to Spurs.

"I am going to give it my best and hopefully I will play a lot of games and be important for the team. I hope to get a lot of goals and have a lot of fun."

Van der Vaart is also looking forward to adding to the strong Dutch contingent already plying their trade in the English top flight.

Having been urged to move to the Premier League by his international colleagues for some time, the former Ajax and Hamburg ace is keen to see what all the fuss is about.

"They were always telling me, 'You have to come to England'," he added.

"Now it's happened and I am really looking forward to playing against Dirk (Kuyt), against Nigel (De Jong), against (John) Heitinga."

Bayern Munich Blocked My Deadline Day Loan Move To Liverpool - Mario Gomez

Mario Gomez has claimed that Bayern Munich blocked a deadline day loan move to Liverpool.

The Germany international made a move to the Bavarian club from Stuttgart last year, for a fee believed to be in the region of £26.3 million.

But the forward was unable to hold down a regular starting role following his switch, and had been linked with moves to a clutch of clubs this summer.

The Reds have been on the lookout for a striker to bolster their attack, as they have been heavily reliant on Fernando Torres in the recent past.

And the 25-year-old maintains that a move to Merseyside was on the cards, only for Bayern to use their veto power and keep him at the Allianz Arena.

"I have said that if I leave Bayern I will go abroad," Gomez told Bild.

"Then came this interesting offer from Liverpool. I took the loan offer seriously and discussed it with my family and girlfriend because I just want to play.

"But Bayern gave me the impression that they see a future for me. And therefore a change was not an issue anymore."

Jamie Carragher Gives Seal Of Approval To Roy Hodgson's Transfer Dealings

Liverpool veteran Jamie Carragher has given the thumbs up to manager Roy Hdogson's transfer dealings.

Hodgson, 63, arrived at Anfield this summer and immediately tried to reshape the squad under serious financial constraints.

Portugal star Raul Meireles, Fulham's Paul Konchesky, ex-Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, Middlesbrough's Brad Jones, ex-Standard Liege attacker Milan Jovanovic, Juventus' Christian Poulsen and Rangers centre-back Danny Wilson were all brought in this summer, with Fabio Aurelio also being re-signed.

Carragher believes the players are of the right calibre to make the club competitive for a Champions League qualifying spot.

He said: "I think he has done very well but time will tell. You have to judge signings after Christmas - good or bad.

"We've started quite nicely and hopefully the couple of players we have brought in [late on] will help.

"Everyone realized we needed a left-back so Konchesky came in and Raul Meireles coming in is something we can all look forward to.

"Maybe he can replace the Xabi Alonso/Aquilani-type of player so I think it is looking okay."

I Have Fought Back From My Lows With Liverpool, Reveals Steven Gerrard

By last night Steven Gerrard had not ventured into the territory of personal turmoil with Wayne Rooney.

“Who am I to talk about things like that with Wayne Rooney? He's his own man,” he said.

But journeying through the elegant streets here brought the cold chill of recollection for the England captain about how it feels to be assailed by troubles back home and to attempt to put them aside when the football starts.

It was in Basle's St Jakob-Park Stadium that England's captain experienced what he remembered last night as one of his worst moments in football: Liverpool's arrival to face the local side in the 2002/3 Champions League group stage.

His parents, Paul and Julie, were in the throes of the divorce which devastated him and his form was painful to behold.

Liverpool were 3-0 down by half-time and Gerrard, utterly ineffectual, was subjected to a rocket by Gerrard Houllier and not even sent out for the second half during which he saw Liverpool eliminated, despite levelling the tie 3-3.

Houllier declared late that night that we were witnessing a case of a young star allowing his publicity to run away with him.

“I hope he doesn't believe everything that is written in the press about him, but he seems to be a good reader,” the then Liverpool manager said of Gerrard.

Gerrard's last moments out on the pitch here before his re-acquaintance with it in an energetic training session last night came on the disconsolate, track-suited walk he took to the Liverpool fans whose Champions League hopes were dead for another year, though the message for Rooney is that personal calamity can sometimes form a part of the journey in sport.

“You learn from things like that that happen to you, throughout your career,” Gerrard said. “Highs and lows? That was certainly a low in my career.

“I was sitting in the dressing room on my own having been taken off in one of my first Champions League games.

“The players go back out 3-0 down and you've put in a bad performance.

“It's a low point, let me tell you — probably one of the worst performances I've put in. I totally deserved to be whipped off at half-time.

Mark Lawrenson Hails Liverpool Defender Jamie Carragher As A 'Genuinely Good Person'

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has showered praise on Jamie Carragher, proclaiming the 32-year-old as a "genuinely good person".

The defender's testimonial saw past and present Reds players take on an Everton XI at the weekend, in a game that also saw the Merseyside-born player fulfil his dream of scoring for Everton against Liverpool.

And the 53-year-old former Red believes that current Anfield favourite deserves all the praise that he gets, particularly in light of the recent events that have tarnished the image of football stars - John Terry, Ashley Cole and Peter Crouch have been in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons, while Wayne Rooney has joined the pack for an alleged extra-marital affair.

"He is a genuine human being and a great ambassador," Lawrenson said in a column for the Liverpool Daily Post.

"I know testimonials don’t mean as much to players these days, but when someone can do so much for charity it proves their influence.

"It’s proven by the fact that Steven Gerrard did whatever it took to take a break from international duty and make an appearance for his pal.

"And by the fact that Michael Owen was more concerned with helping Jamie than worrying about what abuse he might get by going back to Anfield. You have to applaud those guys and everyone else who turned up – but it’s Carragher who deserves the real plaudits.

"At a time when footballers are being called into question more than ever for their behaviour and attitude, it was great to see a genuinely good person in the headlines."

Liverpool Set To Pounce For Mario Gomez In January

Liverpool will swoop for Bayern Munich's out of favour striker Mario Gomez in the January transfer window, according to News of the World.

Reds manager Roy Hodgson was unsuccessful in his bid to land a big-name striker as cover for Fernando Torres during the summer transfer window, reportedly missing out on four attacking targets.

Bayern’s Gomez was heading to Anfield on loan with a view to a potential £20m permanent deal in the summer but the deal fell through after the Bavarian giant's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute.

As a result, Hodgson had less than 48 hours to try and snap up Carlton Cole, Bobby Zamora or Kevin Doyle. All bids were rebuffed by the players’ respective clubs though.

Liverpool will now wait until the New Year to secure Gomez, using Hodgson's unspent money from the summer transfer kitty to conclude a deal.

Konchesky Ready For Reds Challenge

Paul Konchesky reflected on his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt and insisted: "I can't wait for the real action to begin."

The Liverpool defender, who completed his transfer from Fulham to Anfield on deadline day last week, enjoyed a second half run-out for the Reds in Jamie Carragher's testimonial on Saturday afternoon as Roy Hodgson's men cruised to a 4-1 victory.

But now he's focusing on the real action which lies ahead - starting next weekend when he could be in line for his full debut at Birmingham.

"I'm 29 and this is my last chance to play at the highest level," said the 29-year-old. "That is what Liverpool are and I am really looking forward to it.

"I'm looking forward to getting a new lease of life and playing at a very high standard.

"I can't wait to pull on a Liverpool shirt in the Premier League, it is a massive club and it is a big step for me. I just want to give it my all and go from there.

"I've had three or four days' training and although there have not been a lot of players there it has been a good week and I am hopefully going to enjoy it soon.

"It was good to be involved in Jamie's testimonial and put a Liverpool shirt on."

He added: "You look at the history they have got behind them it is unbelievable and there are some great players here," he added.

"If we can bring that back to the side this year in something like the Europa League then this team can go a long way.

"The testimonial was a bit slower than the Premier League but it was good for Jamie.

"I'm glad all the players came back for him; they obviously respect him a lot and he is well respected within the team. He looks fit and I think he has a few more years left in him - and hopefully it will be at Liverpool."

Kevin Doyle 'Was Transfer Deadline Day Target For Liverpool'

Hodgson made no secret of his desire to strengthen his frontline, but the expected last-minute signing failed to materialise.

According to the News of the World, the Reds made a trio of £9 million bids as the end of the transfer window approached, including one for Wolves striker Doyle.

They were told the Ireland international was not for sale at that price and received similar responses from West Ham United about Carlton Cole and Fulham about Bobby Zamora.

Liverpool saw a loan move for Bayern Munich's Germany international Mario Gomez collapse just days before the deadline, while they were reported to have made tentative enquiries about the availability of Tottenham's Peter Crouch earlier in the summer.

Hodgson is also believed to have rejected a late bid from Inter Milan for Lucas Leiva.

Ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wanted to take the midfielder to Italy on loan, but his successor at Anfield decided not to allow the Brazil international to leave, despite signing Raul Meireles and Christian Poulsen.

Former Liverpool Left-Back Andrea Dossena Relishing Return To Anfield With Napoli

Former Liverpool left-back Andrea Dossena is relishing the prospect of returning to Anfield with Napoli.

The two clubs have been drawn in the same UEFA Europa League group, and the 28-year-old hopes he can show the Kop his true ability.

"I cannot wait to return to play at Anfield," he told the Corriere Dello Sport.

"The first thing that came to my mind when the draw was made was that I'll be back at Anfield," he said.

"The second was that finally I would have the opportunity to show the Liverpool fans who the real Dossena is.

"I want to play in that stadium so much, not out of revenge or rancor, just to have a great game."

Dossena moved to Liverpool from Udinese in 2008 for €9 million but made just 27 appearances for the Reds, scoring two goals.