Match Preview: Liverpool vs Northampton Town

Goalkeeper Brad Jones could make his Liverpool debut against Northampton in the third round of the Carling Cup at Anfield.

The Australia international has sat on the bench for four matches since his late-August move from Middlesbrough to become Jose Reina's deputy but he is set to be given an outing against the League Two side.

Manager Roy Hodgson will make numerous changes with many of his first team stars rested, giving fringe and reserve team players - some of whom featured in the Europa League victory against Steaua Bucharest last week - another chance.

Hodgson has every faith his second-string players will step up to the mark after being handed the responsibility of getting past the Cobblers.

But despite the rotation, which has already been effectively used in the Europa League, the manager insists he is taking the competition seriously.

"It's a strange game for us in a sense,'' he said. "It's one where we definitely need to rotate the squad having played so many games and having to play so many more before the international break.

"But on the other hand it's a competition I take very seriously and I want to have a good run in the competition. We are bothered.

"There's a responsibility on those who replace the big-name players like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher to name but four.

"And to be fair they've shown themselves capable of taking on that burden in a couple of European matches already.

"As we saw in the last game against Steaua Bucharest, Jay Spearing was arguably one of the best players on the field. If you never give him a chance, how do you know that?''

Northampton boss Ian Sampson is likely to hand centre-back Ben Tozer his debut against Liverpool in the Carling Cup following his arrival from Newcastle on loan.

The 20-year-old should start with Dean Beckwith sidelined due to a thigh strain suffered before the Shrewsbury defeat, while Abdul Osman had to be replaced during the second half with a knee problem.

Tadhg Purcell will be out for most of the season following an operation on his cruciate knee injury while Craig Hinton also remains sidelined with a knee problem.

Midfielder Ryan Gilligan still requires surgery on an ankle problem and despite having been playing through the pain barrier, may be rested with Michael Jacobs a possible replacement.

Marcus Hall will also miss out again with a hamstring injury.

Liverpool FC Out To Win Carling Cup, Says Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson has set Liverpool's second-string the challenge of a lengthy run in the Carling Cup – as he received a fitness boost from Dirk Kuyt.

The Anfield outfit embarks on the road to Wembley when they entertain npower League Two minnows Northampton Town in their third round tie.

As in the Europa League, Hodgson has once again decided to rest a clutch of key players with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher and Raul Meireles among those absent from the starting line-up.

And the Liverpool manager has urged their replacements to stake their first-team claims by ensuring their interest remains deep into the competition.

“It's a strange game for us in a sense,” said Hodgson. “It's one where we definitely need to rotate the squad having played so many games, and with us having to play so many more before the international break

“But on the other hand it's a competition I take very seriously and I want to have a good run in the competition.

“We are bothered.

“There's a responsibility on those who replace the big-name players like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher to name but four. And to be fair they've shown themselves capable of taking on that burden in a couple of European matches already.

“As we saw in the last game against Steaua Bucharest, Jay Spearing was arguably one of the best players on the field. If you never give him a chance, how do you know that?”

Hodgson has taken the strange step of publicly naming many of the players who will start tonight’s game.

Summer signings Danny Wilson and goalkeeper Brad Jones will both be handed their debuts while Dani Pacheco is poised for only his second start of the season.

“Soto Kyrgiakos and Daniel Agger will be the two centre-backs and Danny will play left-back,” said Hodgson. “He came here as a centre-back but is capable of playing at full-back in the same way we think Martin Kelly is capable of playing in this position.

“Pepe Reina is a fantastic character who wants to play every game, whether it's a seven-a-side in training or any game Liverpool Football Club plays, but it's important that Brad Jones gets his chance.”

Hodgson added: “I'm quite interested in Dani as well. He's a player who came back a little later after taking part in the U19 European Championships.

“He's impressed in training and looks like a very interesting prospect. His first-team chances have been limited because he wasn't in Switzerland in pre-season, where he would have played for sure.

“I'm really looking forward to seeing him play on Wednesday night, and it's another great chance for Ryan Babel and David Ngog to stake their claim for a place in the team.”

One player definitely absent is Kuyt, who continues to recover from the shoulder injury suffered while on international duty with Holland earlier this month.

Liverpool feared the 30-year-old would be out for a month, but the Dutchman has made a speedy recovery and is already back in training.

And Hodgson claims Kuyt may return for Thursday's Europa League trip to former club Utrecht and could even be back as early as Saturday's Premier League visit of Sunderland.

“Dirk has trained the last couple of days,” said Hodgson. “We're trying to protect him a little bit but he's made a remarkable recovery, so it'll be interesting to see how he progresses in relation to Saturday's game and the game next Thursday.

“We thought three to five weeks, so we're at the quick end of the scale.”

Tonight's opponents Northampton stand in 85th place in the Football League, only two points off bottom place having won only one league game all season.

However, they earned tonight's tie having won on penalties at Reading in the last round having earlier eliminated Brighton and Hove Albion.

This will be only the fourth occasion the teams have met and the first time since 1966, with Liverpool yet to be beaten.

Jay Spearing Ready To Take His Liverpool FC Chances

It has become Jamie Carragher's trademark. Whenever there is a lull in the action at Anfield, whenever Liverpool are in need of a short, sharp kick up the backside, the shriek of encouragement to pierce the silence inevitably belongs to the centre-back.

Yet with Roy Hodgson's side spluttering after being dragged back to 1-1 by Steaua Bucharest in last Thursday's Europa League group opener, Carragher was on the bench when a similar battle cry prompted an enthusiastic reaction from the home supporters.

Step forward Jay Spearing. The 21-year-old, handed his first-ever senior Anfield start, could see Liverpool were in need of a gee up and his call of “come on boys, we've got to pick it up” came through loud and clear, both to his team-mates and the appreciative fans.

Yet the homegrown talent is acutely aware that it is actions and not words that will force him further into Hodgson's first-team reckoning.

Spearing has pinpointed this season as make or break in his attempts to lay down firm foundations for a lengthy Anfield career.

So far, so good. Having featured extensively throughout pre-season – including a brief spell as captain during the friendly against Grasshopper in July – Spearing has been named by Hodgson in both the Premier League and Europa League squads for this season.

While still awaiting his league bow this campaign, the midfielder has appeared three times in the Europa League and is likely to be given another chance to impress in tonight's Carling Cup third round home tie against Northampton Town.

And Spearing says: “At the moment I am really happy with how the season has gone for me. I wouldn't change anything.

“I've been given my chances and hopefully I have proven to the manager that I am capable of playing whenever he needs me.

“But personally speaking, I can't think that I'm just going to be playing in the Europa League and Carling Cup. I want to be playing in the Premier League.

“Obviously, playing in the other competitions can give me a confidence boost but it's the Premier League that myself, and everyone else, is aiming to play in.”

Of his call to arms last week, Spearing says: “It wasn't for any attention but it's just something I've always done in every game and in training sessions.

“I just wanted to give the lads some encouragement. I thought at that point in the game we just needed to get the ball down and start playing again like we did at the start of it.”

Under Rafael Benitez, Spearing made his debut almost two years ago in a Champions League win at PSV Eindhoven before a cameo appearance in the 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid later in the competition.

The following season came a first Premier League start at Sunderland while he later spent a loan spell helping Leicester City reach the Championship play-offs.

But last week's outing against Steaua holds pride of place for Spearing, who says: “It was a massive moment for me to start my first game for Liverpool at Anfield and I will take a lot from the game.

“I got a lot of confidence when the manager told me I would be playing and I went out there and really enjoyed it.”

Hodgson is using the Carling Cup, as well as the Europa League, to assess his reserve and fringe players, and is expected to make sweeping changes this evening with Brad Jones replacing Pepe Reina in goal and both Dani Pacheco and David Amoo among several hoping to see action.

“It's going to be as massive competition for me and for the rest of the young lads as well,” admits Spearing.

“It's a place for us to show what we are all about. The manager is going to give us a chance in the Carling Cup and the Europa League, and we have to prove to him that we should be given an opportunity to show we can do it in the Premier League.

“Hopefully we've done that with our performances in the Europa League so far.”

Inter Set Sights On Liverpool Defender Daniel Agger

European champions Inter are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Liverpool defender Daniel Agger during the winter transfer window.

Nerazzurri coach Rafael Benitez wants to use the 25-year-old as an alternative to current centre-back pairing Lucio and Walter Samuel, according to the Daily Mail.

Agger has a contract in place with the Reds, which ties him to the club until June 2014. Juventus were also reportedly interested in the Danish defender in the summer transfer window.

A figure of approximately €9 million could be enough to see Agger reunite with his former coach.

Dieumerci Mbokani Reveals Why He Chose To Move To Monaco Over Liverpool

Monaco striker Dieumerci Mbokani has revealed he had given his word to join the French side rather than make a move to the English Premier League and play for Liverpool.

The 24-year-old Congolese forward claims he was made an attractive offer, but was not prepared to go back on his promise.

"Liverpool gave me a good offer but I had already given the 'OK' to Monaco and I could not turn back on them," Mbokani told talkSPORT.

Mbokani moved from Belgian side Standard Liege over the summer for an undisclosed fee, but the figure was reportedly around the €7 million mark.

A host of English teams including Fulham and Birmingham City were also keeping an eye on the striker prior to his move to the Ligue 1 side.

Agger Puts The Record Straight

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has dismissed quotes attributed to him in the Danish press saying that he was "very disappointed" to read quotes which suggested criticism of boss Roy Hodgson.

Agger appeared to question Hodgson's methods in stories published in Denmark on Tuesday morning, in which the defender was quoted as saying he was "here to play football and not to unload [the ball]."

But the Denmark stopper says his apparent rejection of Hodgson's philosophy was instead a response to a question put to him by a television reporter, and subsequently twisted by the Danish press.

"I am very disappointed with the papers in Denmark for the way they have done this story,'' Agger said.”I spoke to Danish TV after the game on Sunday and answered the questions that were put to me. I didn't speak to the papers.

"The problem was the questions never appeared on TV, only the answers did, and then the newspapers put their own questions in. What came out was 100% wrong and that is why I am very disappointed.

"The TV journalist asked me what I needed to do to get back into the team and suggested I should start hitting more long balls. I said I wouldn't do that because I'm not that kind of player. That's where that quote came from.

"I actually think we play good football and that we have showed that against Manchester United and against Arsenal. What I don't understand is that it was only a few days ago when I spoke to the media ahead of the Steaua Bucharest game and said everybody at the club was happier now with the new manager, the new players and the new methods.

"It's strange to read this just a few days later but that's the way the media works, especially in Denmark. I have been involved in every [Premier League] game this season. Of course I'm disappointed when I'm not in the team, but I have been here for five years and really like it here.

"I wouldn't have stayed for this long if I didn't like it or if I was unhappy. I am still happy and will keep fighting for my place."

Kevin Keegan Demands Supporters Have Patience With Roy Hodgson Due To Ownership Chaos

Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan has called on supporters to be "sensible" with their expectations of new manager Roy Hodgson due to the takeover crisis.

Hodgson, 63, arrived from Fulham just after owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks put the club up for sale in April due to their mounting debts.

With the prospect of falling into the Royal Bank of Scotland's hands in mid-October if a loan isn't repaid, the Anfield outfit was restrained in the summer transfer market despite the losses of Alberto Aquilani and Javier Mascherano.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Keegan - who scored 68 goals in 230 First Division appearances in the 1970s - called for fans to give Hodgson extra time to settle.

He said: "They've got in Roy Hodgson a manager who is very experienced. I think when he went in there, he knew what the situation was.

"It's a club where there is rebuilding to be done and most of the sensible fans know that."

Hansen: Hodgson Is Beginning To Reap What Benitez Sowed

Liverpool legend Alan Hansen believes Roy Hodgson’s difficult beginnings at the Anfield helm are being undermined by the previous managerial regime of Rafa Benitez.

Much of the preseason optimism has evaporated at Liverpool according to the aforementioned Anfield hero, but Hansen believes Hodgson has already made inroads into a squad that was in desperate need of an overhaul, praising the additions of Raul Meireles and Joe Cole.

Hansen, who won eight league titles during his illustrious Liverpool career, believes Hodgson needs time for his team to gel but ultimately the former Fulham boss will be judged on results.

The former Liverpool captain told the Daily Telegraph: “Roy Hodgson is beginning to reap what Rafael Benítez sowed in his final 18 months.

“When he replaced Benítez as manager of Liverpool, Hodgson accepted an incredibly hard job because he was left with a team that, while not in total disarray, simply were not good enough.

“If you set out to challenge for a Champions League position and finish in seventh, then the team are clearly not up to requirements.

“Hodgson knew the task facing him at Liverpool when he left Fulham, and you have to say that he has already cleared out some of the dead wood and replaced those players with better personnel.

“But it is all about results, and when they are not going your way, people will begin to ask questions.

“After the defeat at Manchester United, it is clear that Liverpool are still suffering from the same problems away from home that they have had for a while.

“They were abysmal away from Anfield last season and have only managed one point from three away games so far in this campaign.

“The big concern, just five games into the season, is that Liverpool already find themselves 10 points behind Chelsea because, at the outset of the campaign, there was real optimism that they could put up a good show in the title race.

“After ending the last campaign in doom and gloom, there was a lot of hope at Anfield generated by the signing of Joe Cole and the announcements by both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard that they were staying at the club.

“It was a lift for everybody and, with a couple of good signings in Raul Meireles and Christian Poulsen, the outlook appeared much brighter.

“I am not saying that I expected Liverpool to win the title, but I certainly believed they could put up a decent show.

“You have to say that the hope and optimism has diminished after just five games.

“Progress has been made by Hodgson, but despite the reality that his players will take time to gel into a team, results are everything.

“So despite the positives that Hodgson has already brought in his time as manager, the story so far is mixed and the emotions of the supporters are fluctuating between high and low.”

Roy Hodgson Keen For Steven Gerrard & Raul Meireles To Flourish In Midfield Partnership

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is sure that in Raul Meireles and Steven Gerrard he has the partnership to lead the club back to the Champions League.

Hodgson, 63, brought in Meireles this summer to bolster the midfield in the absence of Javier Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani. The £11.5 million signing played behind Fernando Torres in Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in a role usually occupied by skipper Gerrard.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Hodgson earmarked the players as the double act to play the Anfield outfit back to the top four spots in the Premier League table.

"They [Meireles and Gerrard] are certainly interchangeable," the ex-Fulham boss was quoted as saying by skysports.com.

"We signed Meireles and the day after he went for 10 days away with Portugal and then came back for two days and made a substitute appearance against Birmingham.

"He had two training sessions and played on Thursday night and he played again on Sunday so it is very early for me to make very strong judgements about where his best position is.

"The work we do on the training field will show me how best to use him.

"He actually went out wide right late in the United game and did okay there also.

"All I can say is he has a lot of qualities and I'm sure we'll get a lot of use out of him.

"Most importantly he is a good and talented footballer and he is capable of playing anywhere across the midfield so we will see how we box it up together."

Liverpool To Sign Multi-National Quartet In January

It is believed that Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson will be given a transfer budget of £60m when the window opens once again in January, undoubtedly leading to wholesale changes after The Reds’ disappointing start to the new season.

So who are these fine young individuals who could kick-start Liverpool’s season, and more importantly, what will they bring to an ailing and disillusioned squad?

ASHLEY YOUNG

The first name on this list is a familiar one. Evidently Liverpool do not need a new free kick taker, with both Young and fellow international Steven Gerrard producing dead ball gold at the weekend, but the left side is (in the opinion of fans across several Liverpool boards) in further need of development. The emergence of Ashley Young as a target are strengthened by further rumours of midfielder Ryan Babel being released on a free, after failing to fulfil the potential he promised on arrival at Anfield in 2007.

KEISUKE HONDA

The man who can play just about anywhere was Japan’s world cup hero as his striking credentials did for Cameroon and Denmark, sending the Samurai Blue fighting onwards to the next round. ‘Kaizer Keisuke’ had his big break in December last year after being transferred from Dutch side VV-Venlo to CSKA Moscow, and his contributions sent CSKA to the quarter finals of the Champions League in lieu of tie favourites Sevilla. Undoubtedly, his versatility would be second to none if a move to Anfield should go ahead, and the quality of his finishing is arguably far in excess of a few names in Liverpool’s current set-up.

LEE CHUNG YONG

The Bolton winger could be flying onwards to Anfield, as a move for the best South Korean footballer since Ji Sung Park is being touted as a possibility. The ‘Blue Dragon’, as he is known, had a stellar World Cup and was a handful in what many neutrals predicted to be a difficult group containing Nigeria, Greece and sure bets Argentina.

On the domestic scene, Lee’s form has also been pleasing after the sceptics doubted his ability to make a smooth transition from the K-League to the Premier League last year. In his first season, Lee’s transfer value surged as a notably potent attacking ability became evident, helping him win the Bolton’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the year awards. At 22 years old, Lee’s career is about to peak, and it is up to Hodgson to take the initiative before somebody else does.

MARIO GOMEZ

The man who has been linked to about ten million different clubs is reportedly on Roy Hodgson’s new year shopping list. Gomez is well known for making a silk purse out of a cow’s rump, with a never say die attitude and a disquieting knack for finishing. A player with Gomez’ approach is precisely what Liverpool need right now, with play more often than not disjointed and lacking in cohesion, particularly in the attacking half of the pitch.

Gomez would undoubtedly take up a greater part of Roy Hodgson’s potential £60m January budget, but if Liverpool aspire to once more rub shoulders with the giants, then Gomez is exactly what they need. Getting on the phone and negotiating is easy – trying to prise Gomez away from the Allianz Arena will be anything but.

Daniel Agger Admits Frustration At Roy Hodgson's Style

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has revealed his frustration at new manager Roy Hodgson's style.

Agger, 25, has struggled to seal a starting spot under the ex-Fulham boss this season. After being shunted out to left-back, the arrival of Paul Konchesky saw him confined to a late substitute's role in the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United yesterday.

Speaking to Sporten.dk, the player - who has been compared to ball-playing Liverpool defensive great Alan Hansen - declared he was struggling to adapt to the current regime.

He said: "The manager's philosophy is that we play football in attack, but not at the back. That's not my style.

“I'm not that type of player. I like to keep the ball on the ground, and that's what I'll keep doing. Time will show if he [Hodgson] doesn't want to play me because of that.

"I'll try to change myself, but I will never be a player who offloads the ball at every opportunity.

"I'll fight for my chance. I know what I stand for, and I think he [Hodgson] does too."

Cole: Judge Us In May

Joe Cole is adamant it is far too early to be casting any judgement on Liverpool's start to the 2010-11 Barclays Premier League season.

Following Sunday's 3-2 reversal at Manchester United, the Reds are currently in 16th position in the table with five points from their opening quintet of matches.

However, himself a new arrival at Anfield, Cole believes Liverpool will require time to fully acclimatize to the summer changes made at the club - and the 28-year-old is in no doubt he saw enough in the Reds' spirited second-half performance at Old Trafford to suggest they'll soon be on firing on all cylinders.

"Judge us in May," Cole said. "We have had a tough start to the season with the fixture list and with Fernando not being match fit, and also the change of personnel with the change of manager.

"We will pick up, I am convinced. If we keep passing the ball the way we did (against Manchester United) we will be fine."

He added: "We have got to try and take the positives. We passed the ball well, scored two goals and we were beaten by a great team and a player on top of his game.

"But we will be alright, we just need to keep going."

Carra Targets Home Wins

Jamie Carragher today insisted Liverpool can take heart from their second-half performance during Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

Steven Gerrard's quick-fire brace saw the Reds level the scoreline at 2-2 after Dimitar Berbatov's double had put United into a two-goal lead at Old Trafford.

However, the Bulgarian headed home an 84th minute winner to secure victory for Alex Ferguson's side - a goal Carragher admits he was left disappointed with his own contribution to.

Nonetheless, though frustrated by the reversal, the vice-captain is confident Liverpool's display in the second period bodes well for the rest of the season.

"Any time you lose a big game, you are always bitterly disappointed," said Carragher.

"To come back from two goals down was a fantastic effort from the lads but I thought we did well for the 90 minutes.

"We were not really asked too many questions and there are not too many teams who can say that after going to Old Trafford.

"If you look at the goals they scored, it was similar in a way to what happened at Manchester City.

"Pepe (Reina) hasn't really had a lot to do yet we have still ended up conceding three times.

"The first was poor from a set piece, you have to hold your hands up and say the second from Berbatov was world class; he is capable of that.

"But for the third, I was really disappointed with myself. I should have done better with the challenge on him. It's the small details that count and it's so frustrating that (United) have been able to get the win.

"It's a funny situation, really. Last week, we were not happy with the performance at Birmingham but came away with a point; this week we're happy enough with the performance but have come away with nothing."

John O'Shea's 70th minute challenge on Fernando Torres on the edge of the United box, which resulted in the free-kick from which Gerrard netted his second of the afternoon, was a key talking point after the contest, with some suggesting the defender could have received a straight red card for the foul.

Carragher, though, was philosophical in his reaction to the incident, instead preferring to concentrate on the positive aspects of the Reds' spirited display.

"Those things (the O'Shea yellow card) can go either way," Carragher said.

"If he gets sent off, we would have more of a chance against 10 men but what happened has happened.

"There is still a long way to go. Though we have not started great in terms of results, there are a lot of things to take into account and this is a transitional time. But we have just got to remain positive.

"A few wins and everything will look different.

"We have got two home games coming up in the Premier League and we need to make them count.

"We've had a great start in the Europa League and we just have to make sure we keep on believing."

Liverpool Wonderkid Making Waves At Anfield

Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling showed his potential with a clinical brace for the U18s against Leeds.

One of the hottest properties in English football, Sterling was coveted by a string of Premier League sides back in January before deciding to join the famed Liverpool academy from QPR.

At the time the Liverpool managing director, Christian Purslow, said: "Raheem is a very exciting young English player whose progress was being closely monitored by many other leading clubs and I'm delighted he's joining us."

Arsenal were thought to be close to agreeing a deal for the player, but the winger decided to join the Reds as the Merseyside club pipped their Premier League rivals to the signature.

Roy Hodgson was clearly impressed, including the 16-year-old in Liverpool's senior pre-season tour. The youngster has continued to shine at youth level ever since.

Two second half strikes were more than enough to see off the Whites, with a 50th minute opener being consolidated with just three minutes left on the clock.

"It was a very tough game but we deserved to win because we produced a good team performance," Rodolfo Borrell told Liverpoolfc.tv.

The Liverpool U18 side remains unbeaten thus far in the 2010/11 season, and show great signs of promise for the future at Anfield.

Sterling as seen as the jewel in the crown, and the England youth international could work his way up the Liverpool ranks quicker than first imagined.

Investment Group Blackstone Refuse To Refinance Loans For Liverpool Co-Owner Tom Hicks

Investment group Blackstone has pulled out of talks to refinance loans taken out by co-owner Tom Hicks to retain control of Liverpool, according to The Guardian.

Weekend reports had claimed the American intended to cling to power by securing the cash to repay the £237 million owed to the Royal Bank of Scotland before the mid-October deadline. Without the money, Hicks and business partner George Gillett would be forced to relinquish their spots at the Anfield helm to the organisation.

Negotiations about a £280m, two-year package with GSO Capital Partners - the debt restructuring arm of the private equity group - which would have seen Hicks take sole charge had been understood to be close to reaching conclusion. However, GSO has now walked away from the Texan millionaire, with their withdrawal rumoured to be motivated by fan group protests.

Hicks and Gillett had put Liverpool up for sale in April after failing to find the funds to meet RBS' requirements. Reported interest from Kenny Huang and Rhone Capital has not led to a change of stewardship and now the Liverpool board is believed to be ready to throw out any proposal from Hicks even if it led to an investment in player transfers and stadium plans.

Liverpool Fans Plan ‘Direct Action’ Protest As Tom Hicks’ Buyout Hits The Buffers

The Spirit of Shankly fans group will lead a sit-in at Anfield after this weekend’s match with Sunderland to demonstrate “the growing anger and frustration towards the ongoing ownership saga” at the club.

Further “direct action”, including a protest march, will take place around the following weekend’s game against Blackpool, also at home.

SoS, like many Liverpool fans, want the club’s owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, as well as the other board members and those responsible with finding new buyers, to keep them better informed about what is happening at the club.

SoS have raised questions on their website about the role of BarCap in the proposed sale of the club, and will hold an EGM on Saturday before the Sunderland game.

With an October deadline looming for Liverpool to repay loans to RBS, Hicks is making increasingly frantic efforts to refinance the debt and take sole control, as we reported three days ago.

For now, he has been stymied in his efforts to borrow money from Blackstone subsidiary GSO Capital Partners, as The Guardian reports here. On the one hand, Hicks’ inability to raise finance via GSO will be greeted with optimism by some fans because it decreases the chances of the Texan’s long-term involvement.

On the other hand, there is still no viable alternative owner in the picture, certainly not one that has produced a costed bid with proof of funds.

Speaking about the ongoing struggle for stability at Liverpool and the campaign to remove Hicks and Gillett, SoS said today: “Angry at the massive debts, crippling interest repayments, and the lack of a new stadium, supporters feel that the promises made to them when the pair took over have been reneged upon.

“Supporters have actively campaigned to rid the club of the duo. However, their anger has increased significantly, following the lack of action in the supposed sale process, recent speculation that Tom Hicks is to attempt to take sole charge of the football club with further refinancing, and a document which Spirit Of Shankly has seen, showing that Barclays Capital, who it is understood are in charge of the sale process, have also been looking to refinance the existing debt.

“These recent developments have raised the temperature of supporters, and action is the only way they feel they can make their point known. Action is expected to escalate and continue in the coming weeks, with supporters looking to physically display their anger and make their feelings known.”

Match Report: Manchester United 3 - 2 Liverpool

Sir Alex Ferguson was indebted to the "genius" of Dimitar Berbatov after the Bulgarian's brilliant hat-trick floored Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Every single member of the United side had need to thank Berbatov at the end after they had tossed away a two-goal advantage against Merseyside opposition for the second weekend running, only for the former Tottenham man to net the winner six minutes from time.

In some very perceptive programme notes, Ferguson suggested to lose a winning position once was bad luck, twice is downright careless.

Now Liverpool can be added to Fulham and Everton as teams United have thrown winning positions away against this season.

They were only spared the sight of Ferguson's fury stripping paint off the home dressing room because of Berbatov, whose header denied Liverpool, who had levelled through Steven Gerrard's double.

The other part of Ferguson's pre-match missive was the declaration that "you must have faith and we are being rewarded this season for our confidence in a player who has a touch of genius about him".

Genius was an apt word to describe Berbatov's contribution, in particular the astonishing overhead kick that had put United two ahead midway through the second-half of a slow burner of a game that eventually turned into a classic.

Ferguson is not the only one in these parts who still feel this is the biggest fixture of the Premier League calendar.

Chelsea, Arsenal and even Blackburn may have won the title since Liverpool last did so in 1990. But with their 18 league championships and five European Cups, they remain the most successful English side, even if United have now joined them on the domestic front.

The atmosphere was crackling at kick-off, although the early action failed to match it.

United did create one excellent opportunity, which Nani wasted when he fired wide after Wayne Rooney's shot had bounced kindly for him after striking Gerrard.

But the game was low on incident until Berbatov broke the deadlock by nodding home Ryan Giggs' corner at the near-post.

TV replays did not show Fernando Torres in a good light.

His performance at Birmingham last week was branded "diabolical" by TV pundit and former Liverpool skipper Jamie Redknapp.

Clearly needing a goal, Torres was again struggling to make an impact.

New United captain Nemanja Vidic, who has suffered more than most at the feet of a man who remains one of the world's best strikers, tidied up one opportunity that had come Torres' way via a fortunate bounce off World Cup final referee Howard Webb.

The Liverpool forward also trundled a disappointing shot way off target after managing to get a quarter of a yard in front of Vidic as the pair turned on the edge of the area.

All this was forgivable. Just allowing Berbatov, who had already got in front of the former Atletico Madrid star as Giggs strode up to take the corner, just to stoop for it unchallenged, would not have impressed Roy Hodgson very much.

If defensive questions needed to be asked about that, there was nothing more to do than simply admire Berbatov's brilliance when he doubled his side's lead just before the hour.

It was almost impossible to believe it took just two touches to get Nani's right-wing cross into the net.

But it was precisely that. The first to control with his knee. The second to dispatch an overhead kick which left Pepe Reina rooted to the spot as it bounced in off the crossbar.

In any normal season, the contest would have been over.

However, there is a fallibility about United just now that clearly refuses to rectify itself no matter how harsh Ferguson's words.

The rashness with which Jonny Evans lunged in on Torres as the striker checked back inside the box gave lie to the theory United can operate effectively without Rio Ferdinand, overlooked for the captaincy and missing with a virus.

On the second occasion, John O'Shea could count himself mightily relieved Webb did not reach for the red card once he decided the Irishman had dragged Torres to the ground just outside the box.

The consequences of Webb's ruling would be felt in the eventual outcome.

With both situations though, Gerrard found the corner of United's goal with precision, racing gleefully to the ecstatic visiting fans the second time around to hail a position he could not have expected his team would be in 10 minutes previously.

It looked like United had blown it. Berbatov had other ideas and rose to meet O'Shea cross to give his side victory.

Sir Alex Ferguson Claims Liverpool Depended On Decisions From Officials In 3-2 Defeat To Manchester United

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at refereeing decisions made in the 3-2 win over rivals Liverpool.

The Red Devils led 2-0 after two Dimitar Berbatov goals but surrendered that lead by conceding a penalty and a free-kick which were both scored by Steven Gerrard before Berbatov secured the win for United late on

Jonny Evans gave away a penalty after fouling Fernando Torres moments after Berbatov had given the hosts a second goal lead, before Torres won a free-kick on the edge of the area after being pulled back by John O’Shea.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Ferguson said his side should have won by a more convincing margin before launching an attack on the officials.

“From the game we [thought] it’s going to be 10 but it ends up 2-2 [after the refereeing decisions]. It was a travesty of a scoreline but a great result at the end of the day,” he said.

“They didn’t offer anything, they depended on decisions from the linesman. Edwin [Van der Sar] didn’t have a save to make, [Paul] Scholes controlled the midfield and we looked dangerous through Nani and Berbatov.”

Berbatov controlled the ball well in the area before executing a terrific overhead kick to put United 2-0 ahead, and Ferguson praised the striker, who became the first man to score a hat-trick against Liverpool for the Red Devils since Stan Pearson 64 years ago.

“The second goal was unexpected really, a surprise attempt and fortunately - not many of those overhead kicks go in the net - but it did today,” he said.

“There was a lot of criticism. It happens when we buy a player for a lot of money but he started pre-season very good and he’s carried that one but there has never been any doubt of the quality of the man.”

Liverpool’s defeat leaves them low in the bottom half of the table, and Ferguson admits criticism will have been served to whoever lost the game.

He said: “It was always going to be that sort of a test. If one doesn’t win, it will be a catastrophe and that’s what they will be talking about and it will have been the same if we didn’t win but fortunately we did win.”

The Red Devils boss also confirmed that the decision to substitute Ryan Giggs was down to illness.

“He was ill at half-time, feeling really queasy. Rio Ferdinand was last night also,” he concluded.

Roy Hodgson Targets Champions League Qualification After Defeat To Manchester United

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is targeting Champions League football, admitting his side is not in the title race after a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.

Hodgson's side had trailed by two Dimitar Berbatov goals until a penalty and free-kick from Steven Gerrard brought the visitors back into the game.

But the Bulgarian completed his hat-trick to seal the win, leaving Hodgson to assess aims for the rest of the season.

"To use words like catastrophe is a bit strong unless you are talking about winning the league," he said, according to Sky Sports.

"Our aim is to get better, to get to the Champions League, and maybe that is where I have got to have my focus."

Despite the defeat, Hodgson was keen to stress his side had improved at Old Trafford.

He added: "We have had a remarkably hard start to the season.

"Our performance today was clearly a lot better than our last two Premier League performances [a narrow victory over West Brom and a goalless draw with Birmingham City].

"We were playing against a top team and we can take a lot of credit from the way we went about our business and got ourselves back into the game.

Roy Hodgson: Fernando Torres Is 'Not Firing On All Cylinders'

Roy Hodgson has admitted Fernando Torres is still not at his best, despite the striker having a hand in both of Liverpool’s goals against Manchester United.

The Spaniard has struggled to reach peak fitness in time for the start of the campaign after he suffered an injury-plagued summer, in which he still featured for his national side in South Africa.

Torres won Liverpool’s penalty for their first goal and the striker’s movement caused problems for John O’Shea, which led to the United defender fouling the 26-year-old. Steven Gerrard scoring from the resulting free-kick.

Hodgson has defended the form of his striker and still maintains Torres needs a combination of games and training before he can get back to his best.

“I don’t think he [Fernando Torres] is firing on all cylinders,” Hodgson told Sky Sports.

“Fernando’s [Torres] performance was a lot better [than last week against Birmingham City]. He is a player who needs more games, more time and more training.

“Manchester United do not often surrender possession, so it was difficult for him.

“We’ll get a tremendous amount of use from him this season.”

After watching his side pull level from two goals behind, Hodgson could do nothing to prevent Dimitar Berbatov from completing his hat-trick and subsequently earning United the three points.

“We deserved to get back in the game, we were unlucky to go 2-0 down,” said Hodgson.

“Conceding late is always tough, and we’re disappointed in that but otherwise we made a really good effort to bring us back into the game.

“If we had more composure we could have seen the game out.”

Previous encounters have been billed as high-intensity affairs but Sunday’s fixture was subdued, with both sides opting to withhold any full-blooded challenges. Hodgson believes the cagey start from both teams was the result of a good defensive display all round.

“A lot of teams have respect for each other,” explained Hodgson.

“We contained well and their front players didn’t receive too many balls.

“It was more a question of good defending and the goals meant we were forced to create chances and it opened up in the second half.”