Reds Awaits Grerrard Diagnosis

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is expected to have treatment today at the club's Melwood training ground following a worrying ankle injury picked up in his side's Champions League qualifier.

Gerrard took a painful crack on the back of his ankle from French midfielder Pantxi Sirieix, the Toulouse player who spent all of yesterday's game man-marking the England star.

That was the only blemish for Reds boss Rafael Benitez after his side mastered the sauna-like conditions to secure a 1-0 first-leg victory.

Gerrard tried to carry on but was eventually replaced in the 61st minute by Mohamed Sissoko.

With Sunday's home game with Chelsea now the next clash for Liverpool to contend with in a tough opening week of three matches, Benitez would only say last night: "We will not know how Steven is until he has been seen by the medical team and the doctor.

"I was replacing him because we needed fresh legs, not because of the injury, but we do not know yet how he is."

Benitez hailed the "wonderful goal" scored by new boy Andriy Voronin that put Liverpool within touching distance of the Champions League group stages.

The Reds boss watched as his free-transfer signing from Bayer Leverkusen ensured his new club are close to the £12million prize for reaching the competition proper.

Benitez said: "Andriy scored a wonderful goal, it summed up his qualities as a very fine striker.

"He is clever, has great game awareness and gives us so many more options in attack. He can play behind a main striker, lead the line himself, or come into the attack from the flanks.

"And of course he can scored truly great goals like that. But we must not think this tie is over.

"We did a very professional job in a match played in difficult conditions. It was so hot for the players, and we were having to give them water continually.

"The referee stopped us throwing the bottles on to the pitch, the players had to come to the sidelines to drink, which was a little strange considering the conditions."

Liverpool are now expected to secure their passage through this third qualifying round tie in a fortnight at Anfield, even if Benitez was predictably cagey about the second leg.

He said: "We know they are a very good side who like to hit teams on the counter-attack, which is what they will try to do at Anfield."

Toulouse coach Elie Baup conceded his team found the searing heat and the quality of the opposition a problem.

He said: "In those conditions, it is hard to keep running and trying to create things when you are playing against a side with such experience and quality.

"Our players lack the experience of playing in this competition and they found Liverpool's ability and technical quality hard to cope with out there."

Voronin Shoots Down Toulouse

Ukrainian free transfer Andriy Voronin produced a priceless first goal for his new club as Liverpool beat Toulouse 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Rafael Benitez's side had struggled for any sort of pace and tempo in the early stages in searing afternoon heat in south-west France.

But Voronin's spectacular 30-yard effort two minutes before half-time stunned the noisy home fans and now makes the Reds hot favourites to progress to the lucrative group stages in September.

Toulouse produced some impressive approach play, but failed to really trouble Jose Reina in the first period.

They did make a better fist of things after the interval, sending on Fode Mansare for Bryan Bergougnoux to give Johan Elmander some more support up front.

Elmander had a couple of half-chances, but in the end it was a comfortable win for last season's beaten finalists.

The second leg takes place at Anfield on Tuesday August 28.

Afterwards a satisfied Benitez hailed his side's professionalism in the afternoon heat.

"I'm pleased because it was a very, very difficult situation," he said.

"It was a professional job. The team worked hard.

"We controlled the game. We were a little bit under pressure ion the second half."

Benitez described Voronin's winner as "fantastic", adding: "He's a good player and can scored these kind of goals because he has quality."

Toulouse coach Elie Baup conceded his team found the searing heat and the quality of the opposition a problem.

He said: "In those conditions it is hard to keep running and trying to create things when you are playing against a side with such experience and quality.

"Our players lack the experience of playing in this competition and they found Liverpool's ability and technical quality hard to cope with out there."

Champions League: Toulouse vs LiverpooL

Peter Crouch and Andriy Voronin are both recalled to the Liverpool side to start up front for the Reds in Toulouse this afternoon.

Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt both begin on the bench as Rafael Benitez rings the changes from the side which won at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel both make their first competitive starts for the club while Sami Hyypia is back in the centre of defence alongside Jamie Carragher.

The final Liverpool line-up follows:

Reina (GK), Finnan (RB), Carragher (CB), Hyypia (CB), Arbeloa (LB), Benayoun (RW), Gerrard (AM), Mascherano (DM), Babel (LW), Voronin (ST), Crouch (F).

Subs:
Itandje, Agger, Riise, Torres, Alonso, Kuyt, Sissoko

Carragher Reaffirm His Decision

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has refused to reverse his decision to retire from international football, despite a face-to-face meeting with England coach Steve McClaren.

McClaren had hoped to tempt Carragher to return to the fold for the upcoming friendly with Germany and Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia, but has been rebuffed by the Reds stopper.

He told Sky Sports News: "I met Jamie on Monday and had a very good conversation, but unfortunately he's stayed with the decision to not be involved with us.

"We respect that, Jamie has been a fantastic servant for England. I won't close the door, who knows in the future."

McClaren also admitted that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be a major loss, as he is sidelined by a foot injury for the next couple of months.

"Obviously it's a blow because he was looking so fit and well in pre-season," McClaren said. "He's a very important player for England.

"I was disappointed on Sunday when I got the call, but on Monday we had to move on. We've dealt without him before and we'll have to do so again.

"We've still got Peter Crouch and the likes of Darren Bent, Andy Johnson, Jermain Defoe and David Nugent."

Essien To Miss Liverpool Showdown

Jose Mourinho has lost Michael Essien from his Chelsea midfield again because of a knee injury which will sideline him for up to 10 days.

The Ghana international will miss Wednesday's trip to Reading and Sunday's game at Liverpool after damaging ligaments in the win against Birmingham.

He scored final goal of the 3-2 win against Steve Bruce's side two days ago and looked a real force after being restored to the Chelsea midfield.

Essien was one of Mourinho's key players last term but spent much of it filling in at the back and the pace and power he offers further forward was missed.

He has not had the best fortune with injuries, damaging knee ligaments last season and others in his ankle this summer but this is a consequence of his all action style.

Mourinho at least has plenty of cover, with Steve Sidwell pushing for a place against his former club Reading tomorrow and Claude Makelele and John Obi Mikel also in contention.

For Petr Cech it will be a difficult trip, returning to the Madejski Stadium for the first time since he fractured his skull there under the challenge of Stephen Hunt last October and required brain surgery.

But the goalkeeper insists he can handle it, saying: "I knew as soon as I re-started playing that one day I would have to go back to Reading.

"I got injured there and I have to go back and play the game again but I have no problem with that. That is the past and I am looking to the future.

"I don't remember anything from the game or the day there so maybe I will enjoy the whole game there for the first time."

Freak incidents that day left Cech and later his replacement, Carlo Cudicini, requiring hospital treatment and Chelsea later raised issues about how emergencies are handled at games.

A working party including their club doctor Bryan English was subsequently established and new measures have now been introduced.

Key among them is the requirement that an ambulance specifically for players and officials must be at all stadiums on matchdays this season.

Benitez To Continue Rotating

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez insists he will continue to rotate his squad this season.

The Anfield boss has received criticism from some quarters for his policy of shuffling his Liverpool squad, but Benitez is undeterred.

The Reds face Toulouse in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and Peter Crouch, Yossi Benayoun and Javier Mascherano are expected to play.

The trio were left out of the squad which travelled to Aston Villa on Saturday for Liverpool's Premier League opener, but they are likely to feature in France as Benitez continues to ring the changes.

Crouch, especially, has been rumoured to be unhappy at his limited first-team opportunities, but Benitez has reiterated that no player is guaranteed a regular place in his starting XI.

"In modern football you have to change players," Benitez told the Daily Star. "It's not easy to keep the same team.

"I know a lot of people would like to see the same XI every week but it's impossible.

"If players are performing well and we are winning games in a row then we will try to keep them in the team.

"But how many teams in the Premier League can keep the same XI every week? You look at it and it is usually the teams that are outside the top eight.

"Why? Because they only play one game a week normally.

"We hope to play 60 games a season and you can't play the same people every week.

"A tired team is often a losing team."

Toulouse v Liverpool

UEFA Champions League Qualifying Third Round First Leg

Fixture: Wednesday 15th August 2007
Kick off: 3:30pm at Stadium Municipal

Liverpool’s first competitive European fixture of the season as the Reds face a mid-afternoon clash against last season’s 3rd place side in France.

Previous Meetings:

Liverpool have only played Toulouse once before 51 years ago. The Reds lost a friendly at the Stadium Municipal 3-1 in 1956.

Team News:

Rafa intends to keep the same line up that won against Aston Villa. But seriously, expect some more of the infamous squad rotation. With Crouch, Benayoun and Mascherano all missing out even on places on the bench, they are likely to feature in this clash. Rafa will not be underestimating the importance of this game, and although the Reds have a weekend clash against Chelsea in their sights a strong first team presence is expected. The Reds have no major injury worries ahead of this game.

Opponents:

Toulouse lost their first game of the season but scored a last minute winner to defeat 10- man Lyon (reigning French champions at the weekend). Johan Elmander was the goalscorer. Toulouse’s most interestingly named player is Moussa Sissoko (apparently no relation to Liverpool’s Momo). The club itself was only founded in 1937, and in 1967 sold it’s place in the league and all of its players to Red Star Paris. The club was reformed in 1970. The club can consider itself lucky to be playing Champions League football. They were awarded a victory after a draw with Nantes due to the opposing supporters invading the pitch to express their displeasure at Nantes performances.

Liverpool Ready For Champions Qualifying Tussle

Five-times European champions Liverpool start their new Champions League campaign in Toulouse while Ajax Amsterdam and Arsenal face Czech opponents when the third qualifying round kicks off this week.

Ajax, four-times winners of Europe's top club competition, are at home to Slavia Prague and Arsenal travel to face neighbours Sparta Prague in first leg matches on Wednesday.

Three months after losing the 2007 final to AC Milan in Athens, Liverpool head to southwest France for a game between two sides who will be in buoyant mood.

Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard gave his side a winning start to the Premier League on Saturday against Aston Villa with a superb late strike.

Toulouse also had a late win over Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyon, who were however down to 10 men.

The French team's coach Elie Baup was anxious his side did not get carried away by their success, telling the club's Web site: "There was commitment, determination, desire and a real team spirit.

"We created nine or 10 chances and finally scored at the very end. The danger, though, in situations like these is what happens in the next match."

Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez is still haunted by their defeat in Greece - having beaten the Italians on penalties after trailing 3-0 at halftime in a memorable 2005 final.

"I am not over that Milan game yet, especially because I know we were so close to winning," he told the club's Web site.

Aston Villa 1 -2 LiverpooL

Steven Gerrard's superb free-kick ensured victory for Liverpool on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League campaign for the first time during the Rafael Benitez era.

Aston Villa looked to have rescued a point when skipper Gareth Barry cancelled out Martin Laursen's first-half own goal with an 86th-minute penalty.

But then Gerrard curled a 20-yard shot past the dive of Stuart Taylor barely 60 seconds later, after he had been brought down by Stiliyan Petrov.

Overall Liverpool were worthy winners with record signing Fernando Torres making a satisfactory debut despite spurning a golden first half opportunity.

The £20.2million capture from Atletico Madrid linked up effectively with Dirk Kuyt before being taken off with 11 minutes remaining.

But man of the match for the umpteenth time was England midfielder Gerrard who exerted so much influence over proceedings even before his goal while Jamie Carragher excelled at the heart of the Reds defence.

If Benitez could have hand-picked a first day opponent it would surely have been Villa given they have not beaten the Reds in front of their own fans for nine years.

Villa huffed and puffed with Barry outstanding in midfield but they seldom tested Jose Reina until he turned over an injury-time John Carew header.

Villa made a bright start in front of a capacity 43,000 crowd and Reina had to be alert to deal with a stinging 30-yard volley from makeshift Villa right-back Craig Gardner.

Carragher showed his class and awareness to block a shot from John Carew at the expense of a corner after he had been played in by Gardner.

But Liverpool gradually took command and Torres had his first half-chance after 17 minutes when he blazed over the bar from a narrow angle following a long clearance by Reina.

Taylor parried a low Gerrard drive and a superb pass from the England midfielder was seized on by Kuyt but he hesitated instead of shooting first time.

Villa central defender Olof Mellberg became the first player to be booked after 26 minutes for a clumsy challenge on Torres.

Torres showed his class when he outstripped Mellberg to find himself with only Taylor to beat. But the Spaniard screwed his shot across the face of goal.

Increasing pressure from the visitors paid off in the 36th minute although it needed an own goal from Laursen to break the deadlock.

Taylor did well to parry a Torres effort but Kuyt managed to cut the ball back into the danger area from the by-line and the unfortunate Laursen only succeeded in lofting the ball into the roof of the net.

Gerrard curled a shot just over the bar after Pennant found him in plenty of space and the visitors were carving gaps in the Villa defence almost at will.

When Villa did venture forward, Barry played in Petrov but his left-footed drive lacked conviction and flew straight at Reina.

O'Neill made a half-time substitution, replacing Laursen with Gary Cahill although it was not known whether it was tactical or because he had suffered a knock.

Villa tried to build up some momentum and Nigel Reo-Coker tried his luck from the edge of the Liverpool box but dragged his shot well wide.

Pennant became the first Liverpool player to be yellow-carded after 55 minutes for a challenge on Young.

The out of sorts Bouma was then booked for a late tackle on Pennant.

Villa were still struggling to create any openings and it needed a brilliant block from Gardner to prevent Gerrard doubling Liverpool's lead.

Kuyt made good ground down the right and squared the ball across goal to his unmarked skipper who struck his shot cleanly enough but Gardner threw his body in the way to stop a certain goal.

Gerrard was denied again when Taylor turned aside his fierce first-time drive.

Villa looked to have rescued a point with four minutes remaining when Barry converted a penalty after Carragher had handled in the box.

But the Villa celebrations had not died down when Gerrard restored Liverpool's lead within 60 seconds.

He was brought down 20 yards out by Petrov and himself curled a superb free-kick past Taylor to cap an excellent individual performance.


Teams:

Aston Villa: Taylor, Gardner, Mellberg, Laursen (Cahill 46),Bouma (Moore 71), Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Agbonlahor, Carew,Young.


Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa,Pennant (Babel 74), Gerrard, Alonso, Riise,Torres (Voronin 79), Kuyt (Sissoko 90).

Preview: Aston Villa vs LiverpooL

With no major injury problems, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has plenty of selection dilemmas ahead of the opening day's trip to Aston Villa.

He further claimed that big transfer fees do not guarantee a player his place in the side, but £20million signing Fernando Torres looks certain to make his league debut up front, most probably partnered by the hard-working Dutchman Dirk Kuyt.

Yossi Benayoun's impressive pre-season form could see him claim the right-wing role ahead of Jermaine Pennant, while Steven Gerrard will start the season in his favored central midfield role.

Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill's short of goalkeeping alternatives for the opening day of the campaign means academy prospect David Bevan will be on the bench.

Stuart Taylor will be between the posts as previous season's number one Thomas Sorensen is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

England Under-21 skipper Nigel Reo-Coker is set to make his competitive debut following his £8.5million move from West Ham but the other summer capture from Upton Park, striker Marlon Harewood, is expected to be among the substitutes.

However, John Carew should recover from a groin injury and is likely to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor in attack.


Teams:

Aston Villa (from): Taylor, Bevan, Gardner, Cahill, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Young, Petrov, Barry, Berger, Maloney, Osbourne, Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore, Harewood.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Voronin, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Pennant, Sissoko, Crouch, Kewell, Babel, Mascherano.

Benitez Not Pressured At Liverpool Yet

Rafael Benitez has played down suggestions he is a manager under intense pressure after a summer of lavish spending at Liverpool by insisting Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are starting the season under just as much scrutiny as him.

Benitez says the near-£40 million he has invested in players, including a club record amount on Fernando Torres, since watching Liverpool lose the Champions League final in Athens 80 days ago is money well spent.

He accepts he starts his fourth season in charge at Anfield under the microscope but believes he is under no more pressure than the managers of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, even though Ferguson, Mourinho and Wenger have delivered the title to their clubs.

"Who is under more pressure? Ferguson for winning the league and spending big money, Mourinho for finishing second and spending big money over three years or Wenger for losing Thierry Henry and not winning the title for some years?

"We are all under pressure," Benitez said ahead of today's opening game at Aston Villa.

Liverpool have finished each of the last two seasons in third spot ahead of Arsenal, although they ended last term 21 points adrift of the summit after winning just six times away from Anfield.

Benitez insists his squad are better equipped to mount a more serious challenge, although the Spaniard stopped short of promising to deliver the league after 17 title-free years at Liverpool.

"I don't want to seem arrogant, but when I was at Valencia they had gone 31 years without winning the league, and then we won it and won it again," Benitez said. "Why? Because I have very good staff and good players. Now, I continue having a good staff and better players.

"Hopefully we can now win the league. I don't want to say it's this season because I don't want to make any promises. But I can say we have a better squad, a better team and are working hard. I have confidence and if the new players can settle in quickly, we'll have more of a chance."

Liverpool have not won their opening fixture since John Arne Riise hit the only goal of the game at Aston Villa five years ago.

Benitez knows a repeat scoreline today would help confidence after last season's limp 1-1 opener at Sheffield United set the tone for a season of domestic disappointment.

He has tried to ease the pressure on Torres, who is expected to start at Villa Park, by insisting he expects to see all his forwards hit double figures over the course of the next nine months.

Yet the Liverpool manager admits his side's season could hinge on how long it takes the Spanish striker, who is expected to feature at Villa Park, to adapt to life in the Premiership after arriving from La Liga.

He said: "A lot will depend on how the new players settle in, if they take three months then we might end up in a bad situation."

Itandje Arrives As Carson Leaves On Loan

Liverpool have signed French goalkeeper Charles Itandje from Lens on a four year contract in a move which has allowed Scott Carson to complete a loan deal with Aston Villa.

Itandje, 24, is a former French under-21 international, though his parents are from Cameroon.

The stopper began his career with Red Star 93. His single season with the capital's second side was enough to alert clubs across Europe, but it was Lens who eventually secured the teenager's signature.

He arrives at Anfield as back-up to established number one Pepe Reina and, having received the necessary international clearance, is likely to be on the bench for this weekend's big kick-off at Aston Villa.

Itandje will wear the number 30 shirt at Anfield.

Carson, meanwhile, has agreed a deal to spend this season on loan with Aston Villa in a deal which runs until May 31.

Villa beat off competition from Manchester City for Carson's signature, although the England under-21 international will not be allowed to make his debut against the Reds this weekend.

Carson, 21, has made nine first team appearances for Liverpool.

"I could tell Scott to stay here, but he could be the future keeper of the national team and we don't really want to stop his progress," said Benitez.

"I am happy with the situation and for Scott to play somewhere else. We do not want to lose him, certainly not sell him because we are very happy with him.

"He is a good lad and a very promising goalkeeper. But I can understand his need to maintain his place in the England squad. It will benefit him to be out on loan and for us to sign a new goalkeeper. Then we will have three keepers all in action."

Liverpool's Reina Wins Barclays Golden Glove Award

Liverpool's Spanish goalkeeper Jose Manuel 'Pepe' Reina has won the Barclays Golden Glove Award for the second successive season after keeping 19 clean sheets in the 2006-07 Barclays Premier League campaign.

Reina's nearerst rival was across Stanley Park at Goodison, where Everton's Tim Howard recorded 14 shut-outs. Reading's Marcus Hahnemann followed with 13 clean sheets in his first Barclays Premier League season.

Previous Barclays Golden Glove winner Petr Cech, and Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar, were two of five goalkeepers who racked up 12 games without conceding.

Reina Fact-File:

Jose Manuel Reina was born on 31st August 1982 in Madrid, but began his career with Barcelona and made his debut for the Catalan side at the age of 18, also playing against Liverpool in the 2001 UEFA Cup semi-final.

Reina signed for Liverpool in July 2005 from Villarreal for £6 million.

During the 2006-07 season, he made 34 League appearances and registered 19 clean sheets. He now holds the Liverpool club record for successive clean sheets since the Barclays Premier League began, overtaking the five games in a row achieved by David James in the 1996/97 season.

Reds Join Cicinho Hunt

The Brazilian full-back appears to have been pushed down the pecking order at Real Madrid under new coach Bernd Schuster.

Michel Salgado and Sergio Ramos have been used on the right during most of Real's pre-season to date, and Cicinho realises he could be due for a season of bench-warming if he stays at The Bernabeu.

Roma first showed an interest last month but have yet to strike a deal for the 27-year-old.

However, Liverpool have now been alerted and it has been claimed that Rafa Benitez has made contact.

Benitez wants competition on his right side and after seemingly cooling his interest in Sevilla's Daniel Alves - Cicinho appears to be an attractive alternative.

Roma were believed to be looking into a possible loan, but it seems a The Reds could bid 10 million euros (£6.8million) - which the Eternal City side would not match.

One possible problem for Liverpool could be the fact that Cicinho is reported to have told Real that he would rather move to Italy than England.

Sochaux Still Keen To Bring Back Le Tallec

Sochaux president Jean-Claude Plessis still retains an interest in signing Liverpool forward Anthony Le Tallec, but admits financial constraints could scupper any potential deal.

Le Tallec spent last season on loan at Sochaux, who are looking to bring him back for another spell in the Franche-Comte region.

Plessis admitted, however, that his side cannot compete with the wages on offer at the Reds. "It is no longer a question of getting an additional attacker, save perhaps Anthony," Plessis told French newspaper L'Est Republicain.

"But that remains subject to conditions that we all know about. He has an English salary and I can't break the wage bill of this club like that."

Sochaux, who will play in the UEFA Cup this season, have until August 31 to add to their squad.

Liverpool's recruitment of a raft of attackers over the summer means Le Tallec's chances of first-team football at Anfield this season are limited.

The player spent 2005-06 on loan at Sunderland, scoring three league goals in their unsuccessful fight to stay in the Premiership.

Liverpool Sell Sinama-Pongolle

Liverpool have officially confirmed the permanent transfer of striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle to Spanish club Recreativo.

The 22-year-old spent the entirety of last season on loan at Recre and made a big impression, making 32 league appearances, scoring 11 times.

He had been drafted in to the Liverpool squad by former Reds boss Gerard Houllier in 2003. Despite showing enough promise to earn a place in the France Under 21 squad, his Anfield career never took off.

Having made 66 appearances for Liverpool Sinama-Pongolle scored just 9 times and founds himself towards the back of a long list of strike talent at the club.

Heinze Seeks Arbitration Panel To Resolve United Row

An arbitration panel will meet next week to decide if Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze can leave champions Manchester United for Liverpool, the Premier League said on Tuesday.

Heinze, whose move to Merseyside is being blocked by United, had requested a three-man panel to settle the dispute between the two northwest rivals, a league spokesman said.

Heinze returned to United on Monday, having helped Argentina reach the Copa America final in Venezuela last month.

The 29-year-old left-back, who joined United in 2004 from Paris St Germain for 6.9 million pounds, has been losing out to France's Patrice Evra for a first team place.

Liverpool have offered 6.8 million, the sum reportedly needed for Heinze to buy out the remainder of his contract, but United manager Alex Ferguson does not want him to join a title rival.

LiverpooL In Negotiation With The New Maradona

Liverpool are amongst a host of clubs interesting in signing the brightest talent to come out of South America since Diego Maradona.

18 year old Argentine Franco Di Santo is set to arrive in the UK this week with a view to deciding which of the club's seeking to obtain his services he will join.

The 6ft 4in striker currently plays for Audax Italiano in Chile and has been described as the new Maradona.

According to reports over the weekend, Di Santo will meet with Liverpool representatives this week but will face competition for his signature with Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Manchester City all set for talks with the players representatives this week.

£75M To Spend - Who Will You Buy?

If you are given a tranfer budget of £75 million, who will you buy to improve the eixsting Liverpool team?

Here's my very own idea of spending the budget:

1. Samuel Eto'o, striker (Barcelona) = £30 million

2. Aiden McGeady, winger/attacking midfielder (Celtic) = £5 million

3. Vincent Kompany, defender/defensive midfielder (Hamburg) = £10 million

4. Fabio Paim, attacking midfielder/forward (Sporting Lisbon) = £8 million

5. Nicola Pozzi, striker (Empoli) = £5 million

6. Micah Richards, wing back/defender (Man City) = £7 million

7. Philip Lahm, wing back/winger left-right (Bayern Munich) = £10 million.

Please be informed that these prices are based on current valuation and does not represent the actual value of the player(s).

Feel free to give your own comment....

Feyenoord 1 Liverpool 1

Liverpool's pre-season campaign ended amid astonishing scenes in Rotterdam as six of their players were booked and skipper Steven Gerrard was fortunate not to be sent off.

The final match of the Port of Rotterdam tournament was anything but a friendly as Liverpool fought back from a goal down for Gerrard to grab a second-half equaliser.

But the game in a packed De Kuip stadium had been simmering for a while, with young winger Royston Drenthe in the thick of the trouble.

His late tackle on Gerrard in the dying minutes caused uproar with players from both sides converging in a angry melee, and Gerrard was seen to shove Theo Lucius.

The England midfielder could easily have seen a red card, but the game eventually produced a surprising nine cautions and a late penalty save by Jose Reina.

The fact that the result left Porto as the competition winners meant little as the tempers of Feyenoord and Liverpool players boiled over.

Manager Rafael Benitez will have been disappointed with Liverpool's failure to create a glut chances, but happy he got his players out of Holland without injuries or suspensions.

Benitez fielded a completely different team to the one that comfortably beat Shanghai on Friday, this one much closer to his ideas for the league opener at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Only Alvaro Arbeloa, Andriy Voronin and Harry Kewell from the opening XI are unlikely to play at Villa Park.

And Liverpool started with poise, control and dominance. But they could not turn possession into goals.

Gerrard had a volley over and saw another effort glide wide after a surge into the box, while John Arne Riise was also wide with a drive.

On 15 minutes, Dirk Kuyt, back in front of the Feyenoord fans he served so well before his move to Anfield, saw a fierce drive crash against the bar, giving Egyptian keeper Sheriff Ekramy no chance.

It bounced down, seemingly over the line, but with no official near enough to award the goal play went on.

And a minute from the break Liverpool's wastefulness was punished when Andwele Slory got in behind Riise on the right and saw his shot cannon back off a post for Drenthe to score.

The flying winger, a key member of Holland's European Under-21 Championships title winners this summer, gave Liverpool plenty of problems, Arbeloa being booked for one desperate tug on the youngster.

Liverpool's frustrations boiled over after the break with both Kewell and Jermaine Pennant also booked.

Not surprisingly, Kewell was replaced by Ryan Babel soon after. Pennant was next off on 64 minutes, Fernando Torres taking over.

And with Liverpool looking laboured and short of ideas against a deep defence, it was Gerrard who came to the rescue on 72 minutes.

He strode past two men on the right of the box and drilled an angled shot past Ekramy.

Babel and Xabi Alonso both had good efforts wide before Yossi Benayoun replaced Voronin.

But Feyenoord continued to be competitive, and it was Gerrard who had to kick off the line from Hofs, before Alonso and Drenthe were booked for squaring up.

Javier Mascherano soon replaced the Spanish midfielder.

There was more drama when Feyenoord were awarded a penalty for a supposed hand-ball against Arbeloa, the ball in fact striking his head following a Drenthe cross.

But Reina's famed penalty-saving ability saw him turn away Danny Buijs' effort.

But worse was to follow when Drenthe caught Gerrard with a late tackle.

All hell broke loose, and Gerrard was booked for pushing Theo Lucius in the fracas.

He was instantly withdrawn with Mohamed Sissoko coming on in the final seconds.

Benitez: Liverpool Will Strike Right Balance

Rafael Benitez is relishing a potential selection headache as he looks to turn Liverpool into serious title contenders next season.

The arrival of new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett saw the Spaniard handed a substantial transfer kitty and Benitez responded by bringing in Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin alongside Yossi Benayoun over the summer in an attempt to match the firepower of rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.

With last season's top scorer, Peter Crouch, and Holland international Dirk Kuyt also vying for a starting berth, Benitez's biggest worry will be keeping his multitude of stars happy.

However, the Reds manager welcomes the problem and hopes the situation will see his side hit the back of the net more frequently than last term.

"For me it's a good problem," Benitez said. "I like to have these options up front. We have different options now and it depends on the game but I think all of them can play together and that is the important thing.

"It depends on the game. If we want to play more crosses, Crouch can play or Voronin, and if we want to change the game we can introduce a different striker. Last season the team was attacking but I would like to see more goals. We were attacking a lot but we can now improve the accuracy."

All eyes will be on Torres in particular and how quickly the Spainish international can adjust to the pace and physicality of the English game. One man who knows the 23-year-old better than most is Jose Reina.

The Liverpool goalkeeper has both played with and against the former Atletico Madrid hitman in La Liga and the national side and is confident Torres will justify his hefty price tag.

"He's a top quality player and after being with Atletico Madrid it won't be a problem for him," Reina said. "I expect him to score goals, he is learning English very early and has the mentality to succeed.

"I can't explain what he is going to find because I don't want to scare him. He will find out in his own way but I am convinced that he is absolutely ready to meet the challenge."

Reina's own place may be under pressure for perhaps the first time in his Liverpool career as Scott Carson returns to Anfield on the back of an impressive season-long loan at Charlton.

The 21-year-old turned in a string of inspirational performances during the Addicks' unsuccessful fight against relegation but Reina insisted he is ready to cope with the added competition.

"I think it's a great challenge for me," he said. "The more intense it will be, the better for the team. I'm not worried. I know Scotty will be pressuring me, he's a great shot stopper and he showed that last season and it's better for the team."

Voronin Expects To Succeed

Andrei Voronin does not expect to have the same problems adapting to English football as his Ukrainian compatriot Andrei Shevchenko.

Voronin has made a positive start to his Liverpool career after completing a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Meanwhile, Shevchenko, who found the back of the net only 14 times last season, did not live up to high expectations following his £30million move to Chelsea from Milan.

However, Voronin does not believe he will suffer the same difficulties as the Chelsea forward.

"The problems Shevchenko has had have not discouraged me from coming to Liverpool," Voronin told the Daily Star.

"Just because he did perform as well as he might have done did not have an affect on me.

"I have studied English football and think there are many similarities with the game in Germany.

"I am not just here to make up the numbers - I think that one of my biggest qualities is my strength of character."

Voronin also expects Shevchenko to produce the goods this season now that he has had time to settle in England.

"He didn't perform as well as he was expected to last season but he played in Italian football for seven seasons with AC Milan and that league is totally different to English football," Voronin added.

"Maybe he just needed a little bit more time to get used to the English style but I think he will do better this season because he is a goal scorer."

First For Torres In Reds Win

Fernando Torres scored his first goal for Liverpool in the 2-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua.

The club's record signing put The Reds ahead in the Port of Rotterdam tournament opener before Steven Gerrard curled in a fine second goal.

Though chances were at a premium at Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium, Liverpool took the lead with their first real opportunity on 13 minutes.

Yossi Benayoun - another new signing for Liverpool - threaded through a clever pass for Torres, who produced a cute finish over the Shanghai keeper.

Torres wanted a penalty after half-an-hour after taking a tumble in the box before strike partner Peter Crouch's weak chip was easily saved.

Liverpool were given a scare before the break when Blanco slipped through, but his shot clipped the legs of keeper David Martin.

In the second half, Gerrard climbed off the bench to add a touch of class to a laboured contest when he worked room for a shot and curled his effort inside the far post from 20 yards.

Former Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt then slipped a pass through for Benayoun, but the Israeli was closed down as he scented a goal.

Rafa Benitez's men will face tournament hosts Feyenoord in their second game of the competition on Sunday.

Comment: Finally, the golden boy of Liverpool has found his scoring boots again. Hopefully he will continue scoring more goals for Liverpool in the upcoming football season.

Reds Raring To Go

Liverpool first-team coach Alex Miller says the new-look side are determined to get off to a good start this season.

The Reds have been busy in the transfer market this summer as they look to mount a serious title challenge.

Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations this weekend in the Rotterdam Tournament and Miller knows the side need to get off to a good start if they want to pose a threat to Manchester United and Chelsea this season after disappointing starts in the last two campaigns.

"In the last two seasons we haven't made good starts but hopefully it will be different this year.

"We have made one or two changes to our training programme which we believe will help us start really well.

"The competition is so tough in England that it's so important you get off to a good start and that will be our aim from the moment we kick off at Aston Villa.

"We have added some players who we believe will help us be a better squad and we are hoping they gel really quickly with the rest of the squad.

"I'm not stupid enough to say this is going to be our year or that we're going to win it, but we will certainly be challenging. We have a good set of players and we will take some beating."

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is looking forward to making an emotional return to Feyenoord after leaving De Kuip for Anfield last summer.

"The other Liverpool players have asked me about Feyenoord, the club and what to expect from the crowd," said Kuyt.

"I have told them they can expect something special and I am certainly looking forward to the game and my return to Rotterdam.

"It is almost one year ago now that I left, and I am certainly happy to be back here to play this weekend.

"I want to show the crowd as well as myself that I am a better player now."

Liverpool Face Tricky Toulouse Test

Liverpool must overcome a tricky trip to Toulouse if they are to reach the Champions League group stage.

The Reds, who have won the competition five times and were beaten in last season's final, must face the Ligue 1 side over two legs for a place in the lucrative section of the competition.

Arsenal's first European tie since the departure of talismanic striker Thierry Henry will be a tough one too, against Czech side Sparta Prague.

Scottish champions Celtic face a tough test against Spartak Moscow in their bid to reach the group stage while Rangers will face either 1991 European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade or Estonian side Levadia Tallinn if they overcome FK Zeta in the second qualifying round. They lead 2-0 from the home leg.

The first legs will be played on August 14 and 15, with the return matches taking place on August 28 and 29.

Toulouse reached the Champions League qualifiers by finishing third in Ligue 1 behind champions Lyon and runners-up Marseille while Arsenal's opponents Sparta are the champions of the Czech Republic.

Their success last season was their 34th domestic title and they became the first club since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s to win the domestic double.

Leto Cleared For LiverpooL Debut

Liverpool starlet Sebastian Leto has finally been given the all-clear to make his debut for the Premiership club.

The Argentinian left winger has been granted a European passport and is now set to play in this weekend's Port of Rotterdam tournament.

The 20-year-old was blocked from travelling to Hong Kong for last week's Asia Trophy tournament because of a delay in paperwork.

But Leto, a £2million signing from Lanus at the end of last season, will be included in boss Rafael Benitez's squad when Liverpool fly to Holland tomorrow morning.

Liverpool play Shanghai Shenua tomorrow evening and Feyenoord on Sunday as they round off their pre-season programme.

Benitez said: "He (Leto) will be able to play in Holland. Leto will travel with the squad and we have permission to play him in these games.

"It's good news for him because it's not easy when you're only training. You want to play in the games."

Kuyt Says Liverpool Will Score

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt insists that Liverpool’s problems in front of goal will not persist as the team prepare for the new season.

The Reds have spent some serious money in the transfer window, mostly on players who can get the ball into the back of the net.

Last season Liverpool were accused of not creating enough scoring chances in the Premiership, and when they did, spurning them with poor finishing.

Rafa Benitez has been active in the market trying to solve the problem, bringing in Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin.

But a 0-0 draw in normal time against Portsmouth in the final of the Asia Trophy last weekend was a worrying sign that the money has been wasted. Liverpool lost the game on penalties, new boy Torres missing his spot kick.

But it is too soon before the start of the Premiership season to get hot under the collar according to Dirk Kuyt who faces his old club Feyenoord on Sunday in Liverpool’s final pre-season match.

“I feel we showed some quality and created lots of chances against Portsmouth,” said the 27-year-old.

“The only disappointing thing is we did not score any of them. That’s what we must work on. But we will and hopefully it will come.

“You could see both Torres and Babel have plenty of quality and skill. The pair of them are very fast and both have great futures here at Liverpool.”

Sochaux Planning Le Tallec Bid

Liverpool misfit Anthony Le Tallec could be heading back to France on a permanent basis after it was made clear he has no future at Anfield.

The 22-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan to Sochaux, and the French club have now confirmed that they are considering meeting Reds manager Rafael Benitez's £2.7million asking price.

Le Tallec returned to Liverpool's Melwood training ground this summer hoping to rekindle his Anfield career.

But Benitez promptly sent him to train with the reserves and it is believed he has been given a week off.

He did not travel with the second string to Holland yesterday for the four-team tournament next weekend in Amsterdam.

Benitez could have allowed Le Tallec to train with the senior squad this week ahead of their own trip to play two games in Rotterdam at the weekend, but instead opted to give the player time off.

Liverpool have offered Le Tallec to clubs in the UK and Europe, and he has been linked with Birmingham, Fulham and West Ham.

But Sochaux could be prepared to end the player's Mersey nightmare by coming up with a permanent deal.

Sochaux chairman Jean-Claude Plessis, who earlier in the summer claimed his club would not pursue the player, said: "Indeed we are thinking about a permanent deal.

"Anthony is a very talented player who has been very fair with us last season. If the conditions are acceptable, why not sign him?"

After being signed by former boss Gerard Houllier from Le Havre - along with Florent Sinama-Pongolle - in 2002, in a joint deal which was worth up to £7m, Le Tallec also had an unsatisfactory loan spell at Sunderland.

But the French Under-21 international has never fulfilled the promise he showed as a teenager, which earned him high praise in a series of UEFA and FIFA youth championships.

Benitez Targets Baines

Liverpool are being linked with a move for Leighton Baines if they fail to land Gabriel Heinze.

The Wigan left-back is their back-up option, according to the Daily Mirror, who also claim that the Reds have finally worked out that they need cover for Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger at centre-half.

Baines has already turned down a move to Sunderland, while Everton have had a bid of £4m plus a player turned down.

The Mirror also claims that Benitez is still looking for a wide player and although he would 'love' to sign Arjen Robben, he looks set to join Real Madrid.

Liverpool Not Stopped Spending Yet

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has suggested that the Reds’ summer transfer splurge has not ended yet.

Manager Rafa Benitez has already splashed out around £40million on several new players including Ryan Babel, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun, but according to Parry, more money could be spent.

Speculation continues over whether Benitez will be able to lure United full-back Gabriel Heinze to Anfield with a big cash offer and Parry refuses to rule out further signings this summer.

Manchester United and Tottenham have both spent big bucks this summer and in a change of tact, Chelsea have been fortifying their squad with free transfers, perhaps having learnt last summer with the signings of Shevchenko and Ballack that big cash doesn’t always guarantee big success.

There is still a month to go until the August transfer window closes, ample time to reconfigure the squad further if Benitez so wants.

"A lot of clubs have spent significant amounts of money this summer, like Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea," Parry told the club's official website.

"Then there are a number of other clubs who have recently also had new investors, such as Newcastle, and there's still a long way to go before the end of the transfer window.

"If a player becomes available and he's the right player for this club then yes, we will be interested."

"There's always a lot expectation but there's definitely a special buzz about the upcoming season," added Parry.

"We're all excited with the new signings we've made and genuinely happy with what we've done.

"It was important to get them in as early as possible so that Rafa could have more time working with them. Bringing players in on the last day of the transfer window is never ideal.

"It was good for our new players to have been involved in the training camp out in Switzerland and then in Hong Kong."

Brazilian Leiva Unveiled By LiverpooL

Liverpool's new Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva says he cannot wait to get started at Anfield.

Leiva, 20, was unveiled on Thursday after signing for an undisclosed fee from Gremio and is with the squad on their tour of the Far East.

Leiva told the club's website: "I am very happy to be at Liverpool. It is a club respected throughout the world.

"There is a great selection of top stars at this club and it is a fantastic opportunity for me."

Reds boss Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool have signed one of world football's best young talents.

Lucas is a young player with great experience," said Benitez. "We have known about him for a long time and had to move quickly to sign him because many top clubs were interested.

"Lucas is not a typical Brazilian player but he's a clever player who wants the ball all the time, which is important.

"He will need time but I think we've signed a really excellent prospect."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has also predicted a bright future for the captain of Brazil's Under-20 side.

Gerrard said: "From what I've seen of him so far he's got everything you need in a Liverpool player; good touch, good passing and he's also a good lad off the field.

"I expect him to be knocking on the door of the first team before too long and hopefully, in time, he can help us win many trophies."

Comment: If this guy is selected for the Brazilian national squad at the age of 20, then he must have been playing some great football. Let's hope that he could spark some magic in the Liverpool camp.

LiverpooL To Play Torres, Babel & Gerrard

Liverpool will be at full strength for the Asia Trophy final after record signing Fernando Torres was given permission to play and Steven Gerrard recovered from injury, their coach said on Thursday.

Rafael Benitez said Torres and Dutch forward Ryan Babel had international clearance for Friday's match against Portsmouth after a bureaucratic bungle ruled them out of the semi-final.

"Torres and Babel have been cleared and have permission to play," Benitez said, adding that England star Gerrard had recovered from a stomach problem. "I think he's OK. He will be all right."

Torres and Babel were left out of Tuesday's game because they did not have the international clearance needed to appear in a Premier League-endorsed competition.

The triple absences disappointed thousands of fans at Hong Kong Stadium and forced Benitez to field a makeshift line-up which toiled to a 3-1 win against local minnows South China.

"We had some problems without Torres and Babel," Benitez admitted. "Now we have new options and fresh legs, and maybe we can manage the final in a different way.

"Portsmouth will be very difficult to play against but at least we will have more options."

Benitez side-stepped the latest barbs from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who raised the stakes by saying Liverpool were under pressure to deliver this season.

But he admitted he wanted more bite from the 18-time English champions who have not won the domestic league since 1990.

"I would like to see more goals. We were attacking a lot [last season] but I feel we can improve now," he said.

"We will have more options up front. Depending on the game we can play more crosses with Crouch or down the line with Voronin.

"If we want to change the game I can use another style of striker so I think it will be good for the team."

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina said he expected the highly-rated Torres to make an instant impact on the Premiership after moving from Spain's Atletico Madrid, where he was top scorer for the past five seasons.

"It won't be a problem for him - I expect him to score as soon as he comes," Reina said.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, whose side beat Fulham 1-0 to reach the final, tipped Liverpool finally to challenge for the Premier League title.

"They're looking very strong," said Redknapp. "The backbone of their team is still [Jamie] Carragher and Gerrard but they've added some talent this year and they will get a lot closer to Chelsea and Manchester United, I'm sure."

Redknapp said he would unveil forward John Utaka, Portsmouth's seventh signing this summer as they push for a European spot.

Introducing The New LiverpooL Stadium

Liverpool Football Club has unveiled plans for its new £300m stadium in Stanley Park.

The 60,000-seat stadium – designed by US-based architects HKS – will replace the club’s famous Anfield ground, where the team has played since 1892.

Chief executive Rick Parry said: “It was always the aim of the club, with the backing of our owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, to be world-class both on and off the pitch.

“When they took over, the first thing Tom and George wanted to do was review the stadium both in terms of the design and the capacity.

“We’re building a stadium that not only the club and supporters can be proud of, but something the whole city can be proud of. Liverpool is a city on the move and deserves world-class developments like this.”

The Stanley Park stadium has an asymmetrical design, with an 18,000-seat single tier stand, and will also incorporate facilities for the Anfield Sport and Community Centre and Liverpool Hope University, and its external amenities will include tennis courts and multi-use games area.

The stadium is expected to be completed in 2010.

Liverpool Too Strong For South China

Liverpool set up a Barclays Asia Trophy final clash with Portsmouth after seeing off a spirited South China outfit 3-1.

A side with skipper Steven Gerrard and summer signings Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel were given a testing examination as goals from John Arne Riise, Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger finally saw off the hosts at Hong Kong Stadium.

Riise opened the scoring after nine minutes with a trademark blistering free-kick from the edge of the area that left keeper Zhang Chunhui with little chance as it arrowed its way into the top corner.

Harry Kewell's ball into the box caused panic in the South China defence shortly afterwards and the ball broke to Andriy Voronin but the Ukraine striker could not apply the finish.

Jose Luis' side then nearly grabbed an equaliser as first an in-swinging corner was cleared almost off the line before the Liverpool defence misjudged a deep cross but Bai Hei spooned his shot wide when well placed.

The home side fell further behind after 26 minutes when Alonso's cute through ball split the South China defence and Voronin was bundled over in the box. Alonso slotted home the spot kick low to Zhang's left.

However, South China halved the deficit just after the half hour mark when, after Mohammed Sissoko had been penalised for a foul near the right touchline, skipper Li Haiqiang curled a brilliant effort into the top corner of Scott Carson's net from 30 yards.

Alonso went close with a couple of long-range drives before the interval, the first from a Peter Crouch lay-off after persistent work from Voronin and the second when the ball fell to him after Crouch's surging run was stopped in its tracks as the Reds maintained their advantage.

The second half opened in low-key fashion but Dirk Kuyt, who had replaced Crouch, fired over when Alvaro Arbeola's low cross picked the Dutchman out on the far side of the area.

Voronin went close after 70 minutes when the striker rose to meet Kuyt's cross from the left but just could not keep his header down as it went narrowly over the bar.

A third was not long in coming though as Agger rounded off a beautifully worked goal after 72 minutes.

It was the centre-back who started it as he intercepted a pass and rode a couple of challenges before feeding Riise on the left.

The Norwegian's cross picked out Kuyt and he teed up Agger to drive the ball home from inside the box.

Zhang then produced two good stops in the space of two minutes as he first parried Kuyt's strong effort before denying Jermaine Pennant at the far post.

Liverpool should have scored a fourth two minutes from time but Voronin could only get minimal contact on Pennant's teasing cross and Kuyt somehow could not turn it in at the far post.

My comment: Not bad at all.....five wins out of five matches. However, golden boy Torres has yet to find the net. Conversely, Voronin has been playing some impressive football. Hopefully the likes of Torres, Crouch and Kuyt will find their scoring touch when the new season starts.

LiverpooL Hunting For Real Madrid Youngster

Reports in Spain suggest Liverpool are pushing hard to secure the services of another Spanish youngster, Real Madrid's Javi Garcia.

The 20-year-old defensive midfielder, part of the Spain side that won the Under 19 European Championship in 2006, has spent the last five seasons at Real having joined from a regional side in his hometown of Murcia.

Highly rated within the corridors of the Santiago Bernabeu, he was expected to graduate to Real's first team last season, but found his progress blocked by the summer signings of Emerson and Mahamadou Diarra.

As a result he spent the majority of the campaign - a handful of UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey games aside - with Real's B side, Castilla, and is now reported to be anxious for a chance to prove himself at first-team level.

With another change in management at the Bernabeu this summer that is far from guaranteed and he is now mulling over a number of offers to move on.

Real are keen to extend his contract which expires next summer, but Liverpool and Atletico Madrid are understood to be leading the chase for his signature, with both ready to part with €3million (£2million) to land the youngster.

Mallorca, Getafe and Deportivo are also keen on Garcia but Liverpool and Atletico appear in the driving seat should the player choose to end his stay at Real.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez does have the advantage of sharing the same agent as Garcia, Manuel Garcia Quilon, although Atletico may feel they have a trump card of their own as Garcia's cousin, and former Liverpool player, Luis Garcia, now plies his trade at the Vicente Calderon.

Finnan Signs New LiverpooL Deal

Liverpool's Republic of Ireland full-back Steve Finnan has agreed a new three-year contract to stay at Anfield.

Finnan joined the Reds in a £3.5m deal from Fulham in 2003 and has made 181 appearances for the club.

The 31-year-old is expected to sign the deal when the Liverpool squad returns from their pre-season tour of Asia.

Liverpool is currently in Hong Kong for the Premier League Asia Cup which also features Portsmouth, Fulham and South China.

Finnan was signed by former Reds boss Gerard Houllier but has remained first-choice under the Frenchman's successor Rafael Benitez.

He was part of the Liverpool teams that won the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.

Personal comment: Good old Finnan, never doubted his loyalty for the Merseyside club. Always been playing consistently. Great move of extending his contract.

Liverpool Consider Legal Action To Force Heinze Move

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed the club's lawyers are working on forcing through a deal for Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze after his initial bid for the player was rejected.

Recent speculation has linked the Reds with an offer in the region of £7million for the Argentina full-back, but any move appeared to have been ruled out by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

But Benitez has refused to back down in his pursuit of the 29-year-old and has revealed: "We made an offer which they rejected.

"The lawyers are now working on it and so we have to wait. He's a good player."

Ferguson last week poured scorn on any suggestion he might allow the former Paris St Germain player to leave for his club's bitterest rivals.

He said: "I can assure you, Liverpool will not be getting Gabriel Heinze.

"We can put that to bed right now and we have done so. We have had a couple offers for him and we have turned them down."

It later emerged that Heinze had a letter signed by chief executive David Gill promising he could leave if United received a big in excess of £6million - a figure Benitez is thought to have topped.

His representatives were reported to be considering legal action to push through the controversial deal - the first between the two clubs since Phil Chisnall moved to Anfield in 1964 - and it appears the Reds are also now willing to go to court to get their man.

My comment: I don't understand the fuss is all about....Ferguson knows pretty well that Heinze has the right to buy out his contract. Why would the Red Devil manager choose the hard way instead of releasing Heinze straight away?.....Some say he's the most brilliant football manager in the world.....well, think again.

Red Alert Torres Gets His Liverpool Eye In

Fernando Torres was introduced as a half-time substitute as Liverpool continued their preparations for the new season yesterday with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Auxerre in Switzerland.

The 23-year-old Spaniard was making his second appearance since arriving at Anfield earlier this month but, having recently recovered from a slight ankle injury, showed only glimpses of the form that encouraged Rafael Benítez to pay £26m for him.

Torres has enjoyed a low-key start to his career with the Premiership club - both his two outings have been on the Switzerland tour - but he will gain a taste of things to come when Liverpool arrive in Hong Kong for the Barclays Asia Trophy, where they play South China and then either Fulham or Portsmouth.

While Torres is still awaiting his first start Benítez's most recent signings, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun, were handed theirs against the French Ligue 1 side. But it was Steven Gerrard who caught the eye, ending a bland first 45 minutes with the opening goal seconds before half-time.

Daniel Agger completed the victory with a header from the impressive Nabil El Zhar's cross but the manner in which Liverpool's defence was cut open in the second half will concern Benítez.

"It was a strange game in many ways because we didn't play to our normal level yet we managed to score two good goals," said the Spaniard. "It was very hot conditions and we have been training hard, so we expected the players to feel a little tired. We have enjoyed our training camp in Switzerland and the players have worked very hard."

After Hong Kong Liverpool play in the Rotterdam Tournament - their last stop before the new season.

Carragher Ready For Asia Trophy Battle

Defender Jamie Carragher says the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong will give Liverpool a much needed fitness boost for the new season.

The Reds defeated Auxerre 2-0 in Fribourg on Friday afternoon before jetting out to Hong Kong for a game against a team from South China and then one against either Fulham or Portsmouth in the tournament.

In addition to handing legions of Liverpool fans in the Far East the opportunity to see their heroes in the flesh, Carragher insists it will provide the squad a chance to find their shaprness and allow the new boys to settle into the side.

"We haven't been there for a long time but we know we've got a lot of fans over there, so it will be nice for them and all the players are looking forward to it," he told the club's website.

"It's something different and will be a new experience for some of the lads. But the main thing is to go, improve our fitness and make sure we don't pick up any injuries.

"Team spirit is good at the moment. There's a lot of new faces but everyone is settling in really well."

Boss Rafa Benitez added: "We know that we have a lot of fans in Hong Kong and are looking forward to playing in front of them again.

"I'm sure they will give us wonderful support and we will do our best to win the Barclays Asia Trophy for them."

Pre-season Friendly : Auxerre 0 - 2 LiverpooL

Goals from Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger were enough to give Liverpool a deserved 2-0 win over Auxerre in their latest pre-season friendly.

Gerrard broke the deadlock in the 45th minute with a well-struck low shot from just inside the box following a clever dummy by Ryan Babel.

Agger then doubled the advantage midway through the second half when he headed home from a Nabil El Zhar corner.

In what was a fairly uneventful encounter in Fribourg, Switzerland, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel were handed their first starts in a red shirt, while young Bulgarian goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov made his debut.

Record signing Fernando Torres appeared as a half-time substitute and the boss again made several changes during another useful run-out.

Rafa's Reds now head off to Hong Kong for the Barclays Asia Trophy and, with a fourth successive summer win under their belts, they'll do so in high spirits.

Teams:

Liverpool:
Mihaylov, Arbeloa, Carragher, Paletta, Finnan, Babel, Gerrard MBE (captain), Hobbs, Benayoun, Voronin, Kuyt. Subs - Hyypia, Carson, Torres, El Zhar, Pennant, Darby, Reina, Alonso, Crouch, Agger, Riise

Auxerre:
Sorin, Jaures, Marcos (captain), Mignot, Martin, Legage, Pedretti, Thomas, Kahlenberg, Maoulida, Jelen. Subs - Lejeune, Traore, Riou, Jasse, Genest, Niculae, Tamas

Gabriel Heinze: See You In Court, Fergie

Gabriel Heinze will take his battle to join Liverpool from Manchester United to court.

Sir Alex Ferguson stated yesterday there was no way he would sell the 29-year-old to Liverpool.

However, United will have no choice if Heinze has a get-out clause, and now the defender is preparing to begin legal proceedings demanding his sale.

It’s been widely publicised in recent days Heinze has a letter signed by United chief executive David Gill allowing him to join any club which bids £6m – a valuation Liverpool are prepared to meet.

Despite their protests, it’s understood United did not have the foresight to add the phrase ‘except for Liverpool’ in this document.

Heinze’s representatives are confident of a swift court hearing forcing United to accept a £6m offer made by all interested clubs, including Liverpool.

The Anfield club made a formal bid for the defender which was rejected, but will now take a back seat and watch developments closely over the next few weeks.

Manager Rafa Benitez will want a new left back in his squad before the start of the season.

The capture of Heinze would represent a major coup for Benitez and, given Ferguson’s opposition to the move, would also inflict psychological torment on the United boss.

What’s clear is no matter how much Ferguson claims it won’t happen, the final decision is out of his hands.

My comment: Although I don't really fancy the move of Heinze, somehow I'm impressed with his desire to join the Liverpool squad. To bring this matter to court might cost him time and money but if he's willing to go through that hardship, I guess his intention will be good for Liverpool.

Riise Attempts To Raise His Game

Aware that Liverpool are in the marker for a new left-back, John Arne Riise has vowed to impress Rafael Benitez by raising his game.

The Norwegian, who has been a fixture in Benitez's plans, is facing a threat to his place on the left-hand side of Liverpool's team following reports that the Reds have launched a raid on Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze.

However, Manchester United's boss Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed any chance of a deal being struck, but nonetheless Riise is determined to stay focused and make it impossible for him to be dropped.

"There have been a lot of rumours lately about new people coming to the club so you know you need to step up a level," Riise told the Liverpool Echo.

"I've been working out during the summer because I wanted to show the manager (Rafael Benitez) I was fit and raring to go.

"The only response I can make is to stay focused on my game and hope the manager has enough faith in me to keep me playing. It's up to me, really.

"But I've always worked hard to show the manager I deserve to play.

"I've enjoyed a good six years here so I hope I've done more right than wrong during that time."

Personal comment: Riise undoubtedly has been one of the Liverpool faithful.....there are times when Liverpool does need his long shot tries. Defensively, he has got the pace but sometimes you can see him drifting off in the middle of the game. At least he's better than people like Silvestre or Wayne Bridge. He should remain in the squad.

Gerrard Eyes Premiership Title

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is delighted with the signings the club has made over the summer and feels there is now enough quality in the side to mount a serious challenge for the Premiership next season.

'I've watched what the other teams are doing in the market and they're all strengthening, but all those teams will be looking at us and thinking we are going to be all over them this season,' Gerrard told the LFC Magazine.

'I'm not going to start making any unnecessary predictions about what's going to happen this season and the last thing any of us need to do is build hopes up too much.

'But without doubt, if we all perform to our level each week, we have the players to push United and Chelsea all the way.

'We are looking in great shape, not only going into this season but for the next few years.

'I thought going away for the summer that we were three or four players away from where we need to be.

'Now I think we are in a great place to challenge United and Chelsea and I hope if we get things right from the beginning we can beat them to the big prizes this year.

'I've liked the way we've done business this summer. Previous years have shown how important it is to sort everything early in the pre-season, as it's not easy for players if they arrive just before the deadline.

'Hopefully with everyone having had the right amount of rest this summer we'll be able to hit the ground running when the Premiership begins. People say you can't win the league in August but I believe you can certainly lose it in the first month.

'It's fine saying it's a nine-month season and there is plenty of time to recover from a shaky start but it's hard playing catch-up week-in, week-out.

'The last thing you want to do is give teams like Manchester United and Chelsea a head start, making things even more difficult for you than they are already.'

LiverpooL Can Have Heinze

Argentina's Copa America finalist Gabriel Heinze will be allowed to leave Manchester United for Liverpool this summer - provided the Merseysiders meet United's asking price of £6 million.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports earlier this week: "Gaby's agent has advised us that he wants to move on.

“I am not too sure about that and we do not have a concrete offer from any particular club. But there is some momentum regarding the player's next move in terms of through his agent, even if nothing is close at this moment in time.”

Liverpool have expressed a definite interest, although manager Rafael Benitez, aware that no player has moved directly between the bitter rivals since 1964, when Phil Chisnall left Old Trafford for a brief, ill-starred spell at Anfield, has been concerned that United might block such an emotive transfer.

However, The Sun reports that Heinze has been told by United chiefs that he can join any club he wishes - as long as they come up with the required fee.

Ferguson has already spent £50 million on new talent this summer, and plans to splash out almost half as much again to bring Heinze's compatriot Carlos Tevez to Old Trafford.

The manager will be expected to recoup some of that outlay, and selling Heinze would help, after Kieran Richardson's move to Sunderland yesterday brought some £5.5 million back into the Old Trafford coffers.

My comment: Since Benitez is so eager to sign Heinze, there must be something up his sleeves, knowing the 'Master Of Tactician'. Maybe Benitez would use Heinze to compensate for the loss of Aurelio.

Rafa Raves Over Attacking Options

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has expressed his delight after watching four of his new attacking recruits in action on Tuesday night.

The Anfield boss handed Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun their debuts in Tuesday's 3-2 friendly win over Werder Bremen, but it was Andrei Voronin who stole the show.

The Ukrainian striker netted his first goal for the club, after signing on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, after just four minutes and he helped himself to another in the second half.

John Arne Riise was also on target for the Reds, but Benitez was full of praise for his summer squad additions and the attacking dimension they have brought to Liverpool.

"I was pleased to see us score three goals and it was nice for Torres, Benayoun and Babel to play their first game for us," Benitez said.

"You can see the different options we have now in attack. It was good for the supporters to see us attacking and playing some good football.

"It was not so good for me as a manger to see us conceding goals but there were many positives."

Meanwhile, Benitez has decided he will be allowing Javier Mascherano additional time off before the new season.

The Argentine midfielder has only recently finished participating in the Copa America and Benitez has said he will excuse the 23-year-old from Liverpool's forthcoming tour of the Far East.

"Mascherano will have 10 days off but, when he returns, he will stay at Melwood with the reserves," Benitez said.

"There would be too much travelling for him to come with us to Hong Kong, we don't want to kill the player before the start of the season."

Mascherano is expected to return to action in the friendly with Shanghai Shenhua in Rotterdam on August 3, eight days before Liverpool kick off their Premier League campaign away at Aston Villa.

Personal comment: It seems like Liverpool has started to score goals after all.....hopefully new boy Torres will get his name on the scoresheet soon. However, I do hope that they keep their defence in-tact as well.