Torres Eager For Gerrard Reunion

Fernando Torres is relishing the return of Steven Gerrard to the Liverpool team tonight as the Reds go in search of the win which will secure their place in the knock-out phase of the Champions League.

Victory over Marseille would guarantee Rafael Benitez's men a place in the last sixteen, while they would also qualify with a draw if PSV Eindhoven fail to beat Atletico Madrid.

The return of Gerrard after a groin strain is a timely tonic for the Reds, who will be looking to bounce back from their frustrating goalless draw with Fulham at the weekend, and for Torres who is delighted to welcome his teammate back to action.

The pair have not been in the same starting eleven since the 3-2 win at Manchester City on October 5.

"I wanted to play for a club like Liverpool, where I could learn from players like Steven Gerrard, who I have always respected as a player and a leader," said Torres.

"A captain in England must lead by example. Steve Gerrard is someone everyone wants to be like – always the first at training, it is he who grafts the hardest in each exercise, who sacrifices himself during each match.

"You follow him blindly. Moreover, he is a star who decided to stay at Liverpool despite all the offers.

"It is a pleasure to receive the throughballs you get from Steven. He puts the ball where he wants, like Xavi (Hernandez) for the national team."

Torres, meanwhile, has also reiterated his love for both the club and the city of Liverpool as he embarks on the challenge of looking to replicate a stunning first season in English football.

"It isn’t easy to adapt but once you have, you would have trouble wanting to play anywhere else," he said.

"You go to play away at a team in the relegation zone and you find yourself playing on a perfect pitch, with the stands full to bursting and opponents who are there to play football.

"And even if they lose, the crowd are going to cheer them on until the death. You only see this in British football."

He added: "The club is a symbol of a city which fought to stay alive.

"Everyone is proud of the team. Players want to come here because they know that Liverpool is a truly great club.

"Anfield is the most English of all the grounds - people live and breathe football there.

"With just 45,000 fans there that roar they give makes you think you have wings on your feet."

Fabio Draws Inspiration From Valencia

Fabio Aurelio believes Liverpool can draw on the experience of Valencia's title-winning success of 2002 in their quest for Premier League glory.

With Rafa Benitez at the helm, the unfancied La Liga side overcame the might of Barcelona and Real Madrid to claim their first championship in 31 years.

It's this triumph that Aurelio, who made 15 league appearances for Los Che during the campaign, feels the Reds can learn from.

"We were running from the back in 2001 and that was good for us," said the 29-year-old.

"Nobody is expecting you to fight for the title so you don't have the pressure that the teams at the top of the table have – to win every game.

"If you're top, you have to win, or otherwise you come down one position, or two positions. That was good for us at Valencia and maybe there are lessons for us now at Liverpool."

The Brazilian full-back fondly recalls a half-time team-talk from Benitez during a clash with Espanyol in December 2001, where he helped inspire Valencia to a comeback that many believe gave them the momentum to go on and clinch the title.

Aurelio said: "We were playing the local side, Espanyol, and there were question marks because the team wasn't very good and we found ourselves losing 2-0.

"There was no shouting, nothing special I remember apart from, 'You can go out and do it" – but the events of the 45 minutes which followed changed everything.

"We won 3-2 and everybody remembers that, because after that we went up and away and won the league.

"The pressure on him [Benitez] was amazing and if you've overcome that maybe you can overcome anything."

Liverpool currently sit joint top of the Premier League with Chelsea but Aurelio warns that it is too early to start thinking of silverware.

"The fans here are amazing but it is a long way if you are fighting for the title," he added.

"We know the pressure we have because of the time Liverpool has waited, but we have to keep our feet on the floor as we are doing now – and wait."

Benitez Won't Be Drawn Into Future Talks

Speaking ahead of Liverpool's Champions League clash with Marseille, boss Rafael Benitez has sought to avoid talks regarding his own future.

It's well known that Rafael Benitez is keen to extend his stay at Anfield and reports suggested recently that he was in talks with club supremos, pen in hand and smile on face.

However, there have been suggestions that certain snags have been encountered during the meetings.

Either way, the Spanish boss wasn't giving anything away ahead of Wednesday's Group D clash with Ligue 1 side Marseille.

Asked if his new contract was still going to be sorted by the end of the month, as planned, he squirmed, before saying, "It could be... but I prefer to concentrate on the game."

Skipper Steven Gerrard is expected to return after recovering from a groin problem and training well on Tuesday, but he may not start and is very unlikely to last 90 minutes if he does.

Torres Loving Reds Life

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres believes the Premier League is the greatest domestic competition in the world.

The Spanish striker moved to Anfield from Atletico Madrid in 2007 and he admits he has fallen in love with the club and the English game.

The 24-year-old's second season with the Reds has been disrupted by some nagging injuries but he insists he would not want to play in any other league.

Torres has been particularly impressed by the level of support even smaller clubs get in the Premier League, while he feels honoured to play for Liverpool.

"It isn't easy to adapt but once you have, you would have trouble wanting to play anywhere else," said Torres.

"The Premier League is way ahead of the Spanish league.

"You go to play away at a team in the relegation zone and you find yourself playing on a perfect pitch, with the stands full to bursting and opponents who are there to play football.

"And even if they lose, the crowd are going to cheer them on until the death. You only see this in British football."

Torres added: "The club is a symbol of a city which fought to stay alive.

"Everyone is proud of the team. Players want to come here because they know that Liverpool is a truly great club.

"Anfield is the most English of all the grounds - people live and breathe football there.

"With just 45,000 fans there, that roar they give makes you think you have wings on your feet."

Torres wants to help Liverpool win their first league title since 1990, and he believes skipper Steven Gerrard can inspire the team to glory.

He said in France Football: "A captain in England must lead by example. Steve Gerrard is someone everyone wants to be like - always the first at training, it is he who grafts the hardest in each exercise, who sacrifices himself during each match.

"You follow him blindly. Moreover, he is a star who decided to stay at Liverpool despite all the offers.

"It is a pleasure to receive the through balls you get from Steven. He puts the ball where he wants, like Xavi for the national team.

"It is fair to say the Premier League is in front of everything else for us.

"It is 18 years since Liverpool were last champions of England and the wait is enormous."

Ian Rush: Robbie Keane Must Learn To Live With The Pressure

Robbie Keane is finding out the hard way just how different it is to play for Liverpool.

Playing up front for a club like Liverpool is totally different to playing for Tottenham, and I don’t mean any disrespect when I say that.

The pressure is completely different.

At a club like Tottenham you can get away with playing well in three of every six games. At Liverpool you have to perform five in every six.

That’s the kind of pressure Robbie Keane is discovering for the first time, and he has to learn to live with it.

I think he’s actually playing quite well – and certainly the team has performed well this season with him in it, Saturday’s match excepted.

But the number of chances he is missing is now starting to be commented upon and that will only add to the pressure he is feeling.

Some players have been unable to live with those unique pressures.

I’m thinking of strikers like Craig Bellamy, who was a great player for Blackburn but struggled at Anfield, Fernando Morientes who couldn’t reproduce his Real Madrid form in the Premier League and Emile Heskey, who is still England’s first choice centre-forward, but couldn’t live up to what was expected of him at Anfield.

In some situations I think Robbie has been trying too hard to prove himself, but it’s a difficult thing to do to ask players to relax when they find themselves in front of goal.

What Robbie has to do is to keep putting himself in those positions where he is getting goalscoring chances.

Carragher: The Fans Must Be Patient

Jamie Carragher has called for patience among the Anfield crowd after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Fulham on Saturday.

Despite boasting an impressive unbeaten home record, the Reds have now dropped points to defensive Stoke City and Fulham sides this season.

But Carragher is adamant his Liverpool team-mates won't let the setback get to them and believes the fans must keep things in perspective at such an early stage of the Premier League campaign.

"The crowd, especially at Anfield, want us to win so much that it transmits itself down on to the pitch at times," said the Reds' vice-captain.

"You could feel that when we were trying to get the goal in the second half on Saturday.

"The supporters have to realise we are in November and not March or April yet. Like us, they are so passionate to win the title, but sometimes that passion can bowl you over.

"We have to all stay patient. It’s a long race, and it's not the be-all and end-all if we draw a home game in November.

"Don't get me wrong, the fans are great for us. But the fans, and the players, all of us together have to realise we have to be patient."

Rafa: History Must Not Repeat Itself

Rafa Benitez today warned his players not to let history repeat itself when Marseille visit Anfield for the second successive season on Wednesday night.

The Reds almost had their Champions League campaign derailed last term after Marseille grabbed a shock 1-0 win on Merseyside.

Benitez will demand his players set the record straight this time with the kind of high-octane performance that was missing during Saturday's goalless draw against Fulham.

"Marseille have players with pace and ability; skilful players who are very dangerous," the Spaniard told reporters at Anfield. "We also have the experience of last season, when we know we didn't play well.

"The people talked about an easy game but we knew it was going to be difficult. Now everybody knows they have good players, so we need to take care."

Benitez added: "After Saturday's game we talked about being frustrated, but after that there was relief because Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and United also dropped points.

"It was a special situation because we were very disappointed with the first half, but then we ended up with one more point than Arsenal and everything else the same.

"So we have confidence and we know that, normally, we're playing well and creating chances.

"We have been talking and analysing why the first half was not good and the players know what was wrong. They know it was a lack of intensity and we have to change this."

Victory on Wednesday would secure qualification from Group D with a game to spare, but Benitez insisted his side would not take their foot off the gas during the final game in PSV if this was the case.

"PSV and Marseille are good teams. When you talk about the Champions League you are talking about top-class players. It's always difficult," he explained.

"We know winning three points will be enough to qualify but we also want to finish top of the group - that would be better."

Steven Gerrard is expected to return to the Liverpool squad after coming through today's training unscathed following his adductor tear.

Benitez added: "He was training and is available. He could start and I think he could play 90 minutes, but in the end that depends on the player during the game."

Rafa Set To Overtake Shanks

Rafa Benitez will tomorrow overtake the legendary Bill Shankly by leading Liverpool into a record 66th European game.

Benitez goes into the Group D clash against Marseille level with Shanks on 65 continental games as Anfield manager.

The pair are four ahead of three-times European Cup winner Bob Paisley on 61, with Gerard Houllier fourth on the list with 52.

Benitez has won 38, drawn 14 and lost 13 of his European games since taking charge in July 2004.

His win ratio is 58.5 per cent - bettered only by Paisley (63.9) and Joe Fagan (73.7).

After winning the Champions League in his first season, Benitez led the Reds to the 2007 final and 2008 semi-finals.

"I'm really pleased with this record because Liverpool have had many fantastic managers," said Benitez today.

"I didn't know about it until a couple of weeks ago but it shows we have a good squad of players who have done well in Europe over recent seasons.

"Hopefully we can have many more European games to look forward to in the future - including the final this season."


Our managers in Europe:

Rafa Benitez - 65 games (win ratio 58.5 per cent)

Bill Shankly - 65 games (52.3)

Bob Paisley - 61 games (63.9)

Gerard Houllier - 52 games (50)

Joe Fagan - 19 games (73.7)

Roy Evans - 16 games (50)

Graeme Souness - 12 games (50)

Steven Gerrard: Champions League Is My Liverpool Priority This Season

The focus at Anfield may be firmly on the holy grail of the title, but skipper Steven Gerrard revealed yesterday a burning European ambition.

The England midfielder rightly counts 2005's remarkable Champions League triumph as the greatest moment of his career so far, but he admitted that he is getting just a little weary of playing on that final.

Given the relative lack of success since, there is little else for Liverpool's longing fans to focus on, but Gerrard wants to offer a repeat as he looks to maintain the club's enviable European traditions.

This season's Champions League final will be held in Rome, the scene of possibly the Reds' greatest-ever night in Europe. And Gerrard says he will feel a fraud unless he can repeat the success of three years ago.

"Istanbul was my finest hour, and the club's too for a long time. But I've got a hunger to match Istanbul, if not beat it," Gerrard explained.

"I don't just want to milk that final. I'd have regrets if I didn't win anything else. I want to do even better."

Gerrard is stirred by Liverpool's history in Europe, and driven by the desire to add to the record books. "Liverpool belong in Europe," he said.

"Yes, you have to earn the right to be in it, but our history, the number of cups we've won in Europe, it's our stage and where we want to be."

"We see how successful the club have been. Players before our generation delivered, and fans expect the same of us today. We don't want to milk past success, we want to create new success."

Liverpool will progress to the knock out stage of the Champions League if they beat Marseille at Anfield tomorrow, but it is to the league that their supporters are looking for the next trophy.

It is almost 20 years since the last Anfield triumph, and there is now a real sense of expectation as the club remains at the head of the Premiership approaching the Christmas period.

And while Gerrard is excited by the prospect of challenging for the title, he knows - especially after the disappointment of drawing at home to Fulham at the weekend - that there is still a distance to go to fulfil that dream.

"I can understand why people are saying we are contenders.

We've gone down a couple of times by goals, we haven't given up, and we've managed to turn games around," he admitted.

"So now they're saying we've got title credentials. It's nice, but it raises expectations."

Benitez Focused On Marseille

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has told his players to focus on Wednesday's Champions League clash against Marseille and forget the frustrating draw with Fulham.

The Reds missed the chance to go three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League at the weekend after failing to break down the resilient Cottagers at Anfield. But the squad have no time to dwell on lost opportunities as they are back in European action in midweek.

"We are disappointed about Saturday but we cannot talk about past games now," said Benitez.

A victory over the French visitors - shock 1-0 winners on Merseyside last season - would secure a place in the knockout stage with one Group D match still to play.

They would even go through with a draw on Wednesday if PSV Eindhoven fail to beat Atletico Madrid on the same night.

Ensuring qualification with a match to spare would allow Benitez to rest players and therefore assist their Premier League challenge.

Benitez added: "We have to think about making mistakes and analyse why and find solutions for the next game.

"We are frustrated, really frustrated. How can we change that now? We have to analyse and talk to the players about the mistakes and try to change for the next game."

Defender Jamie Carragher admitted the players have to accept they will encounter some frustrating times at home but they have to learn how to deal with them and ensure it does not have a knock-on effect.

"Pretty much every team that comes to Anfield plays counter-attacking football and we can't complain about that, especially as we've done the same thing in many big away games in Europe," he told the Liverpool Echo. "We've just got to adapt to it and overcome it because if we want to challenge for the title that is something we're going to have to do."

Liverpool Chasing Copenhagen's Jorgensen?

Reports suggest the Danish starlet, dubbed by some as the new Agger, is set for a January move to Merseyside.

Matthias Jorgensen, the young man they call 'Zanka' in Denmark, could be the future of the Liverpool back-line, according to The People.

Very much a stopper in the mould of current Red and countryman Daniel Agger, Jorgensen is a tough tackler, who in his spare time makes a nuisance of himself in the opposition penalty box.

Copenhagen value him at around €300,000, but the price could be inflated given the elite status of his suitors - perhaps as high as €750,000

The 18-year-old, beanpole defender is still rough around the edges, but his enthusiastic displays at club level have already won him a full international cap, which came against Wales in last week's friendly defeat. Anfield scouts are said to have been in the stadium watching his every move.

Zanka was signed from minnows Osterbro in 2007 and, if it had not been for a knee problem, reports suggest that Anfield gaffer Rafael Benitez would have swooped for him in the summer.

Arbeloa: Let's Focus On Marseille

Alvaro Arbeloa is confident Liverpool will book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League by taking out their Fulham frustration on Marseille.

The Reds full-back admits it was disappointing to drop two points against the Cottagers but feels his teammates will bounce back with victory against the French outfit.

"It was very frustrating," he told Liverpoolfc.tv following Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham.

"We always have the same problem when teams come to Anfield. They play really compact and narrow but it's up to us to break them down.

"We now need to turn attention to the Champions League. We need to make sure we put this behind us by beating Marseille so that we qualify for the next round."

The Spain international, who has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, believes the Reds are missing a clinical touch in front of goal and admits they were relieved to hear that Chelsea had also drawn a blank in their clash with Newcastle United.

"It's not a bad result for us," he said, referring to Chelsea's draw.

"They have also dropped two points so it could have been worse. We still feel we should have done our job and won the game though.

"We had two or three clear chances to score and we have to start taking them because otherwise you make life difficult for yourself.

"In the first-half we didn't play that well. We improved in the second-half but we couldn't find the goal to win the match. Once you get the first in a match like this it makes the rest of the match much easier."

Gerrard Wants Another Champions League Crown For Liverpool

Liverpool's very own 'Mr Champions League', Steven Gerrard, has told UEFA.com that he understands why people are getting so excited about Rafa Benitez's resurgent Reds.

Now, he wants to back up the hype by putting fresh silverware in the Anfield trophy cabinet.

The skipper's goal gave the Reds hope in 2005 when they were trailing Milan. His strike sparked a famous comeback which resulted in a 3-3 draw and a penalty shoot-out victory.

The midfielder said: "I've got a drive and a hunger to match Istanbul, if not beat it. I don't just want to milk that final... I think I'd have regrets if I didn't win anything else."

"Getting the captaincy was a big, big buzz, personally, but Istanbul was the club's finest hour for a long time.

Ahead of the Group D clash with Marseille in midweek, Gerrard is in a pensive mood, considering the club's European pedigree past and present.

"Liverpool belong in Europe and you have to earn the right to be in it," he continued. "The number of cups we've won in Europe shows that it's our stage. Players before our generation delivered, so fans expect the same of us today.

"Will we win things? I can see why people think that, but it's important to stay humble.

"We know we're a good team, we know we're getting closer to a title challenge, but we've got to stay in the race till the end."

Benitez Keen To Reunite Duo

Rafael Benitez believes the understanding between Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard will be key to Liverpool's trophy hopes.

The duo plundered over 50 goals between them last season as they formed a frontline that was likened to the legendary Rush-Dalglish partnership.

It is a link the Reds boss believes can get better and better and he is hopeful they could both line-up for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Marseille.

"Last season it was clear to see that the understanding between Torres and Gerrard was really good and there have been signs this year that it is getting better," said Rafa.

"Torres is back again after being injured and we hope that Gerrard will be fit enough to face Marseille.

"As a manager I don't like to single out players. But Gerrard and Torres have scored something like 54 goals between them since they began playing together, so it is clear that they are both very important to us."

Benitez - Babel Will Be Better

Rafa Benitez is optimistic that Liverpool will start to see the best from Ryan Babel this season.

Babel has yet to make a sustained impact at Anfield since his 2007 move from Ajax and has been forced to play second fiddle to Albert Riera so far this term.

The Dutch winger has made 15 first-team appearances for the Reds this season, but started only four times, with two of those coming in the Carling Cup.

He recently expressed his frustration at the situation after admitting he did not want to wait too long for his opportunity in Benitez's starting line-up.

Reds boss Benitez believes Babel is slowly adjusting to the demands of the Premier League and feels the 21-year-old is capable of being a success on Merseyside.

"He's improving and he's working hard and trying to learn and have a proper understanding of the Premier League, and hopefully we will see the best of Babel this year," said Benitez in the Daily Express.

"But he is still a young player and he needs to change some things and he will be better.

"He knows that sometimes he can be a very good player for us and he is trying."

Jimmy Bullard Delighted With Point At Liverpool Despite Fury At Fernando Torres

Jimmy Bullard, a thorn in Liverpool's side for so much of this frustrating Anfield afternoon, always seemed destined to have the final say, off the field if not on it.

As Liverpool's £50 million strikers, Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres, struggled to carve out chances against an impressively resilient Fulham, Bullard appeared the visitors' best hope of an unlikely victory.

Bullard's first-half strike, after good approach play from Bobby Zamora, forced a fine reflex save from Jose Reina, for example, but it was after the contest that the Fulham midfielder really let loose.

First, angered by what he viewed as an attack by Torres on his team-mate John Pantsil, Bullard vented his feelings at the Spanish striker on the final whistle, making a "yapping" gesture with his hand. Then Bullard, having played a key role in denying Liverpool their opportunity of moving two points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table, predicted that the London club would deny the Merseysiders in their quest to end a 19-year wait for the title.

"Who do I think will win the league? Chelsea, and I think they'll do it comfortably this year," said Bullard. "Liverpool do have an outstanding squad of individuals, it's awesome. But sometimes it's not about individual players, it's about the team.

"They're still up at the top and a very organised side. They made it hard to play but we were exceptional today and it might have looked a tad easier than usual because of that." As for the verbal altercation with Torres, Bullard said: "I just felt he had butted John and I wasn't happy that someone had done that to one of my team-mates. We're not making a thing of it, it happens. But I wouldn't have done it if that had been Duncan Ferguson – I'd have been nowhere near!"

Bullard's irrepressible personality and good humour summed up the spirit in a Fulham side that came to Anfield with just one away point all season and having failed to win any of their previous 27 visits to the ground.

Yet, Roy Hodgson's players appeared to play with more belief, confidence and camaraderie than did the hosts. Rafael Benitez has spoken so frequently and with such passion about the negative impact that travel for international football has on domestic performances that numerous sub-par Liverpool displays had the air of self-fulfilling prophecy on Saturday.

Benitez's concerns about travel fatigue also explained why he left Xabi Alonso on the bench for 64 minutes even though the pattern of the game – not to mention The Kop – were crying out for his talents.

In contrast, Hodgson pointed out that three of his most impressive performances came from goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and defenders Pantsil and Brede Hangeland, who spent the week travelling to and from Bahrain, Ghana and the Ukraine, respectively, on international duty.

"You can see that we didn't have enough quality on the ball and we didn't have enough energy," said Benitez. "We were giving it away and losing every challenge.

"You have to be strong to win this league, although you can say the same about Chelsea. Some days you have a bad day and today was a bad day."

Benítez At Pains To Explain Away Lacklustre Effort As 'A Bad Day'

The Kop jeered the selections and substitutions of Rafael Benítez, his revered compatriot Fernando Torres was taunted by Jimmy Bullard and after this excruciating performance was finally over a visiting Spanish journalist presented the manager with a book entitled Mala Vida. Bad Life would not tell the tale of any Liverpool coach, particularly one with a European Cup in the vault and awaiting an improvement on a £3.5m-a-year contract, but professionally it made appropriate bedtime reading for Benítez on Saturday night.

Long after a tireless Fulham had departed Merseyside with a merited point, only the second from their travels this season, the Liverpool manager, book in hand and visibly irritated, hung around the media room at Anfield to explain a performance at odds with the credentials of any title-chasing team. Life would appear more charmed than bad once results from Stamford Bridge and Villa Park arrived, Liverpool's own goalless draw resembling a missed opportunity and not a costly slip, but nothing could disguise Benítez's annoyance at having to defend his choices once again. Those days, he had dared to imagine, had gone.

The Brazilian Lucas Leiva was the object of Anfield frustration against Fulham, primarily as he began in favour of Xabi Alonso and ultimately when the in-form Spain international replaced Javier Mascherano. Benítez's response was to insist he needed more players as fresh as Lucas and, had they been available, would have sacrificed more of his international contingent. The argument had validity, with Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera all way below recent standards, but it was also a poor reflection on a squad Benítez has labelled the strongest of his Anfield reign. It demonstrated the turmoil facing Lucas, a £6m talent whose desperation to impress increases with every sporadic appearance, that the Kop began chanting Alonso's name after 36 minutes.

"Three or four did not have enough energy," the Liverpool manager admitted. "The players were thinking, 'It's a bad day, it is cold', so everything was against them" - which is not the mentality of champions, although when picked up on this point Benítez added: "You have to be strong to win the league and you can say the same about Chelsea. Some days you have a bad day and this was a bad day."

Injury to key players and international duty had caused minimal disruption to Liverpool this season but the drive of Steven Gerrard was missed. He could only squirm in the stands as Robbie Keane lofted the clearest chance of the game into the face of Mark Schwarzer, who also foiled Kuyt and Torres. Unlike for Kuyt, Mascherano and Riera, the international week offered no excuse for meagre contributions from Keane and Lucas while the excellence of Schwarzer, John Paintsil and Brede Hangeland - the Fulham trio who played in Bahrain, Ghana and Ukraine respectively last week - further undermined the official Liverpool line.

Roy Hodgson's team were comfortable throughout, taking the game to Liverpool in the first half as they denied them time and space. In the second, with Alonso's passing range forcing Fulham further back, their defence absorbed what little threat came. Fulham's only irritation came when Torres took out his frustration on Paintsil. Bullard was quick to intervene. "I felt he had head-butted John," he said.

Hodgson was happy with his team's performance. "They came up against a Fulham team that thwarted them in the correct way," he said. Marseille may have taken note for Wednesday.

Rafa Urges Liverpool FC Not To Dwell On Fulham Draw

FRUSTRATED Rafael Benitez believes his Liverpool players must not dwell on the disappointment of their latest title setback.

The Anfield outfit missed the chance to return to the top of the Premier League table when they were held to a home goalless draw by Fulham on Saturday.

Results elsewhere meant Liverpool did not lose ground on their main rivals and remain level on points with leaders Chelsea.

However, since their unbeaten start to the season was ended by defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, Benitez’s side have won just two of the next five games.

But the Anfield manager has told his squad they must not allow the weekend stalemate to linger long in the memory, with Liverpool aiming to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League when they entertain Marseille on Wednesday.

“We are disappointed about Saturday but we cannot talk about past games now,” said Benitez. “We have to think about making mistakes and analyse why and find solutions for the next game.

“We are frustrated, really frustrated. How can we change that now? We have to analyse and talk to the players about the mistakes and try to change for the next game.

“There was frustration at the end but relief because we are in the same position and Arsenal had lost.”

Seven of Liverpool’s starting XI were on international duty for their respective national teams three days earlier.

Liverpool had previously beaten Middlesbrough, Manchester United and Wigan Athletic following international fixtures this season, but Benitez was adamant the national call-ups had this time affected his team’s performance.

“Clearly you can see that when the players arrive late and you don’t have time to prepare them and you have to push the player,” he said. “Three or four did not have enough energy.

“From the beginning we were not creating and the passing wasn’t good enough and the tempo was not good enough to play against these teams.”

Although Steven Gerrard was ruled out, Xabi Alonso didn’t appear until the 65th minute after being benched following a full 90-minute outing in Spain’s 3-0 friendly win over Chile.

Benitez instead started with Lucas Leiva and Javier Mascherano in midfield, with Liverpool labouring, as they did against Stoke City earlier in the campaign, to break down a well-drilled Fulham side.

And the manager explained: “When we were preparing the game I had clear idea that you can use four or five players who can play 90 minutes and they can be tired at the same time so you normally try and use players with fresh legs.”

Steven Gerrard Absence Was No Excuse For Liverpool FC, Admits Fabio Aurelio

FABIO AURELIO believes Liverpool cannot use the absence of Steven Gerrard as an excuse for their failure to break down Fulham at the weekend.

Rafael Benitez’s side were held to a frustrating home goalless draw by the Londoners.

With Chelsea also drawing at home to Newcastle United, Arsenal losing at Manchester City and Manchester United later earning just a point at Aston Villa, it was a missed opportunity for the Anfield outfit to open a gap at the top of the Premier League table.

Gerrard was ruled out with the groin problem that caused such a furore with the England camp earlier in the week.

But having already shown they could win games without Fernando Torres, Aurelio accepts Liverpool should have had enough to beat Fulham minus their skipper.

“We were playing at Anfield and these are the type of games we should be winning,” said the Brazilian.

“And we can’t use Gerrard missing as an excuse for us not winning. We played more than a month without Torres and we kept on getting the results, so we’ve shown we can do it without certain players.

“Steven is a great player, and is important for us. But we had a lot of good players with quality on the pitch against Fulham. We have a big squad and we need to use that.”

Aurelio added: “We were disappointed after the game and even more so after we saw what the Chelsea result was. It was a good opportunity to move clear at the top, but at least we’re still on the same points as them.

“It’s always difficult when teams come to Anfield just to defend and ideally we need to score early on. We didn’t and then it became more difficult and the anxiety among the players became greater.

“Fulham defended well and defended deep. We were better in the second half because in the first half we didn’t keep the ball and couldn’t control the game.

“It’s always difficult after an international week. The team can’t prepare properly for the game, but we can’t use that as an excuse. The other teams have international players.”

Aurelio’s fellow Brazilian Lucas Leiva, who started in midfield at the expense of a benched Xabi Alonso, believes the onus is now on Liverpool to show Saturday’s performance was a one-off by defeating Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“We’ve just got to try and forget about this and move on to the Marseille game,” said Lucas. “We know we need to improve for the next game, but at least we are still up there at the top of the table.

“We’ll have to do better on Wednesday, we can’t afford to play like this again.”

Meanwhile, Rafael Benitez praised Fulham, but admitted his team had not shown their normal level of quality in possession.

“Fulham played well, but we were not passing the ball well,” said the Liverpool manager.

“The second half was very difficult for Fulham to score and for us it was a question of timing, the passes from us were not good enough.

“In the second half the team showed character and more energy, but we didn’t have the quality with the ball that we normally show at Anfield.”

LiverpooL 0 - 0 Fulham

Chelsea's draw and Arsenal's heavy defeat were the only things to cheer a frustrated Liverpool crowd as they saw their side waste a golden chance to take over the Barclays Premier League leadership by drawing 0-0 with Fulham.

Liverpool did not have Steven Gerrard around to save them this time after a limp performance, his torn groin muscle having a damaging impact on Rafael Benitez's side.

Fulham, with one of the best defensive records in the top flight, have never won at Anfield and rarely looked like doing so this time.

But their dogged performance claimed only their second away point of the season and also secured their third goalless draw in eight visits to Anfield.

At least they had worked out how to contain a Liverpool side who lacked ideas and inspiration. Not even the return of Fernando Torres to the starting line-up helped much.

Defenders Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland had a firm grip on Robbie Keane and Torres for most of the game, and Liverpool could not find a way through.

Torres returned to the Liverpool starting line-up for the first time since the October 5 win at Manchester City. Two appearances as a substitute at Bolton, and for Spain against Chile in midweek, confirmed his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Boss Benitez rested Xabi Alonso on the bench and brought in Alvaro Arbeloa, Lucas and Torres from the side that started the win at Bolton last weekend.

Fulham, who arrived having suffered just two league defeats in seven and won three of the last four, retained the side that beat Tottenham last weekend.

But with Gerrard out it was maybe a surprise that Benitez opted to also rest Alonso, who has been in outstanding form this season. It meant he had two holding players, Lucas and Javier Mascherano, in central midfield and a lack of creativity.

Liverpool still started at pace, but the opening exchanges produced just one decent chance. Fabio Aurelio's 40-yard cross-field pass picked out Arbeloa, and his lay back was side-footed just wide by Dirk Kuyt after four minutes.

Fulham were confident and organised, with Jimmy Bullard and Danny Murphy having plenty of the ball.

The danger signs were there when a hook from Andrew Johnson, the ex-Everton man getting a warm welcome from the Kop, forced Jose Reina into a scruffy save.

Fulham had threatened from set-plays and the movement of Bobby Zamora, before Liverpool produced the best chance of the half.

Aurelio's ball in from the left looked to deflect off Torres and Bullard before falling for Keane after 29 minutes. But Mark Schwarzer was out bravely to get his body in the way of the Irishman's eight-yard shot.

Then it was Reina that kept Liverpool level. Referee Mark Halsey played excellent advantage after 34 minutes when Aurelio clattered into Clint Dempsey.

Zamora raced away down the right, reached the line, before laying the ball back for Bullard to fire in a fine effort from the edge of the box that the Spanish keeper turned away at full stretch.

Torres had a header that went wide and a low drive from Kuyt's pass that Schwarzer held, to underline miss-firing Liverpool's problems.

Liverpool were much sharper after the break and when Keane's pass found Torres, the Spaniard curled a fine shot just over the far angle.

Then after 50 minutes Torres surged past John Pantsil to lash in a angled effort that Schwarzer palmed away.

The crowd had been calling for Alonso's introduction from the half-hour mark, and as Liverpool's drive slowed and frustration crept in, the midfielder's name boomed down from the Kop.

Benitez answered the chorus after 64 minutes, taking off Mascherano and sending on Alonso.

After 69 minutes Albert Riera's cross was met on the full by Kuyt, but Schwarzer made a fine save to his left.

Liverpool then sent on Ryan Babel in place of Riera after 78 minutes, with Nabil El Zhar taking over from Kuyt four minutes later. Fulham sent on Zoltan Gera for Dempsey after 84 minutes.

The Reds were looking ragged now, bereft of ideas, and even Alonso fired high over after being set-up by Babel.

Lucas saw a 20-yarder blocked by Pantsil and Daniel Agger saw a header clear the bar.