Liverpool Fans Could Copy Barcelona Buyout

If they can do it in Barcelona why can’t they do it in Liverpool?

That was the debate at Liverpool Hope University yesterday into whether Liverpool Football Club could be bought and run by fans.

Academics from Birkbeck College in London suggested Liverpool fans could take control of their club through a mutual structure.

Using Barcelona FC as an example, Sean Hamil and Geoff Walters said public ownership in Catalonia saw fans elect presidents and ensure accountability.

In 2000, Barcelona fans launched the Elephant Blau Campaign against plans to build a commercial re-development around the clubs Camp Nou stadium.

Fan Joan Laporta said the owners were selling out the club’s tradition and value, which led to the ousting of the previous board in 2003 and the appointment of Laporta as club president.

The club now has 156,000 members or “socios” who pay an annual members fee and have the right to vote on the presidency and board and other matters including the club’s charitable works.

Asking if Barcelona is a one off, Mr Walters said Barcelona had still faced all the issues surrounding any football club, including boardroom bust-ups and financial worries.

But he said it was “a shining example of a mutual club with an explicit cultural and social identity which still delivers success on the pitch”.

Mr Hamil expanded on the success of mutual ownership which had raised revenue from 123.4m euros in 2003 to 290m euros in 2007, whilst still maintaining affordable ticket prices.

Under Laporta, player wages had been controlled, broadcasting revenue had been increased and 50,000 extra people had become socios.

Share Liverpool Football Club Group (SLFCG), led by high-profile Liverpool fans, are hoping to launch a £550m buy-out of the club from its American owners.

They are looking for 100,000 supporters to each put in £5,000 to buy the club.

During questions at the second annual conference of the Sport and Politics Group, Mr Hamil said that Tom Hicks and George Gillett promised to buy the best players but this had turned out to mean an increase in season ticket prices.

Liverpool FC Manager Rafa Benitez Has 79 Hours To Save His Season

The FA CUP e-on Fifth round: Liverpool v Barnsley, today, kick-off 3pm GMT Flop against Tykes & Inter and the pressure will mount on Benitez.

Rafa Benitez has urged his Liverpool players to turn the spotlight at Anfield back on to the pitch by winning.

The endless speculation about Benitez's position and the club's ownership is turning into a longer-running soap opera on Merseyside than Brookside.

Some fans plan a protest march to the ground today as part of their campaign to force out US owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Liverpool could do without all these distractions going into the games against Barnsley and Inter Milan over the next four days which will decide their season and Benitez's future as manager.

The Spaniard is trying to remain calm as he counts down to these make-or-break 79 hours and believes his players can take some of the heat out of the situation by getting results.

"It would always be better if we didn't have all this speculation, but the only way we can help that situation is by winning games," said Benitez.

"Then people will talk about goals and wins and things like that. If we start winning games, it will be easier for everyone.

"Everything comes down to the performance of the team. It's a circle. If you play well you can win games, people will talk about football, you will have more confidence, you can win more and that in turn helps the financial situation."

That is easier said than done for Benitez's spluttering side who have already been embarrassed by Luton and non-league minnows Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup.

The Hatters forced a replay and Blue Square South outfit Havant twice led at Anfield before Liverpool roused themselves to win.

Defeat in the fifth round today at home to a Barnsley side with just two wins away all season and featuring on-loan Luke Steele - third choice goalkeeper at West Brom - is unthinkable.

Benitez is well aware of that possibility, having been on the end of a humiliating cup shock by Alicante when in charge at Valencia and hopes his players have learned not to be overconfident.

"It's always difficult when you play against a team from a lower division," he said. "You have to warn against complacency and tell your players to be careful.

"But if they score first, you will play with more anxiety and you are nervous. That's what can happen.

"In these type of games, you don't have anything to gain. People expect you to win. But if you play well and score goals that can be a positive."

Benitez has seized on any little plus point and he pointed to Liverpool's decent goalless draw at Chelsea as a sign the team was improving.

He also said the players had been sharp in training this week and that Fernando Torres was close to returning from his hamstring injury.

But the Spaniard knows what really matters to the fans is what happens at 3pm.

Another poor result would push Benitez further towards the exit and he said: "We've been trying to work out why we've been so inconsistent.

"In the last two games against Sunderland and Chelsea, I think we have done well and deserved to win and score goals. But we'll know more in five days' time whether we have turned a corner or not.

"We're ready for these challenges. People are talking about Inter, but we've got Barnsley first and the FA Cup is an opportunity to bring some silverware to the club.

"The Champions League will be more difficult. But we have a chance in both competitions, and we will try to take it. We know how important these two games are to our season and we don't want to disappoint anyone."

FA Cup Preview: Liverpool vs. Barnsley

Liverpool are seeking to repeat their FA Cup triumph of 2006, but they’ll have to get past Barnsley to make it into the quarter finals.

It doesn’t matter who you ask about Sunday’s game at Chelsea, everyone says the same thing: it was dire. That it was, but displeasing aesthetics aside a point from Stamford Bridge represents an excellent result. Indeed, with more clinical shooting Liverpool could have perhaps even ended the Blues’ long unbeaten home streak.

The game told us very little that we didn’t already know (namely that ‘top four’ sides often cancel each other out) but Liverpool nonetheless proved that despite an indifferent league campaign they can still hang with the best on a head-to-head basis.

The problem – as ever – is goals. Hardly ever under Rafa Benítez have Liverpool managed to find the net away to their big rivals, and with Fernando Torres absent the cause always looks a damn sight worse. That’s certainly something to consider – and aim to rectify – in the forthcoming Champions League matches.

But against Barnsley in the FA Cup the Reds should be hopeful of putting away a few goals and easing into the quarter finals without too much bother. Hopeful, but not certain. For as anyone who watched the drama against non-league Havant & Waterlooville will know, Liverpool are more than capable of shooting themselves in the foot against weaker sides.

Barnsley undoubtedly lack Liverpool’s qualities, but gifting the lead to a Championship side is far different to gifting it to a collection of bin men, taxi drivers and school teachers.

Championship side Barnsley reached Round 5 by way of a 1-0 win at Southend United. The South Yorkshire outfit will be hoping for that kind of away form at Anfield on Saturday rather than the stuff they’ve been serving up in the league.

The 10-man Terriers were shocking in midweek as they suffered a 3-0 rout at Plymouth Argyle. And although they are quite the force at Oakwell (beating the likes of Watford and West Brom) their last away league win was in September (3-2 at Southampton). Since then they’ve suffered nine defeats in twelve games, the worst of which was a 4-0 reverse at Coventry City.

However, this game offers a break from the league and a chance for players to prove to manager Simon Davey what they can do on a bigger stage. "This will be the pinnacle of some of the players' careers so far and they have to make sure they take the chance,” said the boss. “I will be proud to lead the team out at Anfield but we are going there to try to win the game.”

And if the Terriers are looking for an omen, here’s one: in the 1997/1998 season, their only one as a Premier League side, they earned a famous 1-0 league win over Liverpool at Anfield before going on to dump Manchester United out of the Cup.


FORM GUIDE

Liverpool


Chelsea - Liverpool 0 - 0 10/02/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool - Sunderland 3 - 0 02/02/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
West Ham - Liverpool 1 - 0 30/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool - Havant & Waterlooville 5 - 2 26/01/2008 FA CUP
Liverpool - Aston Villa 2 - 2 21/01/2008 PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool - Luton 5 - 0 15/01/2008 FA CUP




Barnsley

Plymouth - Barnsley
3 - 0 12/02/2008 CHAMPIONSHIP
Barnsley - West Brom
2 - 1 09/02/2008 CHAMPIONSHIP
Coventry - Barnsley
4 - 0 02/02/2008 CHAMPIONSHIP
Barnsley - Colchester
1 - 0
29/01/2008 CHAMPIONSHIP
Southend - Barnsley
0 - 1 25/01/2008 FA CUP
QPR - Barnsley
2 - 0 19/01/2008 CHAMPIONSHIP

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

With all respect to Barnsley, it’s fair to say that Reds boss Rafa Benítez just might have an eye on midweek opponents Internazionale when compiling Saturday’s team sheet. That said, he has no decision to make at centre-back as Martin Skrtel (calf) joins Daniel Agger on the sidelines. Sami Hyypia should return as could newly fit Fabio Aurélio and Alvaro Arbeloa. Fernando Torres has also shaken off his injury, but is highly unlikely to be risked for this game. Andriy Voronin is still out.

Likely XI (4-4-2): Itandje – Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Aurélio – Pennant, Lucas, Alonso, Kewell – Crouch, Kuyt

Barnsley

Emergency loan signing Luke Steele is not cup tied and will start in goal at Anfield in place of the injured Heinz Müller. Tony Warner is ineligible for this tie against his former club, as are Lewin Nyatanga and Jon Macken.

Last Line-up (v. Plymouth): Warner – Foster, Souza, Nyatanga, Kozluk – Leon (Campbell-Ryce), De Silva, Howard, Devaney (Ferenczi) – Macken, Nardiello (Hassell)



PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool – Dirk Kuyt

It’s over two months since Dirk Kuyt scored a goal for Liverpool (a late strike to make it 4-0 against Marseille). Since then the Reds have played 14 games and the Dutchman hasn’t spent any length of time out injured. Fans are starting to get on the striker’s back now so tomorrow would be a useful time to finally score. Barnsley aren’t Inter, but every little helps.

Barnsley – Luke Steele

Steele is a product of the Manchester United youth academy and thus will have extra incentive to thwart Liverpool on Saturday. The goalkeeper only joined the Terriers on an emergency loan this week and has barely played at parent club West Bromwich Albion since signing in 2006 and then going on loan to Coventry. Steele is out of match practice, but will he rise to the Anfield occasion?

Win A Trophy And The Rest Will Follow, Says Benítez

Rafael Benítez has said Liverpool can meet the financial pressures that are on the club with success in the FA Cup and Champions League this season.

"The finance is important but winning is the way to improve everything," said the Liverpool manager. "If you win games and progress in competitions such as the FA Cup and the Champions League it makes the money situation better.

"It would always be better if we didn't have all this speculation but the only way we can help that situation is by winning games. Then people will talk about goals and wins and football. It comes down to the performance of the team. It's a circle. If you play well you can win games, people will talk about football, you will have more confidence, you can win more and that will help the financial situation."

The £350m refinancing package that the club owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, secured last month has not removed the uncertainty surrounding their Anfield tenure, with Dubai International Capital still hoping to tempt the co-chairmen to sell, but it did make a financial imperative of the need for revenue from the Champions League.

Annual interest repayments of up to £30m will impact on the Liverpool manager's transfer budget until a proposed new stadium opens in 2011 but Benítez, whose team entertain Barnsley in the FA Cup this afternoon and Internazionale in the Champions League on Tuesday, believes his squad can overcome the frequent distractions that the Americans' reign has produced.

Benítez claims to be unperturbed by the possibility of a second takeover at Anfield in the space of 12 months, with DIC attempting to capitalise on a strained business relationship between Gillett and Hicks, and his focus is on the competitions that offer release from another season of failed ambition in the Premier League.

"This week I've not had any problems concentrating just on football. I try to focus on the games, especially the next two because we could win these competitions," he said. "We are ready for these challenges. People are talking about Inter but we've got Barnsley first and the FA Cup is an opportunity to bring some silverware to the club. The Champions League will be more difficult because of the quality of the teams left in it. But this is our chance in both competitions and we will try to do it."

The Liverpool manager admits there can be no excuses for complacency among his players against Barnsley, following scares in previous rounds against Luton Town, then Havant & Waterlooville. Benítez added: "It is always difficult against a team from a lower division. The bigger team cannot win in these situations. Everyone expects you to win but, if they score first, then you will become nervous and play with more anxiety as we did against Havant & Waterlooville. That can happen.

"You have to warn against complacency and to tell your players to be careful. A lot of Premier League teams have struggled in the FA Cup this season but we still have a chance to win it."

Benitez: We Can Beat Anyone

Ahead of Liverpool's crucial cup week, manager Rafael Benitez has urged for his players to put the club's league troubles behind them and prove their worth in the FA Cup ahd Champions League.

It has been far from a season to remember for Liverpool as we are now fast approaching March and the beginning of what is known as the 'business end' of the season.

Liverpool have been in woeful form in the league — even at home, to the shock of many — and are well off the pace for the coveted Premier League title, which they have yet to win in the competition's 15-year history.

The worries do not end there, as they are now underachieving to the point that their place in the top four is under serious threat and as a result, so is their Champions League future.

However, it's 'business' that Rafa Benitez handles best. Come what may, the man produces results and has the trophies to prove it. Nobody will be counting Liverpool out; though they were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chelsea (who play Everton in the final in just over a week) they remain outside contenders for both the FA Cup and the Champions League.

The outside is where Benitez prefers to be; too often he has come into games the favourite and been embarrassed, while making misery for Europe's more glamorous clubs has been his fore in his tenure at Anfield and indeed before then at the Mestalla with Valencia.

So despite the fact Liverpool almost suffered incredibly embarrassing exits from both of these competitions — with Havant and Waterlooville giving them a first-half scare at Anfield in the FA Cup and Marseille being within 90 minutes of sending them crashing out of the weakest Champions League group of the lot — they are still in with a chance, something Benitez is only all too aware of.

"We know we are not doing as well in the league and we must improve, but the FA Cup and Champions League are different competitions and we can beat anyone," declared Benitez.

With Championship side Barnsley being Liverpool's fifth round opponents in this weekend's FA Cup tie, Benitez is confident there will be no element of complacency amongst his men, and that lessons have been learned from previous somewhat unpleasant experiences.

"We have a difficult game, and I say difficult because we have some experience in the Cup," he said. "Everybody says that we'll beat Barnsley but we must be careful and do the right things.

"Always when you play a team from another division you must still do your jobs properly. We have the game against Havant and Waterlooville as experience. We were thinking about scoring goals and we conceded.

"We knew before that game about the dangers, and if you remember we had a chance to score first with a Yossi Benayoun header. In this game we must not give the other team any options.

"Clearly this is a cup final for them, so it's a tough game. We also know they are physically very strong, so we must be careful. We have to give them a lot of respect.

"We have to score first and everything will be okay."

Following Barnsley, Serie A reigning champions, runaway leaders and unbeatable machine Inter will be Liverpool's next encounter, and quite how Benitez expects to come away from that with a good result yet remains to be seen.

Alonso Aims To Reclaim Reds Place

Xabi Alonso is hoping to use the FA Cup tie against Championship outfit Barnsley as a springboard towards a starting berth in an improving Liverpool side.

Xabi Alonso is ready to put his injury and form woes behind him and force his way back into the Liverpool starting XI.

The frustrated midfielder has started only 13 games this term for the Reds, but is now seemingly ready to rise to the challenge of Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva to reclaim his place.

"It hasn't been an easy season for me," Alonso admitted to the club’s official website.

"If you ask any player what it is like coming back from injury and they will tell you the most important thing is to get a run of games.

"That is exactly what I need now and hopefully I can get that, although I know it will be difficult because Steven [Gerrard], Javier and Lucas have all been doing well.

"But I will keep on working hard in training and hopefully my chance will come."

The 26-year-old is now targeting an impressive FA Cup showing against Barnsley at Anfield on Saturday.

Indeed, Lucas was afforded a run in the side after a superb strike against minnows Havant and Waterloovile in the last round, with Alonso targeting a similar outcome.

"You have to make sure you are ready when your chance does come, so if I am selected tomorrow I will give everything.

"It is always nice when fans tell you they like to see you in the team, and I am grateful for the support I have had from them, but now is the time for me to deliver."

In light of the wayward title challenge, Alonso has turned his thought towards the Fifth Round of England’s premier cup competition. He enjoyed winning the trophy against West Ham in 2006.

The Spaniard is keen, though, to take part in a Wembley showpiece, having celebrated at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff two years ago.

"Wembley is a big incentive for me and the rest of the players because it is such a special place to play.

"I have never played there before but Stevie, Carra [Jamie Carragher] and Crouchy [Peter Crouch] have played there for England since it was re-opened and they have all spoken about how good it is.

"That day when we beat West Ham was a very special day for the team and for myself even though I had to go off after 70 minutes because I'd picked up a knock when we played Portsmouth in the league in the game before.

"The atmosphere was fantastic and the game had everything which makes the FA Cup such a great competition."

Liverpool’s Premiership performance against Chelsea last week was a big improvement after a worrying slump. Alonso is keen to help his side put a run together and achieve in cup competition, with the Champions League also due to resume.

"The performance at Chelsea was very good, but now we have to carry that on," he continued.

"It was the first step but we need to put together a run of wins.

"We know it is going to be very difficult to challenge for the title but there are still a lot of games to play so we have to do everything we can to move up the league and try to make sure we get into the top four.

"There is still a lot for us to play for."

Liverpool Open Crouch Contract Talks

Reports of Aston Villa intensifying their interest in Peter Crouch appear to have spurred Liverpool to enter into contract extension talks with the towering striker.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill is said to be plotting a £9million bid for the 26-year-old in the summer, which in turn seems to have prompted his opposite number at Anfield to send love declarations up towards the big man's direction.

There has been serious doubt about whether Rafa still rates Crouch, but apparently the former Southampton star has a significant part to play in the Spaniard's plans after all. The England striker has been overlooked for much of the season, but he has been given the nod from the start for the last two league matches and the Liverpool brass are now hoping he will agree with minimal fuss to add to the 16 months left on his £40,000-a-week deal.

Although he has shown frustration over his lack of playing time in the past, Crouch has never hidden the fact that he would always prefer to stay at Anfield so long as he is given a fair shake.

What Benitez's sudden reaffirmation of faith in Crouch does, however, is increase the speculation over whether misfiring Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt still can count on having a Liverpool future.

Liverpool 'Closer' To Mascherano Deal

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists he is edging closer to completing the permanent signing of Javier Mascherano despite fresh reports linking the Argentine with a move elsewhere.

Mascherano had expected his future to be decided by the end of last week but with the situation still ongoing, Spanish daily Marca now claims the player has been offered to Barcelona. Benitez said yesterday: "We are closer than we were one week ago but I don't know how close." The 23-year-old remains on loan at Anfield from West Ham, although the player is effectively owned by the sports investment group MSI.

It is just the kind of distraction Benitez does not need following the resumption of rumours about a fresh takeover of the club from a Dubai consortium, and the ongoing possibility of legal action against a Sunday newspaper.

Benitez is still consulting his lawyers over an article referring to the manager's relationship with the club's American owners. Benitez said: "You don't like doing these things but sometimes you have got to protect yourself, and the lawyer will be in contact with them. You can have your own opinion, but when somebody is twisting things you must say stop."

Defender Martin Skrtel is a major doubt for tomorrow's FA Cup tie with Barnsley after he picked up a calf injury in training.

With Daniel Agger recovering from a metatarsal injury, it could mean a place in the squad for Spanish youngster Mikel San Jose.

Liverpool To Change Hands Again As American Owners Cash In

Liverpool are poised to change hands again - by the middle of next month - as the club's US owners close in on a double-your-money offer from Dubai.

Despite denials from Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Mirror Sport understands that an outline agreement to transfer ownership of the Anfield giants to Dubai International Capital is in the pipeline.

Sources in New York have confirmed that a £460million deal with DIC - the Dubai government's financial arm and headed by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum - is now on the verge of conclusion. Anfield fans will rejoice at the news that the two Americans' ill-starred reign is ending after a series of protests in recent weeks over their treatment of boss Rafa Benitez.

Supporters have demanded a sale to DIC, who were jilted at the end of 2006 when the Liverpool board wrongly believed the deal with the Americans would safeguard the interests of the club. Hicks is expected to stay as part of the new club directorate in the immediate aftermath of the sale.

The effective sale price is nowhere near the ambitious £1billion valuation Mirror Sport exclusively revealed was put on the club by Hicks in November. He and Gillett paid just £219m to take control of Liverpool from David Moores a year ago.

One insider said: "These talks are still ongoing. Tom and George want to make sure they get the right price for giving up the club."

Despite leaving Liverpool with a £350m debt, they will be able to walk away having made a substantial profit.

LiverpooL Are Tracking Bilbao Ace

Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle are reported to be battling it out for Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta.

Reports in Spain claim the Premier League trios are keeping tabs on the highly-rated centre-back.

All three clubs are believed to have watched the 22-year-old this season as they consider making a move for his signature in the summer.

Amorebieta, who has a contract with Bilbao until 2011, says he is flattered by the interest but insists he is no rush to leave San Mames.

"I'm very happy here and also that people are noticing me," said Amorebieta.

"It's nice to know people are interested in you."

Fans Are Now The Last Consideration

It must have been a busy time for the RSPCA last week. All those camels with broken backs, courtesy of the barrel-load of straws dropped on them by Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive.

Ever since the creation of the Premier League, we’ve been waiting for the ‘big one’, the final assault on our game which will push the fans over the edge, and put all that’s gone before it into context as merely the preamble to the megalomaniac global expansion plans of our leading clubs.

The end of Saturday afternoon as the focal point of our week; soaring ticket prices; ever-changing football shirts with prices kept artificially high; average football players earning more in a week than most people do in a year.

All these things have served to drive a wedge between the average fan and their football club, weakening the bonds which define football as our national game, and alienating a whole generation of supporters – the average age of a Premier League fan last year was 43.

Not content with this, Scudamore now unveils the ultimate estrangement: taking a game away from us altogether, to be played on the other side of the world, accessible to us only through the omnipresent television cameras. This breathtaking audacity is justified not by the language of sport, but by the language of business: global markets, competitive positions and exporting English football.

Scudamore has attempted to explain this naked pursuit of financial gain through altruistic ambition: the additional money is needed to invest in the development of young English footballers, and to help the game at grass-roots level.

This of course has been the experience to date every time the TV deals have increased in size; there’s a positive bow wave of young English talent coming through now, displacing average African, Eastern European and, yes, Spanish players isn’t there?

Yet the most incredulous illustration of Scudamore’s gall is to be found in the sophistry he employs to defend the fatal damage to the fairness of the competition by the introduction of an additional game determined by lottery.

According to Scudamore, “every team will have an equal chance of being treated unfairly” under this system. Older readers will remember Stanley Unwin making a living out of such gobbledegook. What’s more, apparently “nobody ever said the league was supposed to be entirely fair”.

This truly appalling view of competition, tantamount to rigging the fixture list, surely calls into question Scudamore’s suitability to be chief executive of even the most brutal Sunday League, never mind our most feted.

Of course, where there’s hubris about, Professor Wenger is never far away. He’s declared his ‘in principle’ support for the idea, on the basis that “90% of (fans) who love the club never have access to the games”.

Yes Arsene, these are probably the people of Islington who can’t afford the ticket prices at the Emirates. And the real fans who deserve your consideration are not the hordes in Hong Kong or wherever who buy a shirt and would attend a novelty match in their own back yard; but those who traipse round the country every weekend in all weathers, at inconvenient times determined by the TV companies, spending sizeable proportions of their income supporting the team they grew up with.

In short, the 800 or so Havant & Waterlooville fans who turn up for the average home game, not the other 5,200 who made the trip to Anfield.

The depressing reality is that this abomination will happen, and will expand until the rest of the world realises there’s a reason why even people from Middlesbrough don’t turn out to watch Middlesbrough play. Sydney? There’ll be no-one watching in Kirkby.

Liverpool Linked With Nigerian Star, More DIC Takeover Claims, & Bizarre Torres Exit Stories

Liverpool are being linked with a summer swoop for Nigerian striker Osaze Odemwingie.

The forward has impressed many in the recent African Cup of Nations in Ghana,

According to reports on Brilafm.net, the Locomotiv Moscow striker could be making an £8 million pound move from Russia to Liverpool in the summer.

The site even goes so far as to claim scout Marc Guinness has been tasked with monitoring the player.

Andriy Voronin is the player tipped to leave if Odemwingie comes in.

Meanwhile, John Arne Riise is being linked with a £6million move to Aston Villa.

Riise, who is having an indifferent season, is one of a number of players being tipped to leave in the summer.

The rumour mill has been alive with claims Xabi Alonso will return to Spain while it is also suggested Premier League and Spanish big guns may bid up to £40million for Fernando Torres if Liverpool don’t qualify for the Champions League.

Other, perhaps slightly less random rumours, include Sami Hyppia to Celtic, Harry Kewell to a MLS side and Peter Crouch to Portsmouth.

In addition, Tom Hicks insists he isn’t selling, but that hasn’t stopped the rumours linking Dubai’s DIC with a fresh takeover.

Reports now say DIC are believed to be targetting George Gillett's 50% stake in the club and once they secure a deal will then turn their attentions to the remaining shares held by fellow American Hicks.

The reports also suggest the deal would spell the end for Rafa Benitez. The story began life yesterday in The Sun, whose sister paper, The News of the World, was described as “one of the two newspapers everyone on Merseyside knows you can’t trust” after it attempted to strike up a fresh feud between Benitez and the owners.

Sources are quoted as saying: "The Dubai investors are not convinced Benitez is the right man for Liverpool.

"They have been far from impressed by his very public rows with the current owners and even less impressed with the way Liverpool are struggling for consistency in the Premier League. Like all foreign owners, they crave Champions League football, for financial and emotional reasons.

“If Liverpool failed to qualify for next season's tournament, they would regard it as catastrophic."

Mascherano Desperate For Silverware

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is determined to taste success this season after double disappointment last year.

The Argentina international suffered an unwanted double last season, losing in both the Champions League final and Copa America final within the space of a couple of months.

Mascherano is keen to make up for those disappointments, and is hoping to help Liverpool to success in the FA Cup and Champions League this term.

"When you lose any final, it's painful," Mascherano said.

"But suffering defeat in such a massive game as the Champions League or Copa America last year was really hard to take.

"Even when I was back in South America I always watched the European Cup games and loved it.

"It's the most important title you can win in club football and we were so close to doing it.

"This time, winning one would be really nice.

"Hopefully, it will happen this season in the Champions League or FA Cup because I don't want another silver medal - I prefer gold!

"I just love playing in these big cup games with Liverpool. I went from not playing at West Ham to being involved in some huge occasions.

"It doesn't get any better than this. Hopefully, there are a few more great days and nights around the corner."

Mascherano is currently on loan at Anfield, but a permanent deal is in the pipeline at Anfield.

The all-action midfielder is hoping the move can be finalised as soon as possible so that he can concentrate on his game.

"The sooner things get sorted out with Liverpool the better," added Mascherano.

"I want to be settled and kill myself on the pitch so the team wins lots of games."

DIC Agree Liverpool Deal - Reports

DIC are reportedly on the verge of completing their takeover of Liverpool.

According to The Daily Mirror, the Dubai International Capital group - the investment arm of the Dubai government - have reached an 'outline agreement' with current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to buy the club for around £460million.

The Mirror claims that 'sources in New York' have confirmed that a deal is in place, and could be completed by the middle of March.

DIC failed in their initial bid to buy Liverpool when Hicks and Gillett took over in 2007, but are now prepared to effectively double the Americans' money for the club.

Hicks and Gillett recently completed a £350million refinancing deal on the money they borrowed to buy the club, which left Liverpool saddled with around £105million of debt.

While Rafa Benitez has, to put it mildly, had his disagreements with Hicks and Gillett, the takeover might not be the best news for him after all.

Reports earlier this week suggested that DIC were not convinced that Benitez was the right man to take Liverpool forward, having been less than impressed with his public rows with the current owners.

Rafa Handed Quadruple Fitness Boost

Rafa Benitez has been handed a quadruple fitness boost ahead of the forthcoming Cup double-header – but has yet to decide whether to risk his returning stars in the first clash against Barnsley on Saturday.

Fernando Torres was involved in part of yesterday's training session alongside fellow absentees Sami Hyypia, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio.

All four could be available for the FA Cup fifth round, but with Inter Milan arriving at Anfield just three days later, Benitez has some tricky decisions ahead.

"I need to consider both games but I know it's important to progress in the FA Cup, so I will try to use a strong team," the boss told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"Sami Hyypia is improving. He did the warm up and could be available, but we will have to analyse the situation. Torres also did the warm up, as well as Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa, and they are really close.

"Now it is about whether we will take the risk or not.

"For Inter, Torres will be okay. We will have to check before Barnsley."

Liverpool Manager Mulling Legal Action

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez could be about to take legal action against a British newspaper for reporting that he blamed the club's owners for its failure to challenge for the Premier League title.

Sunday paper The News Of The World reported last week that Benitez blamed the efforts of Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. to speak to Juergen Klinsmann about becoming the club's new coach for Liverpool's poor performances.

But Benitez denies the accusation and the paper's apparent assertion that he had spoken with its reporter before it ran the story on Feb. 10 under the headline "It's Your Fault: Rafa In New Blast At Owners."

The Spanish coach has appointed lawyer Richard Green, who on Wednesday sent a letter to the paper and its reporter to inform them of the intended proceedings.

Benitez said that the paper misrepresented an interview he did the previous day with Spanish daily El Mundo.

Benitez said the question from El Mundo, translated into English, was: "The owners were lacking faith in your work a couple of months ago when the team was six points behind the leaders with a game in hand. Has this issue influenced the progress of the team?"

His reply was allegedly: "As a coach, you could say yes. It would be the perfect excuse, but I don't want to use it."

Benitez had already spoken about his anger toward the paper and the story before Sunday's 0-0 league draw at Chelsea, which left his club 19 points behind leader Arsenal.

"Everybody in Liverpool knows that there are two newspapers that you cannot trust," Benitez said. "This is one of them.

"He (the reporter) talks of it being an exclusive, but the journalist is lying. I was talking with the Spanish press. He was manipulating everything."

Liverpool's Guthrie Wants Bolton Stay

Liverpool-owned midfielder Danny Guthrie has indicated that he would welcome the chance to extend his on-loan stay at Bolton beyond the end of the season.

20-year-old Guthrie was snapped up by Liverpool after being released by Manchester United and impressed with his performances for the club's Academy side.

His opportunities for the Liverpool first team, however, have been few and far between.

After a moderate start to his spell at The Reebok, the youngster has settled well and admits that the chance of playing in high profile games like Thursday's Uefa Cup tie with Athletico Madrid has persuaded him that a permanent move to Gary Megson's club may be in his best interests.

"A lot can happen between now and the end of the season, but I could see myself staying here," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"However, it's up to people above me to decide what happens.

"I'm sure Liverpool have been monitoring my progress but I haven't spoken to anyone.

"In terms of me staying, it is what the two clubs want to do and then it comes down to me.

"I came to Bolton to play regularly but it's a bonus to play against the likes of Athletico Madrid," stated Guthrie.

He added that he had settled well in his new surroundings and was enjoying getting first team football.

"I'm loving it now. When I first came I wasn't getting too much of a look-in. But I'm involved on a regular basis now."

Bolton play Athletico Madrid in the Uefa Cup on Thursday at the Reebok Stadium.

Torres Could Be Back By This Weekend

Fernando Torres' recovery from injury is going according to schedule meaning that there is a good chance that he will be ready in time to face Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.

The Spanish super striker strained his hamstring while on international duty last Wednesday and was a big miss during Liverpool's scoreless stalemate away to Chelsea yesterday.

Although the prognosis from the Anfield medical department predicted that he would only be out of action for between 7-10 days, the confirmation that he is mending well will come as a big relief to Reds' fans around the world, in light of the massively important Champions League second-round encounter with Italian champions Inter coming up on February 19.

"Maybe he can be available for the weekend against Barnsley. We have time," said Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez.

"The physios are working with him. He could be okay."

Torres, 23, has quickly established himself as Liverpool's most important striker since his high-profile move from Atletico Madrid this summer, having already bagged 18 goals just over halfway through his debut season.

Reds Told To Lose Draw Habit

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has warned his team-mates they will miss out on next season's Champions League if they do not quickly shake off a costly habit of drawing matches they should win.

A goalless stalemate at Chelsea on Sunday was the Reds' 11th draw of the season.

And while Gerrard took encouragement from aspects of his side's performance, the reality was that Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton all won at the weekend, thereby gaining ground in the battle for fourth spot.

"Our form has been very inconsistent of late, but the performance against Chelsea was very pleasing and something that we can now build on," Gerrard told the club's website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.

"A lack of consistency has been our problem this season, along with drawing games that we should have won. Coming to Stamford Bridge and getting a point is acceptable, but to draw certain games like we have at home this season, like against Aston Villa and Wigan, they are the most frustrating things."

Liverpool have not won away at Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal since Rafael Benitez took over as manager at Anfield in 2004, and that record added to the disappointment with Sunday's result.

"When you control games like that away from home, it's disappointing not to take maximum points," Gerrard added. "It would be a waste if we don't kick on from this and keep on drawing games that we should be winning.

"But not many teams go to Chelsea and get a point, so it's a positive result to build on."

Gerrard Ready To Sscrap For Another Crack At Europe's Big Guns

Steven Gerrard admits Liverpool are in the midst of a dogfight to claim a Champions League spot despite an excellent display to gain a draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Reds are now three points behind fourth-placed Everton, albeit with a game in hand, following the Toffees' victory over Reading. With Aston Villa and Man City also claiming three points at the weekend, there appears to be four genuine contenders vying for entry into European football's top competition.

Gerrard knows he and his team-mates must now perform like they did against Chelsea week in, week out in order to thwart one of the new pretenders breaking up the so-called big four.

"We've now got to focus on fighting for this fourth place and we realise it's going to be difficult." said the skipper.

"There are a lot of teams around us in good form and playing well, so it's important we don't let our standards drop – otherwise we won't get fourth."

While recognising the challenge ahead, Gerrard believes Liverpool supporters can take great heart from the commitment present throughout the team on Sunday.

He explained: "I think this is the benchmark for us now in terms of the character we showed.

"Certain players who've had a bit of criticism of late played very well and it was a good team performance against a side that have been playing very well lately. There are a lot of positives.

"All round you can't fault any player. I said in an interview a couple of days ago that you need every player to perform when you come to places like Stamford Bridge, and I think we got that.

"I've been here before and we've been dominated for large periods of the game, but I think we controlled the majority of the match and it felt out there like we could have maybe snatched it.

"It's definitely an improvement on how we've been playing of late. Defensively we looked more solid and we were the better side over the 90 minutes. If anyone was going to win it, I thought it was going to be us."

Liverpool's trip to Stamford Bridge will be followed later in the season by visits to Old Trafford and the Emirates, grounds where, of late, few points have been obtained.

Gerrard added: "When we do go to those places we've got to perform like we did here, and maybe an extra five or 10 per cent can see us snatch a win.

"I just thought we lacked a tiny bit of cutting edge in the final third, but I can't fault many other things. I thought it was a good team performance."

Reina Looks Forward To Next 50 Clean Sheets With Reds

Pepe Reina has set his sights on another 50 shut-outs in goal for Liverpool after breaking Ray Clemence's record.

The Spanish goalkeeper recently achieved 50 clean sheets in the shortest time in the club's history — and believes the record is a team effort.

"It's nice to reach these kind of numbers – I am very proud," said Reina. "But, as I've said many times, it's not just down to me.

"The whole of the team defends and the back four have been in good form in the three years I've been here.

"Now I look forward to another 50."

Reina kept the 51st clean sheet of his Liverpool career against Chelsea on Sunday.

He said: "We played really well and created some chances, and a draw is always a good result at Stamford Bridge. It's always difficult to beat them down there – I think it's been four years since anyone did that.

"It's a difficult stadium against a really top side, so we have to be really happy about the score and some of the things we did during the game.

"We have to keep playing like this, with a solid defence and creating chances in attack."

Lucas: I Rejected Inter For Liverpool

Lucas Leiva has revealed ahead of next week’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan that he rejected a move to the Italian champions in order to sign for Liverpool.

The 21-year-old joined The Reds from Gremio last summer for €12m but Inter were also in the running to sign him.

"I was in a fortunate position at Gremio because I had achieved some success and I was made a lot of very interesting offers - offers which would have made a lot of money,” Lucas told Liverpool’s official magazine.

"Some of them were in Spain and it's true I had an enquiry from Inter Milan too.

"I could have gone to Spain or Italy and it would have been more like I am used to. But I want to make the most of my career and I want to challenge myself.

"They were all famous clubs but the Liverpool option stood out from the first moment I heard of their interest. Inter and Liverpool meet at Anfield a week today in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie.

Lucas has stressed thought that he made the right decision in rejecting the Nerazzurri, and believes Liverpool can beat them.

"I have friends from the international team at Inter; Cesar and Maicon are great players and I will enjoy playing against them,” he continued.

"But I would much rather play for Liverpool than Inter. That was my decision then and it would be the same if I had to make it again.

"I think we have the tools to beat Inter, but it will be an exciting game and my first time - hopefully - playing at the San Siro."

Figo Likely To Miss Liverpool Match

Inter boss Roberto Mancini believes that is unlikely that Luis Figo will be ready to play against Liverpool next week.

The Nerazzurri travel to Anfield a week today in one of three mouth-watering Champions League ties involving Italian teams.

Inter have injury problems going into the game as Dejan Stankovic, Maicon, Hernan Crespo and Santiago Solari are all struggling, while Luis Figo is only just returning to fitness after suffering a broken leg in November.

"I left out three or four important players [against Catania on Sunday],” said Mancini.

"I hope to recover those players that are injured although I'm not sure Luis Figo will be able to play against Liverpool."

Mancini is under no illusions that his team is in for a very difficult game against the 2005 Champions League winners.

"Liverpool is a very tough team to play against," he said. "They are difficult opponents, that don't give you many spaces.

"Liverpool have proved to be in good form."

These two European giants have only met once competitively in the past and that was in the semi-final of the European Cup back in 1964/1965.

In a classic tie, Liverpool won the first leg 3-1 at Anfield, only to lose 3-0 in the return leg at San Siro and exit the competition 4-3 on aggregate.

The match in Italy was a controversial affair as Liverpool players believe that Joaquin Peiró’s goal for Inter should have been disallowed after he stole a bounced ball from Liverpool goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence.

Campo - Reds Saved Torres

Bolton's Ivan Campo believes Atletico Madrid were in danger of damaging Fernando Torres.

Torres has been in outstanding form since last summer's £26.5million move to Liverpool, scoring 18 goals so far this season.

Campo believes Atletico relied to heavily on Torres, and in turn, too much pressure was heaped on the 23-year-old.

But the Bolton midfielder feels that Torres' switch to Anfield will assist him in becoming a much better player.

He told AS: "Nobody shared the role of leader with him at Atletico, the pressure of such an important club. Such a young person is not ready to take so much pressure.

"In England he has calm, confidence and a team which plays for him. At Atletico they wanted him to do so many things that they could have damaged him.

"Having to give so much really takes it out of you."

Campo also believes that there is more respect for players in English football, compared to Spain.

"For a player in England respect is the most important thing. People always demand you play well, but they do so respectfully," he continued.

"What I've experienced here in England does not happen in Spain. There is no respect at a personal nor professional level."

Rafa Rues Missed Chances

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was 'disappointed' not to claim victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The encounter ended in a 0-0 stalemate, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances throughout the 90 minutes.

The Reds just edged the game in terms of opportunities, and Benitez feels his side were unfortunate not to come away with three points.

"Yes [we could have won this game]. We controlled the first half and had chances. We are disappointed, but it is not easy to get a point here," he told Sky Sports 1.

"They didn't have too many chances. I think we defended really well."

Benitez's side currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, but have a game in hand over the sides vying for fourth place.

And the Spaniard insists his men are taking things one game at a time, rather than focusing on claiming fourth spot.

"We have one game in hand so we need to get three points in the next game and try to be in the fourth position. Then we will try to progress," Benitez added.

Torres On The Comeback Trail

Top scorer Fernando Torres is set to return to action with Liverpool in next Saturday's FA Cup fifth round tie against Barnsley.

The Spaniard missed Sunday's 0-0 draw at Chelsea after sustaining a hamstring injury on international duty last week.

However, Reds boss Rafael Benitez revealed the 23-year-old's injury is not too severe and hinted he could be back for next week's Anfield tie.

'Maybe Fernando will be available for the weekend against Barnsley,' Benitez admitted. 'We will have to see.

'We have time now and the physios are working really hard with him. He is very optimistic so I think he could be available for the weekend.'

Even if Torres misses the game with the Tykes, it now seems more than likely he will be fit for the Champions League last-16 first leg tie with Inter Milan at Anfield the following Tuesday.

We Could Have Secured A Win, Insists Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch admits Liverpool missed a chance to gain only their second victory in 23 visits to Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Rafael Benitez’s side produced a gritty performance to gain a goalless draw at championship-chasing Chelsea.

The visitors were the better side, particularly during the first half in which Crouch had a clutch of chances to score Liverpool’s first goal at the stadium under Benitez.

And the striker said: “A couple of half-chances came my way, and maybe the one on my left foot could have been better. If I hit the target then I think it would have gone in.

“It was a good battle out there, we matched them and in the end we were the better side.

“We are still a way behind at the top, but we proved today that we’ll keep going until the end.”

Jamie Carragher was an impressive performer at the heart of a Liverpool defence that kept a second successive clean sheet.

But the centre-back was also disappointed to have not come away with all three points.

“It was very tight,” he said. “We’ve had a few nil-nils here in the past because both teams have good defences and so it proved again.

“We shaded the game and maybe could have nicked it, so I’m a little disappointed because we had a couple of chances.

“Realistically we’re out of the title race now. Arsenal and Manchester United have set the pace and we now have to show respect to Aston Villa and Manchester City because we are in a right battle to get fourth place with them.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea coach Avram Grant wrote off Liverpool’s title hopes after watching his side stutter to a goalless draw.

Grant believes that Liverpool’s Premier League hopes are now in tatters and said: “I think after this game it will be very difficult for them to fight for the title. They are too many points from the first team.”

Grant was adamant that referee Mike Riley made a mistake when he failed to award Chelsea a penalty for Javier Mascherano’s challenge on Joe Cole in the first-half.

But Michael Ballack’s glaring miss 10 minutes from time also played a part in Chelsea’s inability to end the stalemate.

He said: “We are not happy. We want to win every game but especially at home. If we don’t win we are disappointed.

“You could say it is a missed opportunity, but it is not easy to play against Liverpool. They are a very tactical team. They don’t give you much space to play. In the first half we didn’t play quickly so it was much easier for them.

“We were better in the second-half but we missed a big chance at the end. It was a penalty when I saw it at the time and now I’ve seen it on TV, it was a 100% penalty.

“He is a good referee but he has made a mistake. It has happened.”

Chelsea 0 - 0 LiverpooL

Chelsea failed to turn up the heat on Premier League title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal as they stumbled to a goalless draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had been boosted by Manchester United's defeat at the hands of Manchester City earlier in the day and although the draw enabled them to increase their unbeaten home league sequence to 76 games, the Londoners may yet come to rue their inability to put Liverpool's season to the sword.

A disappointing game, littered with sloppy passing and dominated at either end by uncompromising defences, provided for a forgettable stalemate.

Avram Grant's side had been lifted by the return of midfielder Frank Lampard but his contribution was to end in the second half with the England international clearly not fully match-fit.

Chelsea's early fire soon burnt itself out and it was Liverpool who began to dominate proceedings.

Yet their final ball into the danger area left a lot to be desired with England's Steven Gerrard the main culprit.

But a cross from Steve Finnan in the 14th minute did allow the giant frame of Peter Crouch to head wide of the target from six yards.

It was the gangly Crouch who should have put the visitors in front in the 17th minute when he combined cleverly with Ryan Babel before driving a low left-foot drive wide of Petr Cech's upright.

Two minutes later a run down the right flank by the energetic Gerrard saw his cross find Crouch unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box. But the England striker could not direct his free header wide of Cech.

Chelsea thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the 26th minute when Joe Cole was up-ended in the area but referee Mike Riley waved away their appeals.

A cross from Liverpool's Gerrard in the 33rd minute was only half-cleared by Ricardo Carvalho and Chelsea were lucky to see a follow-up shot from Lucas deflected to safety.

The visitors were now enjoying a greater share of possession but were finding it difficult to engineer a clear-cut scoring opportunity.

Crouch was a continual threat in the air and he should have at least hit the target when he got on the end of a cross from Dirk Kuyt in the 37th minute.

The move was again sparked by a pass from Gerrard who was now beginning to stamp his authority on the midfield.

Chelsea were still a threat on the break though and Nicolas Anelka won a corner when a speculative 20-yard effort was deflected wide by John Arne Riise.

Five minutes before the interval Babel became the second player to enter Riley's notebook when he committed the same handball offence that had brought Juliano Belletti his yellow card earlier in the half.

A free-kick from Belletti seconds before the interval almost brought Chelsea the reward of a goal but Riise managed to head the behind for a corner.

Chelsea were much better after the restart and Claude Makelele, not known for his goalscoring prowess, was predictably well off-target with a long-range effort in the 50th minute.

His passing is far superior and moments later the Frenchman sent fellow countryman Anelka clear on the Chelsea left. But the former Anfield favourite's low cross eluded everyone in the penalty area.

Chelsea were finding it difficult to break down a Liverpool defence that steadfastly refused to buckle and it required more than the energetic enthusiasm of the lone Anelka to unlock the Reds.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was concerned that momentum of the game was swinging into Chelsea's favour and his frustration was compounded by a booking for Riise who wrestled Lampard to the ground in the 62nd minute.

It was clear Anelka required some help if Chelsea were to break the deadlock and Grant, in keeping with his penchant for attacking football, opted to introduce Florent Malouda into the fray in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips two minutes later.

A mistake by Gerrard, who was caught in possession by Makelele, almost allowed Cole to punish the Reds but his cross was headed away for a corner by Finnan.

Moments later it was the visitors who caused problems for the home side but a quick break ended with Crouch's inability to finish off a cross from Babel.

Michael Ballack almost snatched a late winner 10 minutes from the end but his volley fell just inches wide of Jose Reina's left-hand upright.

Chelsea will welcome back Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou in time for their next outing against Huddersfield in the FA Cup and given the lack of a cutting edge against Liverpool, the end of the African Nations Cup could not have come a moment sooner.

Match Prediction: Chelsea vs. LiverpooL

If you take Liverpool's recent away form and Chelsea's recent home record you get a gulf not dissimiliar to the one in the Manchester derby. Yet Manchester United are 1/3 and Chelsea are even money.

Chelsea have won their last five games at home, and they remain unbeaten at Stamford Bridge longer than I can remember. Liverpool haven't won any of their last four games away from Anfield.

It's not as if they haven't had the opportunities either. Their games have come against Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Luton and West Ham. They were well-fancied at the prices to win all of those games.

Rafael Benitez's team have also lost their last four games at Stamford Bridge - including a 2-0 reverse in the Carling Cup as recently as December.

Chelsea have shown remarkable qualities to shrug off the loss of Jose Mourinho and the decimation of their squad through injury, suspension and the African Nations.

The signing of Nicolas Anelka is a major boost to Avram Grant's team and he got his first Premier League goal for them in the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.

The 13/8 Paddy Power offer about Anelka scoring anytime makes some appeal but not as much as the even money about Chelsea winning their sixth home game on the trot.

Verdict: Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0

Match Preview: Chelsea vs. LiverpooL

Chelsea and especially Liverpool find themselves behind Manchester United and Arsenal in the title race, and that is largely because neither have yet managed to beat any of the other ‘big four’ teams. This game represents a chance for Chelsea to end that miserable record and pile the pressure on leaders Arsenal, who do not play until Monday night.

The Blues will certainly be confident of beating a Liverpool side that are low on confidence and without some key players. Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger will miss this clash and all three will be sorely missed.

The Reds are a long way behind the title challengers, and instead find themselves in a battle with the likes of Everton and Aston Villa for fourth place in the Premier League this season, nowhere near what many Liverpool supporters expected at the beginning of the campaign.

Liverpool fans have firmly focused their attentions to the club’s American owners in recent weeks, who admitted that they approached Jurgen Klinsmann about the possibility of replacing Rafa Benitez as manager of the club. Such attention has meant the focus has shifted somewhat away from the stumbling efforts of the team.

The whole situation feels tense, and is similar to the disintegration of Jose Mourinho’s relationship with his superiors at Chelsea. The Blues replaced the self proclaimed ‘Special One’ with the quietly effective Israeli Avram Grant, and since he took charge The Blues have withstood an injury crisis to stay within striking distance of top dogs United and Arsenal.

With Drogba, Kalou, Mikel, Lampard, Terry and Essien all to return to the side, Chelsea are only going to get stronger as the season reaches its conclusion. With both Arsenal and United still to visit Stamford Bridge, it could be argued that the championship is there for Chelsea to win. The Blues know however that they cannot afford to slip and they need to collect another three points against Liverpool this Sunday.

For Liverpool meanwhile, it is imperative that they qualify for next season’s Champions League as the ‘Big Four’ is rapidly becoming a ‘Top Three’ with Liverpool the cast-offs. A win for Benitez at Stamford Bridge - something no Premier League side has done since Arsenal in February 2004.

FORM GUIDE


Chelsea

02 Jan v Portsmouth (A) DREW 1-1 (Prem)

30 Jan v Reading (H) WON 1-0 (Prem)

26 Jan v Wigan (A) WON 2-1 (FA Cup)

23 Jan v Everton (A) WON 1-0 (Prem)

19 Jan v Birmingham (A) WON 1-0 (Prem)

12 Jan v Tottenham (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)


Liverpool

02 Feb v Sunderland (H) WON 3-0 (Prem)

30 Jan v West Ham (A) LOST 0-1 (Prem)

26 Jan v Havant & Waterlooville (H) WON 5-2 (FA Cup)

21 Jan v Aston Villa (H) DREW 2-2 (Prem)

15 Jan v Luton (H) WON 5-0 (FA Cup)

12 Jan v Middlesbrough (A) DREW 1-1 (Prem)



TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Frank Lampard (thigh) and Ricardo Carvalho (suspension) should make welcome returns to the side. Andriy Shevchenko (back) and John Terry (foot) are definitely missing and Jon Obi Mikel may return from the African Cup of Nations.


Liverpool

Star striker Fernando Torres (hamstring) is a huge loss to The Reds after he limped out of Spain’s midweek friendly win over France. Cultured midfielder Xabi Alonso is suspended, so expect Gerrard and Mascherano to continue in the centre of the park. Defenders Alvaro Arbeloa and Daniel Agger (foot) are missing along with Ukrainian front man Andriy Voronin (ankle).


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea - Nicolas Anelka

Anelka got his first Chelsea goal in last week’s draw at Portsmouth and the classy French striker will hope to impress against one of his many former clubs on Sunday. Anelka is the ultimate predator, and will hope to capitalise on a distinct lack of pace at the heart of the visitor’s defence.

Liverpool - Steven Gerrard

After captaining his country on Wednesday against Gerrard will have to be at his best if Liverpool are going to take anything from this testing away trip. In the absence of Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres, Gerrard will have to provide most of his side’s attacking impetus against the club that he came so close top signing him a couple of seasons ago.

Rafa - Rift To Blame For Slump

Rafa Benitez believes Liverpool lost pace with the Premier League leaders because of the speculation surrounding his relationship with the club's co-owners.

The Reds made a solid start to their Premier League campaign but rumours soon began to spread that Benitez had fallen out with American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

They publicly disagreed over the size of the available transfer budget for January, and Hicks later admitted holding talks with former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

Supporters have rallied around Benitez and the Spaniard believes he can be excused for Liverpool's below-par displays.

"What is evident is that back at that time we were in a great position and the team was in shape to win many of the games which we eventually drew," he told the News of the World.

"So the entire process is what allowed the gap to open between us and the leaders.

"If I wanted, I have the perfect excuse. The only solution I have is to try to bury myself in my work."

Liverpool are currently 17 points behind table-toppers Arsenal and Benitez accepts that claiming the fourth UEFA Champions League berth is now his now their primary focus.

He said ahead of the game against Chelsea: "What is vital is that we win to enable us to fight for at least the fourth-placed spot."

279 Changes And Rafa Benitez Finally Admits: I Gamble Too Much

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez concedes that sometimes he gambles too much with his rotation policy.

That is a remarkable admission from the Spaniard, who always defiantly defends his system of resting players on a regular basis.

It has meant that from day one of the season he has now made a staggering 279 changes to his line-ups, week on week, and shows no sign of sticking to his best side as critics continually claim he should.

Benitez averages an amazing five changes a match and has only kept an unchanged side once this term.

And as Benitez prepares this time to make enforced changes at Chelsea due to a growing injury list, he said: “If I need to make gambles, then I will make gambles.

“We have been in two Champions League finals and an FA Cup final. That is because we change the side.

“Sometimes it is good and works, sometimes not. But nobody really knows whether what I do is right.

“All I will say is that Liverpool and me have won a lot of trophies doing this.

“Sometimes maybe I take too many gambles. But it is necessary sometimes when opponents have top class, expensive players, and lots of them.

“If they have five players who cost £20m and we have just one, you need to use that player in the right moment. If you don’t win, people blame you.

“If you do win, nobody mentions what team you put onto the field. I accept that.”

He added: “We played against Havant and people said, ’play your best team.’ But you cannot do that against a team like that, if people want that it is because they do not know what it takes to win trophies and trophies and trophies.

“If you cannot do things like that against smaller teams then you will just not be able to compete all the time against Premier League teams. You must change things for games like that.”

Benitez will go into his 18th meeting with Chelsea without top scorer Fernando Torres, who damaged a hamstring playing for Spain in midweek.

The Spanish boss says: “People say I gamble too much with rotation and changes. But the answer to that is to look at Torres, he has played a lot of games for us recently and then he has another game with Spain, and he gets injured.

“He is continuing to play at a high level all the time. Players must rest also.

“We have half a dozen players in this situation, they all need to be changed and to rest. But everyone keeps talking about me playing my strongest team, and then you see what happens.

“I do not like to say what is my strongest team, I must use all the players with the demands we have. If you pick the same team all the time you will find at the end of the season that you cannot win trophies.”

Liverpool now have three key games in 10 days to salvage their season. After the clash with Chelsea they will play Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round next weekend, and then face the first leg of their Champions League clash with Inter Milan.

And Benitez is still fuming over the injury to Torres that has damaged Liverpool’s chances in all three competitions.

He said: “We have three big games in 10 days in three different competitions and we have lost out top goalscorer.

“It is difficult to be calm about it, this was another international friendly in a busy period for clubs at this time of the season.

“It is crazy enough that they go away and have different training systems, diets, new ideas. And they get injured.

“We have got some confidence back with a 3-0 win over Sunderland and a very good second-half performance. But then a lot of players are away all over the world and we are left to train with just a few, it makes things very difficult.”

Liverpool will also be without long-term injured stars Andriy Voronin, Fabio Aurelio, Alvaro Arbeloa and Daniel Agger. Xabi Alonso is suspended.

Rafa Benitez Gets Ready To Axe Peter Crouch

Having lifted Liverpool from a dreadful lethargy by scoring the opening goal against Sunderland last week and followed up with a half- decent display for England at Wembley, Peter Crouch ought to be a shoo-in for a starting place at Chelsea today. But in the wacky world of management as practised by Rafa Benitez, Crouch might yet find himself on the bench, even though Fernando Torres is injured and Dirk Kuyt still upset after the death of his father last June.

If former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri was the Tinkerman, Benitez is the Mad Axeman, chopping at least four or five players every game in the name of rotation or just to keep people on their toes. So Crouch responds with a nervous laugh when asked if he is confident of making the line-up at Stamford Bridge.

He says: "I don't know about confident. I started the last game, did well and scored. But with our manager it's not a case of whether you've done well in the last game but how he feels the next game is going to be. So I have no idea."

Crouch tries to present himself as the good professional but he is clearly fed up to the back teeth. He says: "I'm not going to lie, it's frustrating. I feel I've taken my chances when they have come but I'd like to be playing a bit more. I do feel I'm in the manager's plans, though, and will play enough games towards the end of the season to warrant staying."

One may be Spanish, the other Italian. But in the way they handle their team selection and announce it to their players, Steven Gerrard reckons Rafa Benitez and Fabio Capello might have been separated at birth.

Not only did Capello keep his England players sweating almost until it was time to get changed, à la Rafa, when the squad saw the team sheet, there were gasps of: "Blimey, is he playing?" and "I can't believe so-and-so has been left out".

Gerrard, delighted to be Capello's first captain, said: "He is very like our manager in the way he keeps things close to his chest. We didn't know the team until two hours before kick-off. We didn't have a clue and I don’t think anyone in the country would have guessed that team."

Tom Hicks Plans To Get More Involved At Liverpool As Gillett's Son Leaves

Liverpool FC co-owner Tom Hicks last night signalled that he plans to play a more hands-on roll in the running of the Anfield club.

Despite becoming the target of fans’ anger over the £100million-plus debt he and fellow owner George Gillett have placed on the club, Hicks told an American press conference he intends to become more involved at Anfield.

He dismissed suggestions he would be driven to sell up to Dubai International Capital or the growing ‘Share Liverpool’ group which aims to raise the money needed to buy out both Gillett and Hicks.

"I'm anticipating a more active role in Liverpool,'' Hicks told reporters at the Texas Rangers baseball franchise he also owns. I really don't want to comment more at this point.''

Hicks wouldn't be pressed into answering qustions about Liverpool’s financial stability.

Question marks have been hanging over how the Americans plan to run Liverpool FC since Gillett’s son Foster, who arrived to work with LFC chief executive Rick Parry after the takeover last year, went on holiday.

That was a month ago, and the Liverpool Daily Post understands he has not been back since.

The Daily Post understands that Foster Gillett and his wife have no plans to return to the city, despite having recently bought a £1m home in Woolton.

Any plans by Hicks to get more actively involved in Liverpool are likely to upset fans.

Comments by Hicks about approaching Jurgen Klinsmann as a possible replacement for Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez have galvanised public opinion against him.

In a survey carried out by the Liverpool Daily Post last month, nine out of 10 fans wanted Hicks to sell up his stake immediatley.

On the anniversary of the club’s takeover on Wednesday, chief executive Rick Parry urged all sides to start working together again.

But with rumours persisting in the financial press that the Americans may pass more of their debt on to the club’s book, that is unlikely to happen.

Rafael Benitez Admits That It's Win Or Bust At Chelsea

Rafael Benitez has admitted that it is win or bust at Chelsea if Liverpool are going to have a credible Premier League campaign.

The Anfield boss believes that if his side suffer yet another defeat at Stamford Bridge, then the best they can hope for is fourth place.

That is why he has described the encounter with Chelsea as a defining moment in his team's season - even though he knows it will take a superhuman effort to win there.

Under Benitez, Liverpool have lost every time they have visited the other members of the so-called 'Big Four'. In nine visits, they have not taken a single point from Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal.

And with away trips to all three coming up over the next six weeks, the Spanish coach knows that if his side are to hold any ambition of closing the gap on third place, then they must start beating their biggest rivals.

With such a tough run-in, they may have to take points of the title-chasers just to remain a distant fourth.

He admitted: "It is clear we have to win at Chelsea if we want to lift our season. It is a big game for us, because a result against a big team can offer real momentum.

"We are fighting for fourth position and if we beat Chelsea we can think about maybe third position.

"But if we lose, then we're running out of games and it would be much more difficult to even think about third place. We know how important it is."

Despite Liverpool's dismal record against the clubs they consider to be their main rivals, Benitez is still confident he can pull off a major shock.

They have taken only two points from their three home games against the top three this season.

But the Spanish coach was in defiant mood yesterday, insisting that he can inspire his men to a famous victory. "I go into the game with confidence. Personally, I feel very good," he said.

"We know we will need to play better than we have to get anything at Chelsea. When you play against the top sides you must play really well if you want to get something from the game.

"I think the players have the confidence now to go and get a result. The players who were not on international duty have trained well, the sessions were really good and the mood fantastic.

"I think we can do it, I really do. We have shown in different games that we are capable of doing it. We have gone to Chelsea before and played well, and deserved more from the game. Maybe this is the time we get it."

Benitez though, will be without his top scorer Fernando Torres, and he admits there is now a major worry about where the goals will come from.

His record against the top teams hasn't been good enough, but he argues that against the very best teams, it is the smallest of details that decide the outcome.

"When you play at Chelsea, it isn't easy. It isn't just Liverpool, nobody wins there, because they are so strong at home.

"So it's important to be focused on not making mistakes, because you know the small details are always important against a top team, especially away from home.

"We have played well, but I've said it before many times, we need to start taking the chances we create.

"How do we do that? I was asked a few weeks ago about why only Steven Gerrard and Torres are scoring.

But now we've lost Torres, we'll see if Gerrard can score!

"Clearly, we need goalscorers from all over the team. I hope the team will be ready, but goalscoring has been a problem for us from other areas, that is clear."

Liverpool will be forced to play Javier Mascherano, even after his long trip in midweek to the United States for a meaningless friendly with the Argentine Olympic squad, because Xabi Alonso is suspended.

Peter Crouch will start up front with Dirk Kuyt behind, and Benitez must also decide whether to continue with his unpopular tactic of employing Jamie Carragher at right-back.

Liverpool are the league's draw specialists with 10 games finishing all square.

Kenny Would Be Ideal For Anfield Role

Kenny Dalglish took to the stage at the ECHO Sports Personality Awards on Monday night and reminded everyone what qualities Liverpool Football Club has been so sorely lacking in recent months.

Class, humility and dignity used to be watchwords at Anfield at a time when dirty linen being washed in public was as rare an occurrence as a season without a trophy.

Far too often during the all too difficult last 12 months the qualities which made the Liverpool Way the route all other clubs in English football looked to follow have been cast aside as personal agendas and vendettas have been put before the good of the club.

And because of that, when Dalglish addressed the Echo Arena his adherence to the old Liverpool way of doing things highlighted just how badly the club has been getting things wrong since it was taken over a year ago.

There were even those in the audience who spoke of a desire to see Dalglish back at the club he still loves so he can help restore the values which have been conspicuous only by their absence of late.

That would be a tall order, of course. Dalglish’s status among Liverpool’s fans means there is a risk that his mere presence could overshadow the manager if he was given some sort of role at Anfield.

Such a situation has occurred at Barcelona, where Johann Cruyff looms large over each and every coach who takes charge of first team affairs at the Nou Camp, even though Cruyff is only an adviser to club president Joan Laporta.

The “ghost on the wall” situation is nothing new, either, as a succession of Manchester United managers who wilted in the presence of the late Matt Busby can testify.

Liverpool managed to avoid such problems when they stopped Bill Shankly from turning up at Melwood after the legendary Scot was succeeded by Bob Paisley, and although it was harsh on Shankly, it was undoubtedly for the good of the club.

Having legends hanging around isn’t always good for a club but with Liverpool currently being in so desperate need of the qualities Dalglish has in abundance maybe the time is right to get him back on board in some capacity.

Although, judging by the way he responded to being offered the manager’s job more than 20 years ago, it might not be all that easy to convince him.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, he said: “I got a phone call from Peter Robinson asking could he come up to the house to see me with John Smith.

“The club had only just given me a four-year contract so I didn’t really know what they wanted to see me about.

“Then Peter said they wanted to talk to me about the manager’s job and I said ‘well, don’t worry about that, you can still come anyway’.”

Liverpool has had no finer servant than Kenny Dalglish and if a role was created for him it could only be good news for the club and its fans.

Rafa - Time Is Running Out

Rafa Benitez admits time is running out for Liverpool as they chase a place in next season's UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, a match which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1, and Reds boss Benitez is targeting a rare victory in West London.

The Reds had been touted as genuine title challengers this year, but they now face a battle with the likes of Everton, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Portsmouth just to finish in the top four.

And under-pressure Benitez acknowledges that his side must start to find some consistency in the race to reach a place in Europe's top club competition.

"We are fighting for fourth position and if we beat Chelsea we can maybe think about third," Benitez said in the Daily Star.

"But if we don't we are running out of games. I've said it many times, but we need to start taking our chances more often.

"If we get three points at Chelsea, in terms of confidence it will be good for the team.

"I know we have not won at Stamford Bridge in recent seasons, but nobody is winning there so it is not just for us that it is difficult, it is difficult for everyone who goes there."

Kewell Targets New Liverpool Deal

Harry Kewell is looking forward to getting an extension to his existing deal at Liverpool as he believes Anfield “has the best atmosphere in the world.”

The Australian winger’s contract expires in the summer and as such, he is keen to get back to his best form to prove to manager Rafa Benitez that he can still play at the highest standard.

"I want to stay at Liverpool and I'm going to be working hard to get another contract," Kewell told The Guardian.

"I think this is a great club. I was out on the pitch the other night and I said to Yossi (Benayoun) that Anfield has the best atmosphere in the world. Why would you want to leave?"

The 29-year-old, who has been with the Merseysiders since 2003, has faced a lot of injury problems for last two years and is aiming to put the troubles behind him for good. Benitez too is an admirer of Kewell’s talent and had said earlier this season that the attacker could get a new deal.

"I'm one to face up to my problems,” added the former Leeds United player. “I'm not afraid to turn around and say I have got some problems and I need to work at them.

“It is hard getting back to the top level after being out for so long but I'm getting there slowly. I'm showing glimpses but I would like to be more consistent.”

On speculation of Italian and Spanish clubs interested in him, he said: "You can't help talk but the truth is that I haven't heard anything, my agent hasn't heard anything and Liverpool haven't heard anything. So I just continue playing."

Crouch: We Can Beat Chelsea

Peter Crouch returns to the home of his boyhood heroes believing that Liverpool's brittle confidence is being repaired.

The Liverpool front man, born in Macclesfield but brought up in west London, was a regular visitor to Stamford Bridge as a youngster.

He is relishing the chance to help Liverpool finally get a Barclays Premier League win on a ground of a top three club for the first time under boss Rafael Benitez.

Liverpool have had a wretched month but still find themselves in fifth spot, a point behind Everton with a game in hand, ahead of Sunday's game.

They have lost only one of their last 11 games, but that hardly tells the true story of a side with their confidence shredded.

Five of those games were drawn and produced depressing performances against Wigan, Derby, Middlesbrough, Luton, and Aston Villa before losing at West Ham.

Last weekend's 3-0 victory over Sunderland, with Crouch returning to the side for a starring role, was much needed with Chelsea next on their fixture list.

Crouch, sent off in his last visit to Chelsea in the Carling Cup fifth round in December, said: "It's a big game next for us at Chelsea, and we were more interested in taking the points against Sunderland to give us confidence for the next match at Stamford Bridge.

"We will go into that game with more confidence now. We are good enough to beat Chelsea, we have done it before and I am sure we can do it again although it will be a difficult game.

"We have beaten Chelsea in big, big games before, and this is a big one for both of us. They want to challenge Arsenal and Manchester United and we have got to make sure we keep our momentum going, so it is important for both sides."

It is expected that Crouch's partnership with Fernando Torres will be curtailed, now the Spaniard has picked up a hamstring injury while with Spain this week.

It means that Dirk Kuyt is expected to get a recall. Liverpool will be without the suspended Xabi Alonso plus long-term injured players Andriy Voronin, Daniel Agger, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio.

Crouch hopes to be re-united with Torres soon, adding: "I enjoyed the partnership with Fernando, We have not played that many times together this season and against Sunderland we did and I felt it went well.

"Fernando played well and I was obviously pleased to get a place in the starting line-up and to play myself. It worked well."

Torres Faces Ten Days Out

Liverpool have confirmed that striker Fernando Torres faces up to ten days on the sidelines through injury.

Torres underwent scans on a hamstring injury he picked up in Spain's 1-0 win over France on Wednesday.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez lamented the injury to Torres ruling him out of this weekend's clash at Chelsea.

Scans have confirmed the full extent of the injury with the former Atletico Madrid ace suffering a tear to his hamstring.

A statement from club spokesman Ian Cotton on the club's official website, said: "Fernando was examined by medical staff when he returned to Melwood.

"A scan later confirmed their diagnosis that he suffered a hamstring tear in his right leg. Fernando is expected to be out for approximately 10 days."

It means Torres will miss the clash at Stamford Bridge as well as the FA Cup tie with Barnsley on 16th February, but Liverpool are hopeful he will be back in time for the UEFA Champions League game with Internazionale on 19th February.

Rafa Benitez Attacks International Friendlies

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has launched a scathing attack on the current international football schedule in light of the injury picked up Fernando Torres.

The striker, 23, tore his hamstring while representing Spain in a friendly international with France in Marbella on Wednesday night and is now likely to be out action for up to 10 days, so missing the Merseysiders' crucial Premier League trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday and also making him a serious doubt for the first leg of their Champions League tie with Internazionale at Anfield on Feb 19.

Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano will only return from featuring for Argentina's Olympic side in a friendly with Guatemala that was played in Los Angeles at some point today, leaving Benitez little time in which to prepare his misfiring team to face Chelsea.

And, like Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger yesterday, the Spaniard has laid the blame squarely at the door of the respective international football federations for organising such friendlies at such a vital time of the season for domestic clubs.

"We should not have international friendlies this week. We have lost Torres and Mascherano is not due back until Friday after playing for Argentina in Los Angeles. It is a busy period for the clubs, so it is not fair," he said.

"It doesn't matter if the national associations pay money if you have a player injured. We have three important games in three different competitions in 10 days, and we have lost Torres and maybe other players. It's not fair on the clubs. I don't just mean Liverpool, I mean everyone, especially the top teams."

In reference to Argentina's match on Wednesday, Benitez was scathing, asking: "Why do they have to play in Los Angeles? Just money. Javier will fly back to Manchester and will arrive here on Friday. With the change of continents and the danger of jet lag, I will have to wait and see if I can use him against Chelsea."

Benitez's frustrations are understandable, especially given the fact he has already lost Torres to an injury picked up while on international duty once before this season, while yesterday's news that the Premier League are planning an extra round of fixtures in foreign destinations from the start of the 2010-2011 season will hardly have brought a smile to his face either.

Liverpool Boss Slams Offside Rule

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has blasted the offside law as "a mess, a disaster".

The Spaniard launched himself into the debate over the law when asked today whether he understood the new interpretations.

He said: 'I understand the offside law is a mess, it is a disaster. That is very clear.

'I have explained 100 times to people, if they will listen, that we need to go back to the old rule.

'The offside rule is a good one, but the key should still be that if the player is in an offside position, he is offside. Finish.'

Benitez added: 'It will be easier for the linesmen and referees. But we have someone in an office who wants to invent something and they have created a mess.

'Phases of play is confusing. We see things in every game now that people cannot understand. So it should be simple again, if someone is offside, that is the end of it.

'When I was a player, a long time ago, it was not difficult to understand. Now it is.

'Then if a player was way out in the corner, then he is not interfering with the game, but now we have players in the middle of the box who are considered not interfering.

'That is nonsense. They are being watched by the goalkeeper, they are being watched by defenders, that is interfering.'

Kuyt Reveals Reds Pain

Dirk Kuyt has admitted his performances for Liverpool have not been good enough this season but has vowed to turn his form around.

The Dutchman has scored just three goals in 21 Premier League appearances but he has now revealed what he believes to be the main reason for his struggles on the pitch.

Kuyt's father, Gerrit, died of cancer last June and he admits it has resulted in a loss of confidence.

"I'd be lying if I said it hasn't affected me, because obviously it has," Kuyt said in the Daily Mirror.

"He was my biggest supporter and someone I always turned to for advice. I know if he was here right now he'd help me with the difficulties I've been having on the field.

"Naturally it's had a major impact on my life but at the same time my performances just haven't been good enough."

Kuyt is aware of his responsibilities as a striker at Liverpool and feels he can return to his best over the coming months.

He said: "It's my job to score goals and I haven't done that on a regular basis.

"Now I've got to keep going and turn this situation around."