Chelsea And Liverpool Go Head To Head: The Great Debate On Zonal Marking

Liverpool have conceded 10 goals in their seven Premier League games - only six teams have let in more - and their zonal marking system has come in for criticism.

So as they travel to Chelsea on Sunday to face some of the best headers the league has to offer in Didier Drogba, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, Sportsmail talks to Anfield legend Phil Thompson about the pros and cons of zonal and man-to-man marking and how each one works.

MAN-TO-MAN: How does it work?
The five or six best headers of the ball pick up the biggest attacking threats on the opposing team and mark them tightly, following their runs. The defender must get to the ball ahead of the attacker and he is to blame if his man scores. There is also usually a man on each post, one on the edge of the box and one in front of the near post.

Phil says: Many years ago, everybody was man-to-man marking. When I was at centre back with Emlyn Hughes, I would take the biggest one of their players. Then the rest of them would mark whoever else was in the box. That way we never had any debate in the dressing room about accountability.

In my coaching times at Liverpool under Gerard Houllier, I would designate on the teamsheet who all players would mark. I'd list the players in order of the best headers of the ball and they would pick up a player.

I don't think there are too many flaws. The ideal thing about it is you get close to the player and make it as difficult as possible for him to get a run on you. People can get away from you, steal a yard and they will have a chance to attack the ball. It is each player's responsibility and they are happy with that. There is accountability if it goes wrong.

One downside is people often block off markers, which can cause trouble. In my time there, we had the best defensive record in the league for two or three seasons using man-to-man.

ZONAL: How does it work?
The defenders mark key areas of space rather than a man. There are usually three players standing along the six-yard box and three in front of them. There are also men on the posts and two between the set-piece taker and the near post. Players must not move from those positions, no matter where opposition players run.

Phil says: Managers choose it because they think they are covering all the major areas. For me, the biggest flaw is players don't have accountability. You can come in after a game and someone's scored from a set piece and everyone can shrug and say: 'It's not my fault.'

The other thing is you can have attackers running at you when you're standing still. They can be 5ft 2in, get a run on you and you could have five Sami Hyypias and you couldn't stop them. So when you get Didier Drogba or John Terry or Ricardo Carvalho coming at you with that momentum, you don't stand a chance.

But it's not just Liverpool using it. Some teams even do one type of marking for corners and another for free kicks. That's a lot for players to get their heads around.

Liverpool FC Must Show Premier League Title Intent - Rafa Benitez

Rafa Benitez today urged his players to take their Fiorentina misery out on Chelsea and present him with a happy set of problems.

The Liverpool boss is well aware that a victory at Stamford Bridge will result in their odds to win the Premier League being slashed.

But Benitez – who is considering recalling the fit-again Daniel Agger – does not want anybody at Anfield getting carried away.

However, he is equally aware that a repeat of last year’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge could end up giving Liverpool an irresistible momentum.

That’s why he has challenged his players to be bold, as they aim to bounce back from the disappointing 2-0 defeat they suffered against Fiorentina on Tuesday.

“It will be interesting because if we can win, everyone will be saying Liverpool can win (the title) like they did after we won there last season,” said Benitez.

“If you lose, they will say that you have no chance. We have to be calm, we have to be relaxed and we have to have the same ideas. We need to keep going.

“It is just another result that we will have to manage; if it is positive, we have got to keep expectations low, if it is negative, we will keep everyone positive.

“When you win these type of games against the top sides, it will be more difficult for me to keep the people on the floor and will hear them saying ‘the title, the title!’

“The most difficult thing is to manage expectations and a win at Chelsea could be difficult to manage but I prefer these problems – I don’t want the other problem of losing.”

One man who is almost certain to be recalled is Javier Mascherano, who has recovered from a hamstring problem that ruled him out of the trip to Italy.

“When you play away, you have to work hard in the midfield and Javier is an important player for us in the past and he has to be in the future,” said Benitez.

Liverpool have endured some stuttering moments so far this campaign but Benitez believes the time is right for them to rediscover consistency.

“It could be a good moment now to change things and the players realise that,” said Benitez.

“Chelsea are a top side and we know that but we will have the right mentality.

Torres Takes September Award

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has won the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.

The 25-year-old Spain international netted five goals in three league games last month, scoring twice in the 3-2 victory at West Ham, before notching a hat-trick in the 6-1 Anfield thrashing of Hull City.

In total Torres has scored 58 goals in 93 appearances for the Reds.

Torres recently told Sport magazine: "I'm a foreign player, but I know how the Liverpool fans feel and I remember the welcome I had when I arrived - it was amazing.

"I hope to play a lot of years or maybe even finish my career here.

"I don't know, but Liverpool is my English team and I don't think about playing for another one."

Ancelotti Relishing Benitez Duel

Carlo Ancelotti will renew his rivalry with Rafael Benitez claiming there are no hard feelings from their Champions League meetings.

Two of the Barclays Premier League's big guns square-off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in Ancelotti's first match against another top-four club since becoming Chelsea boss.

But it will not be the first time he has pitted his wits against Liverpool manager Benitez, who he met twice as coach of AC Milan in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals.

In 2005 AC Milan went 3-0 up only for Benitez's Reds to produce a stunning fightback, eventually winning on penalties. The Italian giants then triumphed two years later.

"I don't remember 2005 but I can remember 2007. Rafa only remembers 2005!" said Ancelotti.

"There is no pain in those memories. A difficult moment can teach you to improve.

"We lost an unbelievable game - it was one of the best matches for me when I was at AC Milan.

"It will remain a memory - not a positive one, but not a negative one either.

"It was fantastic for us to have revenge against Liverpool in 2007. We were sure we would win. The score is level between us now."

Ancelotti is full of admiration for Benitez's Liverpool, claiming their style would be at home in Serie A.

"Rafa's teams are well organised, especially defensively, and they work very hard to win the ball. I like this kind of work," said the Italian.

"Liverpool are very hard to play against. I think Rafa has looked at a lot of matches in the Italian league.

"At AC Milan it was very hard to beat Liverpool because they don't concede opportunities in defence. I hope it would be easier on Sunday."

During his time at AC Milan, Ancelotti became aware of Fernando Torres - the brilliant Spanish striker who will spearhead Liverpool's assault on Stamford Bridge.

"Torres is fantastic because he is able to score a lot of goals with the head and with both feet. He is the complete striker," he said.

"I like this kind of player. I never tried to sign him for Milan.

"Milan had a good relationship with Atletico Madrid. We changed a lot of players but Fernando was not for sale."

Benitez Hails 'Magician' Ancelotti

Rafael Benitez insists he will not be at war with the latest Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, claiming he considers the Italian a coaching "magician".

Benitez's verbal battles with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho were a major feature of domestic and European battles between the teams in previous years.

But the Spanish tactician promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti on Sunday at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Barclays Premier League clash.

"I am looking forward to seeing him again, I have great respect for him," said Benitez, who went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was AC Milan coach.

"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the season.

"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.

"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."

He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.

"He has experience of working with top-class players, that is important.

"In Athens (in 2007) it was very close, but after they scored he was on top of things. As a manager he does not change very much, but that makes him a magician, someone who can alter very little but then produce a victory."

Torres: 'Rafa Either Wants To Improve Me Or Kill Me'

Just before it all starts on Sunday, Fernando Torres will, as he always does, drop down on to his haunches and crouch for a minute or more.

It will be just him and the turf and a small box of silence at Stamford Bridge, hermetically sealed from all the sound and the fury outside it. "I don't know why I started but I always do it before the games," Torres says of this habit. "I like to see the other players with the keeper and I like to see the other end and the people in the stand behind the goal. I try to see the goal and try to think where the ball is going."

Seeing the goal is a task which, taken in its literal sense, Torres hardly need prepare for. The eight goals he has placed into a net this season – a tally it took him until 1 February, and the arrival at Anfield of Luiz Felipe Scolari's feckless Chelsea side, to reach in the last campaign – are part of a new-found opulence in Rafael Benitez's Liverpool, whose 22 league goals in the season's first seven weeks represent their most prolific return since 1895. But there are other, more substantial goals to go in search of. Liverpool have not collected a piece of silverware of any description for three long years and the prospect of extending that to a fourth would, Torres sees all too clearly, be a catastrophe for the Red quarters of Merseyside and beyond.

"To go another season and have four years without a trophy would be a massive blow for Liverpool," he says, in his excellent English which is still more Spanish than Scouse. "Three years without a trophy is too much for Liverpool, and especially the Premier League. We have to improve. We really have to win [one]."

He is not the only Liverpool player to betray a yearning for silverware. The same feelings left Pepe Reina, Torres' great ally at Anfield, reflecting last month that the title was not a "realistic objective". But Torres has been here before, on the outside looking in with more than a little envy at other people's trophy cabinets. After an upbringing in Fuenlabrada, a small city on the outskirts of Madrid famous across Spain for putting skirts on the green stick-man illuminated at pedestrian crossings in the interests of gender equality, Torres found himself on the receiving end of the capital city's mighty football inequality, attempting to help Atletico Madrid match their neighbours, Real. Torres, one part prodigy, one part folk hero at Estadio Vincente Calderon, was worn down by the side's over-reliance on him in the end. "Any team has to be built on collective responsibility but at Atletico I had too much and I had to take on the responsibility of others, too," Torres revealed last season.

Though it seems like a case of history repeating itself – the dependence on Torres and Steven Gerrard is as profound as it ever was at Anfield – then Torres has at least found solace from a compatriot who has experienced the same. "I am still waiting for a trophy at club level, and I want one, but I am still young; I am just 25," Torres says. "I was talking with Carles Puyol at Barcelona some years ago and he said he was 23-24 at Barcelona and hadn't won a single trophy, but now he has plenty of them." Ten, to be precise. But while Puyol's wait for silverware lasted six years, Torres is now into his ninth club campaign, with the taste of success which last year's European Championship brought with Spain only accentuating the sense of what has been missing with his clubs.

For all that, though, there is something in the Torres character which makes these proletarian struggles quite natural ones. He might have the accoutrements of the superstar – including the £130,000-a-week salary which this summer's new five-year contract brought and the personal website which confidently places No 9 between his first and last names – but the prevailing sense which El Nino: My Story, his new autobiography, leaves is how Torres and a working-class city like Liverpool were made for each other. He chose Liverpool, he says, "because of the mentality of the club. It's a working club. Always, Liverpool never had the same money as other teams and always is winning trophies like the bigger ones."

Everton fans do not seem to take the same delight in ruining a Torres night out that Real's did, either. "I couldn't do almost anything in Madrid when I was there," he recalls. "Madrid is a big city and I wasn't playing for the strongest team, so 80 per cent of the people there are Real fans. It was hard just to walk or go to a restaurant or the cinema because people do not have the same respect there that they do here for players. If I went somewhere with friends [in Madrid] it was really difficult. Here in Liverpool, I can do almost everything I want to do. I can walk in the park, or to the Albert Dock. The people recognise you but they have a lot of respect for a player. The quality of life is the main thing for me."

It is as well, perhaps, that his preferred days out are not to Manchester – where his career would have taken him had Sir Alex Ferguson has his way – but to the more Liverpool-friendly locations of Chester and Formby. (A 99 Flake with raspberry sauce, the book tell us, is his preference at the seaside.) Perhaps it is also the working-class outlook which makes some of Benitez's interminable ways more tolerable to him than they were to the Liverpool squad the manager inherited in 2004. Torres has more than demonstrated his technical abilities – the quick foot-to-foot transfer and his habit of feigning lack of interest in a ball before pinching it from a defender, which helped him score the 33 goals which, in 2007-08, made him the highest foreign goalscorer in a debut season in English football history. But still the manager obsesses about improvements.

One of the excellent anecdotes in El Nino concerns a day when, after Torres had scored twice in Liverpool's magnificent 2-0 win over Chelsea in February, he was tying up his boots ready to head out to the Melwood training pitch. The weekend papers had been full of stories about Torres being set to become a father and he takes up the story: "'Congratulations, Fernando,' Rafa says.’Thanks, boss,' I reply. I assumed he was congratulating me on the pregnancy and I paused, expecting the obvious next question. I was wrong. 'Just as we'd anticipated, attacking the near post really paid off yesterday,' he said. 'You got ahead of the defender into that space we talked about, which gave you an advantage and allowed you to beat Cech with a header.'"

Typical Benitez – and a story Glen Johnson should have read before he arrived at Anfield in July. Johnson assumed that Benitez would appreciate his talents, having paid £17m for him – then spent three weeks listening to him detailing his faults. "Rafa spends time with everyone whether they are doing well or badly," Torres says in the manager's defence. "He is always pushing the players because it is the best way to improve, and you can say to yourself he wants to improve me or he wants to kill me, but I can tell you, he does want the best for every single player."

The spending limitations are all too apparent at Liverpool, whose American owners are seeking equity partners to help offset their debt, leading Reina to reflect that "teams like Manchester United have lots of players who can tip the balance; we haven't got the individuals". But Torres has a more positive philosophy. "It is easier when you have money to spend on top players, because you have more quality in the squad and more chances," he says. "But it's not always like that. Liverpool won the Champions League four years ago with just a strong squad, so we have different strengths. We have to do it another way." He believes Liverpool can experience the same effect from a first trophy that United enjoyed after winning the Premier League in 1993. "We know that when the first trophy comes we can win plenty of trophies. The next one will come soon," he says.

Having Torres and Gerrard fit to play together more often than the 17 times in the league they were in tandem last season is critical. So far they have already played together in every league game. And victory over Chelsea on Sunday will be a psychological asset. "It will give us plenty of confidence going into the international break. We will be able to rest a little bit and come back feeling like a strong team. If you can beat Chelsea away then you know you can beat any team in England and in Europe. We need to win these kind of games to be stronger." Such are the thoughts that will consume the mind of the crouching tiger who, if you look closely, you will see down there – just about pitch level – as the Stamford Bridge clock ticks up to 4pm on Sunday.

Rafa Ready To Dent Blues

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez knows that Sunday's crucial meeting with Chelsea can contribute towards the outcome of the Premier League title race.

The Reds travel to London to take on their fierce rivals in determined mood as they aim to respond to critics who have already questioned their 2009/10 credentials.

Defeats to Tottenham and Aston Villa have already rocked Benitez's plans and allowed the doom-mongers to congregate around Anfield before August had come to an end.

But Liverpool have since stabilised in the league and their boss is adamant that there will still be plenty of twists in the battle for silverware as he aims to add pressure on Chelsea, who lost at Wigan last weekend.

Benitez told Sky Sports News: "It is always important when you play against the top sides because it can make a big difference.

"But you never know. It is important to do the right things and if you can win it is fantastic. If not, you have to keep going. It is an important game for both teams."

He added: "If we can win, it will be two defeats in a row for them. But my idea is always the same, it is a long race and there is still much to play."

Benitez heavily criticised his players in midweek following a comprehensive defeat at Fiorentina in the UEFA Champions League and he is expecting a reaction on Sunday.

But the former Valencia chief is also wary that Chelsea, who were unbeaten before their setback at Wigan, are looking to rediscover top gear.

He said: "Both teams will be desperate to win so we will hopefully see a good game. You always have to go with the idea that you can win."

Benitez is set to renew rivalries with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti on Sunday after twice crossing swords with the ex-AC Milan manager in UEFA Champions League finals.

Liverpool memorably got the better of Milan in 2005 in arguably the best European Cup final in history, however, Ancelotti's side gained revenge in 2007.

Benitez is therefore expecting another intriguing encounter with the Italian, saying: "It will be interesting because he is a great manager.

"We have played in the finals and, OK, it will be good to see him and hopefully we will see him again in another final.

"He knows how to manage a top side. He has experience at AC Milan where he did really well and here he is now doing a very good job with good players."

But Benitez - who has been critical in the past of the tactics from the Blues under former bosses Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari - does not think Ancelotti has had a radical impact.

When asked if he had noticed any difference in Chelsea's approach this season, he said: "Not too much. He has changed the shape of the team a bit, but the style of football is similar."

Man Charged Over Gerrard Break-In

Police have charged a man with burglary and robbery at the home of Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard's wife Alex Curran, 27, was confronted by four masked raiders at the couple's mansion in Formby, Merseyside, on the evening of December 11, 2007.

She was left shaken but uninjured as the robbers struck while Gerrard, 29, was playing in Liverpool's Champions League tie away to Marseille.

The offenders, who all wore dark clothing, hoods and balaclavas, made off with items of jewellery.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Police have arrested and charged a 22-year-old man from Stockbridge Village, Liverpool, with burglary and robbery following an incident at a house in Formby on December 11, 2007.

"Martin Wilson will appear at North Sefton Magistrates' Court on October 30."

Dirk Kuyt: Chelsea Don't Worry Liverpool

Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt claims that his side are heading into Sunday's trip to Chelsea with confidence, despite the fine early season form of Carlo Ancelotti's men.

The Reds completed a Premier League double over the Londoners last season, and the Dutchman feels that that gives Rafa Benitez's men a strong reason for optimism.

"Okay, Chelsea had a one hundred per cent record until last weekend, but I'm not really worried about them," Kuyt told Liverpool's official website.

"If we play to the level we're capable of, we can win there again. We beat them home and away last season, so why not this year too?

"It's always a difficult game at Stamford Bridge but I believe we showed something last season by winning there.

"By beating both Chelsea and Man United twice in the league we proved we can beat most teams home and away. Chelsea have a group of players who have been together for a long time and with fantastic strikers such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

"But we know them well after playing against each other many times."

Two Premier League defeats already this season mean that there is a certain amount of pressure on Liverpool, although Kuyt maintains that if they focus on their own performance things should go well on Sunday.

He added: "We know what we have to do. At this stage we've already lost twice. That's the same amount as the whole of last season in the league.

"We just have to worry about our own games for now. Chelsea is a big game but we just have to look at ourselves.

"It's too early to talk about where the title is going, but if we beat Chelsea we'll be right back in there."

Babel Admits World Cup Fear

Ryan Babel is determined to earn an established place in Liverpool's first-team plans because his World Cup dream is in danger.

The Holland forward was dropped from his country's squad for September's meetings with Japan and Scotland after failing to play regular football at club level.

Babel was eventually called up by international boss Bert van Marwijk as cover for the injured Ibrahim Afellay, but his lack of games for Liverpool remains a concern.

The former Ajax player has still to settle since arriving at Anfield in 2007 and he has been linked with a loan return to Amsterdam.

But Babel is to fight for a role at Liverpool to earn a World Cup place, saying in the Daily Star: "Not being called up by Holland has definitely scared me into doing something.

"It's all about making the most of my chances in the first team now.

"The situation for me is clear. This has to be the year for me. I am trying to do whatever it takes to get into the team.

"If I give everything and the situation is still difficult, then you have to be honest with yourself.

"But I'm still confident that I can be a very important player for Liverpool.

"There's a World Cup at the end of the season and my position for the Holland national team is in danger.

"For the first time in 33 games, I wasn't called up for the national team. That was very scary. It's clear I have to play a lot of games for Liverpool to earn a ticket to the World Cup.

"The Holland coach made a statement that he wants his players playing for their clubs. It's clear I need to be playing more for Liverpool."

Aurelio Issues Warning To Liverpool

Fabio Aurelio has warned there can be no dwelling on the past as Liverpool seek to atone for their fiasco in Florence.

Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge on Sunday for a Barclays Premier League showdown with Chelsea knowing they cannot afford a repeat of their limp display against Fiorentina.

The 2-0 defeat at the Stadio Artemio Franchi resulted in Reds boss Rafa Benitez becoming apoplectic with rage during the break after witnessing a sub-standard first-half performance.

Brazilian defender Aurelio, who has known Benitez longer than any other Reds player after previously working with him at Valencia, confirmed after the game he had never seen the Spaniard so angry.

Now Liverpool have the perfect opportunity to atone for the loss by adding to Chelsea's league misery after the Blues' 100% top-flight record this season under Carlo Ancelotti was brought crashing down with last Saturday's shock 3-1 defeat at Wigan.

"We would have hoped for a better result against Fiorentina, but we can't think about that now, we must think about the future," the 30-year-old told liverpoolfc.tv.

"We have an important game in the Barclays Premier League against Chelsea on Sunday, and we must try to make things right.

"Football is like this. You cannot think in the past, you must always look to the future.

"Hopefully it will be a different game and we can go there and get a result."

Benitez has also claimed it will be "a totally different Liverpool" at Chelsea, with his comments echoed by captain Steven Gerrard who insists the team have to produce a reaction.

The last time Liverpool failed to score in a game was in another 2-0 defeat, at Middlesbrough at the end of February.

It sparked a phenomenal goal rush over the final three months of last season, with Liverpool rattling home 43 in just 14 games.

Benitez is at least expecting Javier Mascherano to return to the side after he missed Wednesday's game with a slight hamstring problem.

Liverpool Legend Ian Rush Hails Fernando Torres As 'The Best Striker In The World'

Liverpool's record goalscorer Ian Rush believes Fernando Torres, the man who now wears the number nine shirt the Welshman made famous, is the best striker in the world.

Torres' hat-trick against Hull last weekend took his tally to eight goals in his last six Barclays Premier League matches.

The Spaniard is edging closer to breaking a long-standing club record of being the fastest to 50 league goals and needs just four more in his next 15 games after notching 46 in his first 64 top-flight appearances.

Should he do that he will surpass the mark set by Sam Raybould, who played for the Reds between 1900 and 1907, and Albert Stubbins (1946-52) who both took 80 games to reach the half-century.

In comparison, Rush, who scored 346 goals in 660 matches for Liverpool, took 84, Robbie Fowler 88 and Michael Owen 98.

Rush said: 'He has been fantastic. He is the Premier League's top scorer this season and the goals he scored against Hull were great, both right foot and left foot.

'Had he stayed on the pitch against Hull he could have scored five or six that day. With experience I think he will get better. He is only 25 and he is a big plus for Liverpool as he and Steven Gerrard play really well together.

'Without doubt he is the best striker in the world at the moment. Lionel Messi is a great player, Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player but they are different to Torres.

David Villa is a great striker as well but Torres has proved it in the English league.'

Despite Torres drawing a blank in the Champions League in midweek as Liverpool lost 2-0 to Fiorentina, Rush is hoping the striker will be back to his clinical best against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

'A good side never really has two bad games and the Fiorentina result may serve as a wake-up call,' added the 47-year-old at the launch of FIFA 10 in London.

It may be a blessing in disguise because in the Champions League you can get away with losing one big game, in the league you won't. I think Liverpool will be up for it on Sunday. They had the best record against the top four last season.

'They beat Manchester United home and away, Chelsea home and away and drew with Arsenal home and away.

'The first test comes this season now they play Chelsea. I think they go into the game with the belief they can do it. Hopefully we will see a bit of Torres magic again.'

Liverpool Striker Fernando Torres Vows To Never Join Rivals Manchester United As Spain Star Plans To End His Career At Anfield

Fernando Torres has pledged to never join Manchester United out of respect for Liverpool fans.

Although the Premier League's top scorer is only 25, the Spanish striker admits he is already contemplating ending his career at Anfield, having firmly settled in on Merseyside since his £20million arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2007.

Asked about the chances of playing for United, Torres said: 'I can understand the feelings between Man United and Liverpool.

'I'm a foreign player, but I know how the Liverpool fans feel and I remember the welcome I had when I arrived - it was just amazing.

'I hope to play a lot of years or maybe even finish my career here.

'I don't know, but Liverpool is my English team and I don't think about playing for another one.'

Torres, who has scored eight goals so far this season, knows how important a win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea will be this Sunday if the Reds are to stake their claim as serious title contenders this season, insisting belief is the key to success.

'We know it will be difficult because a lot of teams want to win the Premier League,' he told Sport magazine.

'But I think we have to believe in ourselves.'

'We have the same chance as Manchester United, Chelsea, City or Arsenal.

'We just have to keep believing we can win, and then see what happens at the end of the season.'

Mascherano Making Progress

Liverpool could welcome Javier Mascherano and Daniel Agger back into the fold for Sunday's eagerly anticipated encounter with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Mascherano has responded well to treatment after missing Tuesday's Champions League defeat to Fiorentina with a hamstring injury while Agger came through a reserve team game in midweek unscathed.

The Danish defender has failed to feature in the first team so far this term after picking up a back injury in pre-season.

"It felt good to be back on the pitch again," said Agger. "It's always frustrating when you're out injured and can't play football, so to get back out there again was great.

"I knew in pre-season that my back wasn't right so I had to get the problem sorted. I set myself the target to be back around this time so I'm happy.

"I'll keep working hard and do everything I can to help the team and get back in the side as soon as possible."

Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt Hails Yossi Benayoun's Intelligence & Quality

Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has hailed the performances this season of team-mate Yossi Benayoun, and feels that the work rate and commitment shown by the Israeli will prove a key factor over the course of this campaign.

Benayoun also possesses a keen footballing brain and superb skill, according to the Dutch international.

"Yossi is an intelligent player with lots of quality," Kuyt told the Reds' official website.

"His biggest quality is to beat players. The way he passes them sometimes is unbelievable. He's got great skill and can do something for us in games to change things.

"Yossi can beat players and score goals. A lot of people will look at him and notice these qualities but he is also a team player. He puts everything into the team effort and also works really hard.

"That is really important. He's not only a skilful player but also works unbelievably hard for the team.

"For the last couple of months of last season he was really important for us, scoring goals and playing well as we challenged for the title. This season he has carried that on and is playing very well again."

Manchester United & Liverpool Scouting Real Sociedad's Antoine Griezmann

Manchester United and Liverpool are to go head-to-head in the battle to land Real Sociedad's prodigiously talented teenager Antoine Griezmann, according to the Daily Mirror.

Griezmann, a left winger, has burst onto the scene in recent months after being fast-tracked through the club's youth set-up. His rise to prominence has alerted a host of European clubs, and the two Premier League rivals are among the most high-profile to covet his signature.

The Frenchman has been with Real for four years, and enjoyed a productive pre-season. The Spanish club aim to tie the player down to a long-term deal after he impressed in his four appearances so far this season.

He scored on his first start for the club, in the 38th minute, in a fixture against SD Huesca.

The versatile attacker can also be deployed as a striker, but United and Liverpool may face an arduous task ahead in purchasing Griezmann as he recently made it clear that he would like to stay at the San Sebastian-based club.

He said: "Clearly I would like to stay with Real Sociedad.

The grounded youngster added: "I do not believe that I [deserve] a place in the first team."

Aurelio Reveals Rafa Anger

Rafa Benitez was as angry as he has ever been with Liverpool during their defeat by Fioretina, Fabio Aurelio has revealed.

The Brazilian full-back has admitted that the normally cool Spaniard blew his top at half-time in Tuscany during their UEFA Champions League clash.

Liverpool were 2-0 down at the Artemio Franchi, and Benitez made his feelings clear to his charges, although despite a second half improvement the scoreline stayed the same.

"That was the most annoyed we have seen the manager, but we all were," admitted Aurelio.

"We all felt like that after the first half and that's why you saw a better performance in the second.

"But we didn't need harsh words at half-time - we all knew that we were not playing well and that we had to be much better.

"In the second we were a different side and if it had been like that from the start it could have been a different result."

Aurelio admits that Liverpool will be looking to shrug off their defeat in Italy as they tackle Chelsea on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1.

"In football you always have a chance to put it right and turn things to your favour and ours comes at Chelsea on Sunday," he said.

"It's a good opportunity for us to get over the disappointment of losing to Fiorentina.

"It is a very important game in the Premier League, against a very strong side, and we have to recover from this result straight away and have the confidence we can do a good job again.

"We have to fight really hard to take the points.

"It's important to get something against the top sides. We are scoring more goals at the moment but you must keep improving if you want to win trophies."

Saudi Prince Put Off By Club Debt And Issues Between Owners

Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah, a member of the ruling family of Saudi Arabia who claimed this week that he was close to agreeing a deal to invest in English soccer club Liverpool, has now spoken out about the ongoing tension between the club's American owners.

Liverpool and members of Fahd bin Abdullah's own company moved swiftly to distance themselves from his claims this week, with the club's owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, admitting that they have retained Bank of American Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to advise on possible investments but saying that any talks are in preliminary stages.

Fahd bin Abdullah attended the match against Hull last weekend to discuss tie-ups between F6, his investment company, and Gillett's Richard Petty Motorsports Nascar franchise, as well as the possibility of establishing Liverpool-supported youth academies in Saudi Arabia, but subsequently said to the press that he was keen to invest in up to 50 per cent of the club. Now he appears to be putting the confusion that followed down to a misunderstanding between the club's owners.

"It's clear to everyone that there is some sort of misunderstanding between Gillett and Hicks," Fahd bin Abdullah told Saudi television. "We are not there to pacify between them."

Meanwhile, F6 director Barry Didato has spoken out about the issue of the club's hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, secured through loans from RBS and Wachovia. "As far as investment in Liverpool is concerned, that would be a long way off," he said. "A lot of people have jumped the gun and any possible investment would be several months away. The agreement signed leaves the door open for it, but that was certainly not the focus of it. Another issue is the club's debt. Prince Faisal will not put forward investment capital to just clean up a balance sheet. He would only want to use money to take the club forward."

Agger Aiming For Return

Daniel Agger has set his sights on regaining a place in Liverpool's first-team after playing for the club's reserves as he continues his recovery from injury.

The classy Denmark defender has not featured in the current campaign, having undergone a back operation in pre-season.

But Agger played 68 minutes for Liverpool's reserves in the meeting with Manchester City on Tuesday as he edges closer to full fitness.

The 24-year-old, whose previous seasons have been disrupted by fitness problems, is now determined to regain a place in the first XI plans of Rafa Benitez.

Agger told Liverpool's official website: "I will keep working hard and do everything I can to help the team and get back in the side as soon as possible."

He added: "It is good to be back and it felt good to be back on the pitch again.

"It is always frustrating when you are out injured and can't play football, so to get back out there again was great.

"I knew in pre-season that my back wasn't right so I had to get the problem sorted. I set myself the target to be back around this time and so I'm happy."

Gillett And Hicks Still Live In Hope That Their Lies And Deceit Will Be Forgotten By Liverpool Fans

George Gillett's arrival on Merseyside last Saturday morning was greeted with great hostility. If the Reds co-owner was expecting the furore that surrounded events off the pitch over the past two years to have died down, he clearly underestimated the extent of his actions.

When Gillett and his business partner Tom Hicks strolled out onto the Anfield pitch in March 2007, they were given the most velvet of red carpet treatment by all connected with the club. They were the new custodians who promised to start work within 60 days of their arrival on a 60,000-seater stadium on Stanley Park that would rival the current famous old ground for atmosphere and grandeur.

Fast-forward 30 months and Gillett is denying that he ever made that now infamous reference about the need to have "a shovel in the ground" and claims it was Hicks who made the claim. If the American ever has time in his hectic schedule of (alleged) meetings with potential investors, he would do well to find the YouTube video of him saying those exact words. He was either lying or Tom Hicks is the world's greatest ventriloquist.

The purpose of largely absentee American’s visit to his 'investment' was to rubber stamp a deal with Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud to build club-accredited youth academies in the Middle East. The prince of Saudi Arabia’s first impression of the club will have been tainted by a welcoming committee of disgruntled supporters who confronted Gillett at Liverpool’s training ground and the youth academy in Kirkby where he had taken solace after being collared at Melwood.

Fans also made their feelings known later that day in the Main Stand car park where they gathered in numbers to vent their frustrations at the current predicament. Whilst Gillett and his royal guest soaked up the match day atmosphere from the comfort of the directors’ box, supporters stepped up their protests and unfurled non-offensive banners, reminding Gillett of the broken promises he and Hicks had made to the club and its fans, at the front of the Kop.

Club officials drafted in police to do their dirty work by having the banners removed from view and then confiscated. The hierarchy are more than happy cash in on the vast array of banners and wavers that adorn the famous terrace every other week as the focal point of selling the Anfield experience to whoever is gullible enough to spend a small fortune in the ground and leave the club shop tills endlessly ringing; but when that famous 12th man takes issue with the less than professional goings on away from the floodlights, they do their utmost to stifle their voice. In light of this, perhaps the PA announcement that signals the club’s safety drill should be rebranded “Standby for Operation Fascist State Anfield”.

Gillett and Hicks still live in hope that their lies and deceit will be forgotten with a few resounding wins on the pitch like the one against Hull last weekend but the club’s diehard supporters are not easily swayed as the day-tripping masses the pair encourage to flock to Anfield. News this week that the Americans have embarked on a search for fresh investment has been greeted with cautious optimism by the tirelessly devoted fans who continue to strive to prise their beloved club away from the incapable hands which it currently finds itself.

Five Key Questions On Liverpool’s Midfield

The Liverpool midfield has borne the brunt of most of the criticism that has come the team’s way since their 2-0 defeat away to Fiorentina on Tuesday. The Times answers the five key questions about why the usually reliable Liverpool midfield failed to function so badly and what can be done to improve it.

Why was Fábio Aurélio paired with Lucas Leiva in central midfield against Fiorentina?

Rafael Benítez’s idea seemed to be to try to dominate possession, hence the selection of Aurélio, a gifted ball player, in the heart of his midfield. The problem came when Liverpool did not have the ball, because they lacked the energy and physicality to stop the Serie A side from cutting through their midfield, a failing that was most apparent when Cristiano Zanetti, the Fiorentina midfield player, was allowed to waltz through a couple of half-hearted challenges on the halfway line before creating the opening goal for Stevan Jovetic.

Would Benítez have been better off asking Steven Gerrard to revert to a midfield role?

In hindsight this would probably have been the solution, particularly given Gerrard’s athleticism. The problem is, the Liverpool manager is loath to split up the prolific attacking partnership Gerrard has forged with Fernando Torres. By filling one hole in midfield he would have created another in attack, a situation that can be resolved in the long term only by the replenishment of the Liverpool squad because Benítez is short of options.

Could these problems have been avoided had the services of Xabi Alonso been retained?

In a word, yes. But once Alonso had set his heart on a move to Real Madrid, all Benítez and Liverpool could do was ensure they received a large fee for his transfer and then move on. Another “if only” revolves around Gareth Barry, the Manchester City and England midfield player. His form for club and country suggests that, had he been attracted to Anfield in the summer, he would have given Liverpool the kind of midfield balance that was absent in Florence.

Is Alberto Aquilani the solution to Liverpool’s problems?

Not directly. The Italy player is not a holding midfield player; he is best deployed in a more advanced position, similar to that which Gerrard operates in. As a temporary measure, Aquilani, when fit, could support Torres in attack, allowing Gerrard to revert to central midfield, where he has spent most of his career. But the ideal long-term scenario for Benítez would be for his captain to remain in the position just off Torres in which he excels. For this to happen, though, it is likely that another midfield player will need to be recruited in January.

Do Liverpool’s problems in midfield on Tuesday highlight the importance of Javier Mascherano?

Undoubtedly. At his best, Mascherano protects his back four at least as effectively as any other player in world football. Having been ruled out because of a tight hamstring, his presence was sorely missed against Fiorentina. However, the 25-year-old has been a long way short of peak form this season and there is concern on Merseyside that he might have allowed himself to become distracted from the job in hand by a combination of interest from Barcelona and the worry of captaining an Argentina team who are struggling to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals.

Banks Press Tom Hicks And George Gillett On Liverpool Debt

Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., the owners of Liverpool, have been issued with an ultimatum by the club’s bankers to attract investors to reduce the club’s debt or to sell up.

A statement released on behalf of Hicks and Gillett yesterday provided official confirmation for the first time that a search for new funds is under way, with Rothschild and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the investment banks, leading the search.

City sources believe the announcement is an indication of the pressure that the Americans, who bought Liverpool in February 2007, are under to reduce the club’s exposure to debt. An equity raise — a quest to find minority shareholders to inject finance into the club in return for a stake — is a clear signal that the days of Hicks and Gillett as dual owners are numbered, although speculation that a Saudi Arabian prince is on the verge of concluding a deal to secure a half-share have been dismissed.

“The owners have jointly retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of new investors injecting equity into Liverpool Football Club,” a spokesperson for Hicks and Gillett confirmed. “However, the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate.”

Hicks and Gillett secured a deal in July to refinance their debts with Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, but the agreement was struck only on the condition that they provided £60 million in equity to reduce Liverpool’s outstanding liabilities from £310 million to £250 million, after fears expressed by the club’s accountant, KPMG, of their ability to continue as a going concern given such large-scale exposure to debt.

However, rather than cementing their position as owners, the deal was designed to allow Hicks and Gillett more time to sell the club. It is understood both banks are reluctant to extend the loans again unless the club reduce their debt before next summer.

Claims that Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud, of Saudi Arabia, is about to strike a deal in which he would assume a 50 per cent stake in Liverpool were dismissed, with senior club officials having been taken by surprise by reports that an agreement was in place and that due diligence is under way, neither of which is true.

Gillett, in particular, though, is stepping up his efforts to recruit investors who would allow him to retain a partial stake in the club at the least. His meeting with Prince Faisal at Anfield last Saturday was accompanied by a raft of publicity.

In statements emanating from the Middle East, a spokesman on behalf of Prince Faisal has since claimed that a significant investment deal was imminent, but, as reported in The Times on Monday, this is not the case, with the only accord being one that will further Gillett’s interests in Nascar, the North American motor-racing sport.

Saudi Prince’s Company Blames Hicks For Stalling Deal

Speculation continues about the possibility of Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud, a member of the ruling family of Saudi Arabia, buying into Liverpool, after the English Premier League club admitted that it had appointed advisors to look at new investment opportunities.

Fahd bin Abdullah's F6 company has signed an agreement with Liverpool and co-owner George Gillett's Nascar franchise, Richard Petty MOtorsports, that will see two Liverpool-backed youth academies and a number of motor racing tracks built in Saudi Arabia. The prince also spoke publically about his desire to become a part-owner of the club, but a senior figure at F6 has now suggested that moves to that end have been frustrated by Gillett's relationship with Hicks.

"Right now George has a lot of ongoing issues with his existing partner, and he is working through those with the banks and Premier League," said F6 director Barry Didato last night. "Prince Faisal has said we're keeping a very open-door policy to it, but that the existing partnership should not look to him being a solution to Liverpool's balance sheet and there are some balance sheet issues yet to be resolved."

The news comes just one day after newspaper reports linked an Indian billionaire with a takeover bid for the club.

A spokesperson for Liverpool said simply: "The owners have jointly retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of new investors injecting equity into LFC. However, the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate."

Tommy Smith: Bill Shankly Was The Greatest Boss Of All

I got a call yesterday from someone reminding me it was the 28th anniversary of Bill Shankly’s death.

It’s hard to believe so many years have passed since that time.

Of course, it is 50 years ago this December that Shanks first took over as manager of Liverpool. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The game has changed so much, with money now so important, that Shanks would never have imagined it. He would not have liked it either, of that I’m sure.

These days, you get players who are happy to sit on the bench because they are earning so much But in his day, players hated being left out - and Bill hated it if they weren’t deeply unhappy and desperate to get off it and into the team as soon as possible.

One thing he would have enjoyed, though, was seeing Liverpool bombard Hull City at Anfield and hit six.

Liverpool played the way Shanks wanted his teams to play - pummelling the opposition with big hearts and good football until they all but submitted, which Hull did after what Torres and company put them through.

He may not have been the most successful manager ever - though he did win pretty much everything. But for me, Shanks will always be the greatest boss of all.

Liverpool Are Better Suited To The Premier League This Season, Says Tony Barrett

The Times North West football writer says club must get back to basics if they are to address the problems that have dogged them this season.


What went wrong in Florence on Tuesday night?

Most Liverpool fans would have been concerned when they saw the team-sheet. Without Javier Mascherano, Liverpool were deprived of a very important part of the way Rafael Benitez likes to play in Europe. Mascherano sits in front of the back four and stops the opposition from playing in that part of the field. That has been one of the main reasons behind Liverpool's success in Europe.

Without Mascherano the feeling was that Steven Gerrard would drop back into midfield and that Dirk Kuyt would play off Fernando Torres.

But the decision to play Fabiano Aurelio in midfield alongside Leiva Lucas was perhaps where it all started to go wrong. Although Aurelio is a very capable midfielder, Liverpool lacked pace and a real physical presence in the centre of the field which meant Fiorentina were able to play through them far too easily.


Why do Liverpool look so frail defensively this season? Is it just that Jamie Carragher is a year older and Martin Skrtel is in a poor run of form?

It is a combination of factors. Liverpool are attacking more than they ever have done under Benitez and have scored more goals at the start of this season than any Liverpool team have done since 1995-96.

The signing of Glen Johnson has been a big part of that but the way they are playing now is a whole new departure for Benitez. It means they are committing a full back very high up the pitch and that in turn is putting a lot of extra pressure on the other members of the back four.

Carragher didn't have the best of games against West Ham United, that was well documented, but since then he has come back into the kind of form we expect from him. Skrtel is a big worry for Liverpool, he is well short of his best at the moment and all that is being exacerbated by the introduction of Emiliano Insua, who is a young left back still making his way in the game.

The problem for Insua is that he is part of a defence that is changing quite a lot at the moment and is far less solid that it has been in recent years. All those things are combining to give this feeling that Liverpool aren't as strong defensively as they have been in the past.


Daniel Agger made his return for the reserves on Tuesday night. Will he come into the equation?

He played 68 minutes for the reserves and by all accounts did very well. Agger will bring much-needed extra competition for places in the heart of the Liverpool defence.

Although Benitez signed Sotiris Kyrgiakos at the end of the transfer window, he is clearly fourth choice and is not putting any real pressure on Carragher and Skrtel. They know they are first picks and any manager needs to know that he has someone who can do a job if his current pairing continues to underperform.

I am not sure Agger will bring the kind of solidity Liverpool need, because he is very much a footballing centre back. Liverpool need to get back to the no-nonsense style of defending that has served them so well in the past.


What kind of impact will last night's defeat have on the club's preparation for the game with Chelsea?

Liverpool need to wake up to some of the problems that have plagued them since the start of the season. It is only when you get a serious setback, like the one they suffered in Florence, which you start to re-evaluate.

Liverpool need to get back to the basics that have been the bedrock of their success under Benitez. They are not defending well as a team. Mascherano will come back into the side on Sunday, so that will give the defence more protection, but it is not just the personnel it is the mentality of the team.

Benitez kept talking about mentality after the game on Tuesday night, there were a lot of individual performances out there but there was a lack of collective responsibility, especially defensively. That will be what is worked on most on the training pitches and if Liverpool can learn from their mistakes then we may well see the kind of Liverpool we have seen in the past.


Is the ongoing instability off the field playing a part in any of this?

The players are well used to what is happening off the field but it isn't helpful. George Gillett Jr. has made quite a few headlines in the past few days but his interests may not necessarily be in keeping with the best interests of the team.

He is looking to bring in investment and do whatever deals he can for his own sake, so maybe he has a different agenda from the club and that is something that will disappoint the supporters.

The lack of a big transfer budget was a problem in the summer. If you look at what he spent it was what he got in through sales. Liverpool were at a point where if they had been able to [spend more money] that may well have paid dividends this season. They were unable to do so because of financial constraints and it probably wouldn't have been prudent to do so.

But if Liverpool had been able to do that then Benitez would have strengthened a few areas of his squad which are looking quite thin at the moment.


Do you expect Liverpool's long wait for the league title to go on?

Liverpool never start well under Benitez, but I have a feeling that what was true in the past is not so true now. Under Benitez Liverpool have always been stronger in Europe, but looking at this side now it is much more suited to the Premier League.

We have seen already that they are more able to beat the lesser teams. They may well struggle against the better sides but, although I am not suggesting they are going to win the title, I wouldn't rule them out.


Has Benitez finally switched his priority to the Premier League and away from Europe?

I am not sure he would see it that way. The Champions League final is in Madrid this season and being a son of Madrid and a former Real Madrid player he would like nothing more than to go back there and lift the European Cup with Liverpool.

Benitez is just trying to address the weaknesses that stopped Liverpool winning the league last season. The loss of Xabi Alonso and even Alvaro Arbeloa has affected the balance of the side but it remains to be seen if Liverpool can address that as the season goes on.

Xabi Misses Liverpool, The Stadium, Everything

Xabi Alonso is delighted to be at Real Madrid however his brother Mikel, formerly of Bolton, and now in La Liga with Tenerife, believes he is missing his old club Liverpool.

The two siblings faced each other over the weekend, during which the eldest brother took home the bragging rights after a 3-0 Real Madrid win. Alonso junior suggests Xabi will always hold Liverpool, Anfield and the Premier League in high regard.

Mikel Alonso told Goal.com: “We talked a lot about it.”

“He made the decision, but you know there were a lot of times it was between Liverpool and Real Madrid because they are very big clubs, but I think my brother is happy now and that's important,”

“He had a lot of success at Liverpool, he had some very beautiful and good years there and I think Liverpool supporters are going to miss him, because he plays a good game and I think he's a very important player for any team that wants to be the best.”

Mikel refused to be drawn on the reasons why his brother left Anfield.

He says: “I think everything becomes important when you make a decision.”

“Maybe because he had already spent four years there and maybe sometimes you need a change.”

“I think I'm not the best person to talk about this stuff, but you know I think he's happy and this is the most important thing.”

“He has a big respect and great memory of Liverpool the stadium, the supporters, everything,”

“He misses that - he does miss that, but life goes ahead and sometimes changes come...”

He concluded: “I think he's very happy now.”

“I think he thinks the years in Liverpool were very happy years and he grew as a football player and now he's in another team and has new objectives and goals and now he is happy again.”

Agger Returns As Reserves Beat City

Daniel Agger made a successful comeback as he helped Liverpool Reserves beat Manchester City 2-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Reds No.5 enjoyed a 68 minute run-out and put in an impressive performance at the back for John McMahon's team.

David Ngog played the full 90 minutes and netted the opening goal with a fine finish. Steven Irwin celebrated his 20th birthday with a brilliant second goal as the Reds second string deserved the win.

It was an eventful night as Victor Palsson was sent-off for two bookable offences.

Swiss international Philipp Degen also played 45 minutes but had to leave the field at half-time after feeling unwell.

City welcomed back midfielder Michael Johnson after injury but it was a good night for Liverpool and the return of Agger is a massive boost for Rafa Benitez.

"It was a good win for us and Daniel did really well and it was great to see him back," McMahon told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"He was committed, he made some good challenges and he helped the young lads around him. He enjoyed himself and was pleased to be back.

"David scored again which is another plus for us and Stevie's finish was excellent.

"We could have scored a lot more goals in the end and David Amoo and Alex Kacaniklic had good chances.

"It was also great to see Zsolt Poloskei make his debut. He has been out injured for 15 months but it was great to see him on the pitch and he has worked so hard."

Liverpool team: David Martin, Philipp Degen (Chris Mavinga 45), Stephen Darby (Capt), Daniel Ayala, Daniel Agger (Emmanuel Mendy 68), Nathan Eccleston, David Amoo (Zsolt Poloskei 78), David Ngog, Victor Palsson, Alex Kacaniklic. Unused subs: Nikola Saric, Martin Hansen.

Steven Gerrard: We Got What We Deserved

Steven Gerrard has revealed his dismay after Liverpool FC's Champions League horror show in Florence which has thrown their quest to reach the knock-out stages into disarray.

Liverpool were soundly beaten 2-0 by Fiorentina in the Stadio Artemio Franchi after Stevan Jovetic's first-half double, and now face tricky back-to-back clashes with Group E leaders Lyon, who have won each of their two matches so far. Captain Gerrard accepted the criticism of Liverpool's abject performance, saying: "We just didn't turn up."

But he also remained optimistic, claiming: "We will be fine if we win our home games."

However, he knows that Liverpool are now under intense pressure of their own making. The Reds' display in Italy was made particularly surprising given that it came after six successive victories and much praise for the deluge of goals so far this campaign.

While Liverpool prepare to face French giants Lyon - at home on October 20 and away on November 4 - Fiorentina can expect to be winning their own back-to-back ties with Debrecen on those dates.

The Hungarian champions are already proving the whipping boys of the group, without a point or goal following two defeats. They lost 4-0 at home to Lyon on Tuesday night, and Fiorentina will be expected to win both their matches against a club in their first Champions League group campaign. That would give the Italians nine points, and leave Liverpool with it all to do against Lyon.

"We were disappointed to lose in Florence, we were second best all over the pitch and deserved to go in at the break losing," Gerrard said.

"The reaction was better in the second half and we created some chances, but we just could not get into the game. We did not do what we usually do away from home in Europe, there was no real tempo in our game.

"We normally play at a high tempo and pass the ball really well, and play well on the counter-attack. But all over the pitch, front to back, we just did not turn up, particularly in that first half.

"But I believe this group is still wide open, there's plenty of football to be played and we are now in the same position as Fiorentina with a win and a defeat, and they still have to face us at Anfield. If we win our next home game, and that's against the group leaders Lyon, things will be different. If we win our home games now that should still be enough, we'll be fine."

Fernando Torres And Steven Gerrard Didn't Perform, Says Benitez

Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez has expressed his disappointment over the Champions League displays of his top two stars, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

The partnership had been given the big build-up ahead of Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Fiorentina in Group E.

But both were well marshalled by an organised Fiorentina side, in which defenders Alessandro Gamberini and Dario Dainelli had outstanding games, along with former Juventus midfielder Cristiano Zanetti.

Benitez admitted: "Fiorentina did a good job (against Gerrard and Torres).

"It was disappointing to see them both kept out of the game as they were. The Fiorentina defenders handled them very well; they worked really hard against them.

"But it is not just about two players; nobody in the team was producing anything.

"Sometimes when defenders are too worried about Gerrard and Torres, it gives the rest of our team the chance to make use of the space.

"They can take that responsibility, but for long periods that did not happen.

"But this is not the end of things in Europe for us, and we must re-group and show the right mentality for our next match against Chelsea on Sunday."

Benitez was clearly stunned and angered by his side’s poor display in Florence, and said: "What happened, particularly in the first half, is very hard to explain.

"We were expecting a difficult game, we knew Fiorentina would work hard and really press us when we were in possession, but we gave the ball away and we were not in the game.

"But it was the same players, the same tactics on the pitch after the interval and they were much better.

"It is not right to blame the midfielders (Lucas Leiva and Fabio Aurelio). We were not right all over the pitch.

"The problems were too many. The strikers, the wingers, the centre-backs, they were all to blame. Fiorentina were on top of us everywhere.

"The second half was different with the same players. I was very surprised by what I saw in the first half. We try to be organized, to be compact as a team.

"But it was too easy for them to get forward, to work ’between the lines’ and to cause us problems. We were always arriving late for things.

"The players were frustrated with some decisions, but that was not the cause. We were not good enough and they let their frustrations show.

"The next two games in the group against Lyon are very important. We only have four games left in this group so we need two wins for sure. We must keep going until the end, we have to be ready for the next matches."

Match Report: Fiorentina 2 - 0 Liverpool

Liverpool's Champions League hopes took a shattering blow as Fiorentina claimed an impressive victory in a delirious Stadio Artemio Franchi.

This was their first away defeat in Europe since the semi-final defeat at Chelsea in April 2008, and only their ninth away reverse in 38 attempts in the competition under boss Rafael Benitez.

Montenegro international Stevan Jovetic did the damage with a quick-fire double inside 10 first-half minutes.

Liverpool had no answer to the 19-year-old's drive and pace, and their Group E future is now under serious threat.

Liverpool did not manage a shot on target in a disappointing first period and although they fought back after the break, Fiorentina were not going to let a prized victory escape their grasp.

Benitez's response to the loss of Javier Mascherano with a hamstring injury was to recall Brazilian defender Fabio Aurelio to his side.

Aurelio has had only a Carling Cup run-out against Leeds after a summer knee operation, and he was be used in a midfield role against the Italians, who are fourth in Serie A.

Otherwise it was the same Liverpool side that beat Debrecen in the first group match.

Aurelio was used in a holding midfield role to allow Steven Gerrard to continue his advanced role supporting Fernando Torres.

But it barely worked, with Fiorentina quicker and more mobile. Martin Skrtel, at the back, had to be at his best to halt a run and shot from Jovetic, who from the resulting corner set up Marco Marchionni for an overhead effort that just cleared the bar.

Jovetic saw another effort flash wide after 22 minutes, Adrian Mutu having created the opening having beaten both Lucas and Aurelio in midfield.

There had been constant indecision in the Liverpool defence, and a failure to retain possession in midfield, and they were punished after 27 minutes.

Mutu was in a clear offside position on the edge of the box, but Zanetti's through ball was aimed at Jovetic - running from an on-side position - who was allowed to close in on Jose Reina before guiding the ball past the Spaniard.

Reina needed to save well from Vargas soon after as Fiorentina sought to capitalise on their success.

The second was not long coming. After 37 minutes Marchionni crossed from the right and the ball found Vargas on the left.

His low shot to the near post was deflected past Reina by Jovetic.

Liverpool needed something quickly after the break, and Lucas saw a powerful header flash just over the bar inside a minute of the re-start, before Sebastien Frey beat away a Dirk Kuyt drive.

Gerrard miskicked after good work from Kuyt, before Torres saw a low header deflected wide from Gerrard's cross.

Aurelio shot wide from a Torres set-up, but Fiorentina looked to have weathered the Liverpool storm at the beginning of the half.

Gerrard, who had been strangely quiet during the game, then saw a shot charged away by Massimo Gobbi from Lucas' chip.

Ryan Babel was sent on for Emiliano Insua after 71 minutes, with Aurelio switching to left-back. Fiorentina responded by sending on an extra defender, Martin Jorgensen for Vargas.

Skrtel was next to venture forward, and he got to the byline before crossing for Torres to fire over. Seconds earlier a frustrated Torres had been penalised as he set up Kuyt, who fired past Frey only to have the effort disallowed.

Next on was Andriy Voronin in place of Kuyt, as Liverpool searched for any way back into the match. Gerrard lifting a 20-yarder over did not help that quest.

Liverpool FC Owners Tom Hicks And George Gillett Looking For Outside Investors

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have confirmed they are looking for investment in the club.

Following the appearance of Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud in the stands with the Americans at the weekend; the pair released a statement confirming they had retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of an outside injection of equity into the club.

It added: "However the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party."

Sports investment firm F6, chaired by the prince, had previously claimed an exclusivity deal with Gillett, and that he was in talks to buy his 50% stake.

Hicks is looking to raise £100m from investors in return for a 25% stake in a bid to turn around the club's debt.

Mark Lawrenson: Fernando Torres Needs Trophies To Be True Liverpool Great

Fernando Torres is usually bang on target – and he certainly was after his hat-trick against Hull City on Saturday.

Rather than basking in the glory of his outstanding individual achievements, the Spaniard was right to point out that it’s winning the major trophies that really matters in a player’s career.

Which is why Torres can’t yet be talked of in the same terms as the true Liverpool greats – even though for me he is the best striker in the world at the moment.

When you think about the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they are the only players who are on the same kind of level and they’re not out-and-out centre-forwards. If you’re talking about leading the line and finding the back of the net, I’m convinced Torres has no equal in the world game.

But in terms of playing for Liverpool, it’s all about the medals. Which is why Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush are the ultimate Anfield legends.

And you can’t put Torres in the same bracket as them at the moment.

You can say that he has the potential to be up there and could possibly even surpass them one day – but he has to be in a team that delivers.

Dalglish and Rush both have the League Championship and European Cup medals to back up their outstanding individual achievements.

Torres is scoring a lot of goals, but he knows himself that they will prove to be nothing but consolations if they don’t lead to Liverpool getting their name on the big trophies once again.

So next question: what are the chances of that happening in the near future?

Well, in terms of the title the maintaining is that Liverpool are well up there and giving themselves a chance. They made a bad start but it’s still only September and they seem to have got over those early shakes.

Besides, as much as those two early defeats to Spurs and Aston Villa were a setback, I think more surprise defeats could be in store for the leading clubs throughout this campaign.

Villa and Spurs, along with Manchester City, seem better equipped to be a threat to the top four this time and Manchester United and Chelsea have already been rocked by sides you would expect them to turn over.

In short, whoever wins the league this year is probably going to lose more games than usual anyway and that kind of trend will only play into Liverpool’s hands after that stuttering start.

And if proof were needed that people got a bit carried away wiring them off after three games then it arrived in the shape of Chelsea’s performance at Wigan on Saturday.

For a team that is flying on the back of eight straight wins, they were made to look awful by Wigan, especially in defence. They normally do the basics so well at the back – their defending from set pieces was particularly poor.

But it just goes to show that if you knock off for 90 minutes in this league, no matter who you play, you will get done.

I can only think that Chelsea must have sat in the dressing room before the game thinking they had won. If so, then it really bit them on backside.

But it’s a complacency, coupled with a huge dent to their confidence, that will only give Liverpool even more encouragement when the sides meet on Sunday.

Kuyt Can't Fathom Rush Record

Dirk Kuyt today spoke of his immense pride at the prospect of matching Ian Rush's European Cup goals tally.

Kuyt is just two shy of Rush in Europe's premier club competition after taking his haul to 12 against Debrecen.

If the Dutchman draws level with his Welsh predecessor, only Steven Gerrard with 28 will have scored more Champions League goals for Liverpool.

"That is unbelievable," said Kuyt. "To have the chance maybe to draw level with someone like Ian Rush is unbelievable.

"He is one of the biggest names in the history of Liverpool Football Club and it would give me a great feeling if I could manage to do that.

"I have to be respectful of his achievements in his career, but it would be good to match his goals and then maybe continue scoring.

"It is nice to get personal things, but for me the most important thing is winning trophies. The milestones are nice, but if you don't have anything to go with them like a trophy then it is not the same.

"Don't get me wrong, individual honours are nice, but it is all about the team winning."

Remarkably, Kuyt didn't trouble the scoresheet on any of his first 10 Champions League games for Liverpool.

That sequence ended in the 2007 final, when the 29-year-old bagged a consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan.

"I'm not sure why it has gone so well for me," said the Holland international. "In my first games in the Champions League I couldn't score at all. I got one in the final and it has just gone on for me since then.

"I think I have scored in every stage of the competition now and I am enjoying it. I just want to keep going. I don't try and do anything different to what I do in the Premier League.

"It is always nice to be involved in big Champions League nights and I feel confident going into them."

Collymore: Squad Looks Weaker & More Reliant Than Ever On Torres & Gerrard

The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore believes his former club are more reliant than ever on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, following the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

Collymore acknowledges the aforementioned two as world class performers but suggests the club is too reliant on their abilities, and will struggle away from Anfield.

Collymore told mirrorfootball.co.uk: “Fernando Torres has now scored 33 goals in 34 games at Anfield for Liverpool.”

“It is a quite astonishing statistic and he walked off with the match ball after Liverpool trashed Hull 6-1.”

“But sadly I do believe Liverpool are becoming a two-man show, with Steven Gerrard and Torres running things for Rafa Benitez's side.”

“I had a few callers at the weekend saying Liverpool play a better, faster attacking style of football without Xabi Alonso.”

“But I disagree, as apart from Gerrard and Torres, Alonso was arguably Liverpool's only other world class performer before he quit for Real Madrid.”

“Now he has gone, Liverpool's squad looks weaker and more reliant than ever on Torres and Gerrard.”

In the past Liverpool always used to buy from a position of strength, but they have not done so this summer.”

“They still have Alberto Aquilani to come back from injury in the next few weeks following his £20million move from Roma.”

“But Liverpool badly need to buy some more players to do the business for them away from home.”

“We know Anfield is a fortress but they need another striker to supplement Torres and take the burden off the forward.”

Cascarino: Torres Is Better Than Samuel Eto’o In His Pime

The former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino believes Liverpool forward Fernando Torres is a better player now than when Inter Milan’s Samuel Eto’o was in his prime at Barcelona.

The Spaniard leads the Premier League scoring charts with eight goals, five in his last two against West Ham and Hull City, and Cascarino suggests he is almost untouchable.

Cascarino told footballpools.com: “The performances of Liverpool in the last few weeks only go to prove that main men Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are all-important to the Reds chances of glory this season.”

“Torres’ form has been scary in the last few weeks.”

“The Spaniard is not just one of the best strikers in the Premier League, he is one of the best in the world.”

“He has exceptionally quick feet and can transfer the ball from one foot to the other with great effect.”

“Torres is totally confident at the moment and is at the same level as Thierry Henry when he was in his peak at Arsenal and Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.”

“The Spanish striker is so good he is almost unsellable for Rafa Benitez unless of course there was to be an absolutely outrageous bid.”

“There are few strikers who have a bit of everything like Torres has.”

“He has guile, excellent technical ability, is strong in the air and is quick.”

“He reminds me of Samuel Eto’o was in his prime but the Spaniard is even more skilful.”

“Torres’ aerial ability also makes him stand out from the Cameroonian.”

Liverpool Coach Rafa Benitez Not Worried About Leaking Goals

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez insists that he's unconcerned about his side's leaky defence this season, pointing out that the Reds are in sterling form at the other end of the pitch.

Striker Fernando Torres, who leads the Premier League scoring charts with eight goals, is the primary reason for Liverpool's best offensive start to a campaign in over a century.

"Our form has a lot to do with Torres, obviously," said Benitez. "In the last three games he has been outstanding.

"Torres can still improve, because he likes to learn. He is on fire at the moment and is a key player for us, but the Champions League is more difficult and he is aware of that.

"His confidence has grown as the team has started to do well. We are creating more chances and there are plenty of options for him."

Benitez added: "When you are winning matches, opponents have to attack more and leave space, and that is what Fernando is exploiting.

"He can use his pace and ability. He is playing more games; he has acquired match fitness and is making life very difficult for defenders."
The backline, however, has been less reliable, and Benitez has had to defend Jamie Carragher, who has been criticised for his poor form.

Nevertheless, the club come into their Champions League match with Fiorentina on Tuesday on a six-game winning streak, in which they've racked up 18 goals.

"We are scoring more goals and not really worried that we have conceded a few more," said the ex-Valencia boss.

"Our aim is to score goals and win matches; keeping clean sheets is a bonus.

"This has been a very good goal-scoring start to the season, I'm told the best for over 100 years at this club.

"But even if you score goals and also concede, then someone will see the negative of that.

"But we always look to the positives; we are scoring a lot of goals and we aim to continue to do the same.

"We can improve in defence, of course, and I would like a lot of goals and none conceded, but that is hard to do if you do try to attack," Benitez continued.

"We will try to find the balance but I find it is easier to improve defences because you can work in training on basics, repeating the same things.

"With strikers it depends more on the quality of the player; that is more difficult."

Benitez is optimistic about Liverpool's chances in the Champions League, and claims that a win against Fiorentina after defeating Hungarian title-holders Debrecen on the tournament's opening day will put the club in a good position to make it through to the round of 16.

"To start a Champions League group winning matches is very important. We have won our first game, now we am to win the second.

"That will be fantastic; we will be in a very strong position," he added.

"We have not faced Fiorentina before in Europe and this will be a big occasion. Hopefully we can score some more goals and that will almost certainly put us into the group stages.

"But Fiorentina play good football and will be dangerous. They are fourth in Serie A and have excellent players."

Liverpool Boss Rafael Benitez Blasts Back At Jermaine Pennant

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has responded to the criticism levelled at him and his players by Real Zaragoza winger Jermaine Pennant by leaping to the defence of Dirk Kuyt.

Pennant claimed that Benitez's coaching and tactics were "robotic" last week, and also asserted that when he was a Liverpool player himself he had found the continued selection of certain players ahead of him mystifying.

The latter remark was perceived to be a swipe at Kuyt, who has been a consistent selection in Pennant's position of right wing for the last couple of seasons at Anfield.

"I saw what he [Pennant] had to say, but I don't intend saying too much about him," said Benitez.

"Kuyt's record is there for everyone to see and he doesn't need me to defend him. You only need to look at the impact he has made to see he is picked on merit and has become an extremely important member of our squad.

"He speaks out on the pitch and doesn't have to say a single word to justify his place. He is a striker who is as effective on the wing or as second striker, and, as you can see from his record, he scores goals as well as working hard.

"He is the sort of player who would be good for any manager. We signed him then extended his contract because we knew he was an excellent player and outstanding professional. I could put him in central defence and he would be as good as anyone."

Liverpool Boss Rafael Benitez Hopeful Over Javier Mascherano Fitness

Javier Mascherano will be sidelined for Liverpool's Champions League trip to Fiorentina on Tuesday evening due to a hamstring problem, but Rafael Benitez has allayed fears that it will be a lengthy lay-off by implying that the player will be fit for the upcoming clash with Chelsea.

"He was shooting in training and felt something in his hamstring," Benitez explained to journalists at a pre-match press conference. "He went to see the doctor and we found he had a small problem in his hamstring."

When probed as to how long Mascherano will be unavailable, Benitez estimated: "It could be two or three days, but we are not sure."

The one-game absence does not worry the Spanish gaffer. "It is not a problem because I think we can manage with Stevie [Gerrard] or another player. To lose a player like Javier is not good. But we will find solutions, whether it is with Gerrard or someone else," he said.

Meanwhile, Benitez reacted to the kind words bestowed upon him by Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli. The Viola boss, who has been with the Artemio Franchi outfit since 2005, described Benitez - a Champions League winner with Liverpool - as a "role model".

Benitez was graceful in his reaction: "First of all, I'd like to say thank you to Mr. Prandelli.

"He has done a very good job. I was watching some games and they have been doing very well. They are well organised and know what to do; how to attack and defend.

"They are in a good position now, but I think they can do better. To be in the Champions League is a big success for them and hopefully it will be the same this year."

Fiorentina qualified for the Champions League by finishing fourth in Serie A last season - a position they maintain this season, too, having won four and drawn one from six games. They are two points shy of surprise leaders Sampdoria.

George Gillett Explores Billionaire’s Interest In Liverpool Investment

An Indian billionaire is the latest wealthy individual to express an interest in investing in Liverpool.

Representatives of the unidentified man, who made his fortune in the energy industry, held talks with George Gillett Jr., the Liverpool co-owner, at a dinner meeting held at the Cipriani restaurant in Mayfair, Central London, on Sunday.

Gillett is following up the initial findings of Rothschild, the investment bank that he set the task of finding potential stakeholders in Liverpool. The American bought the club with Tom Hicks, his co-owner and compatriot, in February 2007.

Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, dismissed fears that speculation about the club and their ownership could be a distraction to his team as they look to build on a run of six successive victories. “I spoke to George after the game against Hull on Saturday and all we talked about was football,” he said.

Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud, a member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family who claimed he is ready to offer up to £350 million for a 50 per cent stake in Liverpool at the weekend, has confirmed that a deal has been done with the Merseyside club that will lead to the opening of two academies, one in Saudi Arabia and the other in North Africa.

The agreement signed by Gillett and Prince Faisal on behalf of the F6 group he chairs will also extend the interests of the American’s Nascar franchise. “The memorandum of understanding with the George Gillett group will establish an exclusive partnership between F6 group, Liverpool FC and Richard Petty Motorsports team,” an F6 statement read. “His Highness Prince Faisal stated that the partnership with George Gillett’s group will be a good addition to F6. This partnership will provide a lot of investments in football, racing and sports media in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.”

Barry Didato, a director of F6, claimed last night that Prince Faisal is carrying out due diligence with a view to buying all or part of Gillett’s shares.

Gillett is in Italy for Liverpool’s match against Fiorentina and has refused to speak on the record about his plans for the Anfield club or the possibility of incoming investment.