Bargain Buys May Yet Prove The Worth Of Rafael Benítez

The Liverpool manager has still to be repaid by young signings but they could come of age in the chase for a top-four finish.

The remainder of the season must have been viewed with glazed eyes by Liverpool supporters on Tuesday night even if they did put on a show of boisterousness for 15 minutes. It came while they were held in the Puskas Stadion following the 1-0 win over Debrecen that did not avert elimination from the Champions League.

That was a show of defiance while the cameras and microphones were switched on in Budapest. There is no rebellion but it would still have been dismaying for fans to think of the dullness to come now that the side's interest in the Champions League is at an end. The remainder of the campaign, however, will be absorbing for Rafael Benítez.

The Liverpool managing director, Christian Purslow, claimed after the match with Debrecen that the financial harm need not be severe. He will, all the same, be speaking in wholly different terms if the club does not make up the present five-point gap to clinch its usual top-four finish in the Premier League. There is work ahead for Benítez and it had better be effective.

He himself has a security of sorts. The Spaniard is in the early days of a five-year contract that would make his dismissal breathtakingly expensive. The owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, will feel all the more attached to him when they think of the sums a new manager of the customary high profile would demand as he insisted on reshaping the squad.

The usual verdict on Benítez is that he buys well when spending heavily but flounders when hunting for bargains. Beware the footballer whose fee in millions was not in double figures. At this stage in the accusation it is obligatory to mention the £7m Andrea Dossena, where the argument may have substance.

On the other hand Daniel Agger, for instance, was a bargain at £5.8m and all that is wrong with him is an injury record for which Benítez is not to blame. If fans have not yet taken the £5m Lucas to their bosom, the reasons for taking exception to him are diminishing. Of late, David Ngog, bought for £1.5m from Paris St-Germain, has begun to assume some significance.

His claims were, of course, enhanced when he added the second goal in a 2-0 win over Manchester United this month but there is also a general improvement. In Budapest Ngog showed more confidence and caught the eye with persistent contributions.

He is no prodigy but there are merits. Ngog, 20, regularly turns down interview requests from the French media with the disarming comment that he will speak when he has done something worth talking about. Should the progress of a fairly strong and quick attacker continue, he may soon face the microphones.

Note has been taken of the young striker and Paul Le Guen, once the manager of PSG, has begun to argue that an under-used Ngog should have been more patient when at the club. Comments like that will make Benítez feel satisfied with his scouting system.

Ngog may not be on the rampage in the Premier League but he epitomises the sort of option Liverpool crave. Their squad, as it is, lacks the depth of those at Manchester United, Chelsea and conceivably Arsenal. Injuries have trained a harsh light on that fact.

Still, a slow process of evolution at Liverpool might have been applauded if players had not been hurt. Benítez shies away from suggestions that he has been trying to add adventure to the ranks but it is hard to interpret the arrival of, say, Glen Johnson in any other way.

There has been a desire to alter the characteristics of the squad, even if the wish has been thwarted for much of the time. He has been eager, for instance, to stick with the Argentinian Emiliano Insúa, even if the 20-year-old's lack of positional sense led to Lyon's equaliser at the beginning of this month.

The mistake ought to have been covered by Sotirios Kyrgiakos but the Greek centre-back looked exactly like one of those cheap squad players who turn out to be costly indeed. It is in having to resort to such stopgap recruits that Benítez's predicament is apparent.

The easing of Liverpool's load will be to his distaste, with the Europa League campaign unlikely to drain players as the Champions League would, but it could be a help on the domestic scene. Steven Gerrard should regain full match fitness, Fernando Torres will return and one day the £20m Alberto Aquilani could start a match.

Leeds Bring In Trio On Loan Deals

Leeds United have signed Queens Park Ranger winger Hogan Ephraim, Cardiff defender Tony Capaldi and Liverpool goalkeeper David Martin on loan.

Ephraim, 21, will stay at Elland Road until 1 January, Capaldi is due to remain up until 4 January and 23-year-old Martin goes back on 28 December.

Northern Ireland international Capaldi, 28, can play either left-back or left midfield and will not be cup-tied.

Martin provides added cover for injured keeper Shane Higgs.

Ephraim has scored twice in seven games for QPR this season, both in the Carling Cup.

"Hogan is quick and direct," Leeds manager Simon Grayson told the club's website. "He'll give us options and competition for places."

Ephraim started his career at West Ham before making his first competitive start while on loan at Colchester.

He then moved on loan to QPR before making the move to Loftus Road a permanent one in January 2008.

Capaldi began his career at Birmingham City and enjoyed a loan period with Hereford United.

But he moved from Blues in April 2003 to Plymouth Argyle, where he won most of his 22 international caps.

Since joining Cardiff in 2007, he has made 68 appearances for the Bluebirds, including nine this season, but had his opportunities restricted last term with a knee injury.

Martin has not played a competitive match for Liverpool but played 25 times as a teenager for MK Dons before his move to Anfield in 2006.

Since then he has enjoyed loans at Accrington Stanley and Leicester City. And he was again out on loan at Tranmere Rovers earlier this month prior to his latest move.

Duo Complete Accrington Loan Move

Accrington have signed Blackburn's Johnny Flynn and Liverpool goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis on loan until January.

Northern Ireland under-21 defender Flynn, 20, who joined Blackburn from Ballymena in January 2008, has also been on loan at Chester this season.

He is unavailable for Accrington's FA Cup Second Round tie against Barnet on Saturday because he is cup-tied.

Sydney-born Bouzanis, 19, helped Liverpool reach last season's FA Youth Cup Final against Manchester City.

Meanwhile defender Chris King has left the club after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

The 29-year-old joined Accrington at the start of last season, going on to make over 30 appearances.

He has been hampered by injury during the current campaign.

Everton FC Look To Convince Liverpool FC On Groundshare

Everton FC face a much bigger battle than Sunday's 212th Merseyside derby, if they are to convince rivals Liverpool FC to ground-share.

Everton FC's plans for a new £400million 50,000-seater stadium and shopping complex in Kirkby, in association with Tesco, are in tatters after being rejected by Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham on Thursday.

Chief executive Robert Elstone admits Everton FC will now consider all possibilities, including teaming-up with their neighbours across Stanley Park.

On the face of it a ground-share would seem the obvious option with Liverpool FC having put their more advanced plans for a replacement to Anfield on hold due to the current global recession.

However, the Reds’ American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are opposed to the suggestion as it would severely impact the anticipated revenue streams which come from sole ownership of a 61,000-capacity stadium.

Rivals fans would also not welcome a ground share but Elstone admits, with a club debt of upwards of £36million, they have to explore every alternative.

"It’s certainly one of the options that we will need to cover," he said.

"We are going to look forward and look forward positively. A shared stadium is perhaps an option if it’s affordable.

"We have to look at where we can raise money, because potentially Liverpool will have to obviously contribute to that, and Liverpool City Council perhaps might need to find some money.

"If we are the first major English club to look at sharing then we’re not scared of making those decisions.

"So we’re going to have to start to have those conversations, we’re going to have to be open-minded about solutions."

However, Liverpool FC’s deputy executive director Peter Shaw played down the possibility of the city’s two clubs sharing a stadium.

"It’s not on our agenda at the moment. Liverpool are progressing forward with our own stadium. That is the position we are still in," he said.

"The LFC stadium is quite far progressed and once the financial markets reopen for business the LFC stadium will progress further."

When asked whether the idea of a groundshare with Everton FC could be a possibility, he said: "That’s not for me to answer."

Finance is at the heart of Everton FC’s problems - as it has been for Liverpool, whose new Stanley Park stadium was scheduled to be open in 2011 but now has no completion date.

Part of the attraction of the Kirkby plan was the tie-in with Tesco, and Elstone admits they need to search out new ways of bringing in the funding.

"The solution is not about finding land - this is a solution that is about finding money; it’s about affordability," he said.

"That was the big attraction to Kirkby, that it was affordable.

"Then it’s about reviewing alternatives and sitting down with partners, all the stakeholders in this region and anybody who can help Everton deliver what it needs - which is a world-class stadium that’s going to secure our future for years to come.

"Anything that we have to do going forward has to be clearly affordable and clearly make commercial sense. So that’s the big challenge."

The knock-on effect of not having a bigger ground generating more income than Goodison Park will be felt in the club’s longer-term planning.

Everton FC hoped the Kirkby project would provide the boost to revenue to help manager David Moyes with necessary funds to invest in the squad and push for a lucrative place in the Champions League.

Elstone accepts those plans will need to be re-thought.

"The motivations were about driving Everton forward and ultimately giving David Moyes a fairer crack of the whip in the transfer market," he said.

"That challenge hasn’t gone away and it’s a challenge now that we’re going to have to pick up and run with and perhaps find another solution."

Liverpool City Council leader Warren Bradley refused to discuss the possibility of the two clubs sharing a stadium.

Speaking at Wembley, where Liverpool was submitting its bid to be part of England’s 2018 World Cup bid, Bradley said: "I’m not going to even go there on that. I don’t think it’s the time and place to talk about ground-sharing.

"We haven’t had any discussions, real hard discussions, around the future of Everton and Liverpool football clubs, and I think it’s up to the clubs first and foremost to lead those discussions."

However Bradley and Elstone have had a short conversation since the stadium plan was rejected.

Bradley said: "We haven’t resolved everything, in fact we’ve resolved very little at the moment, but it’s about agreeing to come forward and talk about Everton Football Club in the future."

He explained: "As a lifelong Evertonian it’s been very, very difficult through this period but we are where we are and we’ve got to work with them now."

The Kirkby plans could still be revised and resubmitted.

Detailing what must happen next, Bradley stressed: "We need to make sure there’s a lot of trust there.

"There’s got to be trust built between Liverpool City Council, between all the other partners, and Everton Football Club to move forward. Once we’ve established that trust I do believe we can move this forward quite quickly."

Merseyside Could Face World Cup Woe

The possibility of hosting a World Cup in England without a match in Liverpool came into sharp focus as 15 cities put forward their cases to stage games if the 2018 bid succeeds.

Neither Anfield nor Goodison Park would fit FIFA criteria for the tournament, according to 2018 vice-president John Barnes, with Everton's move to Kirkby rejected by the Government and Liverpool's Stanley Park plans hit by a number of delays.

Barnes, the former Liverpool player, said: "They need a new stadium, we always knew that. When the bid was submitted it was on the grounds of new grounds being in place, not Anfield hosting the World Cup in nine years' time.

"I'm sure that would have been the case anyway because neither Anfield nor Goodison would fit the criteria for hosting a World Cup. They would have had to have built a new stadium anyway."

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone was at Wembley for Liverpool's submission to the selection panel of Lord Mawhinney, 2018 chief executive Andy Anson and chief operating officer Simon Johnson.

Elstone afterwards admitted the club would consider a ground-sharing arrangement with Liverpool.

He said: "It's certainly one of the options that we will need to cover. A shared stadium is perhaps an option if it's affordable.

"We have to look at where we can raise money, because potentially Liverpool will have to obviously contribute to that, and Liverpool City Council perhaps might need to find some money.

"Our history is one of creativity and innovation and if we are the first major English club to look at sharing then we're not scared of making those decisions."

Liverpool deputy executive director Peter Shaw, however, added on Sky Sports News: "It's not on our agenda at the moment. Liverpool are progressing forward with our own stadium. That is the position we are still in."

The 15 host cities put forward their cases to Mawhinney, Anson and Johnson, with the panel selecting due to announce between 12 and 18 stadiums on December 16.

The 2018 team itself has previously received negative publicity for in-fighting, being warned by FIFA vice-president Jack Warner for not being aggressive enough - and this week the shock resignation of Sir Dave Richards from the bid board.

Barnes added: "I'm not on the board and not party to the political wranglings or shenanigans going on. It's unfortunate but I'm hoping it will not hamper the bid because the most important thing is the ability to deliver a top-quality product.

"While this is not necessarily helpful, it should not detract from the ability of England to host one of the best World Cup's ever."

Aston Villa chief financial officer Robin Russell, representing Birmingham's bid, feels there is unity in the public wanting the tournament, despite the publicity.

Russell said: "It's slightly depressing to hear that because that is not what is happening on the ground, where everyone is working in the same direction in securing the bid for England and Birmingham."

MK Dons chairman Peter Winkelman added: "The in-fighting that goes on is about the bid being in the best position it can be to help the country win it next year.

"I think it's a positive sign, not a negative sign, which people are working so hard to make sure the situation is right. You have to go through those processes because it is important and people are prepared to fight about it."

Winkelman represented Milton Keynes' bid along with his manager Paul Ince, while Olympic diver Tom Daley showed his support for Plymouth.

Daley, 15, said: "It's a beautiful city and it will be amazing for the west country to see a sporting event so prestigious.

"Everything is normally based in London or the north and I think it's a good opportunity to have it in the west country."

In London, Wembley will host the opening match and final, with Arsenal, Tottenham and the Olympic Stadium their other possible venues.

Newcastle and Sunderland both put in bids. Alan Shearer is hoping the ridicule after Newcastle renamed their ground sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium will not be affect the decision.

Shearer said: "We don't think there will be negativity. We know it's St James' Park and that's how it will stay."

Paul Gascoigne added: "There were odds of 500-1 on it being called The Paul Gascoigne Stadium, you heard it might go to Tesco or a settee company. It will be called St James' for life, it doesn't matter what it's officially named."

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge is not one of London's stadiums, although London United chairman Simon Greenberg said: "We are included as a showcase training venue, as is the Cobham training complex, so Chelsea will play a full role in the World Cup but won't be hosting matches.

"Unfortunately the stadium is not quite big enough and the nature of the site is not technically correct for hosting World Cup matches."

Match Report: Debrecen 0 - 1 Liverpool

Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League after a bitterly disappointing victory in the Hungarian capital.

They needed to win to give themselves any chance of reaching the last 16, but events in Florence ended those dreams with Fiorentina achieving the victory they needed to qualify.

David Ngog scored Liverpool's early winner, but they struggled painfully to produce a convincing display, the damage having been done in two games against Lyon that cost them four points.

The road to Madrid, where the Champions League final is due to be played, now becomes the road to Hamburg - where the new Europa League will reach its conclusion - with Liverpool in with the likes of Valencia, Benfica and neighbours Everton.

The Reds' reliance on Lyon to make a game of it in Florence proved misplaced and they failed for the first time in six seasons under Benitez to reach the last 16.

It was the end result everybody expected on the night but Liverpool left the Hungarian capital deflated.

The cost is little more than a couple of million pounds this season for Liverpool, who continually stress that they never budget for anything but the group stages.

But it is a severe blow to the esteem of a true European power who have suffered a fall from grace few would have predicted when the competition started in September.

The true damage comes next season if they fail to finish in the Premier League's top four, something they are far from certain of. That would see them lose a cool £10m immediately and put further question marks over the financial direction the club is facing.

Liverpool had Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio back from injury, otherwise it was the same side that drew with Manchester City on Saturday - with Ryan Babel out with an ankle injury and Yossi Benayoun on the bench, suggesting that his hamstring injury is still not completely healed.

Debrecen made eight changes from the side that beat Honved in the Hungarian league at the weekend, and included seven of the side that lost 1-0 in the opening group match back in August at Anfield.

And Liverpool could not have asked for a better start to settle any nerves as they went ahead after just four minutes with the Hungarians having barely touched the ball.

Aurelio's cross from the right curled to the far post for Jamie Carragher to head back across goal, where Ngog guided the ball with the outside of his right foot in off the keeper and the far post.

Twice Dirk Kuyt narrowly failed to get on the end of close-range crosses as Liverpool sought a second.

But they began to get sloppy, giving the ball away with over-ambitious passes which wasted the impressive movement that had Debrecen struggling.

Debrecen also gave away a lot of early free-kicks as they struggled to contain Liverpool, and Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers lost patience and booked Zoltan Szelesi for a foul on Gerrard.

Vukasin Poleksic twice saved well from Ngog, with Liverpool having 70 per cent of the possession.

But news of a Fiorentina goal against Lyon was enough to silence the travelling support and change the mood.

Debrecen's first opportunity soon followed with Gergely Rudolf heading wide when unmarked in the area. Liverpool needed, at least, to settle the issue with a second goal in this match as Debrecen continued to grow in confidence.

Poleksic made another fine save to turn away a close-range Gerrard effort after he was set up by Johnson.

Debrecen then sent on striker Adamo Coulibaly in place of Peter Szakaly. The big Frenchman had caused Liverpool plenty of problems earlier in the season.

Now nerves were getting to the Liverpool men as they toiled to clinch the match.

Emiliano Insua lost possession to Rudolf on the edge of the box, regaining the ball as the forward threw himself down in the box.

Agger's run set up a chance for Gerrard but he drove high over from the edge of the box.

Debrecen players were going down at every opportunity now, drawing howls of anger from the home fans.

Benayoun came on for Ngog after 77 minutes, with Debrecen replacing Marcell Fodor with Tibor Dombi a minute later.

Carragher headed an Aurelio corner just wide but the second goal remained elusive for Liverpool.

Kuyt was now the central striker with Benayoun on the right, but it was Liverpool on the defensive as Rudolf forced Jose Reina into a save from a fierce angled drive.

Liverpool sent on Andrea Dossena for Aurelio with a couple of minutes left, Alberto Aquilani replacing Gerrard in injury time.

There was still time for Coulibaly to have a shot kicked clear by Reina as Liverpool clung onto their lead.

Benitez Keeps Focus On Top-Four Finish

Rafael Benitez has confirmed Liverpool will prioritise their bid to make a swift return to the Champions League over a tilt for Europa League glory.

Being winners of Europe's most-prized club trophy in 2005 and finalists in 2007 counts for little now in the wake of an exit in the group stages for the first time in six seasons under Benitez.

A 1-0 win in Budapest against Group E whipping boys Debrecen could not rescue Liverpool, and although they will be considered one of the favourites to win the Europa League, clinching a place in England's top four is Benitez's main target.

After seeing Liverpool's disjointed victory in Hungary and watching helplessly from afar as Fiorentina confirmed their path into the last 16 with a victory over Lyon, Benitez said: "The key now is to finish in the top four to make sure we are in the Champions League group stages for the next season.

"We must concentrate on the next game, and that is the Premier League. Afterwards, if we progress in the Europa League, okay, we can still win a trophy.

"But we have to change our target. We have to think about the league and finishing in the top four. Only then can we also think about the Europa League and the FA Cup."

Benitez maintains that Liverpool would not be in their current position had striker Fernando Torres - still struggling with a serious groin injury - been fit all season.

He said: "I have been talking with two or three senior players, they realise that to be in the final stages of the Champions League every season is not easy.

"However, I do believe that with Torres fit, we would have got through into the last 16. It is the same with Steven Gerrard, he has been injured, but when you see him back on the pitch you know that with him (fit) also we would not now be in this position."

Benitez knows the financial implications of not returning to next season's Champions League.

Currently seventh in the Premier League, their position as part of England's 'big four' is under serious threat from Tottenham, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Benitez said: "We want to be as high as possible in the league so we have to start by winning the next game. And that's at Everton on Sunday.

"I can say to our fans that we will improve in the league. We can see Gerrard playing again, we have (Yossi) Benayoun also coming back from injury.

"We have (Alberto) Aquilani who is fit now. We can use him when before it was not easy because of his fitness and injury.

"We have had problems with injuries to our centre-backs, but we now have four who are fit for the first time for a long while.

"For me these are the positive things that we can look forward to for the rest of the season."

He added: "If I could change anything, it would be to have our big players fit. For a change it would be good to have a problem of who to select, before this has not been the case.

"It has been difficult with Aquilani. He has not been fit so he has no match fitness, therefore I cannot use him.

"Then if he doesn't play games, he cannot get the match fitness. That has been the difficult circle of events for him and for me to overcome.

"It was difficult again against Debrecen. Early on we could have scored two or three more goals, but towards the end we were under pressure and I could not risk bringing him on in such a situation, he would have needed time to settle.

"I have talked to him and explained. He has to keep working hard in every training session. His chance will come."

The damage to Liverpool's Champions League campaign was done in two games against Lyon that produced just one point.

Benitez said: "In the end we could not control events elsewhere. But we won (against Debrecen) and that is good, now we must concentrate on doing the same against Everton.

"I do not know whether Torres can play against Everton. He has been working and training all week, but when his injury was assessed we were told that he would need three weeks of treatment.

"At the moment he has had just over two weeks, so we will have to see how he is nearer to the match."

Graeme Souness: Rafa Benitez Is Living On Past Glories At Liverpool

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness blames the American owners for the current problems at Anfield, but also insists that manager Rafa Benitez is relying on past glory to keep him in his job.

The former manager also believes that Fernando Torres will be sold should the Reds not manage to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"If you ask me about any managers, particularly Liverpool managers because I know how difficult that job is, I'm not going to tell you 'this one should go or that one should stay', but I think he's very fortunate that he's managing Liverpool," Souness told Sky Sports.

"At Liverpool you get more of a chance than any of the other big clubs out there. He's very lucky that he won that European Cup so early on in his reign.

"I think that's bought him a lot of time, and there's still a great deal of affection out there for him with the people in Liverpool.

"But if they lose to Everton on Sunday and I think that would be another hard blow for the red side of Liverpool to take.

"It's a hard business today managing at the highest level, but again I'm trying to look beyond personnel. I worked for them for a long, long time and some of the best days of my footballing career were at Liverpool, and I worry about the bigger picture.

"I'm not worrying about the present players, the present management, the present owners. They're only custodians.

"When you own a big football club, a club that's steeped in tradition, you're there to look after it and hopefully pass it on in better nick than when you got it.

"I don't think those two Americans will be doing that this time around. I think Liverpool's crying out for somebody from the Middle East to come with a big fat cheque that allows them to take care of the debt and allows them to move forward.

"As long as they've got that debt hanging round their neck they're going nowhere. They are going nowhere fast, and the big danger for me is that they drop out of the Champions League places this season now and they can no longer attract the best players.

"All of a sudden they're having to unload some of their biggest assets.

"If they're not in the Champions League next year I think that will cause Liverpool major problems.

"I would suggest that if that is the case then anything could happen in terms of people leaving Liverpool.

"And the biggest asset they have is Torres.

"If you're not in the Champions League you're not going to attract the best players."

Reina Expects Liverpool Fans To Keep The Faith As Reds Are Dumped Into The Europa League

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina expects Liverpool fans to keep faith with the Merseysiders despite the five-time European champions crashing out of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Debrecen, their first win in a month and only their second in 11 outings, was rendered irrelevant after Fiorentina edged past Lyon by the same scoreline in the other Group E match.

It means, regardless of results in the final round of matches next month, Rafa Benitez's side will enter the knockout stages of the far less prestigious UEFA Europa League in the new year.

Reina has already shifted focus to securing victory in the rebranded UEFA Cup and is sure the weary Liverpool fans can do the same.

'They will trust us, they will support us, they will be behind us and that's why they are Liverpool supporters,' said the 27-year-old. 'I don't need to tell them anything because they already know we always play 100 per cent.'

Failure to progress from the group stage heaps more pressure on beleaguered boss Benitez, although he was assured of his future last night by the club's managing director Christian Purslow.

The Spaniard faces an almighty battle to secure Champions League football next season, with Liverpool already 13 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea.

However, Reina is confident that adding silverware of any form will be a huge filip for the club come the end of the season.

'Of course we're disappointed because the Champions League is a big competition that we've done well in for the last three or four years,' added the stopper. 'Now we're out, though. It's a tough competition and it's not always possible to get out of the group stage.

'The Europa League is another competition for us and we want to win it. It also has strong teams and it will be nice to play in it. It's already become a target. It'll be tough because there are so many good teams involved.

'We have to look forward and keep trying to win. We haven't had too many of those recently. We have to move on and keep fighting.'

Next up for Liverpool on Sunday is a trip to rivals Everton, themselves struggling on the domestic front. The Reds won the corresponding fixture 2-0 last season and have enjoyed the lion's share of the points up for grabs at Goodison Park in recent years.

And for Reina, there would be no better way to forget about Liverpool's European travails than with victory over the Toffees.

'To beat Everton is always huge, especially for the fans. We'll be trying because we also need to win in the league and in the race for fourth place.'

Liverpool Could Be Counting The Cost Of Early Exit For Years

It is impossible to calculate precisely the financial cost to Liverpool of their dire failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage but it is safe to assess it as several million pounds the club could have seriously done without losing.

Uefa has secured a significantly improved TV deal this season, from €820m (£740m) overall to €1.05bn (£948m), and dishes the money out according to the stage each club reaches and how far other clubs from that country advance too. The earlier other clubs go out, the greater the share of the TV "market pool" which accrues to the clubs left in the competition.

If, as is unlikely, England's three other clubs are knocked out in the next round, Liverpool's loss will be lessened. Last season, when Liverpool were eliminated in the quarter-final by Chelsea, and Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all reached the semi-final, Liverpool earned €23.2m from Uefa for their participation in the Champions League, which included around €8m for the knockout stage.

In addition to the Uefa money they will not earn, the club will also lose the bounty from guaranteed full houses on knockout-stage nights at Anfield; they may have to consider dropping ticket prices to bring in the crowds for Europa League fixtures.

It is difficult to avoid the sense that last night's exit represents more than a drop in form for Liverpool, partly explicable by injuries. There is a feeling that the club's hold on its place among English football's elite is weakening, with failures on the pitch married damagingly to the mess off it, where the two North American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, could hardly be less loved.

They saddled the club with the £174m cost of their own takeover, which was completed so they could build Liverpool a new stadium of which there is no sign. In the year to 31 July 2008 the Anfield club, previously considered too careful at times with money, had passed £300m in debt, and more than a year on, that financial position will look no prettier.

By May we will know how much last night's elimination from the Champions League cost Liverpool in lost euros as well as wounded pride. The club cannot make the outdated claim that they can now concentrate on the league but they do need to dedicate themselves to retaining their precious place in the Premier League's top four.

A failure to qualify for the Champions League at all will cause a truly serious financial loss next season. Then, they could begin to fall terminally away from United, Chelsea and Arsenal and the other big city pretenders finally closing in on that fourth place, the gateway to euro-riches.

Manchester United And Liverpool Set For Further Asian Exposure

Goal TV, Asia’s pan-nation soccer television network, is to be broadcast in Indonesia for the first time, allowing fans of European soccer clubs in the country to see more of their teams. The two channels, Goal TV 1 and Goal TV 2, will particularly focus on English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Liverpool, the two European clubs with the strongest following in the region.

The channels will feature delayed coverage of games plus highlights from the English Premier League and the Uefa Champions League as well as showing Spanish football and the German Bundesliga. Dedicated club programming will also feature heavily, as will live coverage of games from the Scottish Premier League, Dutch Eredivisie and the Championship, England’s second-tier league.

The channels will be broadcast via the First Media platform in Indonesia, the latest of 12 Asian countries to take the channel since its launch in 2004.

English champions United are particularly popular in Indonesia. The club had planned a lucrative pre-season friendly in Jakarta in July before a terrorist attack forced the team to cancel a 100,000 sell-out game against an all-star team from the Indonesian Super League, a move which cost the club an estimated US$2 million in revenues.

Mascherano - Reds Will Bounce Back

Javier Mascherano is confident Liverpool will bounce back strongly from their early exit from the Champions League.

Tuesday night's win in Debrecen was not enough to save their flagging European campaign as Fiorentina's defeat of Lyon ensured Liverpool's demise.

Critics of Rafa Benitez have been given further fuel to throw on the fire in light of the most crushing of eliminations.

With Liverpool also badly underperforming in the league the pressure is mounting on everyone associated with the Merseyside outfit.

But midfielder Mascherano insists Liverpool will be strong in the face of adversity and not let this latest setback ruin the rest of their season.

"It's a strange feeling for everyone at the club," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"The Champions League is a special competition for us but it's gone and we must keep going.

"Now we are in another competition and we will do all we can to win that. There will be no problem with motivation. The motivation is simply to play for Liverpool.

"Liverpool deserve more from us and that is why we will do our best to win the Europa League."

The Argentine believes Liverpool can soon get back on track, starting with Sunday's crunch derby with Everton.

"We know it is going to be very difficult on Sunday but this is a really important game for us and for our supporters and we have got to start winning in the league again by beating Everton."

Rafa 'Under No Threat' - Purslow

Liverpool tried desperately to put a brave face on their first Champions League exit at the group stages for six years.

Chief executive Christian Purslow insisted manager Rafael Benitez's position "is under no threat" and skipper Steven Gerrard vowed that Liverpool would win the Europa League.

Benitez, meanwhile, claimed he was "more disappointed for the players, the staff and the fans" than for himself.

But in the cold light of day they will no doubt review the 1-0 win over a poor Debrecen side - with Fiorentina securing qualification by beating Lyon by the same scoreline - as a bitter pill to swallow.

Purslow made a point of doing media briefings after the game, and said: "You can never predict last-minute goals, which have cost us dear in the Champions League. That's no basis to make managerial decisions.

"We don't run our business in that respect. I'm on the record as saying Rafa's signed a new five-year contract, he's four months into that contract so to discuss that is not appropriate. He is under no threat."

Referring to the financial damage of missing out on qualification from the group phase, Purslow added: "It's limited actually. Assuming we have a reasonable run in the Europa League then we are financially neutral for this year."

And after David Ngog's early strike had secured Liverpool their win in the Ferenc Puskas stadium, Gerrard said: "Of course it's disappointing, we played fantastically well tonight and despite getting three points we don't progress.

"Now we'll be in the Europa League so we'll try to win that. The main prize has gone and to be playing in the Europa League is disappointing but we have to accept that, move on and try to win that competition.

"The only consolation for us now is if we go on and win the secondary one."

Benitez turned the focus onto Sunday's Merseyside derby at Everton, and said: "It was our own fault in the end, the late goals we have conceded along the way have cost us. We have been so good in the last few years that maybe people think it is easy to qualify in all competitions.

"Because of that, people think we can do it every season. But you cannot always, now we have a massive game on Sunday at Everton and we have to be ready for it.

"We have to be disappointed, we knew we had to win and we did that. You cannot change what happened in Florence, but at least we did our job.

"If you analyse the other group games, losing two late goals in two games with Lyon has been the massive difference. It has cost us four points from goals conceded in injury time.

"I like to win every game, I like to be as high as possible in every league table. But I have to be positive because you could see the players working so hard on a very difficult pitch.

"In this situation I think more about the players, the staff and the fans. I am disappointed for everyone.

"Now we have new targets. We are in a very bad position because now we cannot win the Champions League again, we know that, so the next game has to be won."

Liverpool Legend Tommy Smith Slams American Owners For Cutting Rafa Benitez Adrift In Europe

Liverpool legend Tommy Smith has put the blame on the club's American owners for the failure to make the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Last night's 1-0 win at Debrecen was not enough because Fiorentina beat Lyon by the same score to ensure Rafael Benitez's side will be contesting the Europa League after Christmas.

And Smith, who won two European Cups with Liverpool during a 16-year career at Anfield, is pointing the finger not at Benitez but George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

Tough-tackling defender Smith scored when Liverpool 3-1 to beat Borussia Monchengladbach in 1977, and admits he is heartbroken at their not reaching the last 16.

He said: 'Europe’s upper echelons is where Liverpool Football Club belongs. So being dumped out of a Champions League group which any Liverpool side should ordinarily have been able to conquer, is not good enough.

'Liverpool supporters are magnificent and unique - and the reason why Rafael Benitez and everyone at Anfield knows they deserve far better than they’re suddenly getting this season.

'And the question is, will the owners, who hardly ever turn up to watch a game, either sell up or somehow give him the money he needs to ensure this stuttering and deeply frustrating season is not repeated?'

Smith added it was 'bitterly disappointing' to slip into Europe's second-tier trophy and paid tribute to the Anfield fans.

He added: 'My thoughts last night went out to those magnificent Liverpool fans who stood in the rain in Hungary at the end on a cold November night singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

'They weren’t booing, screaming at players or calling for the manager’s head. No. They stuck with the team and shared the deep disappointment, singing their hearts out to try and lift everyone’s spirits.

'Certainly those fans will give the manger time to sort it out.'

Liverpool Must Win A Trophy This Season, Says Fábio Aurélio

The Brazilian defender Fábio Aurélio has said that Liverpool must win a trophy this season, following their failure to reach the Champions League knockout stages. Aurélio, back from a calf injury, played in midfield for Liverpool yesterday as they beat the Hungarian champions Debrecen 1-0 but were eliminated from the competition due to Fiorentina's win over Lyon.

"It is a big disappointment to be out of the Champions League, but we have to win a trophy," said Aurélio. "A big team like Liverpool must accept that. The Europa League is an opportunity to win a trophy and that's how we will go into this competition thinking. At Liverpool, every competition is important, we want to win trophies.

"We will have a great chance to get a trophy and we'll go for it, but there is still a long way go until May and we have to improve."

Aurélio refused to make excuses for the defeat, and conceded that Liverpool were not as solid at the back as they have been in the past.

"Being Liverpool, you expect to go much further in the competition than we have done this season," he added. "But now we cannot allow ourselves to dwell on what has happened, we must concentrate on the future to fight for a different title, the Europa League.

"We also have the challenge to do things better in the Premier League as well. It is difficult to know where this campaign has gone wrong, but against Lyon we lost goals in the last minutes of both games and that has made the difference.

"Liverpool used to be more solid in defence, and we have only scored four goals in five games in the group matches, so we have to improve in all areas. We have been missing a lot of players through injury problems, so we have to think that things can only improve in that situation."

Rafa Benitez Dismissed Fears Of Euro Fix

Rafa Benitez dismissed fears of a French conspiracy wrecking his Champions League hopes as he chases the miracle that will keep Liverpool alive in the competition.

Liverpool must beat Debrecen here and then bank on Lyon denying Fiorentina a home victory in Group E’s other game to ensure there is something riding on the final match with the Italians at Anfield on December 9.

Lyon have already reached the knockout stages and it was put to Benitez that his team’s recent impressive record in the competition means the French side would prefer seeing Liverpool dumped out so they could not meet them again in the knockout rounds.

But Benitez claimed he is not concerned about Lyon, who scored last-minute goals in a 2-1 win and a 1-1 stalemate in their group games with Liverpool, colluding with the Italians.

“I don’t think that will be how they are thinking. They will want to finish at the top of the group,” he said.

“They are good professionals. When you qualify first it can be an advantage in terms of which team you draw, but also for the confidence of the team.

“Lyon will try to win. They have quality and they play good counter-attack football, so we will see. I am confident they will do it.”

Liverpool have twice found themselves cornered at the group stages, in 2005 and 2007, when they needed to win their last three matches to keep alive Benitez’s record of never having stumbled at this stage.

Their destiny is not in their own hands, however, and for that reason Benitez added that reaching the knockout stages again would emulate his best escape acts.

He said: “To win 8-0 against Besiktas, 4-1 against Porto and 4-0 against Marseille was really good and, if we can do it again, it will be as important.”

There's Always The Europa League For Liverpool - Jamie Carragher

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes that all is not lost if the Merseyside club fail to reach the last 16 in the Champions League.

The Reds' vice-captain believes that should his side - currently third in Group E - bow out early, they will accept the cards that fate has dealt them and concentrate on winning the Europa League.

"If we don’t make it through [to the Champions League knock-out stage], then we have to accept it and move on," Carragher is quoted on FIFA.com as saying.

"Stevie Gerrard and myself won what was the UEFA Cup [now Europa League] back in 2001 and it was a great moment. It is still a chance to win silverware and there are some great teams in that competition.

"Benfica looked really strong against Everton, and Valencia are in it too. Obviously, we are all still hoping we are in the Champions League."

The Premier League outfit must secure all three points in Hungary and hope that Fiorentina drop points against Olympique Lyonnais at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

"The hardest thing is our destiny isn’t in our own hands," Carragher continued.

"When we have been in situations like this before, we have been able to sort it out ourselves. We have to concentrate on our own game and hopefully things will go our way. We have to look after ourselves and get the three points. We just have to concentrate on what we can affect and make sure we do our job.

"Nobody is thinking about the other game yet because we have to make sure we win first. There would be nothing worse than Lyon doing us a favour and we haven’t managed to get the win we need."

Ryan Babel Will Quit Liverpool FC Unless Rafa Benitez Picks Him

Liverpool FC winger Ryan Babel wants winter talks with boss Rafa Benitez - and is vowing to leave unless he plays more games.

The Holland international is unhappy with the limited number of matches he has started with the Anfield club since his £11.5million move from Ajax in the summer of 2007.

Babel explained: "I have tried to talk to the manager but it isn’t of any use. I couldn’t really do anything with the feedback Benitez gave me.

"We have agreed to look at my situation in the winter. If there’s no improvement then, I have to be honest, I want to be somewhere else.

"I don’t play a lot so I can’t be happy and I can’t cheer out loud. Sometimes I wonder how long I can sustain it but I will fight for my position - what else can I do?"

Babel scored an impressive long-range goal for Liverpool FC in their last Champions League match, the 1-1 draw at Lyon.

However, on tonight’s must-win match against Debrecen he spoke of his frustration at failing to make more of an impact with the club.

He continued: "Isn’t it unbelievable that in my first year I got chosen as Talent of the Year? And a season later I hardly play and without getting a proper chance."

Babel, who represented Holland in Beijing last summer, added: "I don’t know if it has anything to do with my little trip to the Olympics. I know the manager wanted me to stay."

However, he does not think Benitez has a grudge against him.

Babel explained: "I really don’t believe he is trying to get back at me. Every time me or my agent (Willie Haatrecht) have a chat with him he stresses I can’t leave and he believes in me. We have to trust he is telling the truth. Saying it is different to showing it."

Babel has confidence in his own ability and still believes he can make the right impression in a Liverpool FC shirt.

He added: "I have shown I can do it plenty of times. I know I could be further in my career but if nobody helps you, if they don’t make it easier for you, then it is difficult."

Yossi Benayoun Delighted With Rapid Recovery

Liverpool will seek a miracle cure for their Champions League campaign this evening – as Yossi Benayoun praised the radical doctor that has given him the chance of helping the Anfield cause.

Rafael Benitez’s side take on Hungarian champions Debrecen in the 69,000-capacity Ferenc Puskas Stadium with their European challenge on a knife edge.

Liverpool must beat the Group E whipping boys and pray Lyon do them a favour in Italy against Fiorentina.

While Glen Johnson is expected to be available after missing the weekend draw with Manchester City because of a calf problem, Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Albert Riera are all absent.

But Benayoun was among the party that flew to Budapest after a remarkable recovery from the hamstring tear he suffered against Birmingham City earlier this month.

The Israeli was expected to be sidelined for up to five weeks but was fit enough to score Liverpool’s equaliser as a substitute on Saturday after visiting radical therapist Mariana Kovacevic.

And the midfielder has revealed the Belgrade doctor - who also treated Johnson, Riera and Fabio Aurelio last week – used the placenta of a woman and not a horse to help cure his ailment.

“I have seen so many stories about the treatment on my hamstring, but, for me, there were never any worries,” said Benayoun. “There were no animal parts used and no injections.

“The doctor has treated a lot of players and seems to be held in very high regard.

“She explained everything to me beforehand and told me she would be using fluid from a placenta that had come from a woman.

“Nothing went into the muscle itself. It was just a case of massaging the liquid on to the skin around the affected area and letting it get to work.

“It meant I was able to play again and help the team within a fortnight of suffering the injury.

“When I felt the hamstring go, against Birmingham, and signalled to the bench that I couldn’t carry on, I never envisaged being back on the pitch so soon. I have to be happy with that, and it shows what can be done with this treatment.”

Benayoun will now compete with Aurelio for a starting role this evening as Liverpool aim to conjure another Champions League escape act.

“It was clear I was not ready to start against Manchester City, and it was unfortunate I had to go on so early, after those injuries to Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel,” said Benayoun, a 19th-minute substitute at the weekend.

“If I can play a part in Hungary, great. It is always a good feeling when your coach wants you in the team, and I desperately want to contribute anything I can to try and help us qualify from the group.

“But I can’t see myself playing the full 90 minutes. I don’t believe that is a realistic aim after missing so much training.

“Everyone in the squad knows my condition and how I’m still trying to get my fitness back, but I will do the best I can.

“This is an important phase for the team and, of course, the manager. We have had one or two disappointments since the start of the season, but he has proved his worth many times over the years, and I don’t believe he is about to leave.

“We just need a bit of luck, with injuries off the field and the bounce of the ball on it, and everything will change for us.”

Purslow The Catalyst As Liverpool Look To Enter The Big Leagues

Compared to clubs like United and Real Madrid over the years, Liverpool has failed to capitalise on their markets abroad. Although they have millions of supporters around the world, the Merseyside club has lagged behind financially because it has lacked the business acumen to tap into the lucrative markets in Asia. Although the Reds have toured the Far East on many occasions, the lack of marketing and sponsorship from such areas was to plain to all to see. Combined with his apparent falling out with Rafa Benitez, this failure to capitalise financially in highly lucrative areas was one of the main reasons Rick Parry resigned as Chief Executive at the end of last season.

In a very public interview, Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks expressed this very concern about Rick Parry’s abilities as a business manager, and contributed to the long serving Chief Executive’s departure. The arrival of Christian Purslow as Managing Director was a clear sign of the direction that both the co-owners and the Liverpool board wanted the club to go in. With the naming of the Chief Executive being delayed for the immediate future, Purslow has the full reins to begin tapping into these unopened pots of gold. As always with the American owners, an air of cynicism will cloud these attempts as it will be seen to be just another way to squeeze every ounce of profit out of the club.

To some extent there is truth in this, the debt on the club has to be repaid somehow and this will be a profitable way of doing this. However there is no doubt that Liverpool Football Club could be produce far more financially. Its large fan base around the world could finance not only the debt, but also the new ground and the ability to produce funds to not only buy players, but to keep many players that are already on board. As most Liverpool fans are fully aware, despite the fact that the club is struggling in the league at the moment, there will be little money to spend in January. Of course we could demand the American owners to empty their pockets for cash, but we know that is not going to happen. Even if we did, it is not a sustainable business model to keep a football club afloat in the long term and see continued success in the future.

The answer is expansion abroad, and this is where the role of Christian Purslow comes in. Purslow has a background in private equity, a financier unlike Parry, but he also has links in football. He is a friend of Kenny Dalglish and he also speaks fluent Spanish which means he has struck up a very good relationship with Rafa Benitez. His job has been to open avenues of revenue around the world, and he has made an immediate impact in this area.

I believe the most significant development of the season for Liverpool, both off and on the pitch is the signing of the new sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered bank. A 20million a season four year deal with the London/Hong Kong based bank which matches, if not slightly exceeds the deal Manchester United made with Aon. It is intended to extend the global reach of Liverpool. Purslow stated Standard’s operations around the round will be crucial to that:

“We have a long-term plan to increase the family of Liverpool fans, Many branches in these countries will effectively be a shop window for Liverpool Football Club and a means of attracting more supporters to the cause.”

It is the biggest sponsorship in club’s history. If it sets the precedent for other deals that Liverpool are involved in; the future will look bright both on the field and off the field for the club. It could bring in an era of prosperity to allow Liverpool to compete financially in the transfer market with Manchester United and Real Madrid, and consequently lead to an era of prosperity on the pitch with Benitez as the manager. As Purslow said:

“As you drive your revenues forward, you try to generate profits and those profits will be used to invest in the future of the club, which, in football speak, often means buying players. From next summer, one of our key [income] lines, the revenue line, will be substantially increased as a function of this commercial agreement, so a normal ratio of that will go to the wage bill and my ability to support Rafa in the transfer market will be hugely enhanced. We want to be the best football team in the world and there is a pretty clear link between that and having the best performance off the field.”

In another interview, before the Manchester United game, Purslow expressed that his plans for the club included a long stay for Benitez:

“Liverpool Football Club is on a long-term journey and that journey is to be the most successful club, firstly in our country and secondly in the world and you don’t do that by worrying about short-term results. You do that by having long-term plans centring on the people and the strategy. Rafa Benitez is absolutely central to that plan.”

If that journey is completed, Liverpool will be one of, if not the biggest in the world, financially as well as on the pitch.

Arsenal Boss Arsene Wenger Feels Sorry For Liverpool

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he can sympathise with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's current plight, and believes that the Merseysiders have been the victims of some bad luck this season.

Liverpool travel to Debrecen this week facing elimination from the Champions League. The Frenchman does not think the Anfield outfit's fans deserve to see their club in such a precarious situation.

"I have a huge sympathy for Liverpool," he told the Gunners' official website.

"I can elaborate because first of all it is a hugely historical club.

"And I have a massive respect for their fans who, for me, have always been outstanding."

Wenger feels that those fans have become a little quieter than usual in recent weeks, as the pressure of an extended run of poor form has made everyone at Anfield much more anxious than usual.

"I must say I watched a little bit of the [2-2 draw at home to] Manchester City and their fans looked to be a little bit affected by fear as well because it was the first time I saw them a bit quiet," he added.

"As well, I feel Liverpool have been a little bit unlucky in the last six weeks; they do not get from the games what they deserve."

Benitez's Time Is Up - Berger

Former Liverpool winger Patrik Berger insists "time is up" for Rafael Benitez as Liverpool manager.

The Spaniard has come under pressure for much of this season, with the team 13 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea and in severe danger of failing to progress from Champions League Group E.

Benitez's transfer policy has also frequently raised eyebrows, with Berger alluding to a lack of quality throughout the squad.

And the former Czech Republic international told BBC Radio 5 live: "He did ever so well for Liverpool but in my opinion, for him time is up and they should change their manager as soon as possible.

"He has spent so much money over the years - he did have success a few years ago but right now, for me, Liverpool do not look a side who can win either the Premier League or Champions League."

Injuries have hampered the Reds for much of the current campaign, but Berger believes Benitez is lacking options having allowed several big-name players to leave Anfield.

"In my opinion, Liverpool is not as strong as they were last year or the year before," he continued.

"If they have all the top players fit, the starting XI is very strong - but as soon as they lose two or three, they don't really have the same quality as when they had Craig Bellamy, Peter Crouch or Robbie Keane on the bench.

"They really rely on the starting XI, if they get a few injuries they are struggling. If they don't have a Steven Gerrard or (Fernando) Torres up front they really look, to me, an average side."

Match Preview: Debrecen vs. Liverpool

Liverpool travel to Budapest knowing that a victory over the Hungarian champions Debrecen may not be enough to secure their progression from Group E to the Champions League knock-out stages, and will no doubt be listening intensely to any news from the match between Fiorentina and Lyon.

Rafa Benitez’s side only managed an unconvincing 1-0 victory against Debrecen at Anfield, in a match in which the Hungarian champions showed glimpses of a potential threat.

As is common-knowledge amongst followers of Champions League, it is these away ties against the lesser-known European sides which can catch the elite sides off-guard, not to mention a team that has only mustered one victory in their last ten matches.


FORM GUIDE

Liverpool

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City
Liverpool 2-2 Birmingham City
Lyon 1-1 Liverpool (Champions League)
Fulham 3-1 Liverpool
Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (League Cup)

Debrecen - Champions League results

Fiorentina 5-2 Debrecen
Debrecen 3-4 Fiorentina
Debrecen 0-4 Lyon
Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen
Debrecen 2-0 Levski Sofia (Qualifier)


TEAM NEWS

Debrecen

Manager András Herczeg will be hoping his Debrecen side can impress during their final home match of this season’s Champions League campaign, and in light of Liverpool’s current form, may even be contemplating victory.

Starting XI from last league Champions League match: Pantics, Komlosi, Szelesi, Leandro, Bodnar, Laczko, Ramos, Varga, Fodor, Czvitkovics, Rudolf.

Liverpool

Disastrous form aside, the other my ingredient to Liverpool’s tepid start to the season has been the severity of their injury list.

With Ryan Babel having joined Fernando Torres and Albert Riera on Liverpool's injury list, Rafa Benitez faces some big decisions in terms of selection – albeit with limited options.

The Spanish boss will also be without defenders Glen Johnson (Calf Strain) and Daniel Agger (Concussion) for Tuesday match.

Fortunately, and perhaps decisively for Liverpool, is that captain fantastic Steven Gerrard is fit to play in Budapest, and he excels when the chips are down.

Starting XI from last match: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Mascerano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel, Ngog.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Debrecen – Peter Czvitkovics

The Hungarian midfielder was one of Debrecen’s more impressive players during the contest at Anfield in September, and Liverpool will need to be aware of his set piece deliveries and ambitious shooting.

Donning the number 77 shirt, Czvitkovics is not short on confidence, and with the Debrecen support behind him, the Hungarian international could be prove to be a damaging threat to Benitez’s side.

Liverpool – Steven Gerrard

Whenever the phoenix rises from the ashes for Liverpool, it generally resembles their invaluable captain. Steven Gerrard may not be 100% fit for this Champions League fixture, but rest assured that whilst he is on the pitch he’ll run his heart out for his side.

A more than capable match winner, a more than experience head, don’t be surprised if once again it is Gerrard that comes to Liverpool’s rescue.

Red Letter Day

Liverpool Football Club should not be in a position of hoping for a favour from Lyon or a bad day at the office from Fiorentina to keep them alive in the Champions League.

But that is exactly where Rafa Benitez and his team find themselves ahead of their game in Hungary - a home win for the Italians in Florence will put Liverpool out regardless of their result at Debrecen.

Even in their current state, you would hope Liverpool have enough to keep their part of the bargain on Tuesday night - though there are no guarantees just now.

Fernando Torres will be missing again, but the real concerns for Benitez are at the other end of the pitch, where he has been unable to field a settled defence all season.

Liverpool have been all over the place at the back, and while injuries are a mitigating circumstance they simply have to apply the work they are doing in training properly when it comes to matches.

You can argue about zonal marking being a good or bad idea, but if that is your preferred system you just have to work harder and harder to make sure it is successful. And it did not work at the weekend when Emmanuel Adebayor was left unmarked to score for Manchester City.

As long as goals like that keep going in there will always be a doubt in your mind about Liverpool's ability to see out games - look what happened in Lyon last time, when the home side were battered all game but still managed to kick Liverpool where it hurts right at the end.

Just as important to Liverpool tomorrow is Lyon's progress at Fiorentina. Their players are professionals, and let's hope they go about it in the right manner even though their team is already through.

You would hope that the integrity of the game will shine through, especially after the debacle we saw with the French national side's World Cup qualifier.

THOMMO'S CALL: Liverpool have a legendary reputation for doing things the hard way in this competition, and I still think qualification could happen. I'm going for a Reds win in Hungary and a draw for Lyon at Fiorentina, which would leave Liverpool needing to beat the Italians by three goals in their final game. What a great night at Anfield that would be!

Liverpool's Injury Worries Continue As Ryan Babel Ruled Out

Ryan Babel has been ruled out of Liverpool's Champions League Group E match with Debrecen in Hungary tomorrow. The Dutch striker has failed to recover after twisting his ankle in Saturday's draw with Manchester City. Striker Fernando Torres will also play no part following his groin problem but may be fit to face Everton on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, who were struggling with injuries at the end of the 2-2 draw with City, are in Liverpool's 18-man squad that travelled to Budapest today.

Glen Johnson, who missed the City game with a calf problem, was also in the party, while Albert Riera's hamstring injury meant he was left behind for further treatment. Daniel Agger has recovered from the head injury he sustained on Saturday.

Fiorentina's Poor Record Against Lyon Offers Hope To Liverpool

Liverpool's Champions League fate may be out of their hands but that is not to say it has already been decided. Fiorentina would need to beat Lyon at Stadio Artemio Franchi tomorrow night to be sure of reaching the knock-out stage at the Premier League side's expense and, if recent history is anything to go by, that is certainly not a foregone conclusion.

After being drawn in the same group last year, Fiorentina and Lyon have faced each other three times in this competition over the past 15 months, and so far the Italians' record reads: drawn one, lost two. When the two sides met in Florence in the fifth game of the group stage last season Fiorentina knew they needed a win to have any hopes of reaching the knock-out stages. They lost 2-1.

That was with something approaching a full-strength side, a luxury that the Fiorentina manager, Cesare Prandelli, has already acknowledged he will not have at his disposal tomorrow night. The former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, who tore the meniscus in his knee earlier this month, was ruled out of this game by his manager on Sunday, as was his most likely replacement, Stevan Jovetic – the scorer of both Fiorentina's goals against Liverpool in September – though the latter has since trained and still hopes to be involved. The centre-back Alessandro Gamberini is also out injured.

"We are better than last season, this squad has matured a great deal," said the Fiorentina captain, Dario Dainelli, when reminded of last year's defeat to Lyon. But in the league, at least, there has been scant evidence of improvement.

After a 3-2 defeat to newly-promoted Parma on Saturday, Fiorentina sit sixth, two points worse off than they were at the corresponding point last term. Many fans are frustrated at the club's failure to reinvest more than a fraction of the €20.5m they received when selling Felipe Melo to Juventus in the summer. A defence that had already given up five goals in two Champions League games against Debrecen was opened up far too easily by Parma, and Prandelli will be all too aware that Lyon have scored at least once in every Champions League game they have played since the 2007-08 season. That puts a lot of pressure on Gilardino – sent off in the first leg for what was ruled to be an elbow on Jérémy Toulalan – who is likely to play alone up front in the absence of Mutu and Jovetic.

Lyon, however, have injuries of their own to contend with, and are likely to be without midfielders Maxime Gonalons and Toulalan, full-backs Anthony Réveillère and François Clerc and centre-back Mathieu Bodmer. Although they sit third in Ligue 1, Claude Puel's side are also coming off a disappointing result, having conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with a last-placed Grenoble team who had previously claimed one point from 12 games.

The French side has already qualified but their captain Cris insisted that did not mean they would take their foot off the pedal tomorrow. "The objective was to qualify, now we have the chance to get first place," said Cris. "It will be hard because Fiorentina want to book their place. We're expecting a very physical match."

Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard Raring To Go Against Debrecen

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard cannot wait to have a go against Debrecen and salvage a season that has gone awry for his club.

The Reds have registered only one victory in their last ten outings in all competitions and are on the brink of bowing out of the Champions League, ahead of Tuesday's trip to Hungary.

"The mood in the camp is really good, although we know our position in the table isn't good enough," Gerrard is quoted by the Press Association as saying.

"But we have faith in our ability. We know we can put things right.

"It's been a frustrating few weeks because as soon as I was fit we had the international break. I've been desperate to play and can't wait to really get going properly again."

Only a win for Liverpool and a loss for Fiorentina against Olympique Lyonnais will ensure that the Merseysiders have their fate in their own hands.

Liverpool Can Make The Champions League Knock-Out Stage - Martin Skrtel

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel believes that the Reds can make it through to the knock-out phase in the Champions League.

The Merseyside club do not have their fate in their own hands at the moment, as a win against Debrecen will have to be followed by a victory for Olympique Lyonnais away at Fiorentina to ensure that Rafael Benitez's charges remain in the running to reach the last 16.

Should the aforementioned outcomes come to pass, the Anfield outfit would still need to beat the Viola in the final game of the group stage in order to progress.

"We now have a big game coming up on Tuesday, and we have to forget about the [Manchester] City result [2-2 draw] and start thinking about Debrecen because it is a game we have to win," said Skrtel, according to the Press Association.

"I am looking forward to it and I will give my all to try and help us get a good result. We believe we can get to the last 16."

The Slovakia international scored his first goal in a red jersey in Saturday's stalemate at Anfield.

"I was very happy to score my first goal for Liverpool at the weekend," he said.

"I have been waiting a long time for it, so it was a good moment for me.

"I am in my third season here and hadn't managed to score until Saturday, but I hope this is the first of many.

"But we were frustrated to have drawn again and we are not happy because of that. But there is nothing we can do about the result now and we have to look forward to the next game and try to win."

Burnley And Liverpool Fans Outperforming Teams In Premier League

English soccer clubs Burnley and Liverpool may be some distance from the top of the Premier League table, but the two clubs' fans top the 'Behaviour of the Public' Fair Play League, putting them in line for a lucrative windfall.

£20,000 will be paid to the official supporters' club of the team that tops the table at the end of the season. A maximum of ten points per match are awarded for fan behaviour by match delegates.

Burnley and Liverpool fans have seen mixed fortunes on the pitch for their teams. Just three points separates seventh-place Liverpool from Burnley, in tenth, but the latter are likely to be far more satisfied in a season in which Burnley were expected to battle relegation and Liverpool to challenge for the title.

Back in the Behaviour of the Public table, Sunderland are the closest club behind second-place Liverpool, while Bolton Wanderers sit bottom of the table.

Benitez Hails Progress Liverpool Have Made Under His Guidance

Rafa Benitez, the coach of English soccer club Liverpool, has hailed the progress the club has made both on and off the pitch during the last five years.

Benitez and the club's owners, American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett, have all faced criticism at various times for the club's failure to challenge effectively for the Premier League title. The current season has thrown up its own challenges; Benitez was speaking before the weekend's draw with Manchester City, which left the club seventh in the table after just one win in six Premier League games.

However, Benitez, who won the Champions League with the club in 2005 and reached the final again in 2007, insists the club is progressing. "There is a massive difference between five years ago and now," he told The Times newspaper. "The name of the club round the world is at the same level as it was in the 1980s. It's a fantastic achievement. Everybody talks about Liverpool in a good way. And we will get better."

The club's good reputation is showing on the balance sheet, with a record shirt sponsorship with Standard Chartered agreed this summer, and followed by a string of other lucrative commercial deals.

Benitez also dismissed fears for the current season, saying: "People are worried. But the team will improve. When we have key players on the pitch we are as good as anyone. We have proved this in the past."

Rafael Benitez 'Manipulates' Liverpool Fans To Hide The Fact His Team Are Going Nowhere, Blasts Anfield Legend Jamie Redknapp

Former Liverpool star Jamie Redknapp has questioned Rafael Benitez's management and claims that he manipulates the club's fans.

On the eve of Liverpool's crunch Champions League showdown in Hungary against Debrecen - where they could fail to reach the last 16 for the first time under Benitez - Redknapp offered a wide-ranging criticism of the Anfield boss.

Redknapp believes Benitez should abandon the controversial zonal marking system and questioned whether Fernando Torres will want to stay if Liverpool are only in the Europa League next season.

Redknapp, who played more than 300 games for the club between 1991 and 2002, said:

'They have won one in 10 now and fans will be thinking. They are firmly behind him, though, he manipulates the fans, he gets them how he wants them.

'But there comes a time, if they go out of Europe this week and then lose at Everton, that the fans are swayed and will say that we have to look at him now.

'That team is not really going anywhere. The problem you will get is that will Fernando Torres want to play in the Europa League? I don't think so.

'If they don't get into the top four at the end of this season, it will be a major problem.

'You have huge problems going on behind the scenes with the owners, but it is too easy to blame that. On the pitch the players are not playing well enough, that's a fact.'

On Liverpool's defensive problems, Redknapp was equally damning.

He added: 'A few years ago zonal marking was the best format because they were one of the best defenders from set pieces.

'But the reason for that was that they had Peter Crouch and Sami Hyypia, two guys who are 6ft 5in plus.

'It doesn't matter how you defend when the ball comes in, zonal or man to man, they will clear it.

'Now you have a situation where people are not taking responsibility.

'You might have to turn round and say that zonal isn't working, let's go man for man.

'At the moment he is giving players excuses, teams look at it and think they will score against Liverpool.'

Debrecen Can Deal Liverpool A Knockout Blow

French fair play could help keep Liverpool's Champions League hopes alive when they take on Debrecen in Hungary Tuesday.

Five times champions Liverpool must win to have any hope of reaching the last 16 but they also need France's Olympique Lyon, who are already through, not to lose against Fiorentina in Italy.

Lyon have 10 points from four matches in Group E, Fiorentina are on nine and Liverpool four.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez suggested last week's World Cup qualifying furore, with France beating Ireland after Thierry Henry handled the ball before the crucial goal, could help his side's position.

"I don't know if the Henry incident will affect Lyon, but it could be good for us," British Sunday newspapers quoted the Spaniard as saying.

"If they want to show everyone in the world they are good professionals and want to win every game, it would be good," he added.

"It could be something that works out positively for Liverpool. Their coach said they would try to win. He is a professional. I know Lyon have a good group of professionals and a good manager."

Unless Liverpool overcome Debrecen, a side that have yet to score a point in Group E while conceding more goals (14) than anyone else in the competition, the Premier League side can forget about going any further.

Lyon and Fiorentina both put four goals past them in their away matches but Liverpool have won just once in their last 10 games and managed only a 1-0 victory over the Hungarians at Anfield.

Sunday's 2-2 domestic draw at home to Manchester City only added to Benitez's headache with Danish defender Daniel Agger needing five stitches for a head wound while Ryan Babel limped off with an ankle injury.

Liverpool, who can ill afford to miss out on the lucrative final stages, are already without key striker Fernando Torres but are confident England full-back Glen Johnson will have recovered from a calf injury by Tuesday.

Israeli Yossi Benayoun, who came back from a hamstring injury to score the equaliser Sunday, should also be fit while Benitez refused to rule out Babel and Agger.

Debrecen manager Andras Herczeg will be without key player Leandro, who is suffering from a partially torn knee ligament and could be out for a month or two. Either Zsolt Laczko or Marcell Fodor is likely to take the left back's position.

Norbert Meszaros had recovered from a groin injury but forward Robert Feczesin is still injured. Montenegro keeper Vukasin Poleksic was rested for Friday's 2-1 away win at Honved but should start.

Fernando Torres Absent From Budapest

Liverpool will try to keep their Champions League hopes alive without Fernando Torres.

The Spanish striker will again be absent when Liverpool head to Budapest today for the must win tie with Debrecen.

Torres is to continue his rehabilitation from a hernia problem on Merseyside and misses the game Liverpool have to win to have any chance to stay in the competition.

Kop boss Rafa Benitez also needs Fiorentina to be denied a home victory by Lyon, who has already qualified from Group E.

“We thought it would be two or three weeks for Fernando and he’s only about 12 or 13 days into that, so there is no point in him going,” said Benitez.

Skrtel Pleased To Score First Ever Liverpool Goal

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel was happy to break his scoring duck in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Manchester City.

It was Skrtel's first for Liverpool in 65 appearances, but the final outcome of the contest ensured it was a bittersweet afternoon for the Slovakian.

He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I was very happy to score my first goal for Liverpool. I have been waiting a long time for it, so it was a good moment for me.

"I am in my third season here and hadn't managed to score until today, but I hope this is the first of many more.

"But we are frustrated to have drawn again because we wanted to win. We couldn't in the end, and we are not happy because of this.

"There is nothing we can do about the result now and we have to look forward to the next game and try to win."

Liverpool Eye January Loan Move For Ruud Van Nistelrooy

The Dutchman has spoken recently of his desire to leave the Bernabeu, unless he can force his way back into the first team, as he wants to play his way back into the Dutch squad for next summer’s World Cup.

Yet with Real now possessing a glittering array of attacking talents, that looks unlikely meaning he could be set for a move in January, with Liverpool reportedly interested in signing the 33-year-old.

The tabloid claims manager Rafael Benitez is keen to add an extra striker to the ranks, and could take the Dutchman on loan until the end of the season.

The report adds that whilst both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are also interested in the Real man, he would prefer a move to Anfield, despite his strong connections with Manchester United.

The Dutch ace enjoyed phenomenal success in his five years Old Trafford, winning a Premier League and FA Cup and bagging 150 goals in 219 for the Red Devils.

Napoli Refuse To Rule Out Andrea Dossena Interest

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has refused to rule out a move for out of favour Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena.

The Italian has in the past been heavily linked with a move to the Partenopei, and the club has now indicated they are looking into the possibility of bringing the player back to the peninsula.

"I will not exclude a move for Dossena," De Laurentiis told the assembled press.

"We have also looked at [Cristian] Molinaro and [Antonio] Candreva, but I have to speak with [manager Walter] Mazzarri about it."

The top boss also shed some light on the talking point in football in recent times, as he called for video technology to be introduced into the sport so as to ensure that the 'Hand of Henry' incident is not repeated.

"I think we need replays on the pitch for these things," he concluded.

Rafa Benitez Still Believes In Zonal Marking

Rafael Benitez maintains his players still believe in zonal marking despite Liverpool’s continued failure to defend set-pieces costing them the chance of a morale-boosting victory at the weekend.

The Anfield outfit required a goal from substitute Yossi Benayoun to salvage a 2-2 home draw with fellow top-four aspirants Manchester City on Saturday.

After Martin Skrtel prodded Liverpool into the lead shortly after the interval, poor defending allowed Emmanuel Adebayor and then Stephen Ireland to put the visitors ahead.

Adebayor’s goal was a free header from a Craig Bellamy corner, the 12th goal Benitez’s side have conceded from a dead-ball situation this season.

It has led to criticism of Liverpool’s continued use of zonal marking, but while admitting there must be an improvement the Anfield manager has no plans to change his approach.

“When you’re using a zonal marking system you have to attack the ball and if there’s a player near you, you have to challenge,” said Benitez.

“We watched some set-pieces beforehand, and Richard Dunne scored against them when they were using man-to-man. In England, 35% of the goals come from set-pieces.

“But it is clear you have to attack the space or the player, it doesn’t mean you have to stand like a post.

“I think the majority of players believe in it, maybe you can find one or two who don’t. But we were one of the best – THE best – before.

“This year has been bad but it is still early in the season. We will see how things are at the end.

“We were improving at set-pieces, but it’s something we have to keep looking at.”

Liverpool have now won just one of their last 10 games and conceded 27 goals in 19 games in all competitions this season, and stand five points off the Champions League qualification places.

Their defence, disrupted by a calf injury to Glen Johnson before kick-off, was further affected by Daniel Agger being forced off after 11 minutes following a sickening clash of heads with Kolo Toure.

“We have had too many problems with defenders from the first game of the season,” said Benitez. “Like on Saturday, in the morning we thought ‘this is the team’, but then Glen Johnson couldn’t play.

“The understanding between the defenders is vital but it is a question of time.

“We had a shocking day with injuries. Glen was not happy with his calf and he had been limping a bit in training. Then we lose Agger.”

Placenta Doctor Mariana Kovacevic Wanted Over Possible Tax Evasion

Serb authorities investigating the mysterious housewife who uses placenta to treat Barclays Premier League players want to question her about possible tax evasion.

Mariana Kovacevic, whom they believe has at least three aliases and as many as four different addresses around Belgrade, is thought to charge 3,000 euros for sessions treating the likes of Robin van Persie and Frank Lampard.

That is six times the average monthly take-home pay in the Serb capital. She is not officially registered as a practising physiotherapist and the only Mariana Kovacevic in health authority records is listed at a pharmacy in Sarajevska Street.

When Sportsmail attempted to trace her at the pharmacy, we were told: ‘Ah, the woman that everybody in the city is looking for? No, I don’t know her. She doesn’t work here.’

In a case which is developing the sinister trappings of an underworld operation, Kovacevic has disappeared without trace. The players she is currently treating are also being kept hidden from view by a bewildering combination of subterfuge, private jets, fast cars and eagle-eyed surveillance.

Chelsea have admitted privately that Lampard flew to Belgrade on Friday for treatment on his damaged left thigh, yet he was not even seen at the airport, being funneled through the VIP arrivals terminal.

The authorities believe Kovacevic regularly changes her appearance, notably her style of dressing and her hair colour in a constant effort to avoid detection.

Now that the authorities have been alerted to her existence and her dubious medical practices - notably by van Persie, who unwittingly alerted the world at large last week - and the lack of unpaid tax, the fortysomething mother of three who is now thought to have spent time working for the Azerbaijan national side will be constantly sought by Serb Police.

Kovacevic has not been seen at her New Belgrade clinic since Wednesday when Van Persie, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio arrived for treatment which is now understood to involve the use of electrical impulses and small metal sticks covered in placenta jelly penetrating the skin and then being fed back through it.

Seven days ago, Serb sportsmen happily spoke about their visits to see Kovacevic and the miracle cures she had performed on their injuries. Now it is almost impossible to find one who will even admit to visiting her.

Partizan Belgrade’s Portugal midfielder Almami Da Silva Moreira denied seeing her, in spite of being identified by the owner of the cafe bar directly opposite as having entered Kovacevic’s clinic earlier this season.

Speaking after Saturday’s 2-1 league win over Smederevo, Moreira said: ‘I haven’t been to see her and I hope I don’t need to see her in the future, but I would go. You must believe in life. If people believe in her it’s a good thing. She can help them.

‘Maybe the players who have seen her can’t explain to their club doctors what she is doing there. Maybe she is doing magic things with a magic potion. If she was stopped doing what she does by the authorities, it would be a pity for football players. It would be a shame for everybody because Belgrade is the centre of the Premiership just now.’