Carragher Demands Instant Response From Liverpool

Jamie Carragher has demanded an instant return to winning ways as Liverpool negotiate what he views as an increasingly unforgiving Premier League title race.

The Reds slipped off the summit of the table with their 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane yesterday, Carragher's own goal letting Tottenham back into the match.

Chelsea responded to last weekend's home defeat to Liverpool by putting eight goals past Hull and Sunderland and Carragher wants a similar response from his team-mates.

'Look how Chelsea have reacted since we beat them and how Manchester United reacted when they lost to us,' he said.

'They've been on a great run since. It's how you come back from your setbacks that counts. This will be a test for us now.

'If you want to show you're championship contenders it's how you bounce back that matters.

'Before Jose Mourinho came to Chelsea you could get away with losing five or six but now it seems to be three or four.

'The standards are so high. You can't afford to lose too many.'

Fixtures against the likes of West Brom, Bolton and Fulham mean Liverpool face, at least on paper, a kind November but Carragher is taking nothing for granted.

'It's a different test in itself playing against the teams lower down,' he said.

'Portsmouth was a very difficult game and we didn't score until late on.

'If we play as well as we can we should go on to win the next six games but in the past we've come unstuck in those matches and it's important we get maximum points now.'

Fernando Torres should be back for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Carragher admits Torres has been missed but insists the squad should be able to cope in his absence.

'You'll always miss Torres. He's probably the best striker in the world of his type," he said.

'Even if we'd won here we would have still missed him because he's such a great player. That's what squads are for.

'That's why the manager talks every year about big squads and good benches.

'Everyone misses players. Chelsea are without Didier Drogba at the moment. You've just got to adapt to it.'

Liverpool could have done with Torres' clinical touch as they let a series of chances go begging against Spurs before Carragher's own goal changed the match.

'That's the Premier League for you. Credit to Spurs but we were in total control,' said Carragher.

'We should have got a second or third goal but if you don't do that Spurs have definitely got quality going forward.

'I'm disappointed to score the own goal. I don't know what happened. I don't know if I was unlucky - I'll have to see it again.

'Even then 1-1 isn't too bad at Spurs. It's not an easy place to go, even though they're in a bad situation.

'We're more than disappointed to concede a goal in the last minute. We missed a couple of chances we would normally score.

'Normally when you're in such control you go on to win the game but you have to give credit to Tottenham for showing character and sticking in there.' "Harry Redknapp is having quite an effect there."

Match Report: Tottenham Hotspur 2 -1 LiverpooL

Roman Pavlyuchenko pounced on the stroke of full-time to lift Tottenham off the foot of Barclays Premier League.

Liverpool took the lead with just two minutes on the clock through a magnificent finish by Dirk Kuyt that saw Heurelho Gomes exposed yet again.

Jamie Carragher's own goal appeared to have salvaged a point for Spurs but Harry Redknapp's side had grander ideas.

With injury time approaching, Pavlyuchenko tucked home a Darren Bent pass to deny the Reds their return to the summit of the table and end the top flight's last unbeaten record.

Liverpool allowed a flurry of chances to slip by, with Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso missing the pick of them, until Carragher rose high in the 69th minute to nod into his own net.

They should have been out of sight before Carragher struck while Spurs displayed more of the fighting spirit which served them so well against Arsenal in midweek.

The victory rung up Redknapp's seventh point in three games since replacing Juande Ramos a week ago, a remarkable return given Spurs' dismal position until his arrival.

It was three points dropped for Liverpool, who had Robbie Keane to thank for setting up the opening goal.

Much of the pre-match build-up focussed on Keane's first appearance against the club he left for £20.3million during the summer and the match had barely started when he made his presence felt.

The Republic of Ireland striker continued some slick build-up play by finding the unmarked Kuyt down the right - and the Dutchman found the net from a tight angle with a brilliant finish.

Keane's celebrations, however, were muted out of respect for the club he led as skipper.

Spurs' defensive woes continued with an inswinging Gerrard free-kick scrambled away by Gomes and moments later Bent nearly turned the ball into his own net.

Bent tried to make amends at the other end when he chased an astute looping ball by Tom Huddlestone but Pepe Reina raced off his line to clear the danger.

The sting had been taken out of Liverpool's early onslaught as Spurs began to retain possession, but their opponents' constant harrying in dreadful conditions made life difficult.

Vedran Corluka tried his luck from out wide on the left after being teed up by David Bentley but his effort sailed wide.

The Spurs defence was opened up in the 29th minute when Kuyt nodded the ball down to Gerrard, who expertly weaved his way into the penalty area - however, his shot lacked the quality of the approaching run.

A desperate pass from Alvaro Arbeloa gave possession back to Spurs and the home side were holding their own in a keenly contested midfield battle.

But a dangerous run by Albert Riera underlined the threat posed by Liverpool as the ball was worked to Keane, who saw his shot easily blocked by a small posse of white shirts.

Reina was presented with a far tougher challenge at the other end in the 41st minute when he pushed aside Luka Modric's impressive effort from the edge of the area.

The ball slipped under the legs of Xabi Alonso's legs, leaving Reina with little time to react, but the Spaniard's reflexes were equal to the task.

Harry Redknapp brought on Pavlyuchenko at the interval and the second half was just moments old when the Russian dragged a shot wide.

Spurs were concerned when Kuyt charged towards the goal, with the ball popping up to Gerrard - whose shot was tipped onto the right corner of the woodwork by Gomes.

The England midfielder, spotting Gomes was stranded, then tried a looping shot from out wide but only found the top of the net.

Gomes flapped as Alonso sneaked in at the far post but the Spaniard's header slipped wide when he should have hit the target.

Liverpool should have been out of sight as the match but the visitors equalised against the run of play when Carragher, under pressure from Ledley King, headed a corner into his own net.

And the majority of the White Hart Lane supporters were delighted when Pavlyuchenko tucked home Darren Bent's pass to complete the comeback.

Rafa: We Missed Too Many Chances

Rafa Benitez expressed his disappointment after the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur saying that he cannot believe Liverpool lost the game at White Hart Lane.

The Reds dominated large period of the game and after taking an early lead through Dirk Kuyt, were denied by the woodwork twice with skipper Steven Gerrard unlucky on both occasions plus there were other chances that went begging, while Spurs got the equaliser in the second half through Jamie Carragher own-goal and substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the winner for Harry Redknapp's side in the closing stages.

It was the first defeat of the season for the Reds, who now are displaced to second place in the Premiership table with Chelsea at the top due to better goal-difference.

"I can't believe we have lost this game," Reds boss Benitez is quoted as saying on the club’s official website.

"After playing well in the first half we started the second half with four clear chances. We hit the bar and Kuyt and Alonso had great chances that we didn't take.

"Always it's important to create chances but you have to score from them. We were going forward, controlling the game and were dominant.

"I am really disappointed but it was really bad luck because everybody could see we were better than them.

"We were talking on the bench saying we have to score the second goal to finish the match off. I made some changes and thought the pace of Babel could make a difference, but to concede the two goals is something that is difficult to explain.

"As a team we were really good but we need to take our chances. That makes the difference in a game like this.

"Everybody was really disappointed in the dressing room because we know we had the game in our hands, but sometimes in football you need luck. It was a game we easily could have won 4-0."

Torres Set For Atleti Encounter

Having missed his homecoming against his former club at the Vicente Calderon, Fernando Torres is set to play some part in the return fixture this week.

Torres has been out of action for Liverpool since suffering a hamstring injury during Spain's World Cup qualifier against Belgium earlier in the month.

It was rumoured that the 24-year-old striker might have made the bench for yesterday's trip to Tottenham, but he was left at home once more as the Reds crashed to their first defeat of the season.

However, Rafa Benitez has confirmed that Fernando Torres will make the squad for Tuesday's Champions League Matchday 4 clash with Atletico Madrid.

"Fortunately, Fernando is ready to play," said Benitez. "I don't know if he will start, but he will definitely be on the bench, barring anything unexpected."

Liverpool and Atletico Madrid currently sit atop Group D with seven points each, making the match a vital encounter. If Torres does participate, it will be the first time he has played against the club that gave him his debut as a 16-year-old.

Liverpool Fans Reject George Gillett's Olive Branch Offer

LIVERPOOL FC supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly last night hit out at George Gillett’s claims that he had repaired his relationship with both the club’s fans and co-owner Tom Hicks.

A statement released by the group said Gillett and Hicks were “sadly mistaken” if they believed the anger towards them has in any way subsided “following the recent success on the pitch for Liverpool”.

It said: “Anger towards the owners has remained as high as ever. Gillett and Hicks should not mistake satisfaction with the performance of the team and manager (the renewal of whose contract remains one more undelivered promise) for fans softening their stance on wanting to rid the club of them.”

Yesterday’s Daily Post reported remarks Gillett made in an interview with a Toronto radio station in which the Canadian admitted he and Hicks got off on the “wrong basis” and are “embarrassed” by it.

He also suggested his relationship with the fans had improved.

Last night Spirit of Shankly said the comments had not helped repair the rift with the fans.

The statement added: “Where is their admission that they have got off on the wrong basis with Liverpool Football Club, the fans and manager?

“Where is their apology for the embarrassment they have caused the football club and those associated with it, through their inept running of the club, and their petty squabbles played out in the public domain?

“George Gillett seems to think he can win fans over by hailing Rafael Benitez, as ‘one of the great coaches’. Fans have had this opinion for a long time.

“George Gillett and Tom Hicks should think again if they believe fans are going to be taken in by their PR spin.

“Those running the football club are inept and need to go now to allow this club to move forward on and off the pitch.”

Spirit of Shankly said it reiterated its message to Hicks and Gillett to get out of the club. The group claimed the pair have no money, credibility, honesty, integrity, or dignity.

‘I Could Never Leave Anfield’

TO mark his fifth anniversary as Liverpool skipper, Steven Gerrard has given his personal account of what it takes to wear the armband in the recently released "Captain's Book”. Here, in an exclusive extract from the book, Gerrard tells of the moment he offered to give up the captain's role he cherishes and how he could never quit Anfield.

AFTER winning the European Cup in Istanbul in May 2005, Steven Gerrard ended up spending most of the summer agonising over his future.

Chelsea had come calling for the second time in little more than a year and the Huyton-born midfielder came perilously close to joining Jose Mourinho’s squad.

But having pulled back from the brink because, when it came down to it, he simply could not bear to leave the club he had supported all his life, Gerrard thought it only right that he should offer to give up the club captaincy.

“In my heart, this is my club and I want to bring success here for the supporters,” he writes.

“For their sake as well as my own, I never want to go through the events of July 2005 ever again.

“That was when I told Liverpool I wanted to leave (to go to Chelsea). But I just didn’t want to let go of what I’ve worked so hard for and as everyone knows by now, I could never leave this club.

“I’ve been here since I was eight years of age. I’d worked so hard to become captain and had so many great times and have got great relationships with people here.

“I knew the club deserved the next five to ten years of my career and I didn’t – and don’t – want to give those years to any other club. I want to give them to Liverpool.

“Winning the league is what I want more than anything and Liverpool is the only place I ever wanted to win it.

“I think that those few days in early July, 2005 where the most difficult days of my life.

“I’m not proud of them. I wanted it all to blow over and for it all to be forgotten about. I just wanted to get on with my football.

“At times, I thought I’d played my last game. I did a lot of thinking and I became really confused.

“It was difficult and I wouldn’t wish what I went through on any other player or any other person.

“I know I hurt the fans at the time and they were entitled to their opinion.

“I had to explain why I was turning Chelsea down at a press conference in June 2004 and I had to put them through it all again a year or so later.

“After it all happened, I said to the manager I would like to speak to the players on my own because I knew some of them had been frustrated with what had gone on, just like the fans.

“I offered to give up the armband which would have broken my heart but it was right to make the offer.”

Fortunately for Liverpool, the offer was turned down and Gerrard remains Reds skipper to this day.

Florent Sinama-Pongolle Eyes Happy Return

TUESDAY would, said Florent Sinama-Pongolle in the understated manner that is his style, feel “a very special night”. He had known one or two at Anfield during his four years there - fewer than he would have liked - and one memorable enough that he can foresee his name being applauded on Tuesday night. Without Sinama-Pongolle, Liverpool would not have won the European Cup in 2005. Without his equalising goal on a dramatic December evening against Olympiakos, Liverpool would not have reached the knockout stage.

At Liverpool, Sinama-Pongolle - “Flo” to his friends - had a career of cameos, no more. In Spain, where he has spent the past two seasons, joining Atletico Madrid at the beginning of this, his third in La Liga, he can boast much better. Indeed, last month, Sinama-Pongolle made his senior international debut for France. He did not turn 24 until 11 days ago. Still to reach his prime, he has already been on quite a zigzag of a journey.

Flo Sinama-Pongolle was discovered by Gerard Houllier, Liverpool manager at the time, playing for France at the 2001 under-17 world championships, where he emerged the outstanding player. Although he and his contemporary, Anthony Le Tallec, from Le Havre, made a big noise, neither broke through to establish first-team status and Sinama-Pongolle was subsequently lent to Blackburn Rovers by Houllier’s successor, Rafa Benitez. Still, it was Benitez who helped make the deal that relaunched him.

He joined newly promoted Recreativo de Huelva in the summer of 2006 and from there his career flew, his goals helping Recre to a healthy eighth in La Liga. The next season, he contributed as effectively. Benfica wanted him; so did Paris St Germain. Atletico had lost a striker, Fernando Torres, and they paid £5m for Sinama-Pongolle in July 2008 and after a month of this season, he was La Liga’s highest scorer. “It was a great run, everything I tried went in,” he says. “But I am mature enough to know I wouldn’t always be like that.”

Despite his success, Sinama-Pongolle had been sad to leave Liverpool. “They gave me so much, but by the end I needed to play first-team football,” he added. “Coming to Spain has been good. I’ve worked hard for this, pushed myself.”

Come Tuesday, Sinama-Pongolle will have a special interest in shining. “It’s a big night for me. For players like Torres and Pepe Reina, it was special coming to Madrid. Me, I’ve been looking forward to going back to Anfield.”

Rafa's Repeat Fear

Rafa Benitez hopes Liverpool's owners will sort out his future and avoid a Valencia style crash.

Benitez's Reds have made a flying start in the Premier League despite the Spaniard's future still being in major doubt.

His contract expires in the summer of 2010 and even though he met co-owner George Gillett in London there have stil been no discussions about an extension.

Benitez has been here before and his old club Valencia suffered bitterly from this kind uncertainty.

He had guided the unfancied side to a La Liga title in 2002. But there were no talks about his own future and having won another title and the Uefa Cup in 2004, a frustrated Benitez left for Anfield that summer.

Since then Valencia have had four permanent managers and have failed to build on success.

Benitez said of his current position: "After improving the squad for five years we know that we are very, very close to having a fantastic team and I want to be part of the future."

Benitez Keen To Seal The Deal

Rafael Benitez wants Liverpool's progress into the Champions League knockout stages secured as quickly as possible so he can concentrate on the Barclays Premier League.

Benitez sees Tuesday's Group D match at home to Atletico Madrid as the opportunity to settle one issue and give himself the luxury of qualifying for the last 16 with two games to spare for the first time.

That would mean Liverpool can focus their energy on their attempt to win the league title for the first time in 18 years.

If Liverpool beat Atletico and PSV Eindhoven lose in Marseille, the five-time European champions will be guaranteed a place in the knockout phase in February.

Their final two group matches against Marseille at Anfield on November 26 and away to Eindhoven on December 9 would allow Benitez to rest senior men and give squad players valuable European experience.

That is par for the course at Manchester United, but not something Benitez has managed at Anfield.

Benitez, whose side were held to a 1-1 draw in Madrid last month, said: "Clearly we want to be qualified for the knockout stages as quickly as we can, and a win on Tuesday will almost certainly settle that.

"But Madrid are a fine side, and away from home they are very dangerous on the counter-attack with some outstanding players of pace and quality.

"If we can win it will be a massive result for us. If we can get the points to qualify as soon as possible it will take a lot of pressure from us.

"It will mean that we can use other players in the final group matches and be able to concentrate our strengths and efforts in the Premier League to maintain our position in the title race.

"But I am sure that Atletico Madrid is thinking just the same thing, they will want to ensure their qualification as quickly as possible, too."

Atletico would also ensure a place in the last 16 if they won at Anfield and PSV lost in the south of France.

"The incentive for both clubs is clear, the winners would have 10 points and that could well be enough," Benitez added.

Benitez expects to have former Atletico striker Fernando Torres back on Tuesday, the Spanish international having missed the trip to the Vicente Calderon last month with a hamstring injury suffered on international duty.

"Torres is very, very close. But we have still been winning without him so we will not take any risks," added Benitez.

"But clearly he is very important to us. He can win games when we are not playing well. He can change games.

"Always you miss a player like that, but I am really pleased with the performances of the other players without him.

"We have good quality, so when one or two big players are not available we have handled that situation.

"What pleases me is that we have been without three of our top players for maybe half the games we have played this season.

"Javier Mascherano, Torres and Martin Skrtel have all missed several games each but we are still doing okay.

"That shows the quality we have in the squad now, it has improved at Liverpool."

The game will be an emotional one for Torres, a boyhood Atletico fan who scored 102 goals in 243 appearances for the club between 2001 and 2007.

But it will also see a return to Anfield for former Liverpool stars Luis Garcia - a hero of the Champions League Final victory in Istanbul three years ago - and Florent Sinama Pongolle.

Garcia left Liverpool for Atletico in 2007 after three seasons in which he made 77 league appearances, scoring 18 goals. His most significant strike in a red shirt came when he got the only goal in the 2005 semi-final against Chelsea.

Sinama Pongolle also made a telling contribution to that Liverpool campaign, scoring the first of three second-half goals which rescued them from elimination against Olympiacos in December 2004.

Messi Tips Liverpool To Win Champions League

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has revealed that Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool are his pick to claim Champions League glory this season.

The Reds are currently second in the Premier League and head Champions League Group D where they look odds on to qualify for the knock-out stages.

The club have famously claimed European glory on five previous occasions, most recently in 2005, and were also runners-up in 2007.

As reported by clubcall.com, the Argentinean admitted he fancied their chances again this season. He said: “If I had to choose anyone to win the Champions League then it would be Liverpool.”

The Barca ace highlighted several of their players to back up his claim and also alluded to the fact that their great strength makes them a difficult side to break down. Messi explained: “They have great players like Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Javier Mascherano, and they are difficult to play against.”

The Argentinean and Barcelona star tasted defeat by Manchester United in the semi-final of the Champions League last season but Barca are currently unbeaten in Group C where they top the standings and look certain to progress.

Yet Messi also knows Liverpool well from the last time the two sides met in the competition, back in 2007. Although the two legs ended with the teams level, the score being 2-2, Liverpool progressed on away goals.

Whilst Messi admitted Liverpool did not always play the most attractive football, he did concede that they were effective - and that might see them into the final next May. He concluded: “Maybe there are teams that play better football, but I can see them getting to the final in Rome.”

Liverpool are in Champions League action in midweek as they welcome Atletico Madrid to Anfield, whilst Barcelona face Basel at home.

Heskey Set To Leave Wigan In Summer? Liverpool, Spurs & Aston Villa Linked

Emile Heskey has revealed that he is ambitious to win silverware and as such suggested that he is ready to leave Wigan Athletic, while Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have been linked with the England striker.

The 30-year-old former Leicester City and Birmingham City star had a trophy-laden spell at Liverpool earlier in his career, and is now keen to add to his medals.

Heskey told the Daily Telegraph: "Am I ambitious? Playing football, you've got to be.

"I've won trophies, played at the highest level, won the Uefa Cup, the FA Cup, league cups and the Super Cup with Liverpool.

"That's why you come into football. But I want to win more."

He also revealed that he will consider his options in the summer as fair bit of interest is generated in the powerful forward following his recent performances that were inspiring for Three Lions as well as the Latics.

"At this stage of my career, I’ll sit down in the summer and sit down and think. Until then I'm just concentrating on getting things right at Wigan," he added.

Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. LiverpooL

Liverpool travel to North London on Saturday evening for the Premiership clash with a rejuvenated Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

While the Reds are flying high, three points clear at the top of the Premiership, Spurs are propping up the division, two points adrift.

However, last weekend's surprise arrival of Harry Redknapp from Portsmouth to replace Juande Ramos appears to have galvanised the North London club.

Redknapp's first game in charge saw Spurs win their first league game of the season against 19th placed Bolton Wanderers before a pulsating 4-4 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday, in which they recovered from 4-2 down to secure a point.

"They've had two games under Redknapp and when you change a manager you can see a difference," said Reds boss Rafael Benitez.

"The other day Portsmouth did better away from home than they were doing before. It's normal when you change a manager.

"When you play against Arsenal you know they will score, so if you are not strong in defence you know you will concede. After they fell behind they kept going forward and maybe one or two goals were lucky, but they still got level.

"We will try to win the game that will be idea. They will do the same so it could be an open game."

Liverpool's win over Portsmouth at Anfield in midweek kept the Reds three points clear of second-place Chelsea but Benitez has warned that he feels there is more to come from his side.

"I think we are in a good position, we are really pleased to be there but there is still a long way to go," he said.

"We are happy and we are doing well but we have to keep our concentration because it is a long race.

"It's better to be at the top of the table rather than playing catch up. We are doing well but there is plenty of room for improvement so I am still confident we can improve.

"Maybe we can improve our accuracy up front and do better defensively. It is not bad now but we can do both things better.

"I prefer to win playing well, but if you asked me what I would prefer, I would say just to win.

"But if you cannot play well you have to win in another way.

"I think we have done well in a number of games and sometimes it is necessary to win without playing well.

"When you talk about 38 games it is always important to do your job properly and these three points you get when you don't play well can make the difference.

"We have to keep the momentum, the team has confidence, and we are creating chances and not conceding too many. It is important to keep doing the things we are doing now."

Despite Liverpool's impressive start to the season, bookmakers still have the Reds as third favourites for the title behind Chelsea and Manchester United but Benitez is unconcerned by this.

He said: "I don't care about this. I just concentrate on our football and try to be there as much as we can.

"Chelsea won the league once with 95 points and another year with 92. But clearly you need at least 85 points.

"Chelsea are very strong and so are Man United and Arsenal. Aston Villa are also pushing. There are some strong teams putting pressure on at the top and it will be the same until the end of the season.

"I am just concentrating on making sure we are up there."

"We must keep the momentum," added Benitez. "We have confidence and we are creating chances and not conceding too many.

"It is important to keep the players doing things just as they are doing now.

"What pleases me is that we have been without three of our top players for maybe half the games we have played. Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Martin Skrtel have all missed several games each but we are still unbeaten and now top.

"That shows the quality we have in the squad now, it has improved at Liverpool."

Benitez confirmed that Robbie Keane is available to face his former club after the Irishman had been struggling with a groin injury, and the Spaniard is hoping for a warm welcome from the Spurs fans for the forward.

"Keane is available," he said. "It is my decision in the end whether he plays, but he is another one who wants to play in every game and I'm sure he'd like to see their fans and say hello again.

"He was a key player for them for years. He is a fantastic professional and he always gave 100 per cent for them. He is now doing that for us but I'm sure their fans will appreciate him."

Benitez confirmed that he was weighing up the possibility of recalling Fernando Torres to the Liverpool squad for the clash at White Hart Lane.

The Spanish international has missed the Reds last four games with a hamstring injury he picked up on international duty and although Torres is nearing full fitness, Benitez is considering leaving the 24-year-old at Melwood to continue his recovery.

The Reds have won three and drew one of the four games without Torres and Benitez feels this is a sign of the strength in depth available at his disposal.

"In the past, perhaps we did not have the ability to cope because maybe we did not have the same quality," said Benitez.

"But now we have won some important games without some of our best players.

"We managed to beat Man United without Torres and Steven Gerrard was only fit enough to come on as a substitute late on in that game.

"Last week we won at Chelsea without Torres so that should give the players confidence that we can win games even when we have injuries.

"It could be better if Torres remains on Merseyside and does not travel with the squad for the Spurs game but we will see.

"The result against Portsmouth showed the depth and quality of our squad.

"We have competition for places and a great team spirit.

"On Wednesday we changed four players and still won the game which is a good sign.

"We were able to protect a couple of players but now it is a bit more difficult for me because the other players who came into their side did their job and we won the game.

"As a manager you always want competition for places and we have that."

Benitez is expected to recall Javier Mascherano, Daniel Agger, Albert Riera and Keane to the starting line-up after resting them against Portsmouth.

Ryan Babel, Sami Hyypia, Jermaine Pennant and Lucas Leiva are set to make way.

Spurs are hoping to have captain Ledley King available again after resting him against Arsenal. Jermaine Jenas is expected to recover from a toe injury but Michael Dawson is suspended.

Aaron Lennon and Giovanni Dos Santos are vying for starting berths while Darren Bent could replace Roman Pavlyuchenko in attack.


PROBABLE TEAMS:

Tottenham from: Gomes, Hutton, Corluka, Woodgate, Assou-Ekotto, Bentley, Jenas, Huddlestone, Bale, Modric, Pavlyuchenko, King, Bent, Gunter, Lennon, Cesar, Zokora, O'Hara, Campbell.

Liverpool from: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Hyypia, Aurelio, Dossena, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Pennant, Kuyt, Keane, Riera, Lucas, Cavalieri.

More To Come From Reds, Warns Rafa

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has warned his title rivals that his side are yet to reach top form.

Liverpool travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday knowing they face a rejuvenated side coming off the back of four points in two games.

However, Rafa Benitez believes that his Reds are yet to peak, but is proud of his top of the table standing.

"I think we are in a good position, we are really pleased to be there but there is still a long way to go," he told the club's official website.

"We are happy and we are doing well but we have to keep our concentration because it is a long race.

"It's better to be at the top of the table rather than playing catch up. We are doing well but there is plenty of room for improvement so I am still confident we can improve," he said.

"Maybe we can improve our accuracy up front and do better defensively. It is not bad now but we can do both things better."

Even though Liverpool hold first place in England's Premier League, and are three points clear from the chasing pack, the bookies still rate them as third favourites to lift the crown in May, but this does not faze Rafa.

"I don't care about this... I just concentrate on our football and try to be there as much as we can.

"Chelsea won the league once with 95 points and another year with 92... But clearly you need at least 85 points.

"Chelsea are very strong and so are Man United and Arsenal. Aston Villa are also pushing. There are some strong teams putting pressure on at the top and it will be the same until the end of the season," he added.

"I am just concentrating on making sure we are up there."

Rafa Benitez Loving The Pressure Of Being Top Of The League

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is welcoming the pressures involved in taking his team to Tottenham as leaders of the Barclays Premier League.

But he believes former Tottenham skipper Robbie Keane, now in Liverpool’s ranks, has no reason to feel any extra burden as he prepares to return to the club he left for £20million in the summer.

Keane can expect a hot welcome from Tottenham fans who saw their idol defect to the club he supported as a boy.

Benitez insists he “enjoys the pressures of managing a team at the top of the table” and he also hopes that Keane is treated with respect by the Spurs supporters.

He compared Keane’s return to Peter Crouch’s arrival at Anfield in a Portsmouth shirt on Wednesday, just months after his move to Fratton Park.

Benitez said: “Peter came back to Liverpool this week and was given a great reception. He will always be a good player and he has the respect of our fans.

“I do not believe that Robbie has anything to prove, he has great quality. Hopefully Spurs fans will acknowledge this and what he did for them, and that he is now with another team.

“Keane is available after his slight (groin) injury, he wants to play every game anyway, but yes, this one is very important to him.

“He would like to see the Spurs fans and say ’hello’ again. He was a key player for them for some years, a fantastic professional and gave 100% all the time.

“But I think their fans will appreciate what Robbie gave them when he was there.”

But Benitez wants more from Keane, who has scored just twice in 16 matches at Liverpool.

He said: “Robbie is a very good player and is working hard, but we know he can play better and score more goals because he has that potential.

“Robbie has experience and is trying to do his job. He is not under pressure because he knows the team is winning, and his contribution to those victories has been very, very good.

“He is happy with that. People talk about his price but it does not worry him on the pitch, you do not think about that, only about how to do things well.

“We can see in every training session how hard Robbie works, and he is the same in games. He is doing well but he can improve.”

Liverpool, who will probably again be without Fernando Torres, have been top since Sunday’s win at Chelsea, while Tottenham are still bottom despite a dramatic change of fortune under new boss Harry Redknapp.

Rather than being among the chasing teams, Benitez said: “I prefer to be top. It is better for us because we can approach games with more confidence than when you are playing to catch-up at the top.

“If you make a mistake then, it can become very difficult because the gap gets bigger. When you are top there is some leeway. You know that you do have a cushion of some points to do that.

“My view on the season so far is that we are in a very good position, we are glad to be there, but there is still a long way to go.

“We are happy, we are doing well, but we must keep concentration because this is a very long race.

“The pressure does not bother me, it is better to be top than trying to catch-up.

“But we do still have plenty of room for improvement. We need to be more accurate up front and in defence a little more composed.

“We all know we can do it better, we are not bad, but we can be much better.”

Benitez is also well aware of the Redknapp factor, given the impact the former Portsmouth boss has made since the sacking of Juande Ramos.

He said: “I was surprised that Juande has gone, I said that he had good players when he was under pressure.

“Before he was sacked I felt that Spurs would finish a lot higher in the table, and I still have that view.

“When you fire a manager, for me it is never a good decision. For me it is always bad, it is important to keep calm and give managers time, because experience tells you that things are better when you do that.

“Now Spurs have had two games under Harry Redknapp and they have done well, the players have something different to concentrate on.

“When you change a manager, like you saw at Arsenal when Spurs drew 4-4, it can make an immediate difference, they were suddenly much better.

“But the key will be just how they are doing in two or three months’ time.

“They did well at Arsenal, maybe a couple of their goals were a bit lucky, but they still count and it was a good result for them.”

Benitez added: “As for us we must keep the momentum, we have confidence and we are creating chances and not conceding too many.

“It is important to keep the players doing things just as they are doing now.

“What pleases me is that we have been without three of our top players for maybe half the games we have played. Javier Mascherano, Torres and Martin Skrtel have all missed several games each but we are still unbeaten and now top.

“That shows the quality we have in the squad now, it has improved at Liverpool.”

Robbie Keane Fit To Face Spurs

Liverpool striker Robbie Keane has been declared fit for today’s return to his former club in the Barclays Premier League clash at Spurs.

Keane had been struggling with a groin problem and was only used as a last-minute substitute for Steven Gerrard in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Portsmouth.

But Keane can expect to start the match at White Hart Lane, the club he left for £20million in the summer to move to Anfield.

Liverpool seem unlikely to risk fellow striker Fernando Torres, who is still only in light training after a hamstring problem. He is more likely to return for the Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Keane On A Medal Mission: Liverpool Striker Wants To Show Spurs What They're Missing

Robbie Keane can dream about title medals now he is a Liverpool player and, having been told he is starting at White Hart Lane today, he wants to show Tottenham fans what they are missing.

As Harry Redknapp urged the home support not to boo former captain Keane as he makes his first return since his £20.3million summer move to Anfield, Keane admitted: 'There's still a lot more to come.

'You haven't seen the best yet of me but we have a lot of games coming up and I'm looking forward to showing what I can do.

'Every player wants to win things no matter where they are from. You want to look back on your career and see medals.'

Although leaders Liverpool are playing down title talk after their recent back-to-back 1-0 victories over Chelsea and Portsmouth, Keane said: 'We don't talk about things like being top in the dressing room.

'It's there in the background because a lot of people talk about it but we have a lot of experienced players who've won the Champions League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. They'll make sure we handle the pressure.

'We're lucky in that we don't have any players who are cocky or arrogant enough to think they've won anything at this stage of the season.'

In an interview with Liverpoolfc.tv, Keane said: 'Stevie (Gerrard) doesn't go on about it every day but there is a desire inside him and the likes of Jamie Carragher to win the league.

'Their determination rubs off on everyone at the club.'

Spurs boss Redknapp said: 'Robbie deserves a fantastic reception. He gave great service here.

'He stayed for six years and that doesn't happen very often these days. They bought him for £10million and sold him for £20m. That's great business.'

Tim Sherwood has agreed to a part-time role on Redknapp's coaching team, and the Spurs boss also wants Les Ferdinand to work part-time with his strikers.

Redknapp said: 'It's about time we got the younger guys involved. People like Tim and Les Ferdinand have a lot to offer.

'Tim's got a terrific football brain. I'd like to tap in to that and get him on the coaching ladder and see if he likes it.

'We've got to have English coaches coming in coaching at the top of the Premier League.'
Redknapp's positive vibe has infected Tottenham but Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes they were wrong to sack Juande Ramos after less than a year in the job.

'Tottenham have good players,' said Benitez. 'I said before, when Juande was under pressure, that they would finish higher than they are now and I still have the same idea.

'When you fire a manager it is never a good decision.'

And of the Redknapp effect he added: 'It is only two games. When you change managers you always notice something different.

'The question is whether in two or three months it will be the same.'

Liverpool Lifted By Riera Factor, Claims Hyypia

SAMI HYYPIA is better placed than most to pass judgment on Liverpool’s championship prospects, having witnessed more false dawns at Anfield than he cares to remember.

Yet, as he approaches a decade of unstinting service on Merseyside, veteran defender Sami Hyypia detects something different about his team-mates that he believes can underpin their pursuit of that elusive first title since 1990.

If the victories over Manchester United and Chelsea this season have dispelled the myth that Liverpool are reliant solely upon Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for inspiration, then Hyypia also points to the strength of character Rafa Benitez’s side has displayed during an unbeaten start to the season as further cause for optimism.

“The difference from previous seasons I have been here is that in the summer we made some good signings that have settled very well straight away into the team,” said Hyypia, in reference to the instant impact Spanish winger Albert Riera has had since signing from Espanyol.

“We also now have a lot of competition for places, which is something we haven’t maybe had as much of in past seasons.

“And this season maybe we are a bit stronger mentally, too. You only have to look at the way in which we have won some games to see that.

“Every year it seems to be becoming more and more difficult to be on top, what with the other teams strengthening their squads.

“But so far, so good, and hopefully we can keep on going as we have done.”

The victory over Portsmouth on Wednesday underlined Liverpool’s determination that this will be their season, having spent too many recent campaigns watching from afar as the title race reaches a breathless conclusion.

It was a win which owed more to patience and perseverance than the panache they displayed at Stamford Bridge last Sunday in shattering Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten run, but illustrated a versatility that was amply rewarded with Gerrard’s late spot-kick.

“The result is always more important than how you play. At the beginning of the season there were some games in which we didn’t perform brilliantly, but we got the result,” said Hyypia, a runner-up to Arsenal during Gerard Houllier’s reign in 2002.

“If come May we’re at the top of the league, then nobody will remember that we played bad football at the beginning of the season. They’ll just remember that we kept on getting the points and the result is more important than how you get it.

“It was important to keep the momentum going after our win at Chelsea. After the win over United we played Stoke and everybody expected us to win, but we slipped up by being held to a goalless draw. So we had to make sure we didn’t allow it to happen again on Wednesday.

“It’s still early days so we will keep our feet on the ground, take it game by game and just try to win every time.

“We are letting all the other people do the talking. We’re not ones to go shouting about what we are going to do. We are just trying to keep our cool and just keep putting in the good performances.”

A championship gong would complete Hyypia’s medal haul and be a fitting way for him to mark 10 years at Liverpool since a £2.5million move from Dutch side Willem II.

It is the lure of adding to a collection that includes FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League winners’ medals that is likely to ensure that 35-year-old Finnish defender Hyypia resists any overtures from a host of clubs trying to tempt him from Anfield in January.

Newcastle, Wigan and Stoke, to name but a few, would be prepared to offer Hyypia a king’s ransom to leave, but his ties with Liverpool – and Benitez’s faith in him – mean the offers will be rebuffed.

Benitez believes Hyypia’s team-first mentality makes him the perfect squad player and, having used him as a late sub specifically to combat John Terry’s aerial threat in the dying embers of the win at Chelsea, handed him a second start of the season against Portsmouth.

And as Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch could testify yesterday, Hyypia’s appetite for a challenge still remains undiminished. Increasingly, Hyypia believes the same can be said of Liverpool as a whole.

Steven Gerrard: Liverpool Role Is So Special

To mark his fifth anniversary as Liverpool skipper, Steven Gerrard has given his personal account of what it takes to wear the armband in the recently released My Captain's Book. Here, in exclusive extracts from the book, Gerrard tells of the highs, the lows and his ambitions for the future in a revealing insight into Liverpool's inspirational leader.

FIVE years ago this month, Steven Gerrard fulfilled a boyhood dream when he was made captain of the club he had supported all his life.

Following in the footsteps of Liverpool legends like Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen and Emlyn Hughes meant the captain's armband could have weighed heavy on a player who had only turned 23 less than five months earlier.

But through a combination of individual brilliance on the pitch and a growing awareness of what being a skipper is all about, Gerrard has gone on to make the captain's role his own.

In "My Captain's Book", the 28-year-old reveals just what it means to him to be Liverpool's leader on the pitch, why he regards it as one of the ultimate honours of his glittering career and his ambitions for the future.

"It's amazing to think that five years have passed since I was handed the full-time job of being Liverpool captain," writes Gerrard.

"I've been lucky in the time that I've been captain of Liverpool because we've enjoyed some real success – we've been to two Champions League finals and an FA Cup final, winning two out of three.

"I've enjoyed those successes as much as anyone – player or fan. But we want more, we want a hell of a lot more.

"I'd say I've learned more from being a captain when things haven't gone too well. You learn more in football from bad experiences really.

"Obviously, I've had some tremendous highs as captain with the trophies I've lifted.

"Every time we win a football match and I'm wearing that armband, the feeling and the buzz is unbelievable.

"And when you lead the team out . . .

"These are special feelings that I can only really describe because I've experienced them.

"But going out of competitions, bad defeats, losing in cup finals or falling short in the league, you remember and learn from all of that too.

"I think, as captain, I feel more responsible, particularly when we get beaten.

"I'm sure I can speak for Jamie Carragher here too. When we get on that bus after a defeat we know there are hundreds of thousands of people who are disappointed and upset that Liverpool lost.

"But I'd argue to death that there aren't two people who feel it more than me and Jamie.

"I suppose it's because we are captain and vice-captain that we feel this extra responsibility.

"We're out there and it's in our hands with the rest of the squad – but we are the leaders in the pack."

Gerrard's inspirational leadership is one of the main reasons why Liverpool fans are able to look back so fondly on the magical events that took place in Istanbul in 2005 and in Cardiff a year later.

On those never to be forgotten occasions, the Huyton-born midfielder helped drag his team back from the dead as the Reds faced almost certain defeat against AC Milan and then against West Ham United.

A fifth European Cup and a seventh FA Cup are testimony to what Gerrard and his Anfield team-mates achieved on those glorious days, but he insists he will not even begin to be satisfied until the League Championship trophy is back in its rightful home.

"I've still got big ambitions as captain of Liverpool Football Club," writes Gerrard.

"There's a lot I still have to learn and a lot I want to achieve – it's far from over.

"I was wearing the yellow Champions League armband when we won in Istanbul.

"Winning the Champions League has to be the biggest thing that has happened to me in football so far.

"To lift the title wearing the Premier League captain's armband would have to be up there with Istanbul without a shadow of a doubt.

"I'm confident it's going to come – we might have to be patient but I've got confidence it will happen.

"I grew up watching Liverpool teams, great teams with great players, winning title after title and you just expect that dynasty to continue.

"It's been too long away from Anfield and we're determined to start another legacy here in our time.

"We feel we've got the players here to do that."

Gillett Outlines Philosophy At Liverpool, Montreal

George Gillett Jr. has experienced the hostility of fans from Montreal to Liverpool but it never gets any easier.

The 70-year-old sports tycoon acknowledges the magnitude of his duty to supporters of the ice hockey, motorsport and football teams that rely on his investment.

"You feel a responsibility and an embarrassment on occasions when you haven't provided all that you might have,'' Gillett told The Associated Press. "There's a level of embarrassment and you want to correct that quickly.''

Not just at Premier League football club Liverpool, but also in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens and in NASCAR with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

Gillett has endured a torrid year of personal abuse at Liverpool, which he co-owns with Tom Hicks.

Much of the supporters' anger centers on the 18-time English champion's debt and the stalling of construction on a new stadium due to the credit crunch. However, crosstown rival Everton's hopes for a new stadium are in turmoil and the London Olympic 2012 project also shows that economic concerns aren't just Liverpool's domain.

"All the sports teams I know of are re-examining all of their futures, but I think it's a universal not just a sports issue,'' Gillett said.”People making this straight-line connection between the world financial crisis - and sports may be in trouble.

"It's more a story of needing to be cautious and it's not a time to be profligate and so forth as opposed to saying, 'World financial crisis sports must be in trouble.'''

In fact, Gillett entered the race this month to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Montreal and Indian sports are on his radar after several trips to the subcontinent.

In the hockey rinks of North America and the football pitches of Europe, Gillett's assets are thriving.

Liverpool is on the crest of a wave. Not only have tensions thawed between Gillett and Hicks - the owner of the MLB's Texas Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars - but the Reds are top the Premier League, raising hopes of a first English league title since 1990.

Trophies would help heal the owners' relationship with fans.

Just 56 kilometers (35 miles) east of Anfield is Old Trafford, where Manchester United won Champions and Premier League titles not long after the Glazer family's acrimonious takeover caused fans to storm the ground and fight running battles with police.

Gillett takes comfort from his experiences in Montreal. The American crossed the border to take control of Quebec's sacred sports team to be face severe criticism.

"In Montreal, there was deep concern that I had bought the icon of a whole province, perhaps the icon of the sport in Montreal, and I was American and didn't speak the language,'' Gillett said. "There was a level of suspicion: how could someone end up with this kind of money - it must have been in an illegal or crooked way. My reaction was not to be upset with people who legitimately questioned us. That was fine and our comment at the time was, 'Let's let time be the judge and let's see if we can work together on it.'

"And it has worked. I don't think anybody is immune from criticism and I don't think anyone is immune from making mistakes, but I think that to have an individual family or a partnership accused by the media ...''

Gillett stops mid-sentence, aware it would be unwise to reopen old wounds while Liverpool is on a roll domestically and in Europe.

"With Montreal as an example, we proved that our intentions were pure, that we really were fans and that we had the club and fans' interests at heart,'' Gillett said. "Time is an important aspect of all this.''

In Montreal, fans have warmed to the Gillett family since its 2001 takeover. Last season's eastern conference title triumph raised hopes that their 100th season in 2009 produces a 25th Stanley Cup triumph and the first since 1993.

"We missed the playoffs a couple of times while we built a good, strong young team, and that meant stepping back while we developed a strategy of building from within,'' Gillett said.

Gillett will only discuss his general sporting philosophy that could apply equally to Liverpool or the Canadiens.

"We now have a club that will be successful in the long run, that can compete for the championship every year and doesn't depend on buying high-priced players every year,'' Gillett said. "We have a wonderful, built-from-within club that we supplement with superstars. We are not dependent on the superstars and that is a good system.

"It's a system that we believe in as a family. It's a system that we believe will sustain fans' support for the long run. That's important, that we have the fans happy and proud for the long run.''

George Gillett Won't Deny Sale Accusation

GEORGE GILLETT has refused to deny hiring a leading American bank to find a buyer for Liverpool.

In an interview with Canadian radio station Fan 590, Gillett was pressed on a number issues, including the ownership of the club, his relationship with co-owner Tom Hicks and the recent postponement of work on the planned new stadium on Stanley Park.

In response to questioning about speculation that Merrill Lynch have been hired to search for potential buyers, Gillett responded: "We would not have any comment on that.

“ There is too much speculation already," and insisted that a lot of the stories in the British media are "made up".

He was more forthcoming on his relationship with Hicks which has previously been strained.

"We are working together," he said. "Things are good. Tom is a great guy and he is smart as well.

"We got off on the wrong basis and we are a little embarrassed by that."

Gillett was not prepared to put forward his own thoughts on why he and Hicks remain so unpopular with the Liverpool fans, preferring to allow "the club to do the talking".

"I think you would have to ask the fans," he said. "I think there are some things that have happened that upset them.

"But I think they're at a point where they are allowing the boys to demonstrate their skill and allowing Rafa – one of the great coaches in the history of the sport – to do his thing so we just want to leave it that way.

Hicks and Gillett recently announced that plans to build a new stadium had been put on hold because of the credit crunch, but insists preparatory work is ongoing.