Ian Rush: Liverpool Need Carlos Tevez & Xabi Alonso For Next Season

There’s no doubt Liverpool need two or three new signings this summer to strengthen the squad.

I don't think anyone has made either of the positions on the left hand side their own.

We also need a different option up front as we've relied on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard too much.

Ryan Babel and David Ngog haven't proved they are capable of producing the goods on a regular basis so Rafa Benitez needs to bring someone else in.

I would love to see Carlos Tevez at Anfield next season and I think he would fit in really well.

There is also talk of David Silva or David Villa being up for sale as Valencia have got financial problems.

Securing the services of any one of those three players would be a massive boost.

Xabi Alonso's future has been the subject of much speculation but I really hope he stays at Anfield.

I know the club is very close to his heart and he would be a big loss if he left.

I've heard some people suggest we might need to sell Alonso to raise cash for signings but that makes no sense.

If you are going to replace Alonso with a better player, then you would have to spend a lot more money than Liverpool would be able to raise by selling him.

We might get £14m or £15m for him but who could we buy for that money who would do a better job?

How Good Is Fernando Torres?

Last weekend Fernando Torres opened the scoring against Tottenham with a header John Toshack would have been proud of, and with it, scored his 50th goal for the club on only his 84th appearance; reaching that landmark in less games than the like of Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen managed. The great Roger Hunt netting his first 50 goals in 79 games being the only Liverpool player to reach that landmark before him. So much for "foreigners" needing time to bed in and adapt to the pace of the English game.

But just how good is Fernando Torres?

Can strikers be measured only by goals scored, or is their influence on the shape of the side, assists provided or off the ball work as crucial when considering their importance to a side, or deciding their ranking among the world's best?

While Torres weighs in with more than his fair share of goals, his mere presence in the side proves just as crucial at times. Defenders are scared of him. They're scared of his pace. Sides "double up" on him time and time again, sometimes even 3 men pressing each time he's in possession. So while that makes life difficult for our number 9, it draws defenders towards him and creates more and more space for others to exploit. Just by being on the pitch he creates problems. His contribution cannot be measured purely through goals scored.

Having him leading the line changes the way we approach a game, and changes the way sides set up against us. His presence forces the opposition to sit 5 to 10 yards deeper and creates space for Gerrard bursting through as he pulls defenders with him, also creating the space that Yossi Benayoun has exploited brilliantly in the past few months of this season. His role in the side is vital to the way we play, no matter how many goals he contributes. The shadow he casts is priceless.

This season he's started only 20 games in the league and made 4 appearances from the bench. For a lot of those games he's been below peak fitness and returning from injury, and hasn't really once had a chance to build up full match fitness and get into his stride as he did last year. Yet he's still managed to score league 14 goals; only 5 less than the golden boot winner, Anelka. 14 goals in 20 starts make for pretty impressive reading in the circumstances.

The one statistic never mentioned when discussing the goal scoring record of Torres, is that all his goals come from open play; every single one of them. He doesn't take penalties, nor does he take free kicks. The fact that all his goals come from open play shows his goal scoring record in a completely different light, as pretty much all of the great goal scorers I can remember notched their fair share of goals from the spot or dead balls. It's frightening to think how many Torres would score in a season if he took all our penalties.

The partnership he's struck up with Steven Gerrard was one of the finds of last season. The captain has finally found his best position after years of wasted attacking instinct being stifled in central midfield, and his link up play with Torres is an absolute joy to watch. Two world class players that would walk into any side in the world at the forefront of our attack; yet it's a partnership that has featured together only 14 times this season due to injuries. More than anything else, that statistic highlights why we've just fallen short in this season's title race.

Some will point to our victory at Anfield over Man United without either of them in the side, or the victory at Stamford Bridge without Torres, or the numerous draws at Anfield; but I don't think there's any hiding from the fact that if they'd have played together more than 14 times this season then we'd have picked up a few more points along the way. A massive case of what might have been. More than any summer signings or changes at the club before next season, the one difference in next season's title challenge will be keeping Gerrard and Torres fit and playing together more they've managed this year. We haven't got the money to sign a player of similar quality to step in when either are sidelined, nor will any player of that quality be happy to play second fiddle when they are fit. It's vital they play together in the majority of games if we want to become Champions come May.

One of the reasons why he hit the ground running in The Premiership is that he deals with the physical nature of the game brilliantly. Only once in his two seasons in a red shirt can I recall him becoming frustrated with heavy handed treatment dished out during a game and letting it affect his performance. That was in the FA Cup tie at Goodison when he was kicked all over the place, and he began to show signs of it getting to him. Other than that game, he's just got on with it; shrugging off the challenges and letting his football do the talking. His strength on the ball is immense and his desire immeasurable.

The Confederations Cup takes centre stage this summer, for those that even know what it is, and will therefore prevent Fernando Torres from having a few months with his feet up to recharge those batteries for August. But the tournament is nowhere near as intense as a World Cup or the European Championships in which Torres played in all last summer. He'll get far more of a rest this time around, and will return to Melwood refreshed and reenergised for the new season.

If he can stay fit for the majority of next season, then what odds on him finishing top scorer? Considering he was only 5 off the pace this time around with how things panned out over the season, I'd make him a pretty hot favourite to be taking home that golden boot next May.

Keep him and Gerrard fit and he might just be taking home the Premiership trophy as well.

Liverpool FC's Xabi Alonso Targetted By Incoming Chelsea Manager Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has already considered a future with Chelsea, according to revelations made by the AC Milan coach in his autobiography.

In ’Preferisco La Coppa’ (I Prefer The Cup), which was launched in Italy yesterday, the 49-year-old describes two meetings he claims to have held with Blues owner Roman Abramovich last year in Geneva and Paris.

Ancelotti admits he found himself plotting the best way forward for the Stamford Bridge club.

“I confess that at certain points in 2008-09 I watched my DVDs of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba,” said the Italian, who won two European Cups with AC Milan.

“I was already the coach of the boys on paper.”

Ancelotti also proffered the names of two players - Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso and Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery - who he thought could help to turn Chelsea into the attractive, winning side the Russian craves.

“President, your team is very physical, you have to put more quality in the middle of the pitch,” Ancelotti claims to have told Abramovich.

“I gave him two names, Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso.

“He thought of a third name, that of Andriy Shevchenko, who was close to his heart. (Abramovich said:) ’I can’t understand why he’s not playing, because since we brought him to England he’s not the real Sheva.”’

Abramovich is said by Ancelotti to have added: “Chelsea don’t have a personality. I have the ambition of winning every competition in which my team takes part, a team that at the moment I don’t recognise.”

Rafael Benitez Keen To Sign David Wheater

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is hoping to revive his interest in Middlesbrough defender David Wheater after the Riverside club were relegated from the Premier League.

Benitez tried to sign the England under-21 international last summer and enquired about his availability in January but his Middlesbrough counterpart Gareth Southgate was unwilling to part with one of the key players in his side’s battle for survival.

Now, though, Southgate knows he needs to trim his squad to cope with the financial impact of demotion and, with Stewart Downing injured, Wheater is one of his most saleable assets.

The only sticking point for Liverpool would be the defender’s asking price. Birmingham were last week quoted £9 million for the player, a fee Benitez would be unwilling to pay for a back-up central defender with funds at Anfield at a premium.

Sources close to full-back Andrea Dossena have insisted the Italian international is happy at Anfield despite struggling to make impact following his £7 million move from Udinese last summer. Reports in Italy suggest Dossena is a target for Napoli and Sampdoria but he is believed to be willing to remain in England to fight for his place.

Ryan Babel Told He Can Depart Liverpool

According to a report in the British tabloid The Sun, Liverpool have made it known that Ryan Babel can move on during the close-season.

Apparently, the 30-time capped Netherlands international has been frustrated at his lack of playing time since joining the Reds in 2007.

While the 6ft versatile forward, who can play on the wing or as a striker, started 29 games and made a further 20 substitute appearances in the 2007-08 season, he began only 13 times in the 2008-09 season and came off the bench on 29 occasions.

It is thought that his agent, Winnie Haatrecht, met with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez last week to discuss the situation.

However, it is claimed the Spaniard failed to guarantee that the 22-year-old will start more games next year and will allow him to leave the club this summer.

Babel has three years remaining on his current contract. He was linked with a loan move back to Ajax, whom he left for £11.5 million to join the Merseyside outfit, although his £60,000-a-week wages are thought to be a potential stumbling block in his return to the Amsterdam ArenA.

Pepe Reina Would Rejoin Barcelona

Pepe Reina has revealed that he would like to rejoin Barcelona if the chance arose but admits that the Catalan club are not actively looking to sign a goalkeeper at the moment.

The 26-year-old custodian rose through the ranks at Camp Nou before leaving to join Villarreal in 2002 after making just 30 appearances for the Blaugrana.

With Barcelona preparing for the Champions League final and with two domestic trophies already secured, Reina admitted that any player would like to be a part of that.

“Every footballer would be delighted to play for Barca,” he is quoted as saying by Sport.

“Regarding the fact that I know the club pretty well, it would please me, but I am a Liverpool player and feel great there.

"Besides, Barcelona are not after a new keeper. Barca have a great keeper in Victor Valdes, who has achieved a top season and hugely contributed to their Champions League campaign.”

Reina still believes that he has a challenge to overcome at Anfield after the club had a superb season only to be held off by Manchester United in the title race.

“This year we did fight until the end of the Premier League season, but at the end of the day we could not win it," he added.

"We claimed the most points in our history, 86, but still finished second. The team have progressed.”

Tommy Smith - Liverpool FC Have A Ruthless Streak Now

The last game of the season might have been a bit of a low key affair – but it was important Liverpool finished with that win.

Three more goals saw us keep up a fine run of form and although it’s not been quite enough to take us to where we wanted, it’s signalled to the rest of the Premier League that we mean business now.

There’s a ruthlessness developing in this Liverpool side that I like.

We’ve developed a bit of devil about our play and you sense that sides like Spurs, when they face us, are now dreading the prospect.

If you want to be at the very top you have to put fear into the opposition before a ball is kicked.

And I’m seeing more of that in a Reds team which can go into the close season full of belief about the future.

Unfortunately, United turned some of their scrappy performances this season into wins, whereas our below par performances ended in draws.

So that has ultimately proved the difference.

Obviously we need some players in and some out and I’m pleased Rafa Benitez has said he wants it all done quickly this time.

But the one player I am sad to see go is big Sami Hyypia.

I'm not surprised he ended up in tears after the fantastic reception he got in his last game.

Sami’s a true Liverpool legend but I just feel he could have stayed on another season and been a valuable squad member.

We saw that at Old Trafford this season when he played at a moment’s notice and turned in one hell of a performance.

But now he’s gone after 10 great years of top class service I of course wish him nothing but the best.

The fans have left him in no doubt that he will always be a hero to them – and welcome back at Anfield at any time in future.

Liverpool Collect Records But No Trophy

Liverpool completed their first unbeaten home programme for 21 years in a season that has been statistically remarkable if lacking in silverware. Their points tally is their highest in the Premier League, likewise their total of away wins. No team since the top flight was rebranded has lost only two matches in a full season and not finished as champions.

The irony in this, of course, is that it is their home form that has cost them the title. Those two defeats – at Tottenham and, incongruously, Middlesbrough – may have hurt. But far more damaging were the home draws against Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Hull, not to mention Manchester City, even Arsenal, given that Liverpool scored against them four times.

It is a failing to which Rafa Benitez did not refer in his programme notes, preferring to focus on positive facts, although he did confess that ''it is not easy to win this league'', which is something of an understatement. Then again, it could be argued that squandering cheap points at home is a shortcoming that ought not to be too difficult to put right.

Liverpool FC Star Javier Mascherano Urges Club To Buy Tevez

Javier Mascherano has urged Liverpool not to sell Xabi Alonso – while expressing his desire to see compatriot Carlos Tevez at Anfield next season.

Speculation continues to rage over Alonso’s future, despite Rafael Benitez repeatedly stating he does not want the Spanish midfielder to leave.

Real Madrid presidential candidate Florentino Perez is keen to sign Alonso and will reportedly make a £23m bid for the player should he as expected be elected into the Bernabeu hotseat next month.

But Mascherano believes Liverpool should resist any overtures from Madrid.

“Hopefully the great players in Liverpool can stay and we can bring another player to improve the team,” said the Argentine.

“It’s important when you have the team in good form to keep the key players and Xabi is one of them.”

Another player Argentina captain Mascherano wants at Anfield next season is Tevez, his international colleague and briefly his West Ham United team-mate when they both arrived in the Premier League in August 2006.

Tevez is likely to leave United in the summer and Mascherano is convinced Benitez should make a move.

“I don’t know what the situation is but it would be great if Carlos could come here because I know how good he is,” said the midfielder. “But maybe it’s a difficult situation.

“I don’t know exactly what is happening. The only thing I can say is that he is a great player and a great person.

“I don’t speak to him about football situations, just about his family. But everyone knows that Tevez is a great player.”

Rafa Benitez Hopes Steven Gerrard And Fernando Torres Avoid Injury

Rafael Benitez is already praying Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will have an injury-free season next time around.

The Liverpool manager knows any improvement on this term’s runners-up spot in the Barclays Premier League will depend on Gerrard and Torres staying fit.

Benitez believes the pair are a frightening prospect for any opposition when they are in the side together.

But the Anfield outfit’s goal-scoring double act only started 21 games together all season because of injury troubles and that cost them the title, according to the manager.

Torres will be playing in the Confederation Cup this summer in South Africa, while Gerrard has England’s World Cup campaign to consider, something which has further frustrated Benitez.

The Spaniard said: “Fernando will be away with Spain, Steven also has international duty. It is not something we can stop so there’s no point complaining.

“Top players are needed by their countries. But you don’t have to ask me what I would prefer.

“Let’s hope the two of them can then have a relaxing summer and be fully fit when we start again in August, and stay that way through the season.”

Gerrard finished the campaign with 16 league goals, the third highest scorer in the top flight after Cristiano Ronaldo and Nicholas Anelka, and hit 24 in all competitions. Both tallies are career bests for the club captain.

Torres took his season’s tally to 17 with the opening goal in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Spurs, his 50th for the club and a total per games played that is quicker than Kenny Dalglish or Ian Rush achieved for their half-centuries.

The value of Torres and Gerrard to Benitez’s aims is only too obvious.

And as Benitez surveys a season which has seen Liverpool set a Premier League club record of 86 points, remain unbeaten at home in the league and finished the division’s leading scorer, he underlines how difficult it is to win the title.

He said: “We have missed Gerrard and Torres too much, they do make a big difference when they play in the side together which hasn’t happened as much as we would have liked.

“Let’s hope they can have a good rest this summer and be back for what I believe will be a better season.

“We have to maintain the levels of this season, the consistency and quality, to improve next time around.

“But the transfer market will be difficult. There will be many clubs trying to get the very best prices for their players and things may not happen quickly.

“We know players we want to sign but that depends on money and other clubs.

“This is now a challenge for all of us, to make that next step, to get closer to the title.

“We made some mistakes this season, the home draws. Next time we must avoid those mistakes.”

He added: “To get 86 points is a massive achievement, it would have won the league on seven previous Premier League seasons.

“But we have to improve, we have to be almost perfect to win the title with it now being so competitive and with such top sides involved. We have improved a lot this season, if we keep going the same way then we will be closer to the title next season.

“You just need to look at the statistics, we have only lost two games in the league all season and been undefeated at home. In fact we have lost only five of 55 games all season.

“But the Premier League is very difficult, winning trophies in England is very difficult.

“The quality we are facing is in effect the best sides in Europe, all the top four get to the final stages of the Champions League, three to the semi-finals this season.

“There is not just one top side, Manchester United. There’s Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham, they are all able to challenge along with us.”

Liverpool FC's Young Stars Bid To Turn Tables On Gunners

Exactly 20 years ago to the day Arsenal achieved a seemingly impossible result at Anfield to give their season a silver lining.

This evening Liverpool Youth team will look to do the same and turn the tables on their London visitors in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup final.

Few Liverpool supporters will want reminding that on May 26 two decades ago Michael Thomas grabbed the title for the Gunners in the most dramatic of conclusions to a league championship race.

Trailing 4-1 from last Friday’s first leg at Emirates, and with no away goals rule in the Youth Cup, Hugh McAuley’s young Liverpool side must defeat their Arsenal counterparts by twice as much as George Graham’s team to take the trophy.

The Liverpool coach said: “We have got to hope that we can get a good start, get at them and make things happen. We will try and get an early goal and give it our best shot.

“We have to stay positive and believe that we can get a result. That is the talk we will have with the boys.

“Our club has shown that you can pull games back if the attitude is right, the commitment is right and you get the breaks.”

Hertha Pass On Voronin

Andriy Voronin has confirmed that he will not be staying at Hertha Berlin next season.

The Ukraine international joined the German outfit on a season-long loan from Liverpool last summer.

Having struggled to adapt to life in England, the former Bayer Leverkusen forward rediscovered his goalscoring touch once back in the familiar surroundings of the Bundesliga.

He found the target on 11 occasions for Hertha as they challenged for a UEFA Champions League spot.

Their efforts ultimately proved to be in vain, as they finished fourth, and Voronin was informed that he would not be required in the 2009/10 campaign.

"(The match against Karlsruhe on Saturday) was my last match as a Hertha Berlin player," Voronin told Die Welt.

"I want to wish the club and their fans all the best in the future."

Silva Coy On Liverpool And Madrid Reports

David Silva has refused to comment on speculation that he will either join Liverpool or Real Madrid this summer.

Silva is one of the most coveted left wingers in world football, but he will not be playing Champions League football at Valencia next season after Los Ches were beaten by Villarreal on Saturday.

The 23-year-old has always remained loyal to Valencia, but reports in the Spanish press have long linked his name to former manager Rafa Benitez at Liverpool.

Monday reports in Spain are now suggesting Silva would be Florentino Perez’s top target should he win Madrid’s presidential vote, but the Spain international insists his current intention is to stay at La Mestalla.

"I have to be focused first on recovering [from a thigh problem] to be able to help my team and I'm not thinking of anything else,” said Silva, as Valencia prepare to face Athletic Bilbao for a place in the Europa League.

"I don't know anything about the rumours and I insist that I have a contract with Valencia that I wish to fulfil."

Match Report: Liverpool 3 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool claimed runners-up spot in the Barclays Premier League and denied Tottenham European football after a season that produced an unbeaten home league record for the first time in 21 years.

Their unbeaten home stretch was extended to 30 games as Sami Hyypia bid a tearful farewell to Anfield after 10 years at the club.

The ovations were for the veteran Finn and a Liverpool side who had pushed Manchester United close in the title race.

Their goals came from Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and an own goal from Alan Hutton, with Robbie Keane scoring for Spurs on his return to Anfield.

Spurs, even though Fulham lost at home, could not take advantage and will not be in the Europa League next season.

Boss Rafael Benitez left out two defenders who had played in the win at West Brom last week but veteran Hyypia was not in the starting line-up.

A packed Anfield, who sung the Finn's name at every opportunity, would no doubt have liked to see the 35 year-old on from the start before he leaves to join Bayer Leverkusen but it was not to be that romantic a day.

Out went Alvaro Arbeloa, Lucas Leiva and Emiliano Insua, with Fabio Aurelio, Xabi Alonso and Martin Skrtel back in the starting XI.

Spurs were without defender Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Tom Huddlestone (knee), while Roman Pavlyuchenko was back on the bench. Alan Hutton, Gareth Bale and Didier Zokora returned.

Hyypia's name echoed around the stadium beforehand and there was a new, giant flag in his honour on the Kop.

But, ever the perfectionist, Benitez used both Daniel Agger and Skrtel in central defence with Jamie Carragher at right-back, as Liverpool tried to pin down the one point needed to be certain of runners-up spot.

They started at great pace, with Steven Gerrard firing over with a hooked shot from 25 yards, while Benayoun fired over from close in after Dirk Kuyt's header down.

Spurs were organised and controlled. Ledley King at the back even out-paced Torres on one run, while Jermain Defoe searched for the gaps at the other end.

Torres sparked into life when he surged through from midfield, got himself clear in the box but saw his attempt to steer a shot wide of Heurelho Gomes thwarted by a defiant challenge by Jermaine Jenas.

But he did not have to wait long for the breakthrough. Kuyt's cross from the left sailed towards the far post where Hutton was patently the wrong side of Torres.

The Spaniard rose to head in off the underside of the bar - his 50th goal for the club - with Gomes not even getting off the ground.

Spurs then lost Jenas - David Bentley coming on as a 39th-minute substitute - with the midfielder still suffering from the injury he had sustained in stopping Torres earlier.

Defoe then beat the offside trap to race clear but Jose Reina managed to block the chipped shot with his body, just outside the area.

King was felled by a fierce Skrtel drive in the box and Alonso tried to beat Gomes from the half-way line - a trick shot he has succeeded within the past but not this time.

Spurs responded with a curling Bale free-kick that was pulled down by Reina. Then another Skrtel drive following a corner deflected inches wide.

But Liverpool finally got their second when Benayoun's cute pass set up Kuyt for a shot from just inside the box. It looked to be going just wide but Hutton's outstretched foot turned the effort past Gomes.

The calls for Hyypia's involvement increased from the Kop but it was Albert Riera who was the first Liverpool substitute, in place of Kuyt after 66 minutes.

Gerrard then hit the far post from an acute angle. Hyypia at last came off the bench for a warm-up.

There is still plenty of speculation about Alonso's future but he had been outstanding throughout and forced Gomes into a flying save to his left.

Pavlyuchenko then replaced Defoe after 70 minutes for Spurs but Liverpool were in full flow now and Gerrard was next to go close with a curler from the edge of the box.

The Kop were now baying for Hyypia but, after 77 minutes, Robbie Keane - on his return to Anfield - was put clear by Luka Modric to calmly slot in only his fifth goal for Spurs since returning to White Hart Lane from Anfield in January.

Spurs then brought on another striker, Darren Bent, for Bale while Liverpool replaced Torres with David Ngog.

But Liverpool's worries were ended when Gerrard slipped the ball to Benayoun, who eased his way into the box to clip the third past Gomes.

The "we want Sami" barrage was booming again. Surely Benitez could risk it now. Vedran Corluka was booked for a foul on Gerrard and at last Hyypia was allowed to take off his training top for one last cameo appearance.

There was seven minutes to go, Gerrard was the man taken off and he made sure he put his captain's armband onto the giant defender as he came off.

Hyypia almost scored with a typical flying header from Aurelio's corner and at the end he was carried off by his team-mates at the end of a career that makes him a Liverpool favourite.

Rafael Benitez Wants Near Perfection For Next Season

Rafael Benitez admitted there were mixed feelings as Liverpool ended their season on a winning note.

The Anfield outfit secured a 3-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday to finish the campaign on 86 points, their highest tally in the Premier League era.

However, despite losing only two league games, remaining unbeaten at home and being the top-flight’s leading scorers, Liverpool’s efforts weren’t enough to overhaul champions Manchester United.

And Benitez said: “There is both pride and disappointment. We have to be proud because when you talk about 86 points, it’s massive.

“But still it’s not enough to win the title. Clearly we have to improve and be almost perfect if we want to win the title.

“It’s not just United. You see Chelsea, you see Arsenal, and I’m sure Aston Villa, City and Tottenham will be better in the future.

“We have only lost two games in the Premier League and five in all competitions.

“It’s not easy ending the season without a trophy with these numbers but the Premier League and England is very difficult. We still have to improve, but clearly we have improved a lot.

“We have to now keep the same level as this season, the consistency. You can talk about the draws but also we’ve won a lot of games at the end. We need to be more ruthless from the beginning.

“It’s a challenge for us now to sign the right players, start the season like we did this one and not make mistakes.”

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp saw his club’s chance of European football ended, despite seventh-placed Fulham’s home defeat by Everton.

A win would have seen Tottenham leapfrog their London rivals to claim a UEFA Europa League spot.

Redknapp said: “We were short of several players, and lost Jonathan Woodgate the day before the match.

“We tried our hardest, European football would have been a real achievement considering the position Spurs were in when I arrived at the club.

“We almost did it in the end. But to have climbed from bottom to eighth is something to be proud of.

“We were just not able to hurt Liverpool. Some of our defending was poor, the goals we gave away could have been averted.”

The game saw Sami Hyypia’s final appearance for Liverpool and Redknapp added: “It was nice to see Sami Hyypia come on. He got an unbelievable ovation from a fantastic club.”

Liverpool Should Chase David Silva

If Liverpool are to improve on their runners-up spot in the Premier League, they will need to sign at least one player of proven quality this summer.

Valencia's David Silva could be a player that makes a big difference for The Reds, if they were to splash out on the 23-year-old.

The Spain international is able to play anywhere in attack, which means that Rafa Benitez could slot him into either the wide right, wide left, or the second striker position.

He does favour cutting in from the left and this is why he would be a great signing for Liverpool as that is a position that they have yet to really fill. Albert Riera started the season well there, Ryan Babel played decent in some substitution appearances, while Yossi Benayoun finished the campaign in great form - often playing there. But none have made the position their own.

The arrival of Silva would give Riera competition for the place, while Benayoun can then challenge Dirk Kuyt for the wide right spot as he prefers to drift in from that side or from the centre.

Riera will surely be a lot stronger next season, but it wouldn't do him any harm to have to fight for his place. Babel could then be used more as a striker, unless Silva was tasked with playing elsewhere on the pitch.

Benitez will more than likely receive the same warning that the other top flight managers will this summer, in that they have to sell players before they bring anyone new in. This shouldn't be too much of a problem though as there are a few ready to be ushered towards the exit door.

It will be very surprising if the likes of Jermaine Pennant, Charles Itandje, and Andriy Voronin turn up to Melwood for pre-season training. Then there are other players, like Nabil El Zhar or Sebastian Leto, who might move on due to limited opportunities in the first-team.

The bulk of the transfer speculation will surround Aston Villa's Gareth Barry (until his future is decided), but bringing in someone like Silva, who can add so much to their attack, would allow them to not rely so heavily on Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso as their creative forces in midfield.

Silva has the ability to take on defenders and set chances up for his team-mates, to produce a defence-splitting pass or piece of skill that opens things up, to score crucial goals, and to have an impact on games when nothing is going Liverpool's way.

With a player like Silva in their squad, The Reds would surely be able to go that next step and end their hunt for a league title.

Gerrard Tells Benitez: Please Keep Lucas

Steven Gerrard has urged Rafael Benitez to keep faith with midfielder Lucas and give the Brazilian the chance to become a Liverpool legend.

Reds skipper Gerrard is a big fan of Lucas, who has come under-fire this season following a number of poor performances.

Benitez is already planning an overhaul of his squad with Lucas one of the players that looks set to be offloaded.

But Gerrard reckons Benitez should persist with the 22-year-old and says his team-mate can become a huge hit on Merseyside.

"Lucas has had criticism and for me it's been unfair," said Gerrard.

"He's a young lad learning his trade and he's certainly got a bright future.

"He does a lot of work that goes unnoticed in this team. He's come into some big games when the manager has said 'sink or swim'.

"He swam, very well, and he's done really well for us."

Rafa Benitez's Five-Year Plan For Liverpool FC Is Dependent On Next Five Weeks

It has taken Rafael Benitez five years to close the gap at the top of the Premier League. At the end of his first full Anfield season the Reds were a cavernous 37 points behind runaway champions Chelsea.

Now they’re the equivalent of turning a couple of home draws into victories behind Manchester United.

Whether Benitez can close the most difficult gap of all, however, could depend on the next five weeks.

After the competitive action came to a predictably uncompetitive end at Anfield yesterday, attention instantly switched to the identity of the men the Liverpool manager seeks to bring in this summer.

And perhaps even more importantly, who he lets go.

“No names, today, please” he grinned, as soon as the first transfer related query was directed his way after the 3-1 defeat of Tottenham.

But evidence that Benitez was thinking of the future had already been presented in his extended look at the Martin Skrtel-Daniel Agger central defensive axis.

Touted as the club’s future central defensive partnership, the pair have not started a match together before.

But with Alvaro Arbeloa injured, Benitez ignored the sentimental claims of Sami Hyypia – and the increasingly insistent demands of The Kop – to scrutinise the young duo for almost the entire afternoon.

It was the 83rd minute before Big Sami was called for his emotional swansong.

Even then, it was Steven Gerrard who was asked to make way, with Agger and Skrtel remaining in situ until the final whistle.

But it was difficult to form too much of an opinion of their future prospects against a demotivated Tottenham.

“Liverpool were a bit end-of-seasonish,” said Harry Redknapp. “If we’d have upped the tempo there’s a chance we could have gotten something here today.

“I told them at half-time, listen we’ve got to raise our game here. Fulham are getting beat. But we were a little bit short.”

That certainly applied to their forward line.

Spurs turned to all four international strikers during the course of an afternoon that started slowly and picked up pace as the match wore on.

But Pepe Reina only had a couple of long range shots to field before, ironically, it was Robbie Keane who found a way past him for the first time this month.

Keane had taken 17 minutes before he even touched the ball, and his most meaningful moment of the first 45 minutes was an embarassingly miscued volley.

But he finished clinically enough when he found himself clean through in the 76th minute – and after being ignored by the home fans all afternoon – a fate perhaps even more cutting than being booed – his respectfully muted celebrations brought appreciative applause from The Kop.

The most insistent calls from the home fans, however, came in the demands for Sami Hyypia to be introduced.

Rafa’s reluctance stressed that his thinking was focused very much on the future rather than the past.

“I was waiting for the last minute,” he explained somewhat puzzingly afterwards. “I thought that was best for the fans. I thought the last minute would be perfect, but the fans were pushing, pushing . . . so we brought him on for Gerrard so he could have the armband.”

Sami Hyypia most certainly will not be at Anfield next season.

Whether Xabi Alonso follows him out of the Anfield exit door remains to be seen.

The Spaniard had a quiet game yesterday, and his influence on the Liverpool squad is worthy of an article all of its own.

But, for now at any rate, Benitez was adamant that the 27-year-old is not for sale.

There has been plenty to admire in this second half of the season.

An unbeaten home league record for the first time in 21 years was secured; a more adventurous, ambitious attacking policy which saw the season end with 77 goals and the best goal difference in the country – in all four divisions – was completed.

And there were no unecessary injuries to worry about – with fingers crossed now that the pointless Confederations Cup brings no unwanted surprises this summer.

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are clearly pivotal to Liverpool’s future prospects.

Yesterday was only the 14th time this season the pair have started together.

And Torres’ headed finish from a Dirk Kuyt cross was pivotal.

But, so, too could be the next few weeks.

Manchester United have won the last three Premier League titles, but the margin of victory has been progressively smaller.

It was 21 points in 2007, down to 11 last season – now just four points remain between the North-West rivals.

This could be a very interesting summer.

Napoli Awaiting Formal Liverpool Offer For Ezequiel Lavezzi

Ezequiel Lavezzi’s representative, Alejandro Mazzoni was in Catania yesterday and met with Napoli director of sport Pierpaolo Marino ahead of the Serie A match between the Etnei and the Azzurri.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mazzoni has insisted that Premier League giants Liverpool have approached him with a €22 million offer to take the 24-year-old to Anfield, and that if the Partenopei are prepared to turn it down, it means they have the finances to grant his client a pay rise.

Lavezzi currently earns wages of €1.1m per year at the San Paolo and the agent is allegedly seeking a pay rise to €3m, which is the same amount of cash the Merseyside club have apparently put on the table for him.

However, Marino is said to be suspicious of Mazzoni’s claims and has demanded an official document proving Liverpool’s offer, before deciding whether to open talks with the Reds.

‘El Pocho’ has also been strongly linked with a move to Juventus in recent weeks, but the Old Lady have denied making a bid for the Argentine, who has netted seven goals in all competitions this term.

Sami Hyypia: Istanbul Is My Liverpool Career Highlight

Sami Hyypia has described the 2005 Champions League victory against Milan as the greatest moment of his ten year career with Premier League giants Liverpool.

The 35-year-old played his final game for the Reds against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday since signing from Willem II for £2.6 million in 1999.

Ten years, 454 appearances and 33 goals later, the 97-time capped Finland international defender has named the 2005 Champions League final when Liverpool came from 3-0 down to beat Milan on penalties as his finest moment.

"I think every player dreams of winning the Champions League at some time in their career or even just to be in the final and I have managed to play in the final and win it," Hyypia told The Liverpool Echo.

"So Istanbul is definitely a highlight of my life and I think from a fan point of view the way the game went made it even more special.

"Even the neutral fans of football will remember this game for ever because to come back from 3-0 down against AC Milan and then go on to win it is an incredible result.

"Even in a normal game this would be special so for it to happen in the Champions League final makes it even more so and it will stay in the memories of the players and the fans for the rest of our lives."

The 6ft 4in centre-back has won two FA Cups, two League cups, one UEFA Cup, one Champions League and two UEFA Super Cups with the Merseyside based club, much to his delight especially as he never expected to become a first team regular.

"I didn’t think I would be here for ten years. When I first came I thought that I would be on the bench sometimes and would play sometimes but would maybe have to get used to not playing all the time," Hyypia added.

"But then before the season started I realised that I really had a chance to be in the first eleven all the time and this encouraged me to work even harder.

"I’m not saying that I didn’t work hard from day one because it’s my nature always to work hard and then see what happens.

"But I didn’t have a lot of expectation for the first season. I just thought that I would do my best and show everybody that I could play football.

"It was also a good situation for me to start here because nobody knew me and nobody really had any big expectations of me."

While Hyypia admits that Sunday will be an emotional occasion, he is not getting too carried away because, as he puts it, he is not retiring just yet, just moving on.

"I remember a few games when I wasn’t happy with how I had played," Hyypia remarked.

"But there are so many good things to remember that it means the bad things stay in the background.

"I think Sunday will be a sad day but it’s not like I am retiring or anything. I just have a new challenge."