Match Report: Marseille 1 - 2 LiverpooL

Steven Gerrard played a captain's role by taking his Liverpool goals tally to 99 as the Merseysiders opened their Champions League group campaign with a crucial win.

The Stade Velodrome had been the venue for Liverpool's European salvation last season, and Gerrard made sure it was a welcome return to the south of France.

Marseille had taken the lead early on through their skipper Lorik Cana, but Gerrard - already Liverpool's record scorer in Europe - grabbed a fine equaliser with an outstanding 25-yard curler.

Then six minutes later he cracked home a twice-taken penalty to give Liverpool something to hang on to.

And they needed to fight hard as the French side battled bravely in the second period, but Liverpool clinched their victory with a defiant rearguard action.

The Reds included both Gerrard and Fernando Torres in their starting line-up for the opening group D clash.

Both key players have been recovering from injury and their inclusion was a major boost for the Anfield club.

Andreas Dossena came into the side in place of calf-injury victim Fabio Arbeloa, while Lucas took over in midfield from Xabi Alonso.

Marseille, who won 1-0 in the Champions League last term at Anfield before losing the return 4-0, included Hatem Ben Arfa, their £10m signing from Lyon, who had recovered from an ankle problem.

Skipper Cana also returned, having been rested at the weekend in the draw at Bordeaux.

Liverpool had opted for caution with Robbie Keane and Albert Riera both on the bench. Gerrard was being used in the attacking midfield role that worked to such good effect last season, and several times early on Liverpool could have scored.

After just seven minutes, Steve Mandanda tipped over a Lucas header and soon afterwards Dirk Kuyt's pass set-up Ryan Babel.

The Dutchman created the space with his first touch but blasted a good opening high over. Then Gerrard forced Mandanda into a diving save before Torres saw a header clear the far angle.

Marseille had chances of their own. Mamadou Niang was clear on the left but wasted the opportunity, shooting high over. Martin Skrtel was booked for a late tackle on Niang after 20 minutes as the game became surprisingly open.

But after 23 minutes the French side were ahead when they caught Liverpool square and punished them with a fine goal.

Rarely are Liverpool exposed straight through the middle, but when Benoit Cheyrou's first-time ball sent Cana clear, his quality side-footed finish sent the Velodrome fans wild.

Liverpool's response was emphatic.

Two minutes later Torres won possession on the halfway line and presented Kuyt with a pass on the right that was instantly played into Gerrard's path.

The Liverpool skipper struck a first-time, curling effort from 25-yards that soared over Mandanda into the far corner for the equaliser.

And after 31 minutes Liverpool were ahead. Babel's sharp turn in the box ended with Ronald Zubar's trip and a penalty. Zubar was booked before Gerrard struck the ball past Mandanda off the post.

But Austrian referee Konrad Plautz ordered a re-take because Kuyt had encroached into the box. Gerrard kept his nerve and clinically netted a second time to put Liverpool ahead.

The double strike extended Gerrard's European goals record for the club. Last season, in the Anfield side's 4-0 win in Marseille, Gerrard's goal that night broke Michael Owen's benchmark of 23.

He extended that tally later in the competition to 25, and two more here in the opening half for the captain stretched his tally to 27, and 99 for the club in all competitions.

Marseille were stunned and soon sent on Mathieu Valbuena for the injured Modeste M'Bami after 41 minutes.

Ben Arfa lasted until the 56th minute before his ankle problem forced him off, Karim Ziani taking over.

The game was still very open. Babel almost forced the ball around Mandanda at one end, while Liverpool were making too many defensive errors at the other for Benitez to rest easy.

Marseille could easily have been level when Vitorino Hilton met a corner with a fierce downward header that Jose Reina managed to hold on to.

Liverpool sent on Riera after 64 minutes for Torres, who had looked short of pace after his spell out, before Ziani struck a 12-yarder over the bar as Marseille searched for parity.

The Reds then withdrew Gerrard after 68 minutes, sending on Yossi Benayoun with Babel now the lone striker.

Liverpool had got the most possible out of their recently-injured stars, and it was now left to their colleagues to withstand a mounting Marseille onslaught.

Ziani fired over again before Mamadou Samassa replaced Bakari Kone.

Babel saw a golden chance to finish the contest go to waste after 74 minutes when Riera and Benayoun set him up close in, only for Mandanda to save the point-blank effort.

The youngster then struck the post after 78 minutes as he surged through on the left. But still Marseille came forward searching for the equaliser as Liverpool sought to punish them on the break.

With five minutes left, Kuyt was replaced by Keane, fresh legs to the cause as Liverpool continued to hang on.

Niang saw a diving header go wide from a right-wing cross, Marseille still fighting for an equaliser.

Reina saved superbly in injury-time from Niang and Liverpool had their victory.

Gerrard Hopes For 100th Goal

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard hopes his 100th goal for the club will prove to be 'a special one'.

Gerrard took his tally for the Reds to 99 on Tuesday with a decisive brace in the UEFA Champions League group win over Marseille.

The midfielder's first goal for the club arrived in December 1999 against Sheffield Wednesday and he is now on the brink of a personal landmark.

However, Gerrard insists the priority is for Liverpool to keep winning and he accepts there will have to be an improvement upon the Marseille performance.

"I hope it's a special one," Gerrard told Sky Sports about the prospect of his 100th Liverpool goal.

"Hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.

"I'm not thinking about that, I'm just thinking about winning football matches for the team.

"Tonight was a good win, but we'll certainly have to up the performance."

Rafa Sees Room For Improvement

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes his side must find another gear despite coming from behind to secure a vital victory against Olympique Marseille last night.

The Reds triumphed 2-1 in their Champions League opener at the Stade Velodrome thanks to a captain's brace from fit-again Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool conceded the first goal of the game to l'OM skipper Lorik Cana midway through the first half, but Gerrard rallied with a 20-yard stunner and a penalty to put his side ahead eight minutes later.

However, the Merseyside club were under the pump throughout the second period and could well have left the south of France with nothing were it not for the heroics of under-siege 'keeper Pepe Reina.

And while Benitez was pleased with the result, he insisted the performance was not quite up to scratch - especially when compared to their domination of Manchester United on Saturday.

“The key was to get a third goal and finish the game. When we couldn’t do that we were a bit lucky in the end,” the Spaniard told the press.

“Coming from behind tells me we need to improve in defence but also that the mentality is very good.

“We are ready for winning and recovering from bad situations.

“The first game in your group is really important to win. It puts us in a good position. PSV and Atletico Madrid will find it difficult here.”

Mascherano Hails The Gerrard Effect

Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has praised his Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the wake of the club's 2-1 victory over Marseille last night.

Gerrard struck a first-half brace to give the Merseysiders a satisfactory start to Group D. The 28-year-old netted a penalty on the half hour after levelling Lorik Cana's opener with a majestic curling effort that beat Steve Mandanda all ends up.

His midfield colleague Javier Mascherano has hailed his captain's impact and revealed the pleasure of playing with Gerrard on the field.

He told UEFA.com: "What a player. With a world-class player like Stevie, it's always a joy and you just try to give him responsibility on the pitch."

Mascherano put in a tireless display in Liverpool's win over Manchester United on Saturday, leading to some observers concluding that it was his best performance in a Liverpool shirt. The Reds started the 2-1 Anfield win without their skipper, who was recovering from double-groin surgery. He was fit enough to play only 22 minutes of the encounter.

However, Gerrard was sufficiently able to take his place in last night's starting line-up and responded with a match-winning display.

His Argentinean team-mate was eager to emphasise the importance of Gerrard to the side, and hailed his effect on the team.

He continued: "He's very good for us and we can play with confidence when he's there. Marseille had four or five players in attack who played very well. They were good between the lines, very quick and it was difficult to contain them, but Stevie made the difference for us."

Pepe Positive After Liverpool Win

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is in a positive state of mind after his side came from behind to claim three points in Marseille last night.

Liverpool were trailing to Lorik Cana's opener before Steven Gerrard rescued the tie with a brace at the other end. The Reds captain netted a twice taken penalty kick to put alongside his fantastic leveller from 25 yards.

However, it is with the penalty kick that his goalkeeper Pepe Reina is most impressed. After being told to re-spot his penalty, Gerrard successfully dispatched the kick beyond Steve Mandanda a second time.

Reina told the club's official website: "The nerve of Steven Gerrard is unbelievable. He showed he can handle the pressure in this situation. It was incredible. That's why he's Stevie."

After the game, the squad member of Spain's Euro 2008 triumph was singled out for praise following a string of fine stops.

Liverpool have made a great start to the competition this season as they feature in what is probably the most difficult group to negotiate.

Reina lavished the praise on last night's opposition, but revealed his happiness at having secured the first three points of the campaign.

He continued: "We knew it would be tough because Marseille are a better side than they were last season. They were difficult to handle between the lines because they have skilful players with pace. They created problems for us but you expect that in Europe.

"It's a great start for us and it gives us the confidence to look forward. We are very happy.

"The positive thing is we have a winning mentality and players who can come in and do a job at the same level as those they are replacing. There is still a lot of room for improvement though and we have to keep working hard day after day."

Liverpool FC Legend John Barnes Is New Jamaica Coach

LIVERPOOL legend John Barnes will take over as Jamaican national team coach on November 1 - with the task of guiding the tiny nation to the World Cup finals.

Barnes, whose only experience of coaching was a stint at Celtic from June 1999 to February 2000, has signed a one-year contract.

Born in Jamaica he was the unanimous choice of the Jamaican Football Federation.

Jamaican chief Horace Burrell said: “John has a lot of experience playing at the highest level.

“He’s in fact an icon to many black players. He has had a short stint in coaching, but we believe that this individual has enough in him, and with a good support staff, we can see Jamaica through to this round of the qualifiers and beyond.

“In international football you need an individual with international stature. Having a coach of international repute opens a number of opportunities for our national team.

“Many countries will invite you to play friendlies only because of the image and reputation of your coach.

“When an icon like John Barnes becomes the coach of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz team, immediately the international spotlight shines on Jamaica in every single aspect of the sport.

Former Tranmere star Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore will lead the Reggae Boyz in their next two CONCACAF Group B semi-final World Cup qualifying games against Mexico and Honduras in Kingston next month. Barnes’ first match in charge will be against Canada on November 19.

Brazilian technical director, Rene Simoes, was sacked last Thursday. The Boyz crashed to Honduras 2-0 in San Pedro Sula the night before – a result that flung the qualifying campaign to the 2010 South Africa World Cup in a spin after “top players” were consistently left out of the team, with Hull striker Marlon King in particular consistently overlooked.

Burrell added: “The JFF feels very confident that with the new adjustments, we will make it to South Africa 2010.

“We have to go for the experienced players. Mexico, Honduras and Canada all have professional players.”

Tommy Smith: Liverpool Made Us Feel So Proud

NO COLUMNIST enjoys giving stick to players - but sometimes you have to do it.

So it is only fair that after a performance like Saturday's, every Liverpool player involved gets a huge pat on the back from me.

That is what they all thoroughly deserve after a magnificent performance against Manchester United, one which lifted the heart of every Reds fan, including me.

Let's be honest, when we saw the team sheet was missing Torres and Gerrard, it looked like we really were up against it.

But the players rose to the challenge and produced terrific performances all over the Anfield pitch.

Liverpool have perhaps been guilty of a lack of belief at times against United and the fact we hadn't beaten them for so long in the league was clearly a factor in that.

But faint hearts never win anything – and it was great to see the confidence and togetherness of the lads.

Rafa Benitez rightly highlighted the character they showed after going down to that early Tevez goal. I was delighted to see the team not shrinking but growing and fighting their way back with such obvious determination and self belief.

We closed United down at every opportunity. Mascherano led the way and was wonderful; Dirk Kuyt as usual never stopped while Xabi Alonso gave his best performance for a long time and had a huge influence on the outcome. And while Robbie Keane may not have performed miracles in possession, he tore around tormenting United's defenders..

Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel were rocks at the back and Arbeloa also showed just how solid and committed he can be.

The fans too played their part. These lunchtime kick offs usually affect the mood inside the ground but on Saturday in the sunshine it felt more like a European night.

A word too for Rafa Benitez. Once again he got it right with his tactics and the use of his substitutes. He put Ryan Babel on at just the right time and gave him the right orders. The manager must take credit for the fact that Babel popped up as the match winner.

The challenge now must be to take this long overdue win over United and bottle it.

If we show this sort of spirit and determination against all our opponents in the league then I’m sure we will make the progress we are all desperate to see this year.

The message to the players is simple.

Well done lads – in future pretend you are playing United every time you take to the pitch!

With an attitude like Saturday's we won't go far wrong.

Hamburg To Make £14million January Raid For Liverpool Striker Kuyt?

SV Hamburg coach Martin Jol is reportedly considering another move for Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt in the January transfer window after making an approach this summer for the Dutch International, which came to nothing due to the asking price from the Reds, according to reports.

28-year-old Kuyt has two years left on his current contract at Anfield after making the switch to the Premier League from Ererdivisie team Feyenoord in 2006 on a four-year deal to the Merseyside club.

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Jol is a big admirer of his fellow Dutchman, with Jol attempting to bring the forward to Spurs, while he was in charge at White hart Lane, but eventually missed out to Rafa Benitez’s side.

However, it is now understood that Jol is preparing a £14million bid for Kuyt in the January window, which could prove enough to let Benitez let Kuyt leave Anfield for the Nordbank Arena.

Kuyt has been quoted recently as saying that Jol was someone he would want to work with in the future.

“Martin Jol is one of the best Dutch coaches, someone who I want to work with possibly in the future,” Kuyt told Sportsweek recently.

“I am happy at Liverpool. My contract still has two more years to run.”

Ablett Throws Down CupGauntlet

Gary Ablett has thrown down a League Cup gauntlet to his young starlets ahead of their clash with Sunderland tonight.

With the Carling Cup third round tie against Crewe Alexandra beckoning at Anfield next Tuesday night, Ablett is hoping the likes of Stephen Darby and Jay Spearing can impress manager Rafael Benitez and give him a selection poser.

The likes of Darby, Spearing, Damien Plessis and Emiliano Insua are expected to be involved against the Black Cats but Krisztian Nemeth is ruled out after picking up a knock on international duty with Hungary.

"I would hope some of the lads might get a chance against Crewe but we know the size of Rafa's first-team squad," Ablett told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"There's about 26 players in his squad now and it's going to be ever so difficult to get an opportunity. There's a lot of players who haven't played on a regular basis so far and they are going to want to play some football.

"Only Rafa knows what his plans are for Crewe and we will just have to wait and see how results go in the meantime.

"It's interesting when you speak to the likes of Carra and Stevie G about how the young lads did during pre-season and they have nothing but praise for them.

"Darby is the captain and one of those lads that would run through a brick wall for this club. He has got a fantastic attitude in training and during the matches. You ask him to do a job for the team and he will never complain. He will just get on with it and do it to the best of his ability which, nine times out of 10, will be a fantastic performance.

"Unfortunately, Nemeth picked up an injury while on international duty with Hungary Under-21s, but he's back in training and hopefully will be ready for a game in a week to 10 days."

Tonight's visit is the second north east trip of the season for Ablett's men after their opening 1-0 win at Middlesbrough. The jaunt to Hetton-Le-Hole is always a poignant visit for any Liverpool side with it being the birthplace of the great Bob Paisley.

The season before Ablett made his senior debut for Liverpool, Paisley was advisor to manager Kenny Dalglish, and as a young boy coming through the ranks he was well aware of just how special the great man was.

"I remember just being totally in awe of the man when you walked past him down the corridor," he added. "You look around Anfield and Melwood now and you see the foundations that Bob and Bill Shankly made. We've got them to be ever so thankful for.

"This club has got fantastic links up in Hetton-Le-Hole with Bob. It's a great chance for some of our young players to know about the history and the personality that Bob was, and what an influence he had on Liverpool."

Sunderland were the last team to beat Liverpool in the Barclays Premier Reserve League North when they won 1-0 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in October 2007. However, Ablett's side got their revenge with a 1-0 win in the return game in Hetton-Le-Hole.

"We were unlucky not to take something out of that game we lost to Sunderland, and I remember Emiliano Insua hitting the bar and their 'keeper making a great save from Jay Spearing," said Ablett.

"When we beat them in the return fixture that was a very difficult game. Sunderland normally play a few seniors against us but it's one we are looking forward to, because we know on our day we can beat anyone.

"It was a bit of magic and strength from Nemeth that won us the game last season. He held their new centre half off and finished with a lob over the goalkeeper. It was a fantastic goal.

"We know teams want to beat us so we need to be prepared and go and play at the best of our ability every time we play. It was a good start for us beating Middlesbrough we want to show everyone what we are capable of again this season."

Spanish teenager Dani Pacheco caught the eye against 'Boro with a man of the match display, and Ablett has promised there is a lot more to come from the 17-year-old this season.

"Dani has had a great start to his career with us," said Ablett. "With him being so young last year we felt it would be more beneficial to let him settle in and keep bring him on as a substitute.

"Rafa gave him a chance with the first team during pre-season and he did particularly well. Our job is to keep him motivated at our level and we saw signs against Middlesbrough that he is quite prepared to do that. He passed the ball as well as I've ever seen him and he made the goal for Jordy.

"The disappointing thing from my point of view is when he went clean through on goal and hit the post. That's something we've got to get into Dani's game, get him scoring more goals but that will happen. He's still young and will keep improving."

Robbie Keane Needs A Goal To Settle Into His Role At Liverpool

Encouraged no end by Saturday's exceptional display that had Manchester United choking in their slipstream, Liverpool must feel in pretty fine fettle going into their Champions League opener with Marseille.

Rafael Benitez knows, after all, that there's so much more to come from this group of players, particularly the one bought at considerable expense from Tottenham in the summer.

In many ways, Robbie Keane has yet to get going at his new club. At the moment, it's as if he's trying too hard to succeed at the club he supported as a boy.

Easier said than done, but he just needs to relax a bit more and become the player that persuaded Benitez to shell out £20 million.

Mind you, like all front men, that will probably only happen when he finds the back of the net and, in Keane's case, heads for the corner flag to complete that trademark celebration, the one that ends with him firing pretend shots at the crowd.

Only then will he begin to loosen up and start showing his new public what he can really do. At the moment, there's a bit of tension to his game, especially when the goal comes within range.

You could see it at the weekend in the way he snatched at one chance before reacting too slowly when Javier Mascherano's pulled shot headed his way – nothing too serious, merely evidence of a player tightening up slightly.

As always with strikers starting out at new clubs, Keane just needs a break of the ball, a bit of luck in the penalty box, then the Republic of Ireland captain can start doing himself justice, whilst developing a better understanding with Fernando Torres.

As yet, we haven't seen the pair click. A combination billed as potentially lethal has lain largely dormant over the first few weeks of the season.

We can put that down to a few things. For a start, the early season internationals certainly haven't helped. With the best players disappearing to all four corners of the globe, the top club managers struggle for continuity.

Having said that, Benitez didn't exactly further the cause of this promising axis when plonking Keane on the left wing recently in a defensive approach at Aston Villa.

Liverpool supporters, let alone the player concerned, won't want to see too much of that as they look forward to the partnership taking off. Who can blame them either when, in theory, the Irishman and the Spaniard should dovetail beautifully to form the kind of potent attacking partnership Anfield hasn't seen in years?

Yet in Torres' absence on Saturday (the Spaniard's recovering hamstring kept him on the bench), Keane worked incredibly hard, compensating gamely for a slight shortfall in confidence by chasing down opponents like a man possessed.

That's important for anyone employed by the demanding Benitez, but particularly for someone trying to foster a relationship with a new set of fans. Mind you, I can't see too many problems in this case.

Keane is the type Liverpool's knowledgeable crowd should grow to love – a very skilful competitor blessed with a natural work ethic who also knows when to pass, and do it, crucially, with a great deal of craft and vision.

Six games in, those qualities might still be waiting to flourish. So might Keane's sharpness in front of goal. Yet if I had to nominate someone just now who seems ideally suited for a particular football club, the 28- year-old would rival Dimitar Berbatov, his old Spurs team-mate, as No 1 choice.

Just like the classy Berbatov looks a perfect match for Manchester United, so the intelligent Keane seems made for the red half of Merseyside.

In fact, I'd go as far to say that the famous No 7 shirt worn by Keegan and Dalglish rests in pretty safe hands.

He's going to succeed – it's just a matter of time – and that moment, I'd guess, isn't too far away. In fact, the Stade Velodrome might be just the place.

Liverpool FC To Offer Daniel Agger New Deal

LIVERPOOL are ready to reassure Daniel Agger his future remains at Anfield by offering the defender a new deal.

Reports in Agger’s homeland have claimed the Denmark international is unhappy at the club and hinted he could buy out his contract next year.

Having missed almost the whole of last season with a metatarsal problem, the 23-year-old has been restricted to just one appearance this campaign by the form of Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel and didn’t even make the bench for Saturday’s 2-1 win over Manchester United.

But Rafael Benitez believes Agger remains integral to the club’s future, with the Anfield outfit preparing a new deal for the centre-back.

Agger, who was signed for £5.8m from Brondby in 2006, will enter the final two years of his contract in the New Year.

Under the terms of the landmark Webster agreement, the centre-back could then buy out his contract for a fee quoted at around £2.8m.

“I know about the Webster ruling but I have no further comment,” Agger was quoted as saying. “I can confirm that I haven’t had an offer from the club to extend my contract.”

Liverpool are prepared to extend the player’s association to the club, and chief executive Rick Parry said: “Daniel is very important to the future of the club.”

With Sami Hyypia having been omitted Liverpool’s 25-man Champions League squad, Agger could make an appearance tonight.

“Agger is in the squad,” said Benitez. “The good problem I have is we have good centre-backs here and Agger is one of the best, so he could be playing against Marseille.”

Finnan Explains Espanyol Move

Steve Finnan has revealed that Liverpool's Spanish players convinced him to come to Espanyol.

The Republic of Ireland international made the switch to Espanyol on deadline day as Albert Riera travelled in the opposite direction to Anfield.

Finnan admitted last week that the transfer had come 'out of the blue' but he decided it would be a good move after speaking to the likes of Jose Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso.

Paco Herrera, a former coach at Liverpool and currently Espanyol's sporting director, had also played a part.

"Herrera and the Spanish players spoke very well of the club," Finnan explained to reporters as he was presented as an Espanyol player.

"Liverpool is a great club, but the truth is that I was not playing and sooner or later I was going to have to leave, so I came here.

"This is a club that has done some big things in the past five or six years. They are proud that they reached the Uefa Cup final and the Copa del Rey final twice."

Finnan is keen to fit in as quickly as possible and even realises that he may have to learn two languages to fully integrate in his new surroundings.

"I want to learn Spanish, and Catalan if possible, quickly so that I can understand everyone," he said.

Espanyol president Daniel Sanchez Llibre was also delighted that a deal was done for Finnan so soon after seeing Pablo Zabaleta leave the club to join Manchester City.

"The agreement with Liverpool was done very quickly and the player took three minutes to agree," he stated.

"Finnan knows where the club is heading, who we are and he wants to succeed in Spain like he did in England."

Hicks "Tried To Get New Manchester City Owners To Buy Liverpool"

LIVERPOOL could still end up in the hands of Dubai – despite Dubai International Capital's insistence that it is no longer pursuing a deal to buy the club.

DIC – the investment arm of the Dubai government – put out an official statement yesterday denying it is ready to launch a fresh bid for the Reds or a new one for Newcastle United.

But it has been several months since DIC were leading the Dubai bid for Liverpool, with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum having made acquiring the Anfield club a personal rather than a government venture.

DIC are out of the picture because – as Dubai’s investment arm – they must always make a return on any purchases. Liverpool’s troubled financial situation means that is now a pledge DIC can no longer realistically make.

An offer from Dubai remains on the table, but owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are currently refusing to do a deal.

The Americans claim publicly that they are not interested in selling, but sources close to the situation insist they will cash in – but only if they walk away with around £100m in profit each.

That is a price which Dubai are not prepared to pay.

Dubai's determination to buy the club has not diminished but unless the expectations of Hicks and Gillett are reduced they are prepared to walk away.

It was today reported that Hicks made an approach to Abu Dhabi prior to the cash rich Middle Eastern city buying Manchester City, but that was rebuffed. It is not clear whether Hicks was trying to sell the whole club to the Emirate or was offering a minority share but he did make an unsuccessful attempt to secure investment from them.

The Texan has also made at least one more approach to another potential investor, but that has also so far come to nothing.

Hicks has good reason to seek investment, with just four months to go before the £350m loan secured against the club is due to be refinanced and borrowing has become even more fraught with difficulty.

Financial experts believe the bombshell that hit the US stock markets and banking industry yesterday will make the effects of the current credit crunch even greater, and longer lasting, with opportunities to borrow being further reduced.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that shares in American investment bank Wachovia were among the hardest hit in yesterday's stock market nosedive.

Shares in Wachovia - the fourth largest US bank - fell by 22% in the day as investors’ anxiety about the American financial sector and banks in particular hit the stock market.

Wachovia were involved in the last refinancing deal secured by Hicks and Gillett, along with the Royal Bank of Scotland, who loaned the Americans the bulk of the cash.

Should Wachovia Bank require new capital it is a possibility that they could call in some of their existing major loans.

Alonso Focused On Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has promised the club that he is 100% committed to their cause this season, after a summer in which he was left in transfer limbo.

Alonso began the summer as a target for Italian giants Juventus and looked set to seal a deal when he returned to Anfield after claiming the European Championship with Spain.

Rafa Benitez was desperate to raise the cash necessary to lure Gareth Barry from Aston Villa and Alonso was seen as an expendable resource.

Villa's £18million asking price remained beyond Liverpool's reach as Juventus' interest in Alonso cooled; they had already secured the signing of Sevilla midfielder Christian Poulsen for a fraction of what the Merseysiders wanted for Alonso.

A mooted move to Arsenal failed to materialise and now, strangely, Alonso finds himself back in the first team picture at Anfield after a season of uncertainty.

He, along with Javier Mascherano dominated Manchester United's midfield line in Saturday's 2-1 at Anfield, and the Spaniard believes that he is still held in good stead by the Kopites.

He has promised full focus for the coming campaign, and the club's Champions League endeavour begins in earnest tonight in Marseille.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "I am totally focused on Liverpool now. I have always really appreciated the support of Liverpool fans; they are really special. They know when a player is committed to the club and I always try to give 100 per cent."

Cerezo Wants Atlético And Liverpool To Progress

Enrique Cerezo has revealed that he hopes that Liverpool make it through to the next round of the Champions League along with his Atlético de Madrid side from Group D.

Los Colchoneros' president is confident that the Spanish outfit can do well in the competition after a 12-year absence and is delighted with the prestige that their involvement has brought.

Fernando Torres remains a favourite with Atlético after he rose through the club's youth ranks and Cerezo wants the striker's new club to join his club in the second phase.

"It would be fantastic for us to go through to the next round. I would really like Atlético and Liverpool to qualify," he told reporters.

Atlético's first game in the group is against PSV on Tuesday and Cerezo believes that coach Javier Aguirre will not be sending his players out for anything other than three points.

"We are going to try to win because to begin well will be important," he continued. "We have experienced players and they will go out to win and to play well."

Cerezo admitted that he is looking forward to hearing the Champions League music play just before the game, but is more concerned about what happens after that on the pitch.

"It will be a great moment, but the music does not really matter to me. Only goals do," he explained. "These games give prestige to the club and the players.

Collymore: Reds Have Euro Know-How

Stan Collymore believes Liverpool have the Champions League know-how to go to hostile venues like Marseille's Stade Velodrome and triumph.

The ex-Reds striker is confident Rafael Benitez's men have the experience to progress from what he feels is a tight group and is tipping them to overcome Marseille tonight and get off to a winning start.

"Liverpool play a very pragmatic style but they have an ability to win games so they can go to places like the Stade Velodrome and pick up results," he told LFC TV.

"Overall their success is down to a strong defensive core, a strong spine and having the ability to score goals away from home. I also think it's vital that they have Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard back."

With the likes of Atletico Madrid and PSV Eindhoven also in Group D, Collymore feels Liverpool have been handed the most difficult route to the knockout stage and insists any points they pick up away from home will be a welcome boost to their hopes.

"When you look at the group I think it's the toughest out of the lot," he said.

"A lot of people have looked at some of the other groups, where you've got Real Madrid and Juventus in one, and people like to try to pick out a group of death.

"But I think in Liverpool's group all the sides are evenly matched. PSV are perennial qualifiers for the Champions League, Marseille are always difficult at the Stade Velodrome and Atletico have a really good team too.

"People always talk about Inter as one of the outside favourites but I think Atletico could be dark horses, so I think it is a tough group for Liverpool.

"Winning matches at Anfield will be vital if they are to get to the next stage but it's also about nicking points away from home, especially at places like Marseille."

Champions League Preview: Marseille vs. LiverpooL

Matchday 1 of the 2008-09 Champions League group stages will see Liverpool travel to Marseille in a battle of the once-greats. Both were at one time the unrivalled giants of their country, yet neither have won a league title since the early 1990s. Both remain their country’s most successful club but are in serious danger of losing that mantle. Both have been looking forward to ‘next year’ for far too long.

But the time may finally be nigh for two of Europe’s historical heavyweights to reclaim their crowns. Both have invested extensively yet shrewdly in the market over the last few summers. Both have assembled arguably their strongest team on paper since their heyday. And neither have the chameleon-haired, brittle-legged Djibril Cisse in their squad any more.

What’s more, they each go into their Champions League opener in decent touch.

Liverpool are lucky to even be in the competition after their indifferent showing against Standard Liege in the third round of qualifying. It took the Reds until the 207th minute of the tie to break open the Belgian champions’ defence, Dirk Kuyt poking home deep in extra time of the second leg to spare his team-mates’ and his manager’s blushes.

But things have picked up quite suddenly for the Merseyside giants. They remain unbeaten and sit second in the Premier League table after claiming a thoroughly deserved win against Manchester United on Saturday. It is Liverpool’s best start since Rafael Benitez arrived in 2004, and they travel to the south of France high on confidence.

Once again, Marseille’s situation is similar. They couldn’t quite hold on to claim their first win at Bordeaux in 31 years, but the draw leaves them second in Ligue 1 behind perennial front-runners Olympique Lyon. In other words, it has been a promising start for Eric Gerets’ side as they seek to deny les Gones an eighth consecutive title – just as Liverpool hope to prevent United matching their record of 18 English championships.

Liverpool and Marseille will be sick at the sight of each other by the end of the group stage, having met at the same point of last season’s Champions League. L’OM inflicted a shock defeat on the Reds at Anfield, courtesy of Mathieu Valbuena’s unanswered stunner. But the five-time European champs hit back with a 4-0 win at Stade Velodrome to progress to the knockout rounds – they eventually reached the semi-finals, where they fell to Chelsea – while their hosts were dumped into the UEFA Cup. The fixtures are reversed this time around, but it remains to be seen whether the results will differ.


FORM GUIDE

Marseille

13 Sept v Bordeaux (A) DREW 1-1

30 Aug v Sochaux (H) WON 2-1

27 Aug v SK Brann (H) WON 2-1

23 Aug v Le Havre (A) WON 1-0

17 Aug v Auxerre (H) WON 4-0


Liverpool

13 Sept v Manchester United (H) WON 2-1

31 Aug v Aston Villa (A) DREW 0-0

27 Aug v Standard Liege (H) WON 1-0

23 Aug v Middlesbrough (H) WON 2-1

16 Aug v Sunderland (A) WON 1-0


TEAM NEWS

Marseille

The home side have been buoyed by the return of Mathieu Valbuena, who proved to be Liverpool’s bane at Anfield last season. The 23-year-old midfielder had been battling a groin injury, but he featured against Bordeaux at the weekend and could start on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Hatem Ben Arfa is also hoping to return to the starting XI after sustaining a knee knock during training recently. The France winger, like Valbuena, managed a late substitute appearance at the weekend and is likely to feature in some capacity agains the Reds. Karim Ziani remains an option for the left, however, while Bolo Zenden is on standby to line up against his old club.

Coach Gerets employed something resembling a diamond midfield at Bordeaux, with Benoit Cheyrou and Charles Kabore playing box-to-box roles on the flanks. That shape may well be ditched for a 4-2-3-1 with captain Lorik Cana returning in a holding role alongside either Cheyrou or Modeste M’bami.

Possible Line-Up: Mandanda – Bonnart, Hilton, Zubar, Taiwo – Cana, Cheyrou or M’bami – Kone, Valbuena or Ziani, Ben Arfa – Niang


Liverpool

All the speculation surrounding Liverpool ahead of this clash concerns the fitness of Steven Gerrard (groin) and Fernando Torres (hamstring). The pair were left out of the starting XI against the Red Devils at the weekend, Gerrard coming on halfway through the second period while Torres sat out altogether. Both were expected to be fit for the trip to France but rumours have sprung up that they could be left out of the squad entirely.

That would leave Benitez in something of a pickle given Javier Mascherano pulled up with a calf complaint late in the United game. Either of Damien Plessis and Lucas Leiva may thus be given an opportunity in midfield beside Xabi Alonso, while David N’Gog or Ryan Babel could start up front (or both, if the somewhat out-of-touch Robbie Keane gets dropped).

Sami Hyypia’s surprise exclusion from the Champions League roster means Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger are left to fight for a place beside Jamie Carragher in central defence, while Andrea Dossena and Fabio Aurelio will battle for the left-back slot. Albert Reira, who impressed on debut at the weekend, is a possibility to retain his place on the left wing, while Dirk Kuyt is likely to line up on the right.

The formation will depend on who is available. While it would be a surprise if Benitez made any significant changes from the side that defeated the English and European champions, if Gerrard and Torres are fit then the system may have to be shifted to accommodate them.

Possible Line-Up: Reina – Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena – Mascherano, Alonso – Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel – Torres


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Marseille

Bakary Kone comes into the clash in good form after scoring in the first minute against Bordeaux. The Ivorian forward was one of Marseille’s star recruits during the summer and has settled well at his new club, showing promise both on the right and up front. Taye Taiwo is another one to keep an eye on, inasmuch as the Nigerian full-back’s attacking instincts mean both sides are likely to get some joy down Marseille’s left flank.

Liverpool

As mentioned earlier, it’s a matter of who plays for the Reds. If Gerrard and Torres start, then they are the obvious drawcards. If the skipper sits out, expect Xabi Alonso to see an awful lot of the ball. The Basque playmaker has been in excellent form of late, as evidenced by his dominant performance against United at the weekend. Alonso’s craft paired with Mascherano’s graft seems a winning combo, and it makes one wonder why Benitez was so eager to sell his compatriot over the summer.

Niang Eyes Reds Revenge

Mamadou Niang is confident that Marseille can beat Liverpool in their UEFA Champions League opener on Tuesday.

The French club defeated the Reds at Anfield 12 months ago but were then hammered 4-0 at home in a decisive final group game.

Liverpool have started the Premier League season strongly and will hope to pick up three points at the Stade Velodrome, but Niang has warned that Marseille are also in fine form.

Eric Gerets' side are unbeaten in five domestic matches while they also defeated SK Brann of Norway over two legs in qualifying.

Niang is anticipating an open game and feels that he and striker partner Bakari Kone should provide a stern test for the Liverpool defence.

"I told Kone to relax and play the way he is used to playing, to free his mind and be ready to show his qualities," Niang told skysports.com.

"These games with pressure are what turn good players into great players.

"We know we can beat them. The last time we met in the Velodrome they taught us a lesson but this time we are on song as well so it should be good entertainment."

Agger Invites Reds Talks

Daniel Agger has intimated that he would be interested in holding talks with Liverpool over a new deal.

Denmark defender Agger, who joined the Reds from Brondby in 2006, has two years remaining on his current contract.

The 23-year-old has not featured for Rafa Benitez's side since the first leg of the UEFA Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege, and reports have suggested he is growing frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities.

Agger has, however, refused to comment on the speculation and instead invited the club to begin talks over a new deal.

"I can confirm that I have not received any offer for a contract extension from Liverpool," he told Ekstra Bladet.

Gerrard Hoping For Champions League Start

After making his comeback from a groin injury during Saturday's 2-1 over Manchester United, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is hoping to start in the Champions League against Marseille on Tuesday.

After missing England's pair of international fixtures against Andorra and Croatia last week as he overcame a groin operation, Gerrard started Saturday's north-west derby on the bench.

He watched on as his team-mates grappled with their Manchester United counterparts, and entered the fray for the vital last 20 minutes.

The midfielder now feels that he is ready to start a match from the outset, and sees the Velodrome clash as an ideal opportunity for some game time.

Although Gerrard is champing at the bit to be involved, he knows that a decision on his fitness can only be undertaken by his manager Rafael Benitez.

Gerrard told Liverpool's official website: "The manager did the sensible thing with me [on Saturday]. It was hard to sit and watch from the bench, but I'd only had one full training session.

"My heart was saying I was desperate to play, but there are another 40-50 games hopefully this season.

"I wasn't ready to start. I'd been training on my own for the last 10 days. The most I could have played was 20-25 minutes.

"I'll have a few more sessions under my belt before Tuesday's game in Marseille and will be in better shape, but it'll be the manager's decision."