Liverpool’s Next 10 Games to Get Title Bid Back On Track

Two defeats in their opening three Premier league games has already raised doubts over Liverpool’s title credentials and left them trailing Chelsea, Arsenal and even Tottenham.

However, still in August there is plenty of time for Rafa Benitez to put things right and prevent a disappointing start from turning in to a full-blown crisis at Anfield.

Bolton, 29 August, away

A byword for a ‘tough place to go’ in the past, the Reebok Stadium is actually anything but and Liverpool will be able to take their frustrations out on Gary Megson’s winless, pointless and goalless side this season.

Burnley, 12 September, home

When the fixtures were announced this would have been down as a home banker but Burnley have surprised plenty of people this season already and wins over Manchester United and Everton mean they should be treated with more respect than Rafa Benitez famously gave them in his first FA Cup campaign at Anfield.

West Ham, 19 September, away

Gianfranco Zola has been doing wonders with what little he’s had to work with at Upton Park and this is a potential pit fall for Liverpool, especially as the Italian should have added some extra firepower to his squad by then.

Hull City, 26 September, home

Hull held Liverpool to a damaging draw at Anfield last season and showed enough against Chelsea on the opening day of the season to suggest they can still be problematic to big teams – though the capitulation against Spurs virtually disabused that notion.

Chelsea, 4 October, away

Carlo Ancelotti’s side look compact, business like and very hard to beat – much like Liverpool last season - and a tight affair is unlikely to produce many goals, or a Liverpool win.

Sunderland, 17 October, away

Sunderland already look to have improved under Steve Bruce with Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones enjoying each other’s company. Should Sunderland’s own good start to the season run through in to October then a trip to the north east this season may turn out to be less productive than last year.

Manchester United, 25 October, home

Liverpool looked the most like possible champions last season when they faced Manchester United, doing the double over Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in fine style. With the division more open that ever this year beating the other top sides becomes even more important and a repeat of last year’s drama could kick start the campaign for Liverpool.

Fulham, 31 October, away

Roy Hodgson’s side finished seventh last season and beat Manchester United at home and so a trip to Craven Cottage should not be taken lightly. However, Liverpool should still be too strong for a side for which Europe may prove something of a distraction.

Birmingham, 9 November, home

Alex McLeish’s hard working but limited Birmingham side should be easy pickings at Anfield – if not then the title bid really will be over by November.

Manchester City, 21 November, home

More will be known about both teams’ aspirations by this point. Will they be jostling for the title? A Champions League spot? Or a Europa League place? City have started the season in better health than Liverpool and this match could prove a defining one in both their seasons.

Reds Close On Czech Starlet

Liverpool are set to bring in Jakub Sokolik from Banik Ostrava, according to the defender's agent.

The teenager, who turns 16 on Friday, is understood to be on his way to Merseyside to hold talks over a possible contract with the Premier League giants.

Sokolik's representative Pavel Zika expects the move to go through in the very near future.

"It is a regular transfer on the basis of an agreement between two clubs," Zika tolf CTK.

"During the next few days we should finalise the deal."

Sokolik has played for Czech Republic at Under 16 level and is regarded as an exciting prospect for the future.

Liverpool have been tracking his progress for some time and Banik general manager Werner Licka is not surprised Rafa Benitez's men have stepped up their interest.

Licka said: "On the club level we are basically agreed with Liverpool, but it is not concluded yet because Jakub is travelling to Liverpool to discuss the terms of the contract.

"It is no coincidence that they have chosen him. He has a great potential to gain ground there.

"He knows what he wants and he is all right in the head. Personally, I am no big fan of transfers of such young players to foreign leagues but, on the other hand, the interest of Liverpool is a huge reward for our work."

Banik chairman Tomas Trucha added: "If he reaches the first team just once, then it would make the transfer one of the biggest in Banik's club history."

Reina - Keep The Faith

Pepe Reina has urged fans to maintain their trust in Liverpool's ability to challenge for the Premier League title.

Monday's 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa was their second league loss in three games, equalling the number of defeats they suffered last term.

The Reds have already slipped six points behind the early pace-setters, but the Spanish shot-stopper is refusing to press the panic button, saying the team remains strong and capable of challenging.

"The fans can trust us until the end because as a team we have always been strong," he told the club's official website.

"Obviously we are disappointed because it is not normal for us to play three games and lose two of them, but we have to look forward, try to improve and carry on with our title challenge.

"We are the same team as last season - the same team that won 86 points in the league.

"Nothing has changed except that some players have left and some have come in, but we are still a strong team.

"We have plenty of good players in the dressing room and we have to look forward because as soon as we win two or three games in a row things will change a lot."

Manchester United secured 90 points to win last season's Premier League title, but Reina does not believes this year's winners will need anywhere near that mark.

The former Barcelona keeper thinks 82 points could be enough to secure top spot this time around, but that it is too early in the campaign to start thinking about the finishing line.

"Teams like Villa, Tottenham and Man City will be involved in the title race and I think the eventual champions will probably win no more than 82 points this season," he continued.

"Tottenham are playing at a good level. They were probably better than us in the first game of the season, especially in the first half.

"But it is too early to speak about teams. We have to wait a little bit longer."

Hertha Give Up Chase For Liverpool’s Andriy Voronin

The general manager of Hertha Berlin, Michael Preetz, has indicated that the Bundesliga club have no option but to forget about chasing striker Andriy Voronin because Liverpool have no intention of letting the player leave.

"We have been talking to Liverpool and Rafael Benitez, but we have to stay realistic," Preetz told Spox.

"At this moment they do not only refuse to give Andriy another loan spell away from the club, they do not even want to sell him.

"The fact is that he is getting match practice at Liverpool and it looks as if we have to forget this possibility."

Voronin had a very successful spell with the German club last season, making 23 league appearances and scoring 11 goals.

Testing Time For Liverpool

Liverpool are facing up to a title crisis just a few days into a season when they were being hailed as Premier League favourites.

Two disturbing defeats inside the first nine days of the campaign - by teams with genuine hopes of breaking into the top four - has seen boss Rafael Benitez turn on his senior stars and demand more responsibility.

But the defeats at Tottenham and then against Aston Villa at Anfield have brought to a head a summer of change at Anfield that has been largely kept very much under wraps.

Not any more. Major changes in staffing at Anfield, the club's academy and the Melwood training complex has created a sense of upheaval.

Now the financial problems of American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, which has deprived Benitez of the funds to buy a much-needed top striker, is taking its toll.

Benitez, unhappy it is believed at the easy access to dressing room secrets by TV pundits who are friendly with his top players, has now called for "greater responsibility" from his star names.

Liverpool players, predictably, have jumped to the defence of a side already six points behind the leaders.

Midfielder Yossi Benayoun said: "Of course we are disappointed. We did not expect to lose to Villa but it was just one of those nights when everything went against us.

"Now we know we have to improve on Saturday at Bolton. Against Villa we did not play like we can play, we didn't move the ball quickly enough as we did to beat Stoke last week.

"Last season we only lost two league games, so of course we are not pleased. But we have to show we are still a strong team with character to recover from this.

"It is all about hard work and effort, working from game to game and We know we can do better than this.

"Normally a club like Liverpool will lose only two or three games (a season). Of course everyone will ask if we are strong enough to win the league, but there is still a long way to go and everything can change.

"Not only the senior players must do better, everybody needs to work harder. I am sure we have enough quality, enough good players to do it (win the title).

"We have a game now against Bolton and maybe then it is a good time to go on an international break and try to come back stronger."

Benitez looked to his top men for the right leadership, and that cannot hide the fact that Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano are in the firing line.

Benitez also dismissed criticism of his style of play and the quality in his squad.

He said: "There is no doubt that senior players must take on more responsibility while I have no problem with the system we use. It won us 86 points last season and we only conceded 10 goals from set-pieces.

"But there are things that must be improved. Maybe our focus, we must now win our next game and then things can change.

"There were too many people involved with mistakes for the goals (against Villa), the own goal was unlucky and we maybe could have done better for their second defending the corner.

"And, as for the penalty, it is better if the player (Gerrard) can stay on his feet and then the outcome could be different.

"This is now a test of character. We have to show we have enough quality for a title challenge and we must win against Bolton and do the right things in matches.

"The squad is more or less the same one that took 86 points last season. So we know we can do it, but we must do things properly from the beginning of games."

New signing Glen Johnson was equally defensive, saying: "Obviously this is not the start to the season that we wanted but it was only the third game and there is a long way to go.

"It is still the early part of the season so we are not going to beat ourselves up at the moment. Of course, we would like to have a few more points but it's not to be so we will just keep going."

He added: "I definitely believe that teams like Aston Villa and Tottenham and Manchester City will take points off the so-called big four this season.

"Bolton is a hard place to go next but hopefully we will start there the way we started the second half tonight by going at them from the first minute and get the three points."

Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez Must Take His Share Of The Anfield Blame Game

US president Harry Truman took pride in a sign on his desk in the Oval Office which read ’the buck stops here’.

And Rafa Benitez, Liverpool’s own El Presidente, would do well to reflect on that as he plays the blame game following Liverpool’s poor start to the season.

Benitez pointed the finger at Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher in the wake of their shock home defeat to Aston Villa, claiming his senior players need to take more responsibility.

As glaring as Carragher and Gerrard’s mistakes were for Villa’s second and third goals, Benitez is responsible for the deeper, underlying problems at Anfield.

He was the one who fell out with Xabi Alonso so badly over the midfielder’s request to spend more time with his expectant wife 17 months ago, a row which sowed the seeds for his £30million move to Real Madrid.

To compound that error, Benitez, who has full control of transfers, chose to replace Alonso with the injured Alberto Acquilani and Liverpool’s title challenge could be over before the £20million Italian is fit enough to kick a ball.

Benitez’s decision to tinker with his successful 4-2-3-1 formation by playing Lucas in a more advanced role in anticipation of Acquilani’s availability is also back firing.

With only Javier Mascherano left to protect them, Liverpool’s back four is too exposed and they have shipped five goals in their first three games.

Fernando Torres also looked isolated against Villa as he was knocked from pillar to post by Curtis Davies and Carlos Cuellar and he has no-one to share the burden up front.

Yossi Benayoun disagreed with Benitez’s assessment that the senior players had to stand up and be counted, claiming everyone must take responsibility.

“I don’t think it’s the senior players who need to come to the fore, it’s all of the players,” he said. “We know what we need to do to improve. We need to try and improve and quickly, starting on Saturday at Bolton.

“We didn’t play like we can play. We didn’t move the ball like we did against Stoke. We missed our chances, particularly in the first half, and we conceded two goals from set-pieces.

“To lose two out of three is unusual for us. We lost only twice through the whole of the last Premier League season and we have to show that we are still a strong team.

“We need to recover from this and look to work game by game, and work hard to play better.”

For all of Benayoun’s rousing words, it is hard to ignore the growing feeling that Benitez’s Anfield career may have peaked and that last season’s second place was as good as it will get under him in the Premier League.

Kopites charted the same graph for Gerard Houllier at the start of the decade and after finishing second in 2002, Liverpool faded as a Premier League force.

There is even the danger that the Reds might struggle to claim a Champions League berth if Tottenham and Manchester City maintain their fine starts.

Worryingly for Benitez, he has little room to maneuver in the transfer market and he has next to nothing left from Alonso’s £30million after buying Acquilani.

Reds fans still back Benitez, but an increasing number are beginning to question the wisdom of letting Sami Hyypia go and snubbing Michael Owen when the former Anfield favourite was so desperate to return.

Benayoun insists Liverpool are still good enough to win the league, although he admits the looming international break does offer them a welcome chance to regroup.

“At a club like Liverpool, if you lose two or three games then people will ask if we are strong enough to win the league,” said the Israeli star. “But there is still a long way to go and everything can change.

“If we go on a long winning run, then people will start talking differently about us.

“I’m sure we have enough quality and we still think we can win the title. Maybe we can not lose any more games until the end of the season, but we believe we are strong enough to be there at the end of the season.

“It’s important to get a winning run together, but maybe it’s good that we have an international break coming up after the Bolton game.

“We have to try and come back stronger and we have games that we believe we can win. If we can win three or four games then the confidence can come back.”

Tommy Smith: Liverpool FC Need To Sort Themselves Out

It was obvious on Monday night that Liverpool have got problems. But what worried me most was that the players didn’t act like it.

If I’d have been out there I would have shouting and bawling, demanding more from the team, whether I was the captain or not.

You take things into your own hands when it’s not going well, not just stand there and accept defeat.

But the players looked as baffled by the whole affair as I was – I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

The most puzzling thing was Steven Gerrard being so out of sorts.

Every player is allowed a bad game and an off day and there were many besides him who weren’t up to the job.

But we couldn’t find a way through midfield at all and Gerrard didn’t seem up to the job of powering through and threatening in the penalty area.

In fact, the only area he caused trouble in was in his own when he gave away that penalty.

He is an attacking midfield player so what is he doing in the box making a tackle?

I remember playing in a game against Newcastle and of all people Kevin Keegan and came back to give a away a penalty. I said, “what the hell are you doing down here giving away a penalty, you’re supposed to be at other end putting them in?”

You can’t really shout and moan at Gerrard because of how good a player he is but when he’s doing things like that, you know it’s a bad night.

There weren’t many on the field that did deserve praise.

Jamie Carragher was okay apart from letting Curtis Davies in for his header but overall the defence was awful – we’ve got a left-back who is a good left-winger.

In midfield, we were crowded out and couldn’t do anything expect pass sideways or backwards. Lucas was standing there dong nothing most of the time – I’ve got two bad legs so I could do that!

So plenty of questions. We didn’t look to be playing as a unit and the squad is not as strong as it was last year – and unless Aquilani is as good as Alonso, how can it get better?

At the end of the day, how can we not beat a team that only last March we beat 5-0?

Martin O’Neill has clearly managed to sort a few tings out since then. Now the Reds need to sort a few things out of their own and fast.

Xabi Alonso: FXabi Alonso: Don't Blame Me For Poor Liverpool Form

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has told disgruntled fans "don't blame me" as many begin attributing the club's poor form to the Spaniard's recent departure to Real Madrid.

Liverpool have lost two of their opening three Premier League matches this season and cannot afford to lose any more if they are to have a realistic chance of wrestling the title away from Manchester United.

A 2-1 defeat to Tottenham on Aug 16 was followed up by a convincing 4-0 victory against Stoke. However, Monday night's 3-1 humbling at home by Aston Villa, their first league defeat at Anfield for almost two years, has left a dark cloud hanging over manager Rafa Benitez, who had high hopes this would be Liverpool's year.

The two games they have already lost this season is the same number they tasted defeat in over the whole of the 2008-09 campaign, and fans believe the fact it coincides with Alonso's departure is not mere conincidence.

Alonso, who joined Real for £30m, has been keeping track of Liverpool's plight, but has urged fans not to point the finger of blame at him.

He said: "Liverpool's bad beginning in three matches is not normal but I believe my exit has not been that decisive.

"Players are not that indispensable and these are only the first moments of the season. I am convinced the team will recover."

Alonso's replacement at Anfield, Alberto Aquilani, has yet to feature and will not be fit for another six weeks.

In the mean time, Yossi Benayoun has been tasked with the job of filling Alonso's shoes as the team's playmaker, and the Israeli has admitted Liverpool cannot afford to lose any more games.

He said: "We still think that we can win the title but maybe we cannot lose any more games until the end of the season.

"We didn't expect to lose. We didn't play like we can. To lose two out of three is unusual for us. We have to show now we are still a strong team."

Rafa Benitez: Liverpool FC Can Still Mount Title Challenge

Liverpool FC's title bid is in the balance just a few days into a campaign when they were being hailed as Premier League favourites.

Two disturbing defeats inside the first nine days of the campaign - by teams with genuine hopes of breaking into the top four - has seen boss Rafa Benitez turn on his senior stars and demand more responsibility.

But the defeats at Tottenham and then against Aston Villa at Anfield have brought to a head a summer of change at Anfield that has been largely kept very much under wraps.

Not any more. Major changes in staffing at Anfield, the club’s academy and the Melwood training complex have created a sense of upheaval.

Now the financial problems of American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, which has deprived Benitez of the funds to buy a much-needed top striker, are taking their toll.

Benitez, unhappy it is believed at the easy access to dressing room secrets by TV pundits who are friendly with his top players, has now called for "greater responsibility" from his star names.

Liverpool FC players, predictably, have jumped to the defence of a side already six points behind the leaders.

Midfielder Yossi Benayoun said: "Of course we are disappointed. We did not expect to lose to Villa but it was just one of those nights when everything went against us.

"Now we know we have to improve on Saturday at Bolton. Against Villa we did not play like we can play, we didn’t move the ball quickly enough as we did to beat Stoke last week.

"Last season we only lost two league games, so of course we are not pleased. But we have to show we are still a strong team with character to recover from this.

"It is all about hard work and effort, working from game to game and we know we can do better than this.

"Normally a club like Liverpool FC will lose only two or three games (a season). Of course everyone will ask if we are strong enough to win the league, but there is still a long way to go and everything can change.

"Not only the senior players must do better, everybody needs to work harder. I am sure we have enough quality, enough good players to do it (win the title).

"We have a game now against Bolton and maybe then it is a good time to go on an international break and try to come back stronger."

Benitez looked to his top men for the right leadership, and that cannot hide the fact that Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano are in the firing line.

Benitez also dismissed criticism of his style of play and the quality in his squad.

He said: "There is no doubt that senior players must take on more responsibility, while I have no problem with the system we use. It won us 86 points last season and we only conceded 10 goals from set-pieces.

"But there are things that must be improved. Maybe our focus, we must now win our next game and then things can change.

"There were too many people involved with mistakes for the goals (against Villa), the own goal was unlucky and we maybe could have done better for their second defending the corner.

"And, as for the penalty, it is better if the player (Gerrard) can stay on his feet and then the outcome could be different.

"This is now a test of character. We have to show we have enough quality for a title challenge and we must win against Bolton and do the right things in matches.

"The squad is more or less the same one that took 86 points last season. So we know we can do it, but we must do things properly from the beginning of games."

New signing Glen Johnson was equally defensive, saying: "Obviously this is not the start to the season that we wanted but it was only the third game and there is a long way to go.

"It is still the early part of the season so we are not going to beat ourselves up at the moment. Of course, we would like to have a few more points but it’s not to be so we will just keep going."

He added: "I definitely believe that teams like Aston Villa and Tottenham and Manchester City will take points off the so-called big four this season.

"Bolton is a hard place to go next but hopefully we will start there the way we started the second half tonight by going at them from the first minute and getting the three points."

No Need To Change Defensive Outlook - Liverpool FC Boss Rafa Benitez

Rafa Benitez insisted he will not change his defensive system – despite conceding three more goals from set plays last night.

All five of the goals shipped by the Reds this season have come from set pieces – including a free-kick, a corner and a penalty in last night’s home defeat by Aston Villa.

But the Reds boss insisted he does not need any more height in his back four, nor does he need to change his much debated system of zonal marking.

“We are a team that tries to play football and we have players with quality,” he rapped.

“If you have too many big lads it can become difficult. We try to play it on the ground, try to move the ball – and we had a lot of chances trying to play it this way.

“Eighty-six points (last season’s final Premier League total) prove that it is a good system. To concede only 10 goals last season from set pieces also proves it is a good system.

“Obviously we can always improve and we will try to improve.”

But the Reds boss did condemn his players for making “too many mistakes.”

It was Villa’s first win of the season, and ended Liverpool’s 31-match unbeaten league run dating back to December 2007.

Benitez said: “In the first 20 minutes we created plenty of chances and played well. Then we conceded the own goal and started to make more mistakes.

“We have lost and we know we have to improve. I felt we had a chance when Fernando Torres scored, but the penalty finished it. It was a clear penalty.

“We now know that we have to go to Bolton on Saturday and win. Everything could change if we do that, our confidence will improve.”

Benitez added: “We were not playing well, and we were up against a team who are excellent on the counter-attack.

“Their keeper (Brad Friedel) made some great saves, but when that happens we just have to make more chances.

“This squad is virtually the same as last season, so I believe it is good enough to mount a title challenge. But we must do more, we must win at Bolton.

“We will have to sit down and analyse every player now, and make sure we do the right things in our next match. But our senior players must take more responsibility.”

Villa boss Martin O’Neill said: “That was a terrific effort from my team. At 2-0 we were in reasonable command of the game, although you are never in command at Anfield.

“But when they scored we got a penalty straightaway, a clean penalty, and we were back with our two goal lead.

“That gave us confidence, discipline and shape to our team and we deserved to win.

“Brad Friedel was outstanding. He rolled back the years. He was fantastic against his old club to perform like that at Anfield.

“He will be delighted with himself, and rightly so, and we are delighted with him.”

“It was a fantastic performance from the whole side and we fully deserved the victory.”

Former Reds keeper Friedel admitted the 3-1 win tasted particularly sweet after they were hammered 5-0 at Anfield last season.

“It was the right time for us,” he said. “We’d been getting a few bullets in the press lately and didn’t have a good start. But to come here and win, no matter how we did it, was fantastic.

“It’s not revenge but it’s pleasing to put in a performance because last year we just didn’t turn up.”

Liverpool FC Must Use Power Of Positive Thinking, Says Legend Ian Rush

After losing only two games throughout the whole of last season, we’ve now managed to lose two in the space of just 10 days.

Which means that Liverpool have to adopt a positive mental outlook in every game from here on in.

The Reds were held to too many draws last season.

But the margin for error in the modern title race is so slim that draws are no use any more.

United won the Premier League title last season despite losing four matches.

And that’s because they drew five fewer than Liverpool throughout the course of the campaign.

The three points for a win format means that a defeat – even a home defeat as desperately disappointing as last night’s – is not as damaging as it might otherwise have been.

It’s accepted that the games we drew at home last season against the likes of West Ham, Fulham, Stoke and Hull cost us the title.

But losing two and winning two of those games would have given us a better points return than remaining unbeaten in all four.

That’s why I think it’s far too early to be writing Liverpool off as credible title challengers as some people already appear to be doing.

And it’s a times like this that the supporters’ influence can be vitally important.

They will be feeling low after last night – and they pay their hard earned money so are fully entitled to express their views.

But if they keep the faith they can help the team come through a difficult spell.

It’s also important that they get behind Lucas and don’t undermine the lad’s confidence. He knows he made a mistake last night and he will be hurting more than anybody.

But the simple fact is we need the Brazilian to play a significant role for the next few months until Aquilani is fit to play a part and he will be able to do that far more effectively with the fans behind him.

It’s unfortunate that he should have been involved in such a pivotal moment last night, because there were signs before then that the fans were starting to warm to him.

He has had an excellent pre-season and has been one of our better players in the first two Premier League games.

I just hope this little setback doesn’t knock him back again.

The finger was pointed at some of the senior players last night for not accepting enough responsibility, but I also think it’s the players on the bench like Babel, Voronin and Ngog who have to be doing more.

The squad is not as strong as we would like, everybody accepts that, but that means players not seen as first choice regulars have to do more to convince the manager they are worth a starting berth.

Yossi Benayoun has done it and his example is one that some of the fringe players should follow.

There will be an undoubted mood of gloom and despondency after last night.

But it simply means that we have to go to Bolton on Saturday and win.

It’s perhaps a little early to be talking about must-win matches, but I’m afraid draws really aren’t much use any more – even at this early stage.

And that is perhaps the one positive to come out of last night – we now have to be positive every game.

Rafa Benitez Unimpressed By Liverpool Mistakes Against Aston Villa

Liverpool succumbed to a 3-1 loss at Anfield on Monday evening when a flurry of costly errors were capitalized on by Aston Villa.

A Lucas Leiva own goal, coupled with a Curtis Davies header and an Ashley Young penalty saw the tie swing in Martin O'Neill's men's favour, and Fernando Torres' strike to bring the tie to 2-1 was insufficient to spark the comeback that Rafael Benitez craved.

Following the final whistle, the Spaniard was swift to seek an exit down the Liverpool tunnel, but spoke to ESPN where he talked of the "mistakes" his side conceded.

"It was a frustrating night, we started well and we had chances. We had one mistake and at the last minute of the half we had another one. Then another mistake, [that] they scored [from].

"When we scored our goal, at 1-2, everything could have been different. We had another mistake and another two [goals to chase].

"I was 100 per cent sure we could turn it round, but it was the right moment for them to have the penalty," he shared.

Liverpool were second-best in the first-half, but Benitez revealed that he was pleased with the second-half reaction.

"I thought we improved in the second half. We were working harder, playing better, the goalkeeper played well, but we showed character."

Liverpool's two losses in three games equals the number of defeats they accrued throughout the entirety of the 2008-09 Premier League season, but Benitez refused to get drawn into campaign comparisons.

"It's a different season. Things can change."

Liverpool Set To Move For Arjen Robben After Manchester United Show Interest

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is believed to have stepped up his interest in Arjen Robben, after reports yesterday suggested Manchester United were keen on the Real Madrid player.

The Spaniard has long been an admirer of the winger, and could go head-to-head with his bitter rival Sir Alex Ferguson over the player's signature.

The Holland star is out of a favour at Real Madrid and is eyeing a return to the Barclays Premier League.

The Dutch international is believed to be valued by his club at around £18 million. Manchester United, still yet to spend much of the £80 million received from Real for Cristiano Ronaldo, would have no problem meeting that valuation if they decided it was a fair price.

Robben was close to joining United before he signed for Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in 2004 and would provide the speed and goals neither Antonio Valencia nor Nani can offer.

In contrast, Liverpool might struggle to come up with the money required before the transfer window shuts in seven days' time. Club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have spent the summer restructuring the club's debts, with the consequence that Benitez has been told their will be no more money to spend.

However, the former Valencia boss will hold out hope his employers will still make some funds available. Benitez has not spent all of the £30 million received from the sale of Xabi Alonso to Madrid, and in light of the club's poor start to the season might be able to persuade both men that the club needs to spend some money in order to compete with their rivals .

Additional funds could also be raised through the sale of Ryan Babel. Benitez is believed to be losing patience with the youngster, and a bid of around £8 million might tempt the club to sell the underperforming winger to fund a move for Robben.

The 25-year-old has been outstanding in pre-season games for Real but coach Manuel Pelligrini is having trouble accommodating him with new arrivals Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema.

Benitez is believed to have been a long-term admirer of Robben's ability, and Madrid even considered offering the Dutchman as part of the deal for Alonso as they attempted to sign the midfielder earlier this month.

Arsenal and Turkish club Galatasaray have both expressed interest in the winger in the past. Robben's father, Hans, has previously ruled out the possibility of his son joining Spurs.

Benitez, however, will be confident of persuading Robben to join him at Anfield, and may see him as the world-class winger he has been looking for, at a price more affordable than previous targets David Silva and Franck Ribery.

Sporting Gijon Make Loan Offer For Liverpool Keeper Charles Itandje

Tired of a lack of playing time at Anfield, Charles Itandje looks set to leave Liverpool before the end of the summer transfer window next week.

French newspaper L’Equipe reports that Sporting Gijon have made a loan offer for the goalkeeper.

Itandje is keen on a move from Anfield and since the arrival of Brazilian keeper Diego Cavalieri has not even made the substitutes bench on a regular basis.

The 26-year-old custodian also angered many at the Merseyside giants by laughing during the Hillsbrough memorial service last April.

Liverpool Loan Out Hungarian Duo Krisztian Nemeth & Andras Simon

Liverpool have allowed Hungarian strike duo Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon to leave the club on loan for the remainder of the season.

20-year-old Nemeth will join Greek side AEK Athens while Simon is heading for the Spanish second division with Cordoba CF.

Both players initially signed on at Anfield from MTK Hungaria back in 2007 although they have so far been unable to make a competitive appearance for Rafael Benitez's first team.

Nemeth had been particularly impressive during Liverpool's pre-season tour of Switzerland and Asia this summer, where he grabbed a brace against Singapore in a friendly last month.

Powerful striker Simon has been capped at Under-19 level for Hungary and also starred at the UEFA U17 Championships back in 2006.

The two young starlets will now be desperate for regular first-team football over the next nine months in a bid to progress their Liverpool careers.

Match Report: Liverpool 1 - 3 Aston Villa

Liverpool slumped to their second Premier League defeat in nine days to put their title credentials firmly on the line.

Aston Villa produced a defiant, organised display and deserved their first win at Anfield since 2001.

The result also ended Liverpool's 31-match unbeaten home league record stretching back to December 2007, when Manchester United were the last winners at Anfield.

The spotlight will now be on Liverpool, who only lost twice in the league last season and still did not win the title.

The margin for error is now very fine. You rarely win the crown by losing more than five games in a season, and Liverpool's hopes could already have suffered a mortal blow.

A Lucas own goal and a Curtis Davies header saw Villa 2-0 up at the break. Fernando Torres pulled one back but an Ashley Young penalty settled matters son after.

Martin Skrtel returned to Liverpool's defence in place of teenager Daniel Ayala, having recovered sufficiently from a jaw injury to be risked.

This was the only change in the Liverpool side from the one that beat Stoke at home last week, with new Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos not included in the squad.

Villa included Curtis Davies, who had recovered from a shoulder injury. Brad Friedel, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Stiliyan Petrov all returned to the side after being rested in the Europa League defeat away to Rapid Vienna last week.

Liverpool produced a vibrant start, but found themselves frustrated by the quick-tackling, quick-thinking Villa midfield.

The hosts could have been ahead in the first minute when Yossi Benayoun's back-header from Torres' chip into the area, beat Friedel but dropped inches wide.

A taste of what was to follow came from Villa's first chance came when Davies met a Nicky Shorey cross with a strong header, but it went straight at Jose Reina.

Torres and Steven Gerrard both saw shots blocked in the six-yard box, before Young was booked after 12 minutes for halting a Dirk Kuyt run.

Then Gerrard struck a first-timer from 20-yards just over from Kuyt's touched pass.

But Liverpool's problems were beginning to mount in a midfield that they were unable to dominate.

Javier Mascherano and Lucas were both fortunate not to be cautioned for fouls on Petrov and Agbonlahor in quick succession.

Torres was also coming in for some rough treatment from Carlos Cuellar, two tackles from behind going unpunished by referee Martin Atkinson.

By now Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell were successfully breaking up Gerrard's flow in midfield, and Villa were soon to take the lead.

It came after 33 minutes when Lucas gave away a needless free-kick in midfield. Young swung the set-piece towards the near post, and it was the unfortunate Lucas who rose to head the ball past Reina for an own-goal.

Liverpool's play was sloppy and far too much possession was being conceded with ill-directed passes.

Further calamity came after Reina was booked in first half injury time for kicking the ball away in annoyance when referee Atkinson awarded a disputed corner, Sidwell's shot looking to have clipped a defender.

And from that disputed corner Villa found themselves two up. Shorey's corner swung into the near post and was headed home by Davies.

The hosts have staged some amazing comebacks in this stadium over the years, and they were going to need another massive performance to salvage anything from this situation.

Villa defended with organisation and desire. Roe-Coker was booked for kicking the ball away, and Friedel produced a fine save from a Kuyt header.

Kuyt then saw another header hit a post from a Gerrard corner from the left.

But Villa were still showing great resilience, and breaking quickly to cause Liverpool all sorts of problems at the back, Reo-Coker being only inches away from a third with one sliding attempt.

Liverpool sent on Andriy Voronin for Lucas after 66 minutes, with Friedel producing another fine stop from a Gerrard drive soon after.

But after 72 minutes Liverpool finally gave themselves some hope when Emiliano Insua got down the left and rolled the ball into the six-yard box for Torres to score.

Two minutes later Liverpool were back in despair and Villa celebrating. Shorey's pass into the path of Reo-Coker saw the midfielder surge into the box only to be felled by Gerrard's desperate tackle.

It was a clear penalty and Young stepped up to restore Villa's two-goal lead.

Liverpool's frustration was obvious. Torres was booked for dissent when Young went down injured and asked for treatment. He was eventually replaced by Heskey.

Ryan Babel came on for Benayoun, Liverpool still coming forward. Friedel again made a fine save from a Torres flick, before Kuyt sent a close range effort wide of the far post.

The outstanding Friedel, against his former club, saved from Torres and Glen Johnson, with Skrtel booked in the dying minutes, but Villa held on for a famous victory.

Rafa Rues Reds Errors

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez condemned his players for making "too many mistakes" as they slumped to their second Premier League defeat in nine days.

Beaten at Tottenham on the opening weekend, they recovered to over-power Stoke in midweek, only to slump to a disheartening 3-1 home defeat at the hands of a vibrant Aston Villa at Anfield.

It was Villa's first win of the season, and ended Liverpool's 31-match unbeaten league run dating back to December 2007.

And the reverse already puts in doubt Liverpool's title aspirations. They only lost two league games last season, now they have equalled that tally in the opening days of the new campaign.

Villa were two-up at the break through a Lucas own goal and a header from Curtis Davies. Torres pulled one back in the second-half, but Steven Gerrard's lunge at Nigel Reo-Coker conceded a spot-kick that Ashley Young confidently drove home.

Benitez said: "In the first 20 minutes we created plenty of chances and played well. Then we conceded the own goal and started to make more mistakes.

"We have lost and we know we have to improve. I felt we had a chance when Fernando Torres scored, but the penalty finished it. It was a clear penalty.

"We now know that we have to go to Bolton on Saturday and win. Everything could change if we do that, our confidence will improve."

Benitez added: "We were not playing well, and we were up against a team who are excellent on the counter-attack.

"Their keeper (Brad Friedel) made some great saves, but when that happens we just have to make more chances.

"This squad is virtually the same as last season, so I believe it is good enough to mount a title challenge. But we must do more, we must win at Bolton.

"We will have to sit down and analyse every player now, and make sure we do the right things in our next match. But our senior players must take more responsibility."

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: "That was a terrific effort from my team. At 2-0 we were in reasonable command of the game, although you are never in command at Anfield.

"But when they scored we got a penalty straightaway, a clean penalty, and we were back with our two goal lead.

"That gave us confidence, discipline and shape to our team and we deserved to win.

"Brad Friedel was outstanding. He rolled back the years. He was fantastic against his old club to perform like that at Anfield.

"He will be delighted with himself, and rightly so, and we are delighted with him."

"It was a fantastic performance from the whole side and we fully deserved the victory."

Liverpool Youngster Daniel Ayala To Start Against Aston Villa

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has indicated that he may hand 18-year-old Daniel Ayala a spot in the starting line-up to face Aston Villa, should Martin Skrtel fail to recover in time.

The Spanish centre-half made his full debut in the 4-0 win over Stoke City, deputising for the injured duo of Skrtel (jaw) and Daniel Agger (back).

Benitez also said that the youngster would be preferred over the club's new signing, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, since the Greece international has not had enough time to settle down on Merseyside.

"Dani [Ayala] did very well against Stoke after a nervous start and it may be difficult to bring Kyrgiakos straight in," Rafa is quoted by ESPN soccernet as saying.

The Spaniard then focused on the task at hand, and hoped that the winning mentality would continue against Villa.

"Against Stoke the players wanted to prove they are good enough to win the title after that opening defeat at Spurs [Tottenham Hotspur]," he said.

"It was very important for them to win at home in midweek in front of their own fans, and they will feel the same on Monday against a very good Villa side.

"We scored four against Stoke, did not concede, and won well. But they know that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"When you lose a game you are so determined to prove something in the next game. We have done that and aim to do the same again on Monday."

The gaffer signed off by warning his charges against complacency after their emphatic win over the Potters.

"Villa have ability and pace, it will be a tough game," he remarked. "They have lost Gareth Barry but they are still a very good team."

Liverpool FC's Yossi Benayoun Plans To Keep His Place

Liverpool FC midfielder Yossi Benayoun has won back his place in Rafa Benitez's side - and he intends to hang onto it.

The Israeli midfielder struggled to get regular starts last term until the back end of the season, when his form played a major part in Liverpool’s unbeaten 11-match run to the end of the campaign that almost took the title.

Boss Benitez opted to start this term with Ryan Babel on the left instead of Benayoun, and that decision has clearly inspired the 29-year-old.

Benayoun came on as a second-half substitute in the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham last weekend, and was on from the start for a fine display on Wednesday in the 4-0 victory over Stoke.

He intends to keep that form going on Monday night when Aston Villa are the visitors to Anfield.

Benayoun says: "I like to play from the left. A few years ago for the national team in Israel I always played on the left and I enjoy it.

"I am able to cut inside to the middle and get plenty of the ball, which makes it a bit easier. But I will be happy to play anywhere.

"Every player wants to start every game but it is the manager’s decision to decide who is to start and who will not, so every time that I get my chance I just try to do my best.

"Even if I only get to come on for 10 or 20 minutes or, like on Wednesday night, when I get to start I always give my all. I always try my best to impress.

"Of course I want to start more and more games but my job is to work hard and try to prove myself and this is what I try to do."

Benitez has a difficult choice over his central defensive pairing against Villa.

Despite having signed Greek international Sotirios Kyrgiakos for £2m, Benitez may still opt for teenager Daniel Ayala, or even spring a surprise by using Martin Skrtel, who is suffering from a fractured jaw.

Skrtel has been training over the past few days, but Benitez will consider his fitness and the risk factor later on Monday. He believes that the 30 year-old Kyrgiakos lacks match fitness.

Benitez will be without defender Daniel Agger for several weeks as the Dane is due to have back surgery on Tuesday.

Agger has missed the opening of the season, having been troubled with the injury all summer.

Liverpool FC dare not lose again tonight, with Benitez and his skipper Steven Gerrard believing this season’s title race will be much harder and very different from previous campaigns.

Gerrard insists: "The opening games have shown this season it will be very difficult to win, we are going to have to be even better than last season.

"It looks like it is going to be a very competitive league this season."

Benitez says: "This will be a different sort of title race. Already we have lost, and so have Manchester United.

"There are other teams who can make an impact, Spurs, Manchester City, Villa, and I believe it will be a lot harder this season for the top four teams to win every game.

"Villa will be difficult for us. They have pace, experience and ability. They do very well in away games because of that and are an extremely dangerous side."

Hertha Fear Voronin Blow

Liverpool have no plans to let Andriy Voronin leave the club, according to Hertha Berlin.

Hertha had Voronin on a season-long loan last term and he impressed with 11 goals in the German capital.

The Bundesliga club were hoping to bring him back, either on loan or on a permanent basis, but it seems Voronin is back in the plans of Reds boss Rafa Benitez.

"We have been talking to Liverpool and Rafael Benitez, but we have to stay realistic," general manager Michael Preetz told Spox.

"At this moment they do not only refuse to give Andriy (Voronin) another loan spell away from the club, they do not even want to sell him as well.

"The fact is that he is getting match practice at Liverpool and it looks as if we have to forget this possibility."

Reports in Germany claim Hertha are now turning their attentions to Gremio forward Fernandinho.