Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs Chelsea

The visit of Chelsea to Anfield provides a painful reminder to Liverpool fans of how far they have fallen off the pedestal from which they used to dominate English football. The Blues are defending champions, while the Reds only moved out of the relegation zone a week ago.

Liverpool have been unable to add to their record 18 top-flight titles in the Premier League era, and have managed one FA Cup triumph in the last five years, a period in which Chelsea have collected eight major domestic trophies including three league titles.

Nevertheless, things are beginning to pick up for the fallen giants. The club are finally under new ownership, and beleaguered manager Roy Hodgson has the rare luxury of being able to reflect on three consecutive victories going into Sunday’s showdown.

And the midweek appointment of Damien Comolli as Liverpool's new director of football strategy will potentially allow the ex-Fulham boss to focus exclusively on coaching the best out of his squad.

Hodgson enjoyed what he described as his best 15 minutes in the job on Thursday as Liverpool came from behind to beat Napoli 3-1 in the Europa League. Yet that victory owed so much to second-half substitute Steven Gerrard, who scored a hat-trick, that despite the skipper’s insistence that it had been a fine collective performance, the Reds’ over-dependence on him was again plain to see.

The other world class player at Hodgson’s disposal, Fernando Torres, had been linked with a possible move to Sunday’s opponents until Carlo Ancelotti ruled out buying any new players in January unless injuries force a rethink, and specifically quashed rumors of a bid for Torres when citing the excellence of his own current strike force.

All Hodgson needs to do therefore is hope the Spaniard – who has scored four goals in as many matches against Chelsea at Anfield - can quickly recapture his imperious pre-World Cup form, match fitness and appetite.

Meanwhile, having not won any of his last six league matches against Chelsea (D1, L5), Hodgson knows that if he can take anything off the champions this weekend it could give his recovering side a massive shot in the arm and lend credence to the view that Liverpool could yet challenge for a top four place again.

However, if all results go against them this weekend, the Reds could find themselves back in the relegation mire by Sunday evening. And on the face of it, with just three wins from their 10 league games to date, Liverpool seem unlikely to trouble Chelsea over-much. Liverpool currently look miles away from the standard Chelsea have set, something Hodgson has not tried to gloss over when admitting that he and the club face a Herculean ask in restoring the Reds firstly to top four eminence and secondly to the glories that were commonplace at Anfield in the 1970s and 1980s.

Chelsea won 2-0 on their last visit to Anfield, in May in what was Liverpool’s final home fixture of the 2009-10 season, and took a decisive step closer to claiming their third league title in six seasons. But they have a mixed record at Anfield in recent years, winning four and losing four of their last 10 visits. The two clubs have met 26 times in all competitions since October 2004, Chelsea winning 12 of them and Liverpool seven.

The rivalry between these two teams reached a new level when Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez were the respective managers. Those two have moved on, and Liverpool have become less of a threat at the top of the table; but although relations between Ancelotti and Roy Hodgson are likely to be a lot less prickly than those between their predecessors, there will still be a keen rivalry between the teams.

And while Liverpool will be anxious to maintain their tentative revival, Chelsea will be no less determined to continue in the vein that has seen them establish a commanding five-point lead at the top of the table.

The Blues will be mindful that they came unstuck on their last but one trip to the North West, when Manchester City inflicted on them their only defeat of the season so far. They made up for that set-back by claiming all three points back in Lancashire last weekend when coming from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1.

If it was not their most convincing performance it was certainly a dogged and ultimately successful one that spoke volumes about their resilience. They are, after all, champions – a fact they underlined in the manner of an emphatic midweek thrashing of Spartak.

Chelsea have taken 10 points out of 12 and won six of their last seven matches in all competitions, and for good measure boast the best goalscoring and defensive records in the Premier League. Moreover, they have had a day extra to recover from European action and prepare for Sunday's match, having already done the hard work required to reach the Champions League knockout stage.

Chelsea represent a formidable challenge for any opponent at the moment, and are again the Premier League's best travelers, with three wins from five to their credit and a goal difference of plus eight on the road.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Midfielder Joe Cole will miss Sunday's match against his former club Chelsea because of the hamstring strain that also ruled him out of the Reds’ midweek Europa Cup triumph over Napoli.

But another ex-Chelsea player, right-back Glen Johnson, shrugged off a thigh muscle injury in time to make his first appearance since October 3 in the Napoli game, and was one of six changes manager Roy Hodgson made to the side that beat Bolton last weekend. Johnson is set to face his previous employers, but it is likely that Christian Poulsen, Jay Spearing, Jonjo Shelvey, Milan Jovanovic and David Ngog could revert to the bench as the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres resume their places in the starting XI.

Dirk Kuyt may have recovered from an ankle injury in time to face Chelsea, while Ngog, who had to be substituted during the victory over Napoli, may have a sore shin after being the victim of an outrageous – and unpunished – over-the-ball tackle by the liability that was Salvatore Aronica.

Ryan Babel is doubtful with a rib injury; Daniel Agger (calf) and Fabio Aurelio (groin) are still recovering from their respective injury problems.

Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Konchesky; Lucas, Meireles, Maxi Rodriguez, Gerrard, Kuyt, Torres.

Chelsea

Like Joe Cole, Yossi Benayoun will be denied the chance to face his former team-mates, the Israeli international being a long-term casualty with an Achilles injury.

For the Blues’ 4-1 midweek Champions League win over Spartak Moscow, manager Carlo Ancelotti brought back Ramires after three games out with an ankle injury but took the opportunity to rest midfield dynamo Michael Essien, who was nursing a minor toe problem.

He also rested captain John Terry , while Salomon Kalou replaced the injured Florent Malouda. For the trip to Liverpool, Terry is back in the heart of defense, and Malouda is expected to have recovered from his ankle strain, but Essien may need longer.

Ramires is standing by to start, as Frank Lampard will probably still not be ready to make his comeback from a hernia operation.

Possible starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Ramires, Mikel, Zhirkov; Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.

Steven Gerrard Has No Regrets Having Previously Turned Down Chelsea To Remain At Liverpool

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard insists that he has no regrets about turning down a move to Chelsea earlier in his career.

A few years ago the Reds captain had seriously considered the prospect of making a move to Stamford Bridge, when he had admitted that he had entertained thoughts concerning "the possibility of moving on".

But he eventually remained at the club and is still waiting to win his first Premier League title, whereas the Blues have gone from strength-to-strength and were crowned champions last term.

Ahead of the game between the two sides at Anfield, the Kop favorite insists that his wait for league success will be sweeter when it does arrive on Merseyside as opposed to west London.

"I don’t think sacrifice is the right word to stay at Liverpool," Gerrard said, according to The Mirror.

"Playing for Liverpool and being the captain, I wouldn’t call that a sacrifice – I would call that living a dream.

"Of course there have been opportunities in the past to move on – Chelsea and other times as well – but I love this club, I want to stay and be successful because when that day comes, I know it will mean an awful lot more to me."

The club has only recently been taken over by New England Sports Ventures, and the skipper hopes that they bring about a quick change to facilitate his need to achieve further glory at Liverpool.

"From a selfish point of view, I want a short-term fix from the new owners, but I’m not naive enough to think it is about me or the players coming to the final part of their careers.

"The Americans have got the right idea by trying to build a platform for this club for many years but I’m looking for the quick-fix because I have only got four or five years left at this level and I want to win trophies before I finish. That is what I go to work for."

He added: "The last 12 months have been the most difficult since I was 18 and broke into the first team.

"We finished seventh in the league and then there was all the stuff that went on off the pitch. Hopefully that is all behind us now – and we can move on."

Henry Demands Total Loyalty Or Players Will Be Sold

Liverpool's new owners, New England Sports Ventures, have issued a warning to any players not fully committed to the club that they will be sold. John W Henry, the club's principal owner, has been angered by reports that Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina would be leaving and has met the club's top players to reassure them of NESV's ambitions.

"It is a completely different system here to what we are used to," Henry said. "If a player has a contract in the United States they fulfil the contract. Over here, it seems players have much more say-so about where they are. Frankly, where we are, we don't want a player at the club who doesn't want to be at the club. It's really up to us to provide the kind of leadership, on and off the field, that any player at the club or who is coming to the club wants to be here."

Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool's new chairman, are open to recruiting the right talent in January, following the appointment of Damien Comolli as director of football strategy. They are, however, determined to hang on to their best players, despite reports that Torres and Reina have contractual clauses that would facilitate their departure.

"I was upset about the assertion that they were leaving," Henry said. "There was one day when I read reports that we were not going to be involved in the transfer window because we do not have the funds. The next day I read that Torres and Reina were leaving.

"I have spoken with a number of our top players and was really heartened by the response. I was heartened by the intelligence of these players, who understand more about Liverpool than we do. They were good discussions."

Henry, who has been at Liverpool all week, was not so heartened by some of the discoveries he has made since taking over the club.

"There were a number of unpleasant surprises when we did our due diligence because the wage bill is high and it's going to be higher next year -- and we're not a young team," he said. "That was disappointing."

Henry arrived with some firm ideas about the transfer market of his own, including his belief that it is folly to pay out high fees and wages on players in their late 20s and 30s, who offer no resale value.

Comolli has arrived to help make the vision a reality. The 38-year-old Frenchman and Henry share a deep appreciation of the part statistical data can play in spending wisely on the best young players -- the science of sabermetrics. Comolli has developed a personal friendship with the Oakland baseball coach Billy Beane, who transformed his own sport with the method and who Henry once tried to hire for his Boston Red Sox.

Hence some of the telling body language in the directors' box on Thursday night. Henry shook his head when Raul Meireles swivelled into a right-foot effort against Napoli and put a golden opportunity wide and though Graham Taylor, from his commentator's position, observed drily that proprietors always think they might do better on the field of play, the owner had his reasons.

Meireles' struggles to adapt to the Premier League may have contributed to the new owner wondering precisely why Roy Hodgson spent £11.5m on him.

Liverpool's medical staff discovered that Meireles needed building up physically when he arrived at Liverpool and the club have also struggled to establish where he operates best. But he still has a lot to prove, almost as much as Christian Poulsen (£4.5m) and Paul Konchesky (£5m), the latter brought from Fulham by Hodgson. Poulsen's most significant contribution to Thursday's match was the misdirected header which set up the lead Napoli held for nearly an hour.

The brutal truth to date is that Poulsen and Konchesky are the kind of comfort-blanket players a new manager will sometimes turn to, in the knowledge that they have done a job elsewhere before. The impression given by Joe Cole and by Fabio Aurelio, re-signed this summer when Liverpool had shipped out nearly all of their serviceable left-backs, is little better. The average age of the new lot is 29.

Henry clearly did not consult with Hodgson before deciding to bring in Comolli.

"I really didn't talk that much with Roy over the week or so before we made the decision," he said. "I think he may have been surprised when I brought it up a couple of days before we brought in Damien. But he was fully supportive."

Hodgson seems to feel that Henry will grant him the second striker he needs, though his future appears heavily dependent on Steven Gerrard reaching the heights of Thursday.

Henry already knows Gerrard quite well. He sat with the captain at an informal lunch with the players on their first day at Anfield, last month. But though the 61-year-old stood and punched the Liverpool night air as the captain's 89th-minute penalty drove Liverpool into the lead against Napoli, Hodgson knows no amount of statistical work can buy you a younger version of that passion.

"More and more we bring players into our teams who are gifted individuals, but they don't always have that fight in them as well," Hodgson observed.

"Football has changed, and in (Jamie) Carragher and Gerrard we do have two of a dying breed. They are Liverpool through and through, and not only that but they have the quality, guts and desire to play for Liverpool. Most managers would say they are the type of player we really want, but they are much harder to find these days.

"United have their share with (Paul) Scholes and (Ryan) Giggs, but if you go through the Premier League these days, it's not so easy to name many of them. We recruit talent from abroad, but they might not have that burning heart which refuses to accept defeat, as Steven did against Napoli."

There is of course nothing to say that Meireles won't prosper and be taken to Anfield hearts. Maxi Rodriguez has recently shown that 29-year-olds, whatever their re-sale value, can deliver after a rocky start.

Rodriguez speaks of the need for Liverpool to play with "calmness" against Chelsea. It is part of the demand for instant results that both he and his manager have been granted so little of it in their respective Liverpool careers.

Should Liverpool win on Sunday, incidentally, they will be only three points worse off than they were after 11 games last season. Yet Hodgson badly needs others to follow where Rodriguez has led in the past fortnight.

Glen Johnson, who made his Chelsea debut against Liverpool at Anfield in 2003, has still to prove that the £80,000-a-week wages he arrived on are remotely good value. Liverpool's £120m wage bill is something else which will have had Henry shaking his head. Cole, the £90,000-a-week man who is 29 on Monday, will miss Sunday's game with a hamstring injury.

Hodgson has grounds to believe that Fernando Torres will rise to this occasion more than others this season, having scored five goals in seven games against Chelsea in all competitions. You suspect it will be Gerrard who will be the talisman once again, though. Only this time it will not be a suspect Napoli goalkeeper he is encountering but a side against whom he has managed only one goal for Liverpool in 30 appearances and even that one in a 4-1 Anfield defeat.

Henry's wife Linda Pizzuti revealed on her Twitter feed yesterday that the strains of "you're not singing any more", delivered to the Napoli fans, were a personal highlight of Thursday evening.

With the size of the task her husband is facing, she may not be hearing that kind of triumphalism too often.

Liverpool Desperately Need Damien Comolli To Be A Success

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one left scratching his head this week when I heard Liverpool had appointed a director of football strategy.

I’ve certainly never heard a job title like that.

The more I looked into what is expected of Damien Comolli at Anfield, the more I realized that it’s basically the role I always knew as chief scout.

Comolli’s job is to identify and recruit players for the Academy right up to the first team.

His arrival could be viewed as stepping on Roy Hodgson’s toes but the manager has come out and said he’s happy to have Comolli on board so hopefully they will work well together.

Comolli has an impressive CV having worked at Arsenal and Tottenham and he’s got a massive task facing him at Liverpool.

The bottom line is we don’t have enough quality players and the new owners have made it clear they aren’t going to give the manager a blank cheque book.

As a result it’s vital we’re able to identify talented youngsters and bring them to the club.

We’ve got such a good spine to the team with Reina, Carragher, Gerrard and Torres but we still need better players around them.

If Comolli is a success at Liverpool then he will actually save the club money.

I really hope he’s already got two wingers and a centre forward on his list of potential recruits.

Liverpool Fans Have Key Role To Play Against Chelsea

I admit that Chelsea are the best team in the Premier League and seem to be winning games very easily this season.

However, at Anfield today they will face a Liverpool side high on confidence after three straight wins.

We shouldn’t fear Chelsea and if our key players perform we can cause them problems.

When Jose Mourinho was in charge at Chelsea he admitted that his players were terrified by the Kop in full voice.

We need that kind of atmosphere again at Anfield today.

I’m sure the fans will be up for it and the players must start well with a high tempo and take the game to Chelsea.

If we do that we can keep this good run going.

'Next Steven Gerrard' Is A Distant Dream At Liverpool

Steven Gerrard lines up against Chelsea today with his reputation as Liverpool's saviour restored. The captain rose from the bench on Thursday to turn a 1-0 deficit against Napoli into a 3-1 victory almost single-handed. But along with the euphoria that generated came a familiar, grim feeling for all Kopites; when is Anfield's next home-grown superstar going to arrive?

It is close to 12 years since Gerrard made his debut for Liverpool. The date was 29 November, 1998, Blackburn Rovers were the opponents and since then a club which had produced a glut of talent – most notably Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen – has created little for its supporters to get excited about. Instead a list of those who have risen from the youth ranks over the past decade now reads like a who's who of lower-league fillers.

It is in this context that last week's appointment of Damien Comolli as Liverpool's director of football strategy is significant. The Frenchman's brief is, according to the club's owner John W Henry, to "identify exciting young talent" in much the same way he did while working as a European scout for Arsenal and, to a lesser extent, as director of football at Tottenham. If Comolli is successful, there will surely be fewer Jon Otsemobors and more Gaël Clichys filling Liverpool's age-group teams.

In fairness the club had identified a failure to produce talent of its own long before Henry arrived. Liverpool had won the FA Youth Cup in 2006 and 2007, as well as reaching the final in 2009, yet none of those who played in those teams has come close to establishing himself in the first team in the way Gerrard and Carragher have. Something was clearly wrong.

To address the situation there was a major and expensive overhaul of the club's academy in Kirkby 2009. Close to 17 coaches were let go and in came Frank McParland as academy director and, most interestingly, Rodolfo Borrell as the under-18s coach.

Borrell was recruited from Barcelona's renowned La Masia, where he had developed Cesc Fábregas, Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi. Whether he can do the same for Liverpool will only become apparent in due course but what is certain is that the Spaniard, who was directly appointed by Rafael Benítez, feels he is working from a low base.

"The reality of what we found here was unacceptable," Borrell said in April. "The under-18s had no centre-forward, no balance, no understanding of the game. We are working hard but you can't change things overnight."

That assessment would be deemed harsh by recent attendees of Liverpool's academy. Robbie Threlfall, for instance, scored in the final of Liverpool's 2006 and 2007 triumphs and feels he could have progressed into the first team had there been a desire among senior management, most notably Benítez, to give young players a chance.

"Like most of the lads at the academy, I didn't have a relationship with Rafa, he wouldn't speak to any of us on a personal level," says Threlfall, who joined Liverpool at the age of 11 and, after a series of loan spells elsewhere, signed for Bradford in May. "It also didn't help that we'd be performing well and then see a foreign player signed ahead of us. In my case that was Emiliano Insúa. When he came I knew my time was up."

Threlfall remains friends with most of the class of 2006 and 2007, including Jay Spearing, who captained the latter and has featured regularly for the first team in this season's Europa League alongside other youngsters – some nurtured, others signed – such as Martin Kelly and Jonjo Shelvey.

"With Roy Hodgson in charge the young lads will hopefully get a chance," Threlfall says. "As a Liverpool fan myself I want to see more homegrown players, particularly local ones, in the team."

That sentiment is shared by Liverpool city council. Warren Bradley, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council, has revealed to Observer Sport thatthe council has spokento Henry, as well as to officials at Everton and Tranmere, about a policy that would ensure that 5% of their annual academy recruits were local apprentices.

"We believe 5% is a realistic figure and a fair one," says former council leader Bradley. "These clubs take huge amounts of money from the local community and it is only right they put something back."

For now the focus remains fixed on Carragher and Gerrard. They face a Chelsea side who are also short of homegrown talents but believe they may have unearthed a gem in the 17-year-old midfielder Josh McEachran. The word from Kirkby is that Raheem Sterling and Suso could be Anfield's next big things. No more need, then, for Liverpool to sign such players as Andriy Voronin.

Young Reds Hit Bolton For Six

Liverpool U18s returned to winning ways in sensational style on Saturday morning as they recorded a stunning 6-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers.

The young Reds bounced back from their disappointing defeats to Blackburn and West Brom by romping to a comprehensive triumph over a side who had only previously conceded seven goals in their first 10 matches.

Full-back Brad Smith fired Rodolfo Borrell's side into a first-half lead before Toni Silva added a quick-fire brace shortly after the break.

Goals from Michael Ngoo, Adam Morgan and Krisztian Adorjan completed the rout.

Afterwards, Borrell told Liverpoolfc.tv: "We bounced back after two bad results with a great team performance.

"We need to keep working hard to improve day-by-day and not become overconfident after this massive result."

Liverpool U18s: Belford, Smith, Coady, Adorjan, Aylmer (Sumner), Flanagan, Sterling (Walsh), Sama, Regan, Silva, Ngoo (Morgan).

Henry Makes No Roy Promises

Liverpool owner John W Henry is making no guarantees about Roy Hodgson's long-term future at the club.

Hodgson, who took the Liverpool hotseat in July, has come under fire in recent weeks following the Reds' dismal start to the season, with the Merseyside club currently sitting 13th in the Premier League table.

American Henry, who took over at Anfield last month with his company New England Sports Ventures, says there are no immediate plans for a change in management, and when asked if under-pressure Hodgson was the right man for the job he told Sky Sports News: "He certainly is at this point."

However, the owner added: "I can't make any promises about the future for anything in the organization because two months ago I didn't know that much about English football.

"We tend to stay with our managers and our general managers. Roy didn't build this team so I think he has been unfairly criticized this year.

"I think it is my role at this point to support him in every way, to make sure he has the resources to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. There is no change that is imminent."

Pulis Cools Lucas Links

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has played down rumours linking him with a move for Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva.

Recent reports have suggested the Potters are weighing up a bid for the Brazilian when the transfer window reopens in January.

Stoke were linked with Lucas in the last transfer window, but the player remained at Anfield.

However, speculation over his future refuses to go away with the midfielder yet to establish himself as a regular in Roy Hodgson's plans.

Pulis has denied making any enquiries about Lucas, claiming he has not held any discussions with Hodgson since he took over at Anfield.

"I haven't spoken to Roy since he went to Liverpool," Pulis told the Stoke Sentinel.

Cleo In Dark Over Reds Talk

Partizan Belgrade star Cleo admits he is in the dark about reports linking him with a move to Liverpool.

Reports have suggested the Reds are considering a move for the Brazilian striker as they bolster their attacking options in the January transfer window.

However, Cleo, who has scored against Arsenal in this season's Champions League, is not reading too much into the speculation.

"Liverpool? I heard something about this story... Well, I actually read about it on the internet," Cleo told Blic.

"But nobody has talked with me about this. But of course in football you never know what tomorrow will bring to you.

"Just two years ago I had a trial at Lens, but then I signed for Red Star Belgrade.

"Back then I was too costly for Lens, but now I'm at club, which plays in the Champions League. So you really never know what will happen.

"I don't want to think too much about my future.

"Who knows where would I be now, if I had signed for Lens."

Henry Wants Squad Depth

Liverpool owner John W Henry has pinpointed the squad's lack of strength in depth and emerging stars as one of the club's main problems.

The Reds are considered one of the Premier League's giants, but they have gone 20 years since their last title success and have struggled in recent campaigns.

Liverpool have found themselves lagging behind the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal not only in terms of success on the pitch but revenue streams off it.

However, Henry has a long-term vision for the Reds and sees strengthening in Roy Hodgson's squad as one of the main priorities.

Liverpool appointed Spurs' former director of football Damien Comolli this week to help and he believes the Frenchman will help the team achieve their goal.

"We're not deep enough. We don't have enough youth," he told Sky Sports News.

"If you look at Manchester United and Arsenal they have depth.

"They have relative young teams and that's something that he (Comolli) can help us with."

Some believe the addition of Comolli could undermine Hodgson's authority, however, Henry insists the ex-Fulham boss wanted the position filling.

When asked if Comolli's arrival would undermine Hodgson, Henry replied: "No, not at all.

"When I first met with Roy it was really clear that he wanted someone in that position, so I really didn't talk that much with Roy over the week or so before we made the decision to bring Damien in.

"So I think he may have been surprised when I brought it up, but he's fully supportive. He knows Damien. I think the model really requires people of certain personalities for it to work and Roy and Damien are two personalities that will mesh well together.

"It will be a group decision. You build consensus. I think it's a very good model, but though each will be in charge of their own areas.

"We're still building a team. We're in the middle of building that. We may make some mistakes early on, but we're going to try and avoid that and we're studying every day."

Former owners Tim Hicks and George Gillett ran Liverpool into spiralling debts and Henry insists the new American regime will not fall into the same traps.

Henry also owns Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox and helped bring success to the famous club and acknowledges investment is needed at Anfield.

The 61-year-old knows that a new stadium is preferable in the long run as opposed to refurbishing Anfield if they are to compete with the Premier League's leading clubs in terms of revenue with Fifa's Fair Play rules set to come into force.

"We really have to invest in the club. We need more depth. We need to build the squad," he continued.

"We need stadium changes, whether we build a new ground in Stanley Park or we rebuild and refurbish Anfield. If you build a stadium there's debt involved in that. Even Arsenal had to borrow to build Emirates. You cannot sustain a club in the long term to buy players.

"You're really limited to what your revenues are. That means we have to create revenues worldwide. We have to generate revenues and that's what we're really good at.

"When we went to Boston we spent three years trying to figure out whether to build a new stadium or refurbish the new one.

"We need to move faster. Hopefully within a year, but I don't want to set a hard-fast timeline when we'll make that decision. If you're going to build a new ground that takes time."

Ancelotti Keen On Gerrard Link

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has declared he would like to manage Steven Gerrard one day as he prepares to instead nullify the Liverpool captain in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Sunday.

Ancelotti wasn't launching a transfer move for Gerrard, but simply outlining his admiration and respect for the England midfielder, who is coming off a stunning hat-trick in the Europa League as a substitute in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Napoli.

Ancelotti knows three points at Anfield will help Chelsea maintain their five-point lead at the Premier League summit. But this time, with Liverpool in the midst of a mini-revival after a poor start to the season, Ancelotti knows a revitalized Gerrard will only help to inspire them.

Gerrard was the catalyst for Liverpool's comeback from 3-0 down against Ancelotti's AC Milan side in the 2005 Champions league final in Istanbul. The Reds won on penalties but Ancelotti gained revenge in Athens in the 2007 final by beating Liverpool 2-1.

Ancelotti highlighted Gerrard as the main threat to Chelsea and paid him the ultimate professional compliment by saying he would like to work with him one day.

When asked why he would like to manage him, Ancelotti replied: "Because he's one of the best players in the world. If you can manage the best players, it's easier to win. I don't know him as a person. I think he's a good man. But the reason I would like to manage him is because I've managed a lot of fantastic players, and he's one of the best players.

"He plays in a very dangerous position for us, a little bit behind Fernando Torres. We have to control that position during the game because he'll be able to give passes to Torres for the final pass, and will also be dangerous shooting from distance. It will be important for us not to give him the chances to play with that space. It's not just important that John Obi Mikel has good control of that position, but also the other midfielders have to support him and control Gerrard.

"I think Gerrard knows very well the tradition and history of the club. He's happy to wear the shirt. The shirt is 'inside' him. For this reason, it's important for the other players to have a team-mate who is a 'Liverpool player'. It's the same with John Terry at Chelsea. They're very good examples for the young players or those who arrive in the new team. They show the right behaviour of what is expected of them as a Liverpool or Chelsea player.''

When quizzed over where he would like to manage him - at Liverpool, Chelsea or England - Ancelotti replied: "I don't know.''

The Italian remains without the services of England midfielder Frank Lampard for the trip to Merseyside and Ghana international Michael Essien is doubtful with a toe problem. But France winger Florent Malouda has recovered from his twisted ankle and is fit to play.

Lampard last played in the 2-0 win over Stoke at the end of August. He had hernia surgery initially but has since been plagued by a hamstring problem since then.

"Lampard is not available for this game,'' said Ancelotti.”We have to take our time again. We didn't want to take a risk. He's done plenty of training alone, so the next step is training with his team-mates, which he'll start at the beginning of next week. I hope he'll be ready for Sunderland. We have a little problem with Essien's toe and we're not sure he'll be fit. I'm hopeful he can play.''

Liverpool Owner Keen On 39th Game Plan

Liverpool co-owner Tom Werner has revived talk of a controversial 39th Premier League game to be played overseas.

The concept was met with criticism when it was initially suggested by Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, with a number of fans and clubs voicing their disapproval. Fifa president Sepp Blatter also condemned the proposals, but Werner, who bought Liverpool last month along with John W Henry of New England Sports Ventures, believes the idea could still have legs.

As well as Liverpool, NESV also owns the Boston Red Sox baseball team and, after witnessing another NFL gridiron game at Wembley, Werner believes the Premier League could succeed overseas.

He told BBC Sport: "I think that first of all the EPL is the strongest league in the world and its reach is global. It's been very impressive to me the number of people globally who watch the EPL and we hope to expand that imprint.

"I think that the more important the game the more excitement. Friendlies are great, but why not have an actual match in season."

Werner also assured Liverpool's fans that he and Henry are determined to bring success back to Anfield. The club have not won the league since 1990 and have seen their haul of 18 titles equalled by Manchester United, whose manager Sir Alex Ferguson has successfully carried out his promise to knock Liverpool off their perch.

Reclaiming the mantle of England's most successful club is something that excites Werner, and he has drawn comparisons between how the Red Sox have managed to close the gap between themselves and the New York Yankees.

"I think that would be a good comparison," he added. "The Yankees continue to have the best revenues in baseball but we have been successful in playing them head-to-head and we expect to play Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal and other clubs head-to-head.

"There will be trophies in that trophy case going forward. It's a pledge. I don't know when we will honour that pledge but we will honour it. We're going to make steady progress. We're in a very competitive league but we won't settle for anything less than first."

Some Liverpool fans have welcomed the arrival of Henry and Werner with scepticism after the ill-fated reign of their fellow countrymen Tom Hicks and George Gillett, but Werner assured them that there is nothing to worry about. "I understand their caution. John and I are men of our words," he said.

"There's no acquisition debt on the club, there is a bit of stadium debt, that's understandable.

"Any profits we make going forward will be invested in the club.

Dalglish Wows Crowds In Belfast

Kenny Dalglish was the guest of honour as hundreds of fans turned out to witness the Liverpool legend officially open the new club store in Belfast on Friday morning.

The Reds' Academy Ambassador was overwhelmed by the number of supporters that flocked to the new 2,000 sq ft unit on Castle Lane in the heart of the city's shopping district and was quick to point out the importance of what is now Liverpool's fifth official store.

"They must have thought it was Steven or Fernando coming here! When they find out it's me they may be disappointed!" joked Dalglish.

"But I do think it's an important thing for the club to get out and see as many people as they possibly can, especially the ones that can't come to us.

"It's nice that there has been such a big turnout here. The shop can be a fantastic success and is only going to benefit the Football Club. It gives the people of Northern Ireland the opportunity to feel a little bit closer to us.

"There are plans to open other facilities in Dublin and Oslo as well, so it's all very positive."

The store's opening comes just 48 hours before Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with leaders Chelsea.

Roy Hodgson's men head into the showdown having won their last three matches, and while many observers have suggested the Blues look unstoppable this season, Dalglish remains confident Liverpool can continue their recent run.

He said: "They'll come to Anfield and they'll be worried about Liverpool. Everything has settled down a bit now. We've got the new owners and Roy (Hodgson) has been here a bit longer too, so he has gotten to know the players a bit better. I think Sunday could be a good day for us."

He added: "If you finish above Chelsea you are going to be champions. They look the favourites to win the league. When you play against them you need to be concentrated for the 90 minutes. You can't nod off because they will just punish you.

"I actually think Ashley Cole is a big threat for them. It might sound stupid talking about a left-back, but he just bombs forward while others fill in for him.

"It'll be a difficult game but it's also a difficult game for Chelsea."

Liverpool FC Appoint Tom Werner As Chairman

Tom Werner is the new chairman of Liverpool Football Club.

The 60-year-old’s position was clarified yesterday at a New England Sports Ventures (NESV) briefing in London.

The LFC co-owner is expected to take a very hands-on role at Anfield, as part of his top executive role.

No formal announcement was made declaring Werner as chairman, contrary to some reports.

But the position of certain members within NESV was clarified as the make-up of the Reds board starts to take shape.

Effectively, the position that executives hold within the Boston conglomerate set-up will directly transfer across to Liverpool.

John W Henry will remain as owner in chief and take a position on the board.

More indications about the new owners’ views on a Liverpool stadium were made yesterday.

It is thought the Americans could wait up to two years before deciding whether to build a new ground in Stanley Park, or redevelop existing Anfield, although no commitments have been made.

The news about Werner’s appointment is set to hurry along the departure of current Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton from Anfield.

That will come as no surprise as the British Airways boss openly stated he was brought in to the club to solely oversee its sale.

At present, Broughton remains at the club, but he has a post at Sports Investment Partners (SIP) already lined up, which he will shortly embark upon.

Liverpool was sold to John W Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox, last month for £300m, in a rollercoaster battle with the much-maligned former co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The decision comes just days after the assignment of new scouting boss Damien Comolli, brought in to oversee Liverpool’s transfer policy.

The Liverpool board is now starting to take shape, with Werner joined by NESV executives David Ginsberg and Michael Gordon.

No limit has been set for the number of directors who will form the final make-up of the Anfield board.

Liverpool-born Ian Ayre remains in the frame, while a chief executive to replace the departed Christian Purslow is still needed, and the global recruitment process to find his successor is ongoing.

Match Report: Liverpool 3 - 1 Napoli

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard came to his side's aid once again as his late hat-trick inspired the side to a Europa League victory against Napoli which highlighted the gulf in class within the squad.

The Reds were deservedly behind to Ezequiel Lavezzi's goal after a dire first-half performance but the England midfielder's introduction at the interval changed the dynamic.

Gerrard, as he always has, led from the front and scored three goals in the final 15 minutes to extend Liverpool's lead at the top of Group K.

It also made it two wins and two draws in the last four matches and ensured the side's mini-revival did not come crashing to an end before it had chance to gather momentum.

That Gerrard made such a difference highlighted the deficiencies on the playing staff at Anfield, with the side operating the vast majority of the second half with five central midfielders in a variety of other positions.

The captain put the rest of his team-mates to shame.

Newly-appointed director of football strategy Damien Comolli, watching alongside owner John Henry, must be wondering how he is expected to bring in talent to match that of Gerrard's, such was the midfielder's influence on the game.

But both Henry and Comolli would have been disappointed with how quickly Liverpool were put on the back foot by the lively visitors in the first half.

Equally worrying was the number of times they gave the ball away, a failing which ultimately cost them as one such occasion led to Napoli's goal.

Lavezzi looked dangerous from the start and his shot forced a corner off Paul Konchesky, with his next intervention releasing Edinson Cavani through the inside-left channel only for the Uruguayan to blaze over.

The provider was slightly closer himself when he seized on a misplaced pass by Jonjo Shelvey to run at the Liverpool defence and fire a shot just wide of Jose Reina's left-hand post.

Pressure was starting to build and Glen Johnson, returning from a thigh injury after a four-match absence, was the first player to be booked for hacking at the back of Cavani's legs before the Reds cracked in the 28th minute.

Christian Poulsen's aimless back-header in the centre circle was picked up by Cavani on the left and he slipped a pass through to Lavezzi who calmly steered the ball under Reina, sparking wild celebrations for the visiting fans - many of whom had managed to acquire tickets in a corner of the main stand.

The response was for David Ngog to stab wide from Poulsen's pass and Johnson to force a regulation save out of Morgan de Sanctis.

But manager Roy Hodgson had already seen enough and sent Gerrard out to warm-up 10 minutes before the interval, with the captain reappearing for the second half at the expense of Milan Jovanovic.

It took just 11 seconds for Gerrard to get into the game, winning a tackle with typical aggression before moments later inducing a foul from Andrea Dossena which earned the former Liverpool defender a booking.

The England midfielder's presence had certainly had the desired effect, even if it did mean the side now had even less width with five central midfielders on the field.

Ngog and Shelvey wasted chances before Meireles missed the target from eight yards after latching on to Ngog's loose pass.

Gerrard curled a free-kick just wide from the edge of the penalty area but it was his sheer determination which brought the equaliser in the 75th minute.

Shelvey's run appeared to be petering out when Dossena did his former club - where he endured a miserable time - a huge favour by diverting the ball towards De Sanctis.

Gerrard sensed an opportunity and charged in with his lunge enough to divert the ball past the goalkeeper.

Salvatore Aronica's 88th-minute trip on Johnson presented the captain with a penalty to double his tally and he duly obliged.

In the directors' box Henry punched the air but he had barely sat down before Gerrard completed his hat-trick and sealed the victory, cleverly dinking the ball over De Sanctis from substitute Lucas Leiva's through-ball.

Steven Gerrard Hails Liverpool's Second Half Fightback In 3-1 Win Over Napoli

Steven Gerrard believes that Liverpool are slowly finding their form after his hat-trick earned the Reds a 3-1 Europa League win over Napoli.

Gerrard came off the substitutes bench to inspire a much improved second half display after the Italians had held the advantage in the first half.

However, Gerrard struck three times in short succession to move Liverpool one step closer to qualification from the group stages.

The Liverpool captain admits his first goal and Liverpool’s equalizer displayed more characteristics of grit and determination rather than skill but was just pleased to draw Liverpool level.

“The manager asked me to come on and see if I could help the lads get back in it and I thought in the second half we were fantastic,” Gerrard told Channel Five.

“When you’re in that position against a giant of a goalkeeper you just go in and hope for the best, it was just determination and desire really and I don’t think the 'keeper fancied it.

The skipper was also full of praise for the clubs’ youngsters, such as Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing, who were given their chance to impress in front of the Anfield crowd.

He added: “It’s a fantastic experience for them, a great run out and credit to the manager for having the bottle and heart to put them in because these are big nights here at Anfield but I thought they did well again.

“In Napoli we put in a good defensive display and we have built on that and got back to back league wins and come from behind tonight to show good character, there is still a long way to go, we know we can get better.

"It’s going to take time but we feel as if we are getting close to where we want to be.”

Liverpool Owe A Debt Of Gratitude To Steven Gerrard, Says Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson believes everyone at Liverpool - not least himself - owes Steven Gerrard a debt of gratitude after the England international’s 14-minute hat-trick averted a morale-sapping defeat at home to Napoli in front of new owner John W Henry and director of football Damien Comolli.

Gerrard emerged as a second-half substitute with Liverpool trailing to a strike from the Argentine international Ezequiel Lavezzi but produced the fourth treble of his career - bundling home after a mistake by Andrea Dossena, coolly converting a penalty after a foul on Glen Johnson and brilliantly chipping home his third - to leave the Premier League side needing just a point to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Europa League.

Though Hodgson admitted in an ideal world he would not have needed to call on his captain to rescue the game, he was effusive in his praise of a performance which he believed encapsulates everything which makes Gerrard Liverpool’s spiritual leader.

“It was a real leader’s performance,” said Hodgson. “In the second half his entry on to the field was a catalyst. It galvanised the crowd and the team and I thought the way he scored the first goal epitomised the energy and the spirit the team showed in the second half.

“That goal was not pretty, but we had missed plenty of chances after pretty play. It was a captain’s goal, the goal of a guy who wanted to get his team back into the game and who was determined, even at the risk of injury, to get the ball into the goal.

“That is appreciated by me, all of the staff here and by the incredible crowd we had. We owe a big debt of gratitude to him but he would be the first to join me and say it was a good team performance in the second half. We deserved to win the game.”

Though Hodgson suggested it would be harsh to suggest it was the first time he had seen the best of Gerrard since taking charge at Anfield, the player’s insistence that the club are still very much a work in progress could, in truth, apply to his form this campaign too.

“Every game is a battle at the moment,” Gerrard said of his team’s form. “It started in Naples with a good defensive display and we have built from that with back-to-back league wins and now coming from behind to win. But there is still a long way to go and we know we can play better. It is a building process with a new manager, a lot of new faces and new ideas. It will take time, but we are getting close to where we want to be.”