• Benítez looking for a reaction after Wigan defeat• Mmanager has consulted Valencia about French opponentsRafael Benítez has told his underachieving players to demonstrate "desire" at Lille in northern France this evening as Liverpool strive to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League. "We have to show we're ready to win," added Benítez before his team's first-leg, last-16 tie.Normally protective of his squad, Liverpool's manager was stung by Monday's Premier League defeat at Wigan, which has damaged the Merseysiders' hopes of a top-four spot and Champions League qualification. "We are looking for a reaction," said the Spaniard. "Everyone knows Wigan was a bad performance and a missed opportunity."We know it's sometimes not so easy when you have another game so very quickly,...

• Liverpool beat Unirea Urziceni of Romania 1-0 at Anfield• 'They were stubborn but we expected that,' says GerrardSteven Gerrard believes Liverpool can lift the inaugural Europa League in Hamburg in May despite starting life outside the Champions League last night with a tense 1-0 win over Unirea Urziceni.David Ngog's 81st-minute header gave Rafael Benítez's team a slender lead to take into the second leg in Bucharest next Thursday on a night when they dominated possession against the Romanian champions but struggled to break down a resilient defence."They were very stubborn but we expected that," said the Liverpool captain. "We needed to be a bit more clinical but I think we'll get more joy away from home. The teams knocked out of the Champions League are fantastic and some of the...

• We will be playing until end of the century, says Spaniard• Benayoun unlikely to be risked but Kyrgiakos may playLiverpool's manager Rafael Benítez has ridiculed the idea of a play-off for the final Champions League place, claiming clubs "will be playing until the end of the century".Reports this week claimed the Premier League is looking into the prospect of having the sides from fourth to seventh face each other post-season to decide the remaining spot for Europe's elite club competition.It is a scenario which could work both ways for Liverpool, who have consistently finished in the top four but have seen their stranglehold on the spot threatened by Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa. But Benítez is keen for the team that finishes fourth to get the final spot and not...

• One of most important Merseyside derbies of Spaniard's reign• Little margin for error ahead of defining stage of seasonRafael Benítez has admitted Liverpool's struggle to secure a lucrative Champions League return has placed added significance on the 213th Merseyside derby and left the club little margin for error ahead of a defining stage in their season.Liverpool are unbeaten in six league games going into the lunchtime meeting with Everton that Benítez ranks among the most important derbies of his six-year reign on Merseyside. Away trips to Arsenal and Manchester City follow the derby for Benítez's team and, given the congested nature of the fight for fourth place plus the importance of the Champions League on Liverpool's precarious finances, the ­manager admits there can be...

• Benítez cagey on his future following dour draw with Wolves• Juventus ready to present him with manager's contractRafael Benítez last night declined the chance to commit his future to Liverpool after it emerged Juventus are drawing up an official contract document for the Spaniard in an attempt to demonstrate the seriousness of their interest.Benítez had the opportunity to reaffirm his allegiance to Anfield when asked about Juventus's pursuit of him following a dour goalless draw at Molineux that did nothing to enhance Liverpool's hopes of salvaging a top-four finish. But he refused to address the subject, adding to the uncertainty over his position at Anfield."I prefer to talk about the game," said the manager, who insisted reports about his future before last night's match had...

• Juventus want Liverpool manager to replace Ciro Ferrara• 'In football you never know,' says Benítez's agentJuventus have identified Rafael Benítez as the man to replace Ciro Ferrara as manager and hope to capitalise on the Spaniard's frustration with financial constraints at Liverpool with an imminent approach for his services.Ferrara is close to the sack following a run of six defeats in eight games, the ­latest courtesy of a ­stoppage-time ­winner by the former ­Liverpool defender John Arne Riise for Roma, and officials at the Turin club have drawn up a list of ­possible ­replacements for the inexperienced coach. Liverpool's manager is understood to head their list and will be formally invited to join Juventus once ­Ferrara has departed, although Benítez could delay his...

• Liverpool manager says he will not walk away from Anfield• Ryan Babel left out of squad for Stoke tripRafael Benítez has vowed not to walk away from the pressures at Liverpool but believes the club cannot be expected to compete for the top prizes every season due to problems behind the scenes.The Liverpool manager issued a defiant response to the latest crisis to engulf his Anfield reign yesterday, albeit one laced with a neat touch of self-deprecating humour. Almost a year to the day since his infamous "list of facts" argument against Sir Alex Ferguson, Benítez, whose side face Stoke City today, started his pre-match press conference by producing a piece of paper from his pocket and delivering a rehearsed message.Instead of a bullish attack on Manchester United from a position of...

• 'Everyone here feels sorry for the fans,' says Benítez• Manager eager to bring in more players this monthRafael Benítez has vowed to fight on as Liverpool manager despite the club's season hitting a new low this week. Benítez apologised to the team's supporters today, saying the team was in a "bad moment" following their FA Cup defeat to Championship side Reading on Wednesday, but insisting that he was not worried about his own position."We are not playing well and everyone here feels sorry for our fans," said Benítez, whose team have already dropped out of the Champions League at the group stage and appear to be out of the Premier League title race. "This is a bad moment, we are not doing well during the season and we know have to improve and we have the belief we can do...

• Benítez will not be able to reinvest income from sales• Maxi Rodríguez plus one other likely to be sole additionsRafael Benítez will have to rely on the £1.5m capture of Maxi Rodríguez and possibly one loan signing to revitalise Liverpool's squad during this transfer window even if the club succeed in raising more than £16m through player sales.The Liverpool manager had expected to operate this month under the same financial constraints that existed throughout 2009 at Anfield: namely, spending no more than he can bring in from sales. Even that model now seems optimistic, however, with Benítez likely to be restricted to signing Rodríguez on an 18-month contract from Atlético Madrid plus one loan deal as he attempts to fulfil his guarantee of qualifying for the Champions...

• Striker could be fit to face Blackburn this weekend• 'The feedback was very positive,' says managerThe Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez has confirmed that his striker Fernando Torres is close to recovery from the injury that has kept him out of the squad since the beginning of November.Torres was injured while on international duty for Spain and has not been able to play since Liverpool's Champions League match against Lyon. However, Benítez believes he could be fit to face Blackburn this weekend."The feedback we had about Torres yesterday was very positive and he was feeling good," he said. "We will see how he is in the next training sessions, but it seems as though things are going well."Asked whether the Spain international could face Rovers, Benítez added: "It depends on how...

• Liverpool manager applauds character as Everton dominated• José Reina's double save was 'amazing' says BenítezThe Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez said his side's 2-0 victory over Everton in the 212th Merseyside derby was "really important" but accepted his team were second best for much of the encounter.A 12th-minute own goal from Joseph Yobo and Dirk Kuyt's close-range effort 10 minutes from time gave the visitors victory despite an unconvincing performance. But Benítez was keen to accentuate the positives as Liverpool moved up to fifth in the Premier League."I think it was really important for us. We won against Debrecen (in midweek) and we knew we had to keep winning," said the Spaniard. "A derby is always very difficult and also very important so a win today could set us up...

Rafa Benitez gave a bizarre interview to the Times yesterday, and Liverpool fans should be worried that the pressure may be getting the better of their leader.  When a manager spends time talking about the support he is getting from the management, threatening to quit, and talking about the legacy he wants to leave behind, he sounds less like a manager worried about this weekend’s game against Man City and more like a man who wants to put this whole mess behind him. The Benitez model of management was always about thrusting your entire stack of chips into the middle of the table.  With a modestly sized stadium and owners who are not oil sheiks or Russian kleptocrats, Liverpool could never afford highly-priced players from their operational income.  Instead, they needed victories in...

• Spanish striker intends to play through pain against Lyon• Rafa Benítez has seven in travelling squad with fitness doubtsFernando Torres will this morning board Liverpool's flight for their crucial Champions League tie in Lyon tomorrow nursing a hernia that has plagued the Spaniard for several weeks and may yet require surgery. With Steven Gerrard a confirmed absentee and also under threat of an operation that would keep him out for almost a month, the problems for a besieged Rafael Benítez appear unrelenting.Both Torres and Gerrard were initially believed to have suffered adductor strains during last month's World Cup qualifiers for Spain and England respectively. However, it has now emerged that Torres's problem is a hernia that has prevented the striker training between games...

• Striker's exertions at Fulham put fitness at risk• Injury-ravaged Liverpool facing Champions League exit Rafael Benítez has admitted he had no option but to push Fernando Torres through the pain barrier in the defeat at Fulham and he now acknowledges that the striker is a serious doubt for the vital Champions League match away to Lyon on Wednesday night.Benítez had agonised, as he had done before the Manchester United game the previous weekend, over whether to start with Torres or use him as a second-half substitute against Fulham and he said that injury problems elsewhere in his squad had forced his hand. The manager, for whom the situation is impossibly delicate, also suggested that inquests would potentially have been stoked by Torres's omission from the starting line-up."The...

With Liverpool preparing to play Fulham at Craven Cottage in a matter of hours, injury problems continue to plague the the Anfield club. Captain and perennial talisman Steven Gerrard will not play due to his nagging groin injury, while fullback Glen Johnson will miss action because of a thigh strain. Additionally, new signing Alberto Aquilani will not be able to build upon his mid-week Carling Cup debut against Arsenal due to illness. Fortunately for Liverpool the £20 million summer signing has not contracted swine flu, but this fact does not improve matters for a club that has been hit hard by injuries and absences. Despite Liverpool’s massive 2-0 victory over Manchester United one week ago, the Merseyside club continues to battle tumult and adversity in this early Premier League...

• Ferguson says referee was influenced by Liverpool fans• Liverpool's gamble on Fernando Torres pays offRafael Benítez savoured "the perfect response" to the worst spell of his Liverpool reign today as victory over Manchester United rescued the Anfield club's season and prompted another attack on a match official from Sir Alex Ferguson.The United manager, charged by the Football Association for criticising Alan Wiley's fitness against Sunderland, claimed home fans had influenced referee Andre Marriner at key moments of Liverpool's 2-0 triumph. But not even Ferguson could deny that Liverpool merited a result that ended a damaging sequence of four successive defeats and lifted the pressure that had mounted on Benítez.Defeat left United two points behind Chelsea at the top of the...

A fifth consecutive defeat at home to Manchester United today would end title hopes at Anfield and precipitate a crisisBack in his days as Aberdeen manager, Alex Ferguson motored south to Anfield to spy on Bob Paisley's Liverpool. There, he ran into the retired Bill Shankly, who growled: "So you're down to have a look at our great team?"Aberdeen lost 1-0 and 4-0 to Paisley's reds in the ensuing European Cup tie and Ferguson learned a lesson in power. Almost two decades later, the Manchester United ruler speeds west knowing that a victory today could erase Liverpool's hopes of staying level with United on 18 league titles. Chelsea, Arsenal and perhaps Manchester City would still stand between Ferguson's men and win number 19, but a fifth Premier League defeat for Liverpool would complete a...

• Co-owner says Benítez is 'as good as there is in the business'• Paying up manager's contract would cost over £20mGeorge Gillett last night responded to growing pressure on Rafael Benítez by assuring the Liverpool manager that he retains the unequivocal support of the club's American owners.Benítez is experiencing the most fraught on-field period of his six seasons in charge of Liverpool after a run of four successive defeats, the club's first since 1987, left them seven points behind Manchester United in the Premier League and under serious threat of elimination from the Champions League group stage.Gillett was at Anfield on Tuesday as Lyon inflicted a stoppage-time defeat on Liverpool and faced angry remonstrations from several fans after César Delgado's winner. His co-owner,...

Well, you need to know who is going to be your new boss Rafa didn’t need his glasses for this one, just a pair of crafty eye holes!...

This photo of Crystal Palace boss saves Rafa Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez escaped an FA disciplinary hearing with just a warning about his future conduct after successfully presenting a picture of Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock as his defence. Benitez looked to be in hot water for reaching into his pocket and pulling out his glasses after [...]...

If you believe Liverpool manager Raphael Benitez there are few midfielders more suited for the Premier League than Lucas Leiva. After all, Benitez has spent much of his 2009-2010 campaign lobbying on behalf of the twenty-two year old Brazilian. Benitez praises Levia’s work rate and dedication to the team, all the while ignoring his glaring deficiencies. Liverpool supporters from Merseyside to Mumbai have been lamenting Leiva’s inclusion in Benitez’s first team since the departure of Xavi Alonso. Replacing Alonso was always going to be a challenge, but after Sunday’s dismal performance against Chelsea it is concretely clear that Leiva is never going to be the man for that task. This is a player that is simply not good enough for the daily rigors of the English...

• Gillet points to £128m investment in last 18 months• American questions Benítez's scouting and recruitmentLiverpool's co-owner George Gillett has reportedly defended his and Tom Hicks's reign at Liverpool and pointed the finger at the manager, Rafael Benítez, after a disappointing start to the season.Liverpool's defeat at Chelsea on Sunday was their third in the Premier League this season and followed a 2-0 reverse at Fiorentina in the Champions League. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Gillett pointed to the investment he and Hicks have made when saying the owners were not responsible for any shortcomings.• Is Benítez to blame? Have your say in our poll• Andy Hunter on how Chelsea cut out Steven Gerrard• Kevin McCarra on the shakiness of the Big Four• Listen...

Liverpool have found their voice and they did not require Fernando Torres to say a word. Pushed, pulled and bloodied, the Spain international obeyed his master's commands and refused to rise to what little intimidation Stoke City presented at Anfield. The riposte came from his feet, not his mouth, and Liverpool's campaign lifted in the process.This was a most complete victory over Tony Pulis's men, whose game plan was unhinged inside five minutes when Torres took Rafael Benítez's advice to stop arguing with opponents and match officials and concentrate on what he does best. His first goal of the season banished the misery of Sunday's opening day defeat at Tottenham Hotspur and much more besides. Seven times Liverpool were held at home last season, with Stoke among the lesser lights who...

Has disgruntled Spaniard left Anfield? No official word on this yet but rumours abound that Rafa Benitez has walked out on Liverpool. Word reached OTP on the grapevine firstly that an unnamed Premier League manager had quit, and then that Benitez had left. It wouldn’t be surprising given his rocky relationship with the club’s owners and his [...]...

• Benítez furious at decision to turn down two penalty appeals• Liverpool manager hits out at referee and fourth officialRafael Benítez made passing reference to a meeting which he had attended "the other day" to address the thorny issue of referees, their decisions and how managers ought to react to them in the prickly heat of the moment. "They said we cannot speak about the referee as a person [or] about their decisions," said Benítez, the Liverpool manager, as he sweated in an airless post-match press conference suite at White Hart Lane.What the Spaniard said next came without a shrug of his shoulders but it roughly equated to "What the hell". The new season might be a matter of days old but the task of gagging managers in the face of perceived injustices appears to be as...

• Benítez says Manchester United manager is irked by City spending• Spaniard says keeping key players is key to Liverpool title challengeRafael Benítez believes Manchester City's lavish summer spending has riled Alex Ferguson as he seeks to defend Manchester United's Premier League title.Speaking ahead of Liverpool's first match of the season, at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their manager said City's expensively assembled squad could unsettle the champions and he could see why Ferguson was concerned."We can always talk about the top four," Benítez said, "but Manchester City are doing a very good job and have bought some excellent players. I can understand why Mr Ferguson at Manchester United is a little bit worried."Aston Villa and Tottenham have also spent some money, so there...

Will Fernando Torres play more than 10 minutes? Kop boss Rafa Benitez greets the inquiry with a grin. Rafael Benitez said: "You cannot judge the team base on their preseason performance. Fernando Torres will play more than 10 minutes. If everything is ok he will play more than 10 minutes." How much do you know about your opponents on Sunday?The question seemed to have caught Benitez by...

• Liverpool manager unhappy at Barry's choice of Man City• Alonso and Mascherano get tacit warning about loyaltyRafael Benítez laid bare his anger at the disruption to Liverpool's transfer strategy yesterday when he accused Gareth Barry of joining Manchester City "100% for money" and demanded greater loyalty from two potential departures, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.The Liverpool manager remains livid with Barry for favouring City's ambitions above Champions League football at Anfield, having spent 12 months attempting to lure the England international from Aston Villa. Benítez was caught cold by Barry's £12m move to City as soon as the transfer window reopened last month and, despite the midfielder's protestations that he wanted to avoid a repeat of last year's saga with...

• 'You can't compete in the top four without spending'• Benítez expects to add at least one more player to squadRafael Benítez has defended his decision to pay over the odds for the right-back Glen Johnson, even though the Liverpool manager admitted the deal has cost him more than he had hoped.Johnson yesterday agreed to move from Portsmouth to Anfield and he is expected to sign a contract in the next couple of days. Reports suggest the transfer is costing £17m, although much of that will be written off because of money still owed by Pompey after Peter Crouch's move to Fratton Park last summer.Chelsea tried to take their former player back to Stamford Bridge but Benítez was always confident the England international would choose Anfield — even if it was at a premium."Sometimes...

The season brought no trophies to Anfield… Manchester United tied the league title record…  The big money summer signing proved a flop… Seven miserable home draws… Mid-season position squandered… Lengthy injuries to the big guns… And Liverpool still had  an outstanding season. Their best in 19 years. If Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, they’ll finish no more than four points below United. This would be the closest they’ve come since 1990 when the Reds last won the league. Apart from 2002, when they finished seven points behind Arsenal, the title has generally been far from Liverpool’s sights by season’s end. The fact they were still in the race two weeks from the end speaks volumes. 82 is Liverpool’s highest...

Supreme No More It says a lot, for better or for worse, that Manchester United’s eighteenth championship sent barely a ripple through the footballing press.  Most headlines read, “Man United 0 - Arsenal 0,” with United’s Premier League-winning feat mentioned in the sub header.  It seems the Premier League ended some time ago, perhaps when Liverpool drew Arsenal in a more exciting fashion then Saturday’s soaking wet kick about (or at least for me, when Aston Villa drew Stoke in early March). This was an awful season all-round.  The sort of narratives that usually drive speculation among punters, neutrals and johnny-come-latelys fizzled just as soon as they were kindled: Benitez finally winning the league; Aston Villa challenging for the Champions League at...

A fight almost broke out between Carragher and Arbeloa during the West Brom match yesterday. The pair almost came to blows 10 minutes from time when they had collided while trying to clear a Marc-Antoine Fortuné's strke on goal. Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger had to separate the pair as they jostled.Benitez claimed the incident showed "a positive message in terms of our mentality". Benitez...

• Spaniard expects Arsenal to show fight at Old Trafford• Manchester United's dominance 'based on money'Rafael Benítez has refused to concede the Premier League title to Manchester United and called on Arsenal to prove they are better than their recent results suggest. The Liverpool manager is defiantly clinging to the faint hope that United will fail to earn the point they need from their last two games to retain their crown.Benítez hopes Liverpool will still have something to play for when they take on West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Sunday, but that depends on Arsenal winning tomorrow lunchtime at Old Trafford."We have confidence that Arsenal will play a good game," Benítez said: "They have lost their last two and this time you will see a totally different team intent...

• Dismissing Everton as 'small club' labelled 'arrogant'• 'Contempt' for Blackburn's Allardyce also criticisedThe Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has accused Liverpool's Rafael Benítez of "arrogance" and showing "contempt" in his dealings with fellow Premier League managers.Benítez has been in combative mood recently, on several occasions criticising Ferguson directly. Now, ahead of United's FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley on Sunday, Ferguson has hit back with a withering assessment of Benitez's conduct.First he lambasted the Spaniard for his description of Everton as a "small club", before rounding on him for the attitude he showed in dismissing Blackburn last weekend once Liverpool had scored their second goal at Anfield."Everton are a big club, not a...

Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez's gut reaction was right – his side were good enough to beat relegation-threatened Blackburn without Steven Gerrard.The captain was left on the bench as Liverpool cruised to a victory that keeps the pressure on Manchester United in the title race and wipes away the bitter memory of the midweek Champions League defeat by Chelsea, thanks to a couple of stunning goals from Fernando Torres, taking his total to the season to 14.The first was a tremendous hooked volley after five minutes, the second a fine header from Xabi Alonso's free-kick. And in the closing minutes Daniel Agger and substitute David Ngog wrapped up the points with further goals.Gerrard was only named on the substitutes' bench, such was the concern over his groin injury, and he can now be...

Daniel Agger is stalling on signing a new contract with Liverpool FC. The obvious problem: his position is overcrowded with quality. The top Danish centre back must compete with Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel who have enjoyed the bulk of the starts this season and don’t forget Sami Hyypia. Jamie Carragher: When Steven Gerrard comes off, Jamie Carragher inevitably takes the captain’s armband. With good reason. Carragher’s inherent leadership is as important to Liverpool’s defense as his ability to strip the ball from even the wiliest of attackers and, like Gerrard, Carragher’s play is an inspiration those around him, lifting the quality of his teammates with his passion and drive.  At 31 with more than 500 appearances, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool...

Baros. Cisse. Morientes. Crouch. Kuyt. Bellamy. Voronin. Keane. Since Rafael Benitez took the helm at Liverpool FC, he’s maintained a revolving door of strikers, searching for the perfect frontline duo. And while he’s fielded many natural hitmen with the ability to keep his side in top four contention and remain a serious Champions League threat, it is only now, when he’s pushed Liverpool’s quintessential midfielder further forward, that Benitez has found a pair who may be the key to Liverpool ending their long title drought: Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. When Torres arrived at Anfield, one could almost hear a general sigh of relief escape Gerrard’s lungs. The captain would no longer be Liverpool’s one true match-changer. He could now share the...

A defeat of this score line is hard to swallow. It had dented Villa's chances of a top 4 finish. Although there are still many games to play for, but the pyschological damage is immense. I did not see the entire process since I shut the TV off at half time.As well as Gerrard's hat trick, Albert Riera and Dirk Kuyt were also on the scoresheet. Benitez said: 'We scored goals but didn't play particularly well.' Villa keeper Brad Friedel was sent off in the build-up to the penalty which saw Gerrard seal his hat-trick. Gerrard said: 'It always sends a message when you win convincingly. Everyone knows confidence is high here. 'It's important we just focus on what we are doing, keep on United's shoulders and keep piling that pressure on them.' Benitez's comments had been very insulting. But...

Aston Villa may have been humbled but the Anfield manager was still not satisfiedLiverpool cranked up the pressure on Manchester United with an emphatic victory over Aston Villa to move within one point of the Premier League leaders, but it will take more than five goals and confirmation that his side are back in the title race to satisfy Rafael Benítez. The ­Spaniard lived up to his reputation as a perfectionist when he ruefully reflected on what he perceived to be a missed opportunity to further improve Liverpool's goal difference against a listless Villa side.Steven Gerrard scored his first Premier League hat-trick and Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera added to the scoreline, but Benítez felt that the dismissal of the Villa goalkeeper, Brad Friedel, in the 64th minute, for a foul on...

Benitez can't wait for the Villa match to kick off. And he is voicing his confidence in the team's chances against Villa. He also believes that Liverpool are strong contenders for the title now given Man Utd earlier falter at Craven Cottage.“Everyone wants to talk about us and Chelsea [in the Champions League], but we know, if we want to stay close to United, we need to concentrate on Aston Villa,” the Spaniard told The Guardian.“If we want to remain in the title race, we have to beat Villa.”“A few Premier League teams play long ball, so we're used to it,” he said. “We have to maybe change two or three movements of certain players, that's...