Liverpool crash out of Champions League

David N'gog nicks the goal that gave Liverpool hope in Hungary

Liverpool’s awful start to the season got even worse this evening as they were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage for the first time in 7 years. A 1-0 win away at Debreceni was not enough to keep the Reds alive in the competition, as Italian giants Fiorentina overcame Lyon by the same scoreline sending them through to the next stage.

It was a typically cagey performance from Liverpool over a side whom Fiorentina and Lyon have put 13 goals past in 3 games, with Lyon finishing the group stage at home to the Hungarian champions on the 9th December. It was a performance that summed up the last few months for Rafael Benitez’ side, and one that was certainly not deserving of progression in the competition.

The only goal of the game came after only 4 minutes, when David N’gog poked the ball home inside the 6 yard box. Opportunities were few and far between after that, although Debreceni goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic made a couple of decent saves to deny Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard in the second half. The home side could even have got something out of the match at the end, as both Gergely Rudolf and Adamo Coulibaly had chances to snatch a late equalizer. Nevertheless, it was a proud effort from the group underdogs.

Liverpool now enter the newly named Europa League, for which they were dubbed favourites even before kickoff tonight, further underlining the difficulty of the task Liverpool faced. A chance maybe for Benitez and the boys to salvage some pride from what’s been a pretty woeful campaign so far.

So where have Liverpool gone wrong? I’ve highlighted a few key areas that need looking at if anything is to be rescued from the wreckage that is the 2009/2010 season.

1. Investment in the January transfer window.
Liverpool lack strength in depth, something that the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal don’t. With Fernando Torres out injured, David N’gog starts up front, and although the young Frenchman has netted a few times this season, he’s nowhere near the class of Torres and certainly hasn’t shown enough ability to suggest he could be a regular starter in any competition. The same has to be said for left-back Emiliano Insua who simply isn’t good enough to be playing at this level, at least not yet. He’s been exposed recently by nearly every player that he’s come up against, and hasn’t showed much promise going forward either. Money, as little as Liverpool have at the moment, needs to be spent extremely wisely in January to strengthen the squad.

2. Consistency in selection.
One of the areas that Liverpool perhaps do have reasonable depth is in the centre of defence. Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Sitirios Kyrgiakos, and even Daniel Sanchez Ayala have all been used in the heart of Liverpool’s back line recently, and they’ve failed to settle as a unit. Another 2 goals were conceded at the weekend to Manchester City, to add to the 18 they’d previously conceded in the League. Skrtel hasn’t had his best run of form of late, and Agger is only just recovering from a series of injuries. Kyrgiakos has looked unsteady since his £1.5m summer arrival from AEK Athens, and Carragher has been far from the kind of form he showed last season, and has received much criticism. It’s a tough one for Benitez who is clearly unsure as to what his best pairing is. I say stick with Carra and Agger for now, and get Skrtel training hard and improving his game, and should Agger pick up another knock then the Slovakian International can slot right back in.

3. More creativity in attack.
The loss of Xabi Alonso in the Summer to Real Madrid has received a lot of talk right up to this day. The simple fact is, losing Alonso means losing one of the best playmakers in Europe, and perhaps even the World. Alberto Aquilani was brought in for a big sum of money but spent the first 10 weeks of the season on the sidelines following ankle surgery. That meant that Lucas Leiva would get a long run in the side, and unfortunately despite being a part of Brazil’s recent squads, he doesn’t have anywhere near the level of ability, creativity, or finesse that Alonso brought to the centre of Liverpool’s midfield. It’s been evident that there’s been a shortage of something different, something inventive in the final third, and that’s limited the options that the likes of Dirk Kuyt, and Yossi Benayoun have had coming from wide positions. Getting Aquilani in the side is a must now, and supporting Torres should be the priority, whether that’s supplying him with good service, or making the effort to burst forward and get numbers in the box.

4. A little less conversation, a little more action.
Rafael Benitez’ future has been discussed more than any other Footballing topic this season and it’s clearly having an effect on everyone at the club. Benitez knows he’s under pressure, and so do the players, so I don’t think he needs reminding in every post-match press conference. Let the man get on with his job, and if the time comes to make a change, do it, but without the unnecessary debating, speculating, and whatever else comes with it.

So, there are the 4 key things that need addressing in order to get Liverpool’s season back on track, if that is even possible. They have a chance in the Europa League to get some silverware which would be a decent consolation for exiting the Champions League, and with the Merseyside Derby on Saturday there’s plenty for the Reds to look forward to. No doubt they’ll be chomping at the bit to get a result at Goodison to keep the fans content, and put their European nightmare firmly to the back of their minds.

Fulham 3-1 Liverpool: All things red at the Cottage

Two fairly atrocious decisions from referee Lee Mason, and some bizarre substitutions from Rafael Benitez made for another woeful afternoon at the office for the Liverpool gaffer.

It was a game that people were cautious about following the 2-0 win over Man Utd last weekend – it’s one of those Liverpool should win but very often don’t. Fulham opened the scoring half way through the first half thanks to Bobby Zamora, before Fernando Torres levelled just before the break with his 10th League goal of the season. However, it went very quickly downhill from there for the visitors, who conceeded to Erik Nevland after 73 minutes before the first of the red cards.

Philipp Degen’s challenge was late. Nothing more. It was worthy of a yellow card. Nothing more. Disbelief was the common emotion when Mr. Mason produced red for the Swiss full-back. Clint Dempsey certainly made the most of the tackle, which on replay shows Degen actually made contact with the American with his back. As for Jamie Carragher’s sending off, it was pretty similar to that one on Michael Owen 6 days ago, apart from being much less of a foul. Carra was guilty of getting on the wrong side of Zamora, a bit of tugging on shirts followed from both parties, before Carragher made a perfectly timed, perfectly legal lunge for the ball. However, the referee saw something that no one else saw and handed the Liverpool skipper his first red card of the season.

Clint Dempsey wrapped up the win for Fulham just before full-time, but all the talk now will be about Benitez’s future, again. Especially after taking a furious Yossi Benayoun off before all the drama unfolded. Time will tell.

Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United

I’m going to enjoy this; results like these don’t come along that often. Oh no wait, yes they do – this is Liverpool’s 3rd consecutive win over United – forgive me.

Coming into this afternoon’s game everybody was talking about how much longer Rafael Benitez would last at the helm. Now, just a couple of hours after, discussion has switched to the re-launch of Liverpool’s title bid. It was inevitable that would happen should Liverpool have got the 3 points, but I’m afraid I’m going to play the pessimist and say lets not speak too soon.

Liverpool were brilliant today, no doubt about it. The spark that they lacked in midweek against Lyon certainly returned against a lacklustre United side, who threatened very little throughout the course of the match. The home side’s best chance of the first half fell to Fabio Aurelio, whom after testing Edwin van der Sar with a 25-yard free kick, had a close-range header saved by the Dutchman – a chance that Aurelio probably should have scored.

United’s best chance of the half came via Wayne Rooney’s head, but Pepe Reina wasn’t made to work very hard by the England centre-forward. Little changed in the second 45, with Liverpool continuing to dominate and create chances. The deadlock was eventually broken after 66 minutes when Yossi Benayoun’s wonderful through pass found the run of Fernando Torres, who shrugged off Rio Ferdinand and fired past van der Sar. Question marks will again be raised over Ferdinand’s defending; he wasn’t tight enough to Torres to start with, and ended up wrong side, allowing Torres to graze through with ease.

The visitors failed to test Reina even after this goal. Nani skimmed the crossbar from a very tight angle and had a free kick saved by Reina with comfort, but Sir Alex will be disappointed that his side couldn’t conjure up more chances, especially against a Liverpool defence heavily criticised recently for leaking goals.

The referee did his best to try and get United back in the game. Numerous decisions went their way, and it’s plain to see why. Mr. Ferguson throwing another half-time tantrum may have something to do with it. Nemanja Vidic received a red card in the 90th minute for a reckless rugby tackle on Dirk Kuyt – Vidic probably lucky to have lasted that long if truth be told. It can be argued that Jamie Carragher should have received the same sanction just moments later for a seemingly last-man challenge on Michael Owen, but Andre Marriner produced yellow instead. Javier Mascherano also received his marching orders in the 95th minute for a silly lunge at Edwin van der Sar in the corner. Unnecessary and costly from the little Argentinian; he’ll now be banned for a game, meaning the Liverpool backroom staff will have to work extra hard to get Alberto Aquilani up to match fitness for next weekend.

I’d like to pinpoint a few one-to-one battles now:

Torres v Vidic: Not only was this United’s 3rd straight defeat against Liverpool, but it was also Vidic’s 3rd straight red card against the Reds. And it’s easy to see why. Torres ran the big Serb ragged at Old Trafford in March, and he did the same today. Too quick, strong, and skillful for the defender, who had to resort to fouling Torres to stop him getting away. Sir Alex revealed before the match that Vidic was “looking forward” to the tussle with Torres. Perhaps that’s what he’d like to have thought.

Valencia v Insua: This was United’s main route of attack. Insua looked vulnerable whenever the ball came his way, and United attempted to expose him on every possible occasion. Valencia was quicker and simply better than Insua, and it begs the question why United couldn’t have exploited that area more.

Mascherano/Lucas v Scholes/Carrick: This was probably the best game I’ve seen Lucas have. He seldom gave the ball away, and kept it very simple which is what you like your crap players to do I guess. Scholes and Carrick had little time on the ball thanks to the closing down from Mascherano and Lucas throughout the game. Those raking passes we’re so used to from Scholes weren’t so evident today.

Carragher v United: Jamie Carragher was immense. Yes, he probably should have been sent off, but that doesn’t take away the fact he was heroic. Every tackle he got right, every aerial battle he won, and United didn’t look like scoring while Carragher was on the pitch i.e the whole match. He’s received a lot of stick recently for being off the pace, but today he’s silenced his critics, if only for a few days.

A fantastic win for Liverpool then. Better than United in all areas, they wanted the ball more, and they wanted the win more. Pressure off Benitez for a short while, but now the hard work begins. Back these performances up and we’ve got a chance. For now, I’m a happy Liverpool supporter.

"We can still win the title" - Who's Benitez kidding?

Just. No.

I’m a true optimist right, but I’m afraid on this occasion even Rafa’s got the better of me. Despite Liverpool’s dire start to the season, somehow, from somewhere, Mr. Benitez has conjured up the enthusiasm and confidence to say Liverpool can still win the Premier League. Is he mad?

It is early days, but not so early as predict the outcome of the rest of the season. This week is a crucial one for Benitez, probably for his career at Anfield. A Champions League tie on Tuesday is followed on Sunday by the visit of Manchester United and all their beachballs. Should Liverpool fail to secure points in both those matches, the door will swing wide open for Benitez to make his exit.

This time last season Liverpool were in a similar predicament. Benitez as well. A Champions League win, also against French opposition in the form of Marseille, kept Benitez his job in effect, after reports suggested he was on the way out. If ever there was a time for an encore, it’s now.

Those of you who read the papers will have probably picked up on the criticism of Benitez for not praising his players enough. Now I never read the articles about this, but I was told that he’s never praised Jamie Carragher or Steven Gerrard for a good performance? Surely that can’t be true. Is he losing the dressing room now as well?

He’s desperate to stay at Liverpool, that’s for sure, and who can blame him? He’s fallen in love with the club and it’s fans, and having spent 5 years there, it’s always going to be a hard thing to leave. He delivered a 5th Champions League trophy in his first full year in charge, as well as bringing Fernando Torres to the club, a signing that pretty much made him a legend. But all that seems long forgotten.

The recent past and the present is what Liverpool fans, and more importanly messrs. Hicks and Gillet are looking at right now. He’s not delivering the goods, and it’s time something was done about it. I’m sad to say that I want Benitez to leave. In my eyes he’s a legend, and a top Football Manager. Winning the European Cup was a big thing for me, and all other Liverpool fans. But I’m afraid now we want the Premier League. And I don’t believe Benitez is the man to deliver that particular trophy.

He’s too cautious as a Manager, in England anyway. The style of play that is needed in the PL is an attacking one. Take United and Arsenal for example. Free-flowing, passing Football, and plenty of goals. Liverpool, seldom set the League alite with a 5-0, 6-0 display, and far too often settle for 0-0 draws at Stamford Bridge. Not good enough.

Possible candidates for the hotseat?

Jose Mourinho has to be favourite for me. He’s always stated a desire to get back into managing in England, and despite not being on most Reds’ fan’s christmas card list, he’ll win silverware.

Jurgen Klinsmann was very close to taking over 12 months ago before that Marseille win, and who know, his name may pop up again.

Martin O’Neill? Claudio Ranieri? Who do you think?

Benitez keen to bring Heskey back

"I don't know what I'm doing wearing this shirt either, Stevie"

This doesn’t please me.

Apparently Benitez is keen on finishing 8th place as well. At least that’s what will happen if he continues to concentrate his interest on donkeys. Take note Lucas Leiva.

Emile Heskey is good for one thing, and one thing only. He’s a big guy, a strong guy. Therefore, long, aerial balls could potentially be very beneficial. Heskey’s strength allows him to win a lot of aerial battles, which ultimately makes him a useful target man.

He’d be an even better target man if he didn’t fall over every 20 seconds. The guy is huge. Man up.

He’s complimented Wayne Rooney in attack reasonably well for England of late, but for a striker, he has a woeful goalscoring record, target man or not target man. 7 goals in 57 England games? Please. Surely there’s someone better. Oh yes, there is: Jermain Defoe.

If you compare Heskey to other target men around the World, you’ll notice that he’s simply not as good.

Luca Toni – Italy – 16 goals, 47 games.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden – 22 goals, 59 games.
Dimitar Berbatov – Bulgaria – 43 goals, 72 games.

You do the Math.

It is suggested that Rafa is interested in bringing Heskey back to Anfield for a second spell after finally recognising the need for a second striker to play alongside Fernando Torres. Back in the year 2000, Heskey moved from Leicester City to Liverpool for an astonishing £11m fee, and spent 4 unproductive years at the club. Now, nearly 10 years on, take £9.5m off that price and you’ve got what Heskey will supposedly re-join the Reds for.

Emile himself has stated that he’d consider a move back to Merseyside, and it’s hard to believe he’d turn it down should an offer come in. In the meantime, Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has told Heskey to stop worrying about his England place for next year’s World Cup, and to start focussing on securing Villa a decent finish in the Premier League.

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool: Cautious Reds found wanting

Liverpool’s bid for a first Premier League title took what will probably be a fatal blow today at the hands of an impressive Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Second half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda secured another 3 points for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, which moves them to the top of the table, 2 points clear of Manchester United.

From the outset it was clear of Liverpool’s gameplan. As is the norm with Liverpool when they travel to Stamford Bridge, they set up with a defensive outlook with the aim to contain Chelsea and look to hit them on the counter-attack. Only one goal at Stamford Bridge in the PL under Rafael Benitez suggests that that tactic probably needs a rethink.

Fernando Torres had the chance of the half for the visitors. A floated cross from the right by Dirk Kuyt was met by the Spaniard, only for his tame header to be held with comfort by Chelsea’s stand-in ‘keeper Hilario. Liverpool would go on to rue that miss, as 15 minutes into the second half Anelka struck to send the Blues fans into raptures. Javier Mascherano was guilty of losing the ball inside the Chelsea half, leaving Liverpool exposed at the back. Didier Drogba was put through by Michael Essien, before crossing for Anelka to cleverly guide home at the far post.

Things got no better for Liverpool who never looked that threatening until Florent Malouda slotted home a second for the home side in the 90th minute. Yossi Benayoun had a golden opportunity just seconds after to scrape a goal back for Liverpool, but his shot shaved the outside of Hilario’s far post.

After this defeat, it seems Liverpool’s title hopes are over. They’ll have to settle now for battling out for 4th spot along with Manchester City, Aston Villa, and the likes. As for Chelsea, moving above United in the table will give them great confidence and motivation heading into the next round of PL matches.

Chelsea v Liverpool: Battle of the Number 8's

Fans of Chelsea and Liverpool would have been scowering through the 2009/2010 fixtures list in mid-July, with the aim of pinpointing arguably their biggest games of the season. This contest certainly falls into that category.

In years gone by, matches between Chelsea and Liverpool have been displays of technical class, wonderful ability, and plenty of goals. One gets the feeling that this tussle will fail to disappoint.

There’s a lot at stake for both sides on Sunday. Chelsea lost their first League game of the season last weekend at the hands of a plucky Wigan, whilst Liverpool travelled to Italy in mid-week only to be outplayed by a very impressive Fiorentina side. Remarkably, that defeat at the DW Stadium prompted some people to start casting doubts over the future of Carlo Ancelotti. Now we know that in this day and age managers seldom get the rub of the green when results aren’t going their way, and usually it’s 10/15 matches into a season when they get the boot, but talk of Ancelotti going after just one defeat this season is completely ludicrous.

Many have touted the Italian as being the ‘next Scolari’, but so far there’s very little evidence of that. Yes, Chelsea lost to Wigan, and yes they can’t afford to be losing those kind of matches on a regular basis, but it’s just one blip out of 38 Premier League matches. I’m sure they’ll bounce back sooner or later.

As for Liverpool, Rafael Benitez is a manager under far more pressure than his Chelsea counterpart. A poor start to the season in all competitions has already dispelled some fans’ hopes of winning the League, or Champions League come next summer. The depth of the squad at Anfield, as well as the quality of players has constantly come under scrutiny, and there is no doubt that Sunday will be the Reds’ biggest test yet. Should they come through that with 3 points I’m sure all those doubts will disappear, for a day or two at least. However, should Liverpool fail to bag at least 1 point, more question marks, and more pressure will build on the Spaniard.

The key battles haven’t really changed from previous clashes. The main talking point will be the two no.8’s in the middle of the park. Messrs Lampard and Gerrard. Many say they can’t play together, but the spotlight will now be on the two battling against each other as they sought to regain some Premier League momentum for their teams.

Lampard is renowned for his ability to find space and pop up in the box unmarked, therefore scoring his fair share of goals. I would hope Javier Mascherano would be given the job of marking Lamps out the game, and therefore dispelling Chelsea’s main midfield threat. Gerrard on the other hand loves running with the ball, making those darting runs forward, and of course supplying Torres with pinpoint precision. Goals from Gerrard are guaranteed throughout a season, and he very often pops up at vital times. Michael Essien will probably be given the job of keeping Stevie quiet. A difficult task nonetheless.

The Torres – Terry contest also throws up some interesting talking points too. Torres has been in great form in the early season, and been rewarded with the Player of the Month for September. John Terry, England captain and one of the World’s best centre-halfs, will have his work cut out, but he’ll more than be up to the prospect of keeping Torres quiet.

Finally, Didier Drogba and the whole of the Liverpool backline will be a very interesting watch. Drogba’s physical, bullying presence will keep Jamie Carragher and the likes on their toes, and with Drogba’s reputation for going down a little too easily, they’ll have to be careful not to concede any silly free-kicks close to goal. Especially with the likes of Lampard and Ballack, two first-class free-kick specialists, amongst the Chelsea ranks.

Whenever Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge Rafael Benitez always seems keen on employing a cautious, counter-attacking setup. This time however, having already conceded too many points for my liking this season, a more aggressive, ‘in-your-face’ approach would be very refreshing to see. Yes, we may concede a goal or two, but with Torres, Gerrard, Benayoun, and Kuyt all finding the net with consummate ease at the moment, the likelihood is we’d score a few too.

Chelsea play attacking Football wherever they go. They have great ability in the final third, as well as a solid defensive unit that deals with the counter-attacking threat. Where they are perhaps vulnerable is with a big striker up against Terry and Carvalho, something Liverpool don’t really possess although Torres does put himself about a bit, and down the wings. Bosingwa and Cole’s defensive ability leaves something to be desired.

For me, the team that wins will be the team that gambles the most. Risks will have to be taken, but calculated risks. Sitting back and waiting to counter is a dangerous tactic and probably one that should be abandoned for this match. Aggressive, attacking, inventive play will be the winner on Sunday.

A fascinating contest lies ahead then. I’d be very interested to hear some predictions from readers – Preferably in Liverpool’s favour.

My Prediction: 2-3

Liverpool name Champions League squad

Liverpool have announced their 28-man squad for the first group stage of this season’s Champions League. A couple of players will be unknown to the majority of people, but Liverpool’s lack of squad depth gives the chance for some youngsters to hopefully make an impression.

The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers
Diego Cavalieri
Pepe Reina
David Martin

Defenders
Glen Johnson
Daniel Agger
Fabio Aurelio
Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Emiliano Insua
Jamie Carragher
Stephen Darby
Martin Kelly
Martin Skrtel
Andrea Dossena

Midfielders
Alberto Aquilani
Steven Gerrard
Yossi Benayoun
Javier Mascherano
Lucas Leiva
Jay Spearing
Damien Plessis
Albert Riera

Forwards
Fernando Torres
Andriy Voronin
Dirk Kuyt
Ryan Babel
David N’Gog
David Amoo
Nathan Eccleston

No surprises then as Liverpool go in search of a 3rd Champions League Final appearance in 5 years. There’s a chance of a competition debut for a number of youngsters, although the probability is that they’ll only be called upon if completely necessary. C’mon the Reds!

Pressure mounts on Benitez as Liverpool fall to 3-1 defeat at the hands of Villa

I'll keep this short and simple.

Liverpool only lost twice in the entirety of last season, but with only 3 games gone in the 09/10 season, Rafa's boys already find themselves with 2 defeats against their name.

Villa turned up at Anfield today having lost their first and only PL game of the season, a home tie v Wigan, but they showed no signs of that against a sloppy Liverpool side. An open first half ended with Villa 2-0 up, after Lucas slotted one past his own 'keeper, before Curtis Davies headed home just before the whistle. Fernando Torres netted for the Reds with 20 minutes to go, but hopes of a comeback were short lived as Steven Gerrard brought down Nigel Reo-Coker in the box, allowing Ashley Young to slot home from the spot.

The match ended with boos from the Liverpool fans, clearly frustrated at another defeat in a game that they really should have won. Pressure continues to grow on Rafa Benitez who has failed to bring home the PL trophy in the 5 years he's been at Anfield. A squad that lacks depth, unstable owners, and a whole lot of question marks surround the Spaniard, and if the team don't start winning soon, the door could well be open for Rafa to pack his bags and leave.

Kyrgiakos to join Liverpool

Samaras look-a-like?

Good luck pronouncing this one.

Liverpool have completed the signing of Greece International centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos - that's Sot-ear-rios Ker-jee-akos for the Graham Taylor's out there. The deal comes subject to a medical, and the fee is believed to be around the £1.5m mark.

With such a low price tag, Kyrgiakos is either a big gamble on Benitez's part, or a bargain from AEK Athens. At 30 years of age, Kyrgiakos should be at the top of his game, so perhaps it's the latter.

Rafael Benitez seemed positive about the new signing. "He is a player with experience who will hopefully help us in defence". I don't like the use of the word 'hopefully'. It gives an air of the unconvincing. Rafa went on to say: "He has experience in British Football with Rangers. After that with Frankfurt and the National team. He's a good player in the air, strong and aggressive. We were looking for a player with experience".

Does this spell the end for Daniel Agger? With Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel now regulars in the side, and the arrival of Kyrgiakos whom I'm sure will be next in line seeing as Agger's injured, the Danish International may just find himself out in the cold. Unless Rafa has plans to play either a 5-3-2, or play Agger at left-back. But that'd mean the end for Fabio Aurelio. AC Milan have recently shown big interest in Agger, and with the transfer window deadline still two weeks away, there's still plenty of time for them to come calling again.

It'll be interesting to see how Kyrgy fits in to Rafa's plans. He'll be arriving before the weekend, so the Kop may get a first glimpse of him during Monday night's home match against Villa.

Spurs and Reds run riot

Tottenham continued their fantastic to start to the new season with a crushing win at the KC Stadium against Hull. After defeating Liverpool at White Hart Lane on the opening day of the campaign, Jermain Defoe helped himself to a hatrick, while Robbie Keane and Wilson Palacios added to the scoreline, as Spurs completed a 5-1 demolition of Phil Brown's men. Palacios' strike was his first for the Club since joining in January from Wigan. Hull's consolation strike came from new signing Stephen Hunt, but this'll be a bitter pill to swallow for Brown, who would have been hoping to put the opening day defeat to Chelsea behind him by at least securing a point from this game. Hull's next match is a 6-pointer against Bolton at the KC, a game Brown will be desperate to win.

As for Defoe, he seems to just get better and better. He made the strange, and unsuccessful move to Portsmouth last season to work with Harry Redknapp, but since moving back to the Lane, he's been on fire. Redknapp described his form as the best he'd ever seen from the little striker, who hit two goals last week for England against Holland, helping them recover from a 2 goal deficit to claim a draw. "He's been fantastic all pre-season", Harry remarked. "He's a fantastic striker and we've seen today just what he can offer". Spurs will be hoping that he can stay fully fit, and keep up his form - if he does that, they'll be major contenders to break into the top four.

Liverpool were amongst the goals as well this evening, hitting 4 past Stoke City, and keeping their first clean sheet of the season. Goals from Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson, Dirk Kuyt, and David N'gog made for an emphatic result, thoroughly deserved and needed after the defeat to Harry's men on Sunday. Still, there's a difference from beating Stoke 4-0 at a packed Anfield, from travelling to Old Trafford on a cold Sunday afternoon with 60,000 people up against you. But we'll see what occurs for Liverpool as the season pans out. No doubt Rafa Benitez will be delighted with the win, and with Manchester United surprisingly losing to Burnley tonight, will be pleased that the Red Devils haven't got away from them early in the season.

Liverpool's next match is a televised home game against Aston Villa, who haven't made a great start to the season, but they're always a threat. There is still grave concern over the depth of Liverpool's squad, but for this evening, all's good on the Red side of the Mersey. Well done boys!

Hertha want Voronin back

Why?

Desperate? Piss-take? One of the two.

German Club Hertha Berlin have the unexplainable desire to take Liverpool Striker Andriy Voronin back to Germany. The Ukraine International spent last season on loan in Bundesliga, and scored 11 goals in 20 appearances for the Club.

Voronin is out of favour at Anfield, for good reason, and it looks like Rafael Benitez wants to shift him out. The problem is, no one had wanted him up until now. Having started his Liverpool career fairly well, with a goal on debut at St. Etienne, Voronin completely lost his form through the middle of the 2007-2008 season, and was cast aside promptly. At the start of the 2008-2009 season, Hertha came calling and snapped him up on a loan deal. Now back at Anfield, Voronin made little impact when coming on as a substitute in the defeat to Tottenham.

For me, having watched him play on numerous occasions, he's definitely having the same for breakfast as what Lucas has. Liverpool have had their fare share of failing centre-forwards in recent times - Fernando Morientes is one that springs to mind - but Voronin has hit a new level of rubbish-ness. You may think I'm over-critical of Lucas and Voronin, but anyone in their right mind can see that they're not worthy of the Red's shirt.

So if Voronin goes, that's half of the catastrophes out the door. I'll be on the phone to Mr. Gegenbauer asap, asking if he'll take Lucas away as well.

Spurs 2-1 Liverpool: Lacklustre Reds pay the price

Eugh.

Liverpool paid the price for a below-par performance at White Hart Lane on Sunday with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of an impressive Spurs side.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto opened the scoring for the home side on the stroke of the break with a powerful drive into the top corner of Pepe Reina’s net. Liverpool equalised soon after half-time with a Stevie G penalty, brought about by some impressive work from Glen Johnson, making his debut for the club. However, Harry Redknapp’s side had the last laugh, with new recruit from Newcastle Sebastien Bassong heading home from a Luka Modric freekick.

There was obviously something missing for the Reds throughout the 90 minutes, and it was clear to everyone apart from Rafa Benitez, it seems, just what that was. The presence and class of Xabi Alonso. Rafa replaced the now Real Madrid man with Lucas Leiva, possibly the worst Premier League player Liverpool have ever had, including Karl-Heinz Riedl. Alonso’s ability to pick a pass from 40 yards made Liverpool a threat from all over the park in previous years, but now with two ‘workhorses’ in Lucas and Mascherano in the middle, there was no such luxury.

Looking at the Liverpool bench, it’s evident that Benitez needs to spend a bit more time in the transfer market too. The likes of Voronin, Dossena, Sanchez Ayala, and Kelly are simply not good enough to be able to change a game when coming off the bench, and in comparison to Spurs’ subs, they were considerably weaker. Harry had the likes of David Bentley, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko to call upon, but without a second class striker, and with Daniel Agger and Alberto Aquilani out injured, Rafa had nowhere to turn.

Tensions rose towards the end of the match when Sammy Lee was sent to the stands by referee Phil Dowd. Rafa Benitez wasn’t best pleased either, displaying his disappointment in a post-match interview.

“We didn’t play well, especially first half, but we were much better in the second. We pushed harder and had more options in the final third, but clearly we have to improve if we want to win these kind of games”.

Damn right, we need to improve. We don’t have the strength in depth that United, Chelsea, Man City do, and we don’t have the quality in the middle now that Alonso has left. Aquilani is out for 2 months, so in the mean time, either Lucas has to perform a miracle and play well for once in his life, or Rafa has to get someone else in, either on a short-term loan, or permanent. Preferably the latter.

Liverpool won’t be winning the League this year, i can safely say that. If we continue to play like that, we’ll be lucky to finish in the top half.

Next 5 matches:
Stoke City – H
Aston Villa – H
Bolton – A
Burnley – H (no Djimi Traore, thank the lord)
West Ham – A

Torres signs new deal

Fernando Torres has agreed a new contract with the Reds that could see the Spain International stay at Anfield until 2014.

Such relief for me and my fellow Liverpool supporters, as Torres has been linked on a number of occasions recently to Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City – that’s an insult for a start. But Torres has now committed his future to the Merseyside Club, ensuring the Liverpool faithful can enjoy more wondergoals, such as the Van Basten-esque screamer against Blackburn last season.

The only question that remains over Torres now, is what sort of hairstyle he’ll be modelling come Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool agree Aquilani deal

Liverpool have confirmed that they have agreed a £20m deal for Roma’s Italian Midfielder Alberto Aquilani. Speculation had been rife ever since Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid was confirmed.

Liverpool will be hoping that the man with the initials ‘AA’ can come to their rescue and fill in the hole left by Alonso. With Javier Mascherano also rumoured to be on the way out, Aquilani’s signing looked essential, and the club and fans will be delighted to have captured his signature.

Aquilani to replace Alonso?

Liverpool are lining up a move to sign Roma’s Italy International Alberto Aquilani in a £17m deal as the Reds seek to replace Real Madrid bound Xabi Alonso.

25 year-old Aquilani has made just 11 appearances for the Italian National side since making his debut way back in 2006. However, with the likes of Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, and Francesco Totti above Aquilani in the pecking order, it is easy to see why.

The 6ft1in Midfielder made his Roma debut back in 2003 and has been held in high regard by the club ever since. In 2001 he turned down offers from both Arsenal, and Chelsea in order to play for his beloved Roma, a city in which he was born. He was nurtured under current England boss Fabio Capello before making the break into the First Team as a regular during the 2004-05 season.

Aquilani is considered to be an excellent passer of the ball, a la Alonso, and should he make the move to Anfield, will fit straight into Benitez’s plans. It’s an exciting prospect for Liverpool fans, as the only other big money signing to have arrived on Merseyside this summer was Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. If Liverpool are to challenge for the Premier League title this season, money needs to be spent on players like Aquilani.

Aquilani won’t be the only Italian at Liverpool, with Andrea Dossena and on-loan ‘keeper Danielle Padelli also on the cards. So if he does make the move, he should fit into Liverpool life pretty well, although I’m not quite sure about the standard of Bella Italia’s in the Liverpool area.

Mascha 'fed up' with life on Merseyside

Liverpool's Argentinian workhorse Javier Mascherano has claimed he is 'fed up' with life in England and is ready for a move in the same direction as Xabi Alonso, to La Liga. But hang on a minute Javi. What's wrong with Liverpool? Treated like a god, earns a boatload of money, wins trophies, and plays alongside Steven Gerrard. Seems alright to me!

Mascherano has stated his desire to join up with fellow-countryman Lionel Messi at Barcelona. However, Mascherano's proposed move to the Catalans depends on whether Liverpool receive the right offer, as Mascha's agent, Walter Tamer, somewhat stated rather obviously. "I think if there is no good offer, they will not let him go". Probably Walter, probably.

Should Xabi Alonso leave Anfield, which is looking more than likely, Benitez will surely have to battle hard to keep Mascherano. Should he fail in his attempt to keep either of them, we'll be left with Lucas Leiva to fill Mascha's boots, and that doesn't fill me with joy. I'm continuously puzzled as to why he's still playing Premier League football - he's possibly the worst PL player I've ever seen, along with that Swedish bloke who played for Leeds all those years ago. I can't even remember his name, that's how bad he was.

Anyway, enough slagging off our Lucas - next thing you know, he'll have launched a complaint on Twitter about me.

How Liverpool can win the League

Liverpool are a team on the up. Last season they were closer than ever to knocking Manchester United off the top spot, and with a tiny bit more fine-tuning, they can certainly become champions of England next season. Here are a few of my tips for Liverpool to win the league:

1) Keep Torres fit. If Liverpool's main hit man can stay fit throughout a season he can score 25-30 goals easily, as he showed in his maiden season at Anfield. Last season Liverpool missed Torres through a series of hamstring injuries, and had they have had his firepower up front, then I'm certain they would have been the ones lifting the trophy.

2) Keep Gerrard fit. As important, if not more, as Torres - Gerrard holds the key to Liverpool's attacking intent. Without him, Rafa is reluctant to push forward, and generally plays rather cautiously. With Gerrard and Torres fully fit and firing, and if Rafa decides to play them in the majority of the games, Liverpool will have a great chance.

3) Get a few more deals done. It has shown in the past that big name players make a difference to Liverpool, but they have to be chosen carefully, and so they fit in with the Liverpool system. Torres brought goals, Alonso brought assists, Mascherano brought some aggression in the middle. Now with the arrival of Glen Johnson, there is more of an attacking threat from the back, but with Xabi Alonso likely to leave, Rafa may need to dive into the transfer market to bring in a passing midfielder. From what we've seen of Lucas Leiva, he doesn't look up to Premier League standards. Liverpool have missed out on Gareth Barry for a second summer running, so get back in the hunt please, Mr. Benitez!

4) Play the best XI. Rafa has been guilty in the past of leaving out his big name players in games that Liverpool should have won, and have ultimately gone on to lose or draw. It is essential that to win the League, Rafa sticks to his best XI game in game out. Take Sir Alex for example. He very rarely changes the spine of his team, unless absolutely necessary. Benitez should take a lesson or two from the League's most consistent team, and current champions.

5) Win the games against the 'big 3'. Last season Liverpool had a fantastic record against Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. In fact, they topped the leader board for matches between the teams, and it is important that that carries on into next season. Dropping points against those teams isn't acceptable, especially if you're dropping points at home to teams like Stoke. Win the big games, and win the League.

6) Win your home games. Anfield needs to become a fortress, and it is doubtless that the fans will get behind their team. Last season, far too many points were dropped at home against sides that should have been beaten. Good performances and results at home takes the pressure off the away matches, and therefore the team will win away as well.

7) American owners, stay out. As long as Rafa is left to do what he does best, there shouldn't be any problems. However, we've seen it at Chelsea, we've seen it at Newcastle, and we don't want to see it at Liverpool - the owners sticking their noses into the managers business, and effectively telling them what to do. Rafa knows what he's doing. So leave him to it.

A look on the scrapheap

Jermaine Pennant - With the possible arrival of David Silva and Aaron Lennon, Pennant will definitely thrust out of affairs at Liverpool. Spent a while out on loan last season and has expressed a desire to move abroad. Real Madrid have recently shown interest and it's hard to see how Jermaine would turn down such a move should it come along.

Yossi Benayoun - Has scored some very important goals during his time at Liverpool, but should the likes of Aaron Lennon and David Silva arrive at Anfield, you have to question whether Yossi will be required.

Fabio Aurelio - Not really lived up to expectations since arriving from Valencia. Scored a brilliant free kick against Manchester United last season but his defensive work leaves a lot to be desired.

Charles Itandje - Made a few first team appearances, usually in the Carling Cup, but was caught laughing at the Hillsborough memorial service that didn't go down well with the fans. Failed to break into the first team, and his time seems to be coming to an end with interest from a couple of French Ligue 1 sides.

Andrea Dossena - His performances have been patchy and unconvincing, and his attacking play has rarely led to chances or goals. Somewhat of a liability in big games and it would be very surprising if he stayed at Liverpool next season.

David N'Gog - Failed to break into the first team just like Itandje. He's still young but one wonders whether he'll be able to make the grade as a leading premiership striker in the future. Perhaps a couple of loan spells would do him good, to gain some first team experience and get some goals under his belt.

Alvaro Arbeloa - With the arrival of Glen Johnson, and his reluctance to play on the left, Arbeloa could well find himself out in the cold at Anfield, and with his potential ability, it is probable that a number of clubs would want to sign him. A reasonably successful spell at Liverpool may just have come to an end for Alvaro.

Rafa's shopping list

Carlos Tevez - Somewhat of a long shot with Manchester City and Chelsea showing keen interest, but the prospect of a Torres, Tevez partnership is one that Liverpool fans will be drooling over.

Aaron Lennon - Very pacey and tricky, and causes problems for all full backs. His crossing ability needs improving but working alongside players such as Gerrard and Torres would surely improve his game. If Liverpool are to win trophies next season, they need a world class winger or two.

Glen Johnson - Signed by Rafa for near £18,000,000. Attacking full back will create chances from wide and support the likes of Babel/Benayoun - whoever is playing on the right wing. One question mark is his defensive ability and will he be able to cope with the attacking threats of Nani/Malouda next season?

David Silva - Would certainly get in the team ahead of Albert Riera. Provides width, pace, accurate crossing and 10+ goals a season. Liverpool will be hoping he can adapt to the premiership as soon as possible.

David Villa - Scores plenty of goals and would be a fantastic partner for Fernando Torres. Liverpool would have a great chance of winning the Premier League should Villa arrive at Anfield.