Liverpool: potential transfer list

 

Liverpool came close to finally reclaiming the league title after a 19 year wait this season, and had it not been for injuries to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, they might have done it.

Rafael Benitez appears to have finally put together a team that can lead a genuine assault on the Premier League, but the Spaniard will still be eager to bring in a couple of new faces.


Although after Liverpool's holding company revealed losses of £43m this week, Benitez may be forced to sell before he can buy.

From the apparently likely to the long shots, we've sifted through the rumour pages to bring you the potential transfer list of Liverpool.


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Liverpool FC can bridge the gap

Ian Doyle, Daily Post

FERNANDO TORRES is convinced Liverpool can pull off a remarkable Champions League comeback tomorrow.
The Spaniard netted twice as the Anfield outfit responded to their shock defeat to Chelsea in midweek by thrashing Blackburn Rovers 4-0 at home on Saturday.
It kept the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester United, who still lead Rafael Benitez’s side by a single point.
Liverpool step out at Stamford Bridge tomorrow aiming to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit and reach the European Cup semi-finals for the
fourth time in five seasons.
And Torres said: “We have kept our confidence after the Champions League game and it was important to win for the fans.
“It was an important victory because it was the last game at home before the Hillsborough memorial service and I think they enjoyed it.
“I hope that we can score three goals against Chelsea. We know it is a very difficult task.
“They are a strong team, but we have confidence we can do it and we have to go there to win the game. We beat Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford so we know we can do it.
“We know it is difficult and it is difficult to score against them, but we will prepare the game and see what happens. I think Chelsea will play for a win. If they score one or two it is over, so they will not just defend.”
Saturday’s brace of goals moved Torres to 11 goals in only 19 league appearances of a campaign that has been hampered by continual hamstring problems, a hangover of his efforts in helping his country win Euro 2008 last summer.
Torres is expected to endure another lengthy season with Spain taking part in the Fifa Confederations Cup in South Africa. The competition runs from June 14-28, with Vicente del Bosque’s side playing as many as five games in that period.
Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa and Albert Riera are also expected to figure, but it is Torres that will be the major concern to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
And the striker said: “It has been really frustrating to miss league games this season. Just 19 league games and 11 goals is a good record.
“We have to try and learn from this for next season and try and help me stay 100% fit for all the games.
“I have to play in the Confederations Cup in the summer because it is important for my country Spain after the European Championships.
“We are a good team and we have to try and win trophies and this is the next one. I know it might not be the best preparation for pre-season but that is our job.
“I will try and get enough rest. It is just four or five games. But we have to talk at Liverpool about the next pre-season, try and do the right things and not make the same mistakes that we did this season.”
Torres scored the opening two goals of Liverpool’s weekend win, with Daniel Agger and substitute David Ngog completing a comfortable win late on.
Torres’ first goal was a goal of the season contender, a dipping cross-volley reminiscent of Marco van Basten’s magnificent strike for Holland in the final of Euro 88.
“It was a good day for me,” said the Spaniard. “The first one was a great goal and a great start to the game. To then get three more goals was good for the team.
“I work hard on my heading so I was pleased with the second one. I am always pleased to score at Anfield and I almost had a hat-trick but the main thing was to win and stay fit for Tuesday which is a big game.
“I don’t know if the first one is the best I have scored. Maybe one of the best. I don’t think it was like van Basten. He was one of the best players in the history of the game.”
Steven Gerrard was an unused substitute as Benitez elected not to risk his skipper’s adductor problem.
And the manager said: “It was almost perfect, but it could have been better as we could have scored more goals. It was the perfect response after the result in the Champions League in midweek, so it was a very positive afternoon.
“United are under pressure, Ferguson is always talking about us now and that’s a positive as he wasn’t talking about us for the last few seasons.”
Asked if having a fully-fit Torres for more of the season would have seen Liverpool clear at the top by this stage, Benitez said: “Yes, could be. We have had some games this season that ended in draws that, had Fernando been playing, it could have made a massive difference.
“If you have Torres and Gerrard fit, then you know the team is much better.”


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Liverpool, Chelsea renew Champions League duel

By Rob Harris, AP Sports Writer

LONDON — The Liverpool-Chelsea Champions League odyssey enters its fifth chapter Wednesday, with the English rivals preparing for a quarterfinal match expected to be as tight as all their annual European duels since 2005.

Of those eight matches, the Premier League sides have played out four draws and won two apiece. Before Chelsea won last year's semifinal series, the previous six Liverpool-Chelsea meetings in European competition had produced just three goals.

The teams know each other so well that even Rafa Benitez, Liverpool's master tactician in Europe, will be struggling to produce a surprise element at Anfield.

Although praising Benitez as a "very smart manager," Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink said there were no secrets in modern football.

"The players are known by the managers, the players know each other very well, the managers know how they play, so it's very, very tight," Hiddink said. "I'm looking forward to this battle, but in the end we can plan what we want -- the players, they have to execute it and it always depends on those little details in the execution."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Europe | Spain | Paris | Cincinnati Reds | Premier League | Manchester United | Barcelona | Arsenal | Milan | Bundesliga | Bayern Munich | Alex Ferguson | Old Trafford | Villarreal | Steven Gerrard | FC Porto | Rafa Benitez | Anfield | John Terry | Luiz Felipe Scolari | Fernando Torres | Carlos Tevez | Guus Hiddink | Valladolid | Camp Nou | Avram Grant | La Liga | Pep Guardiola | Mourinho | all-English | El Madrigal | Santi Cazorla

The only constant in recent years has been Benitez, who was in charge when Liverpool edged Chelsea in the semifinals and then lifted the trophy in 2005 with a win over Milan. Hiddink is Chelsea's fourth manager in that period. Unlike Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari did not last until the end of the season to face Liverpool in Europe.

The big difference this season is the threat Liverpool is finally providing domestically, shifting Europe to second in Benitez' priority list. The Reds are just a point behind league-leading Manchester United and have completed a double for the first time since 1989-90 over third-place Chelsea -- inspired by Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

"This is probably the worst time to be facing Gerrard," said Chelsea captain John Terry, part of the team that lost last season's Champions League final to Manchester United. "He's one of the best players in the world, that's for sure. He's in great form at the minute. I'm sort of dreading going there to play him because he is different class."

The one certainty is an English semifinalist for the sixth straight season. The mission facing FC Porto and Villarreal is to prevent another two Premier League clubs reach the semis.

"There could be three English teams in the semis again, that's how strong we are," Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said ahead of Tuesday's home match against Porto. "Because of the competitive nature of our Premier League I think an English team will win the Champions League again this year and it could be another all-English final."

History is against United winning, though, as European club champions since 1992 -- when Champions League format began -- have never managed to defend their title.

Portuguese league leader Porto will be drawing inspiration from their victorious trip to Old Trafford in 2004 en route to winning the competition under Mourinho.

"They are a good team with lots of attacking power," United striker Carlos Tevez said. "They are going through a very good period at the moment. It won't be easy to beat them, but we have confidence in ourselves. We are dreaming of returning to the final and winning the Champions League once again."

Arsenal or Villarreal meet in Spain on Tuesday.

Villarreal will be without star forward Santi Cazorla, who has been sidelined for the remainder of the season with a leg injury. But his side is unbeaten at El Madrigal in European play, including the return leg of the 2006 semifinals against Arsenal, which ended 0-0. Arsenal reached the final due to its first-leg goal, but lost in Paris to Barcelona.

Barcelona has been matched with Bayern Munich in the only quarterfinal without an English side.

The Spanish leaders host Bayern -- fourth in the Bundesliga -- on Wednesday on the back of five straight La Liga victories.

While Samuel Eto'o scored his 26th goal of the season in Saturday's 1-0 win at Valladolid, coach Pep Guardiola will be looking to repair Barcelona's leaky Champions League defense against the German club.

Barcelona has conceded 11 goals -- the most of any of the eight quarterfinalists and has yet to keep a clean sheet at the Camp Nou.

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