Alonso

Here's the latest from the Daily Post RAFAEL BENITEZ yesterday insisted he wants to remain as Liverpool manager for at least the next three years. The Spaniard's future has been the subject of fresh speculation since it emerged over the weekend that both Real Madrid and Inter Milan are interested in luring him away from Anfield. Such rumours have threatened to overshadow Liverpool's Champions League first knockout round second leg clash with Benfica this evening, with the cup holders needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first meeting in Lisbon two weeks ago. But Benitez has moved to allay fears that he is seeking an exit from the European Champions and denied any suggestion of a rift with the Anfield hierarchy over lack of financial clout in the transfer market. "I don't have problems with the board, I don't have problems with the chairman, I don't have problems with the chief executive," he said. "It is very clear. "I have three more years on my contract, I am happy here and I want to keep improving here and I want to win. I want to progress here. "If I can, I will be here next season. It is my intention to see out the three years left on my contract. "I am very happy here, and I want to win trophies as that will be good for the club, for me and the supporters." With Liverpool having failed to overturn a first-leg defeat in Europe since eliminating Auxerre from the UEFA Cup in 1991, Benitez is keen for minds to be concentrated on tonight's encounter. And the Anfield manager acknowledges that progress to the quarter-finals and beyond can provide him further income to strengthen his squad this summer. "I don't want to distract people by talking about my future," said Benitez. "I am not worried about other things, only that I do my best and I get my players to do their best. We are all really focused, nothing else matters. "My only concern is to improve with Liverpool. And if we win this game it will make the financial situation a little easier. I am only concerned about winning. Worrying about other things will only distract us from our objective." Liverpool will tonight need to improve on a recent goalscoring drought that has seen them net just four times in their last eight games. Nevertheless, Benitez is convinced his squad have the capability to progress against Benfica, for whom defender Luisao headed a soft winner six minutes from time in the first leg. "We are now third in the Premiership table, in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and are playing a team at Anfield in the Champions League while only one goal down," added Benitez. "Maybe we are in a better position now than we were last season. "Last season some players were playing well, this season it is different players, mainly the defenders. But the team over-all is improving. No player can play well every game. I would like to see my players playing well every game, but that is not possible. But if two or three players are doing well in one game, then that could be enough. "I am happy with the way the season is going, and hopefully tomorrow I will be happier." Both Daniel Agger and Jan Kromkamp are ineligible, while Sami Hyypia faces a late fitness test after being forced off at half-time of the goalless draw with Charlton Athletic on Saturday. "Sami Hyypia was training this morning," said Benitez yesterday. "We will see tomorrow as he was with the doctor, and tomorrow we will do another test to be sure. He did not train fully today." Djimi Traore is on standby, while Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Morientes and Luis Garcia all come back into contention after being rested from the starting line-up at the weekend. * LIVERPOOL'S reserve game with Wigan Athletic last night was postponed due to a water-logged pitch.

Arsenal v Real Madrid - Sky Sports 1 Liverpool v Benfica + Other matches via interactive choice - Sky Sports 2

My squad would be: GK: Robinson James Green Def: G. Neville Carragher King Terry Ferdinand A. Cole Bridge Mid: Wright-Phillips Beckham Gerrard Lampard Carrick Nolan J. Cole Richardson Att: Rooney Crouch Owen Defoe Bent With a starting line up of: Robinson Neville Carragher Terry A. Cole SWP Beckham Gerrard J. Cole Rooney Owen

Taking the wife to her first game v Fulham.

It's not just for Benfica we need him but for Arsenal away next weekend too. I wouldn't like to expose Agger to the attacking play Arsenal showed yesterday this early on in his acclimatisation to English football.

My squad would be: Robinson James Green G. Neville Carragher King Terry Ferdinand A. Cole Bridge Wright-Phillips Beckham Gerrard Lampard Carrick Nolan J. Cole Richardson Rooney Crouch Owen Defoe Bent With a starting line up of: Robinson Neville Carragher Terry A. Cole SWP Beckham Gerrard J. Cole Rooney Owen

It's getting the balance right between attack and defence and at the moment we're getting that right as not only are we rock solid at the back but also are creating chances too. The only problem is that we don't have that clincal striker that takes those half chances. Rafa is quoted as saying something along the lines of preferring to have the goals shared equally among the strikers/rest of the team rather than the focus being on one player getting us the goals. This gives us threats from various positions rather than playing just one way all the time and getting found out, essentially how it turned out with GH's side when the focus was all on Owen. There's no coincidence that in the treble season both Heskey and Owen (amongst others) shard the goals out between them giving us different "possibilities". This is what Rafa likes so that he can use different ways of playing not just against different opponents but during actual matches too.

Can't believe he didn't get more than that. Still he saved his best form for where it counts!!!!!!

Just as a idea on the amount of games LFC players have played here are the stats: Player--Total Apps--Starts--Sub Sami--------46---------46-----0 Carra-------42---------42-----0 Gerrard-----41---------37-----0 Cisse--------41---------22-----19 Reina--------40---------40-----0 Finnan--------40--------39-----1 Xabi----------40--------36------4 Riise----------40-------32------8 Garcia--------40--------23-----17 Crouch-------36--------31-----5 Momo---------36--------30----6 Nando---------34-------27-----7 Kewell---------28-------21-----7 Hamann-------24--------18----6 Warnock-------23-------19----4

Paul Willis has gone on loan to Stockport just outta interest! Reported HERE

Reported on Sky on 13 Feb: Reds eye Valencia ace By Peter ORourke - Created on 13 Feb 2006 Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is reported to be ready to raid his old club Valencia for Yago Fernandez. Reports in Portugal claim Liverpool have expressed an interest in the 18-year-old. Fernandez is highly regarded within the corridors of La Mestalla and is tied down until 2011. Liverpool are believed to have watched Fernandez in action and are thought to be weighing up an offer for the youngster. The player's father Carlos Fernandez claims that Fernandez is not happy with Valencia and that he would be interested in a move to Liverpool. "We are going to see what Liverpool can offer in sporting terms," said Carlos Fernandez. "If it is good for him then maybe a transfer can happen because Valencia promised him things that have not happened. They will have to speak to Valencia first."

The only problem with this is that with 10 men teams tend to sit very deep in 2 tight banks of 4, so not giving any space for Cisse to be able to exploit his pace. Plus his touches in confined, tight areas aren't the best so that would also be a negative to bring him on. His best chance of beating someone is the kick and run and there just isn't enough spce for him to do this when we're forcing/dictating the play as most of the play is in their half. He's a good plyer to use when we're playing on the counter tho as it makes the defenders that bit more wary of playing a high line (altho with his offside track record then not so much of a problem! )

Not only that but I've seen him be offside with his back to goal inside the centre circle

Add Victor on a free as cover for RW and if we can't get SWP there's always Pennant and if no Owen there's always Defoe. If people think we need better comptetion at LB there's always Aurelio on a free from Valencia providing he doesn't agree a new deal or Goran Gavrancic might be a cheapish option as he's playing at Dynamo Kiev. Bridge might also be available?

Reina Finnan Sami Agger Riise Hamann Alonso Garcia Gerrard Kewell Crouch Subs: Dudek Kromkamp Warnock Morientes Cisse

From Liverpoolfc.tv Liverpool have confirmed the date of their FA Cup quarter final with Birmingham at St Andrews. The tie will take place on Tuesday March 21, kick-off 7.45pm, and will be screened live by SKY TV. This season's quarter final matches are being played in midweek following an agreement reached last season with the Premier League and Football League to enable England to have a four-week preparation window ahead of this summer's World Cup finals.

From Liverpoolfc.tv Liverpool have announced the dates of their two legged FA Youth Cup semi-final with Southampton. The first leg will be played at Anfield on Friday March 10, 2006, kick-off 7.30pm. The return game will be held at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium on Friday March 17, 2006, kick-off 7.30pm. The first leg at Anfield shall be of ninety minutes duration. In the event of the aggregate scores being level at the end of the second leg, extra time of two periods of fifteen minutes each shall be played to try and determine a winner. Should the scores still be level at the conclusion of extra time then the tie will be settled by penalties. For the first leg supporters will be accommodated in the Kop Grandstand with the following admission prices being charged:- Adults - £4.00 Concessions (Juveniles Aged 16 or Under and Senior Citizens) - £2.00 Admission prices for the Second Leg at the St Mary?s Stadium have been set as follows:- Adults - £3.00 Concessions (Juveniles Aged 16 or Under and Senior Citizens) - £1.00 The winners shall meet Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United or Brighton and Hove Albion in the Final of the FA Youth Cup which will also be played over two legs.

I wonder what the most amount of touches Cisse has taken before he's scored? Can't imagine it'd be many more than 4.

What annoys me is these quotes from Queiroz after the Old Trafford game: United's assistant coach Carlos Queiroz said: "The game was tight and difficult for both sides - but today was Manchester United's. "We worked hard as a team and played 90 minutes with one thing in our mind, which was to score one goal and not to allow Liverpool to score. "Both teams were very rigid with their systems and their movement in the first half but in the second half we opened up the game because we knew if we didn't take risks it would be impossible to score. "That is exactly what we did. The players knew we had to go forward and create space and put the ball behind the Liverpool defence. "We knew that by giving them the apparent control of the game we were able to create more space and counter attack and find the right moments and the right places to damage Liverpool. "And I think it worked. It was something that fits the profile of our players. We started to create opportunities. "Our goal came in the last minute but we had another opportunity before then too. The plan worked, we did well and we deserved to win." Double standrads me thinks?

Some of his finishes are Fowler-esque!

All the games in which Garcia has scored in for us: 04/05 v West Brom 3-0 Gerrard Finnan Garcia v Norwich City 3-0 Garcia Baros Cisse v Charlton 2-0 Riise Garcia v West Brom 5-0 Riise (2) Pongolle Gerrard Garcia v Norwich 2-1 Garcia Riise v Leverkusen 3-1 Garcia Riise Hamann v Leverkusen 3-1 Garcia (2) Baros v Everton 2-1 Garcia Gerrard v Juve 2-1 Hyypia Garcia v Spurs 2-2 Garcia Hyypia v Pompey 2-1 Morientes Garcia v Chelsea 1-0 Garcia 05/06 v Moscow 3-1 Cisse (2) Garcia v Betis 2-1 Pongolle Garcia v Brum 2-2 Garcia Cisse (p) v Anderlecht 3-0 Nando Garcia Cisse v Sunderland 2-0 Garcia Gerrard v Wigan 3-0 Crouch (2) Garcia v Bolton 2-2 Gerrard (p) Garcia v Arsenal 1-0 Garcia Anyone notice a pattern? When Garcia scores we invariably win and have never lost. Out of the 20 games he has scored in we have won 17 and drawn 3!

Adriano - pace, strength, skill, good in the air, can hold up the ball and scores a few too! Perfect attributes for the Premiership altho acclimatisation may be the only stumbling block. Unfortunately no chance

I think Cisse will be more effective from the bench as if Chelsea are chasing the game we could utilise his pace to get in behind them. Also we need to keep things tight and keep possession and those are certainly not Cisse's attributes! Finnan would be too exposed as well.

Reina Finnan-Carragher-Hyypia-Riise Gerrard-Alonso-Sissoko-Kewell Garcia Crouch With the solid base of Momo and Xabi, Kewell, Gerrard and Garcia can all support Crouch and feed off his knock downs and lay offs. They are also all capable of playing anywhere across the pitch making it harder for them to be picked up. IMO this is where we'll get most joy from, breaking from midfield (until Robbie comes on!)

His passing may not be what it was last season (but still bloody good!) for the reasons mentioned but he has improved the physical side of his game and he seems fitter, stronger, faster and has improved hugely in his tackling. IMO he has an even better all round game now and can only get better being 24!