Gerrard rallies Reds Reds skipper remains upbeat

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard insists the club's season is 'still alive' in the Premier League and Champions League.

The Reds have dropped off the pace in the race for the Premier League title after a run of indifferent form which has allowed Manchester United to build up a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

Liverpool's title chances look slim with only ten games remaining, while they face Real Madrid in the Champions League next Tuesday hoping to book their place in the last eight after a 1-0 in the Spanish capital last month.

Gerrard was happy with the midweek win over Sunderland and he remains optimistic that the campaign could end up a success.

"It was a comfortable win and it lifted everybody," Gerrard told club's official website.

"We've struggled at home this season but in midweek we were patient and got our rewards. It was important to bounce back with a win and a good performance.
Frustrating
"The following night it was frustrating watching Newcastle play United because there were times when I thought United could drop points. Newcastle went in front and then I was off the couch when they almost scored a second.

"United seem to be playing well and getting the results but if teams believe they can take points off them then I am sure it will happen sooner or later.

"It's important for us not to let the gap get any bigger and if they make mistakes we have to be ready to pounce. Of course, we all know how big our game at Old Trafford is going to be.

"Our season is still very much alive. We're not giving up in the title race and we're 1-0 up in the Champions League and one win away from a place in the last eight.

"It's important people stay positive and upbeat and not be down or worried about things."

Gerrard is also hoping striker Fernando Torres will recover from injury in time to tackle Real Madrid and Manchester United next week.

Torres has missed the last two games with an ankle problem and Gerrard is keen to be reunited with the Spaniard for the last few weeks of the season.

Hope

"It's been frustrating because I certainly love playing with him and from reading some of the things he's said, he loves playing with me," added Gerrard.

"Ideally we want to end the season playing together and performing for the team.

"I spoke to him a couple of days ago and he seems very optimistic so fingers crossed he can pull through for Tuesday because you know how much I like playing against Everton, and I'm sure it's the same for him playing against Madrid."
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Benitez wants new deal talks Spaniard hopeful discussions will take place within the next wee

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is optimistic his proposed new contract could be the subject of negotiations with the Anfield hierarchy within the next seven days.

Merseyside has been awash with speculation regarding off-field struggles and on Friday it was surprisingly announced that chief executive Rick Parry is to end his 12-year stay with the club at the end of the season.

Benitez's contract, which is due to expire in the summer of 2010, has been the main subject of the rumour mill, with reports that the Spaniard has refused drafted extensions offered by the club's American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks repeatedly emerging.

Prior to Wednesday's UEFA Champions League victory at Real Madrid, bookmakers suspended markets on Benitez's future and it appeared the former Valencia boss, who is understood to be held in high regard at the Bernabeu, was set to quit England in May.

However, Benitez - who has already insisted that Parry's impending exit will have no influence upon his discussions - has repeated his desire to reach a positive conclusion with Liverpool.
Stumbling block

"We will have new talks maybe next week," said Benitez amidst suggestions that the stumbling block is his eagerness to secure full control of the club's transfer policy and academy recruitment plans.

"We will see whether we can progress, it is not about who is there or not at the moment, it is about the future.

"It is important to finalise my contract, but we have been working for months on this, so let's see where we go from here."

Benitez, though, has revealed that his representatives have still to meet with Hicks and Gillett, despite the ongoing saga at the Premier League title hopefuls.

"I have been talking about the need for the owners and my advisors to talk, and they are still to talk," he added.
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Premier League preview Reds and Blues look to make inroads at summit

Liverpool and Chelsea have the chance to close the gap on Manchester United at the summit of the Premier League.

With Sir Alex Ferguson's side tackling Tottenham in the Carling Cup final at Wembley on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1, the Reds and the Blues can make inroads into the Red Devils' substantial advantage.

Rafa Benitez's men are seven adrift of the reigning champions, with Chelsea a further three points back, but the duo both have two games before United return to league action against Newcastle at St James' Park on Wednesday night.

Liverpool's first test is a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday before Sunderland travel to Anfield on Tuesday evening, with the clash against the Mackems live on Sky Sports 2 and HD2.

After beating Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, the Reds face a Boro side who have not won in 14 Premier League games and have failed to find the net in eight of their last nine.

But Gareth Southgate's side claimed a morale-boosting 2-0 triumph over West Ham in their FA Cup replay in midweek to book a place in the quarter-finals of the competition against Everton.

Guus Hiddink has made a 100 per cent start to his brief tenure as Chelsea manager after important 1-0 victories over Aston Villa in the Premier League and Juventus in the first leg of the last-16 Champions League meeting.

Next on the agenda for the Russia boss, who remains insistent that he will not be at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer, is a home meeting with Wigan Athletic followed by a midweek trip to Portsmouth.

Steve Bruce's side are proving tough to beat this term, but have been unable to win any of their last six Premier League matches and the Latics have failed to trouble the scorers in five of those encounters.
Freefall

Sunday sees a vital fixture in the tense relegation battle with Blackburn travelling to the KC Stadium to take on a Hull City side in freefall after their heroics from earlier in the campaign.

The Tigers are enduring a miserable run which has seen them win just one of their last 17 Premier League games and they have taken just two points from the last 27 available - fewer than any other side in Europe's leading leagues over a nine-game period.

While Sam Allardyce has stabilised Rovers after replacing Paul Ince, he only has two Premier League wins to show from his eight games in charge, which is why the Ewood Park outfit remain two points from safety in the relegation zone and six behind Hull.

West Brom's situation is even more worrying and they remain at the foot of the Premier League table ahead of their tough trip to Everton on Saturday lunchtime, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1.

The Baggies have an appalling record on the road this term, suffering 10 defeats in their 13 away games, claiming one point in their last 10 trips and failing to keep a clean sheet in the same period.

David Moyes' Toffees remain in contention for a European berth via their league placing, but the loss of gifted playmaker Mikel Arteta for the season with cruciate ligament damage suffered at Newcastle last Sunday is a shattering blow.

Aston Villa are in possession of the fourth Champions League berth and hold a six-point cushion over Arsenal despite their defeat by Chelsea last time out as they prepare to face Midlands rivals Stoke City at Villa Park.

The Potters are the only team in the top flight to have a worse record on the road than West Brom, with a paltry three points gained and not a single victory to show for their efforts away from the Britannia Stadium.

But Tony Pulis' men claimed an impressive 3-2 victory over Martin O'Neill's troops on home turf back in August when the Villa defence became the first to suffer at the hands of Rory Delap's long throws.

Limp

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has finally admitted what many Gunners fans have known for some time - that the Premier League title is beyond Arsene Wenger's men this season and finishing fourth needs to be their main goal.

Fabregas will not be involved when Fulham visit Emirates Stadium on Saturday as he works his way back to full fitness from a serious knee injury, but he knows Arsenal must halt their recent sequence of four successive draws, three of which have ended 0-0.

Cottagers striker Bobby Zamora ended his scoring drought against West Brom last weekend before adding another in the midweek FA Cup win over Swansea, and the former Hammers man has been on the winning side in all four of his league starts against Arsenal in the Premier League.

West Ham saw their own FA Cup hopes ended by a limp display against Middlesbrough in midweek and Gianfranco Zola's men go into their home meeting with Manchester City on the back of a three-game losing run in all competitions.

Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Bolton and Manchester United were followed by the Riverside reverse, with the Hammers' five most recent Premier League meetings against City seeing the Eastlands outfit win four and draw one.

Former Upton Park striker Craig Bellamy returns to East London on Sunday having already demonstrated a happy knack of finding the net against his former clubs this season, a fact Newcastle and Blackburn can testify to, while Liverpool conceded a deflected effort from the fiery Welshman last time out.

Bolton welcome Newcastle to the Reebok Stadium on Sunday with former Trotters captain Kevin Nolan ruled out of an emotional meeting with his former club by suspension after his horror tackle on Victor Anichebe.

Both clubs are in need of the points to ease their relegation fears, with Wanderers having won six of their nine home Premier League meetings against the Magpies, while the Toon Army claimed the spoils from the other three.

Striker Kevin Davies is enjoying the most prolific season of his Premier League career, having reached double figures for the first time in 12 attempts, but Bolton's defence remains a concern for Gary Megson, with no clean sheets from their last 14 games.
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Official: Liverpool has a purchase option for Oscar Sielva The young mediocentro Espanyol, only 17 years, would leave Liverpool if the Reds to match a

Rafa Benitez is still casting its networks in Spain. This is because the technical network was saved by an option to purchase the value of the couple Espanyol, Óscar Sielva, taking advantage of the transfer Riera this summer.

According to the newspaper says' As', this option is preferred. That is, the Liverpool player would take if the offer is equal to a third club in question.

And that, according to the Madrid daily citadio reports that the British were and are spectacular, they were surprised by its evolution.

The player has suffered two injuries this season collarbone that have remained outside the pitch for several months, but has been able to spot minutes in the first team.
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