SUNDAY 3
	Burnley await Reds in Cup Liverpool will face Burnley at home in the FA Cup if they see off Reading in next Wednesday's third round replay. The tie will take place on the weekend of 23/24 January. (LFC Official Website) The draw in full is: Tottenham v Leeds United Tranmere/Wolves v Crystal Palace Aston Villa v Brighton Preston v Chelsea Portsmouth/Coventry v Sunderland Bolton v Sheffield United/QPR Accrington/Gillingham v Fulham Everton v Nottingham Forest/Birmingham West Brom v Plymouth/Newcastle Scunthorpe United v Manchester City Notts County/Forest Green v Wigan Athletic Stoke City v Arsenal Bristol City/Cardiff City v Leicester City Millwall/Derby v Brentford/Doncaster Reading/Liverpool v Burnley Southampton v Ipswich Report: Liverpool plan £3m swoop for Carew Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set to launch a surprise move for Aston Villa centre-forward John Carew, according to a report from the Daily Star Sunday. Ready cash is in short supply at Anfield, but the powerful Norwegian could be prised away from Villa park for £3 million. (Goal.com UK)  Replay details The details have been announced for the replay against Reading. The FA Cup third round replay against Reading will take place at Anfield on Wednesday, January 13th, kick off 8pm. Tickets are £24, £18 concessions. (LFC Online) Darby praised Jamie Carragher has praised Stephen Darby. The reserve team captain was Liverpool's best player in their 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round tie at Reading yesterday and his performance earned him the praise of Carragher. "He played very well and I'm really pleased for him," said the vice captain. (LFC Online) Rafa plays down talk of Ruud raid Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has played down suggestions that he is contemplating a move for Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Reds boss has been linked with the Dutchman as an attacking alternative to Fernando Torres to ease season-long injury problems. Van Nistelrooy is out of favour in Spain's capital and has a point to prove to the management team of Holland ahead of this summer's World Cup finals having overcome his own fitness nightmares. But Benitez claims discussions regarding the former Manchester United star are not taking place amid reports that wages in the region of £120,000-a-week are a stumbling block. He told Liverpool's official website: "We are not talking about players but we are not trying so it will be very difficult." Benitez is understood to be in the final stages of meetings regarding Atletico Madrid winger Maxi Rodriguez, while Greece international full-back Vasil Torosidis has been rumoured to be a target. Liverpool have struggled horribly this season when a thin squad has been exposed by injuries and their Spanish manager confesses plans to reinforce are taking place. Benitez added: "We are working hard. We have had some good conversations with some of them but my concern now is to have good conversation with my players." (TEAMtalk)
	SATURDAY 2
	McDermott: A terrific display Brian McDermott felt a replay was the least Reading deserved following their 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup. McDermott was proud of his players and hopes they can build on the performance to improve their position in the Championship as well. "We need to play like that every week. The most important thing we've lacked is consistency and we have to get back to that," said the caretaker manager. (Sky Sports)  Rafa admits replay relief Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted he was satisfied just to still be in the FA Cup following the 1-1 draw with Reading. "I'm relieved," said the Spaniard. "To play in front of the TV and against Liverpool I think was a massive boost for them and you could see they played really well. "They were pushing and working very hard from the beginning until the end so we had to do our job." (Sky Sports)  Royals earn Reds replay Liverpool had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their FA Cup clash with Reading after coming from behind at the Madejski Stadium. The competition is one of Rafa Benitez's main priorities following a disappointing first half to the season and he sent out a strong side against the Championship strugglers. But it was Reading who made the brighter start and took a deserved lead in the 24th minute when Liverpool's defensive frailties were exposed at a set-piece and Simon Church tucked the ball away following good work by Grzegorz Rasiak. The Reds responded strongly and equalised through Steven Gerrard when Dirk Kuyt cleverly stepped over a cross from the England midfielder to deceive goalkeeper Adam Federici. Reading carved out the better opportunities in an exciting second half but there were no more goals and the teams will now have to resume battle at Anfield. (Sky Sports) Line-Up vs Reading: Torres & Ngog up front As promised, Rafa Benitez names a strong team for tonight’s FA Cup third round clash at Reading (5:15pm kick off). The boss has opted for David Ngog to partner Fernando Torres up front, with Steven Gerrard partnering Lucas in midfield. Alberto Aquilani takes a rest after starting two games in a week. Youngster Stephen Darby gets the nod at right back in Glen Johnson’s absence, while Fabio Aurelio returns to the side on left midfield. Liverpool: Reina, Darby, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Kuyt, Gerrard Lucas, Aurelio, Ngog, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Spearing, Degen. (This is Anfield) Transfer activity hotting up at Anfield Liverpool's transfer activity is threatening to overshadow Saturday's FA Cup trip to Reading, with a deal for Maxi Rodriguez said to be close. Manager Rafael Benitez is promising "not too many changes" to his side for the third-round clash at the Madejski Stadium, but there could soon be changes to his Anfield squad. The Spaniard has been linked with a host of players with the transfer window having only just opened, while sources in Spain and at the club suggest there is a good prospect of Atletico Madrid's winger Rodriguez arriving on a six-month loan. Talks are believed to be ongoing for the 29-year-old, who is a close friend of Reds midfielder and Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano. Striker Andriy Voronin could be the first to depart, with Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow both interested in the player. (TEAMtalk) McDermott: Royals can bounce back Brian McDermott wants Reading to make the most of "a massive opportunity" to restore some pride when they face Liverpool in the FA Cup. McDermott is still looking for his first win in the Royals hotseat and oversaw a desolate display at Home Park, brightened only by Gylfi Sigurdsson's sixth goal of the season. Reds boss Rafael Benitez has promised to field a strong side at the Madejski Stadium, but McDermott is concentrating more on his own players rather than worry too much about the Anfield giants. He told the club's website: "We had a meeting after Monday's game and we know it can't happen again, it mustn't happen again, and that's the key. "Now we're going into a cup match against one of the biggest sides in the world and I think it's good for us. "It's a massive opportunity for our guys, on TV, to go out and do their stuff. A lot of it is to do with restoring our pride after what happened against Plymouth." (TEAMtalk)  Hertha Berlin on brink of deal for Liverpool’s Voronin Hertha Berlin are on the brink of landing Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin in a £2.5 million deal. The Sun says while his Kop team-mates shiver in the cold, Voronin is on a sunshine break in Miami Beach with wife Yulia. The Ukraine striker, who spent last season on loan at the German club, is in advanced talks with Hertha. (tribalfootball.com)
	FRIDAY 1
	O'Neill plays down Heskey exit talk Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has played down speculation linking Emile Heskey with a move away from Villa Park this month. The England striker has been tipped as a potential target for his former club, Liverpool. However, O'Neill takes such speculation in his stride and puts it down to the time of year now he transfer window is open again. He said: "It isn't of any concern to me at all. It is just the nature of the business. "Things have been bubbling up because January is the only opportunity that clubs can bring in players or move players out during the season. "It doesn't bother me one jot. I cannot go on confirming or denying stories. It just happens. "We will be linked with a lot of players in January and a lot of clubs will be linked with some of our players. "My own particular view is that in a general sense agents want to satisfy their players and you are going to get a lot of that in the January window." (TEAMtalk) Benitez targeting cup success Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has outlined the FA Cup as being a main priority in their disappointing campaign. Seven defeats in the Premier League sees the Reds lie seventh in the table and they face an uphill battle to maintain their top four status. However, after back-to-back wins against Wolves and UEFA Champions League rivals Aston Villa over Christmas, Liverpool have fresh hopes of salvaging their season. Benitez takes his side to Reading on Saturday bidding for three wins in a row and he admits that after their early Champions League exit, the FA Cup is now high on his agenda. "The FA Cup is always important, but when you are out of the Champions League it becomes a major trophy," he said. (Sky Sports)  Benitez considers options Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will resist the temptation to make wholesale changes to his side for tomorrow’s FA Cup third round clash at Reading. Benitez is already without Glen Johnson because of a knee injury sustained in the win at Aston Villa on Tuesday, while midfielder Javier Mascherano is still serving a suspension. Liverpool need to do well in the FA Cup considering their poor season, so Benitez will mix his side with experienced and fringe players. Winger Albert Riera, back in training after a calf injury, is unlikely to be involved. Team (from): Reina, Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Aurelio, Insua, Darby, Dossena, Benayoun, Gerrard, Kuyt, Babel, Kyrgiakos, Spearing, Aquilani, Lucas, Ngog, Pacheco, Cavalieri. (BreakingNews.ie) Liverpool eye Greek international Liverpool are considering a move for Greek international right-back Vasilis Torosidis as a replacement for crocked Glen Johnson. (The Sunday Mercury)   Liverpool attacker Babel rules out Italy move Liverpool winger Ryan Babel isn't interested in a move to Italy. The Daily Mail says Babel is likely to turn down overtures from Fiorentina and delay Liverpool's hopes of bringing players in. (tribalfootball.com) Brian Howard hopes to haunt Liverpool again Brian Howard is hoping that history will repeat itself tomorrow and he can once again dump Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Two years ago, Howard was captain of the Barnsley team that knocked out both Liverpool and Chelsea on their way to the semi-finals. The midfielder scored the winner that secured the Tykes’ 2-1 win at Anfield in the fifth round, and now he hopes for a repeat performance tomorrow, if caretaker boss Brian McDermott picks him. (Reading Evening Post)   Liverpool to sign Maxi Rodriguez Happy New Year Liverpool fans, here’s some good news for you…. Rafa Benitez has signed long-term target Maxi Rodriguez from Atletico Madrid, according to the respected Well Red blog. The Reds boss was linked with a swoop for the winger back in 2008 but has now secured a deal to bring him to Anfield on a short-term loan with a view to a permanent transfer. (This is Anfield)   Thor Zakariassen ©