TUESDAY 6
	Reds urged to keep fighting Rafa Benitez has urged his Liverpool players to fight until the very end despite facing a losing battle in their bid to secure UEFA Champions League football. "The players were disappointed after Birmingham because it was a good performance and we had some chances at the end," he told the club's official website. "But I told them, 'There's still five games so we need to keep going'. (Sky Sports)   Gerrard: Liverpool are underdogs Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard admits his side are underdogs in the race to claim a top-four spot following Sunday's 1-1 draw at Birmingham. "It will be difficult. We have the experience and we are hoping that will be vital in the end," said Gerrard. "But I think it will go down to the wire." (TEAMtalk)     Investors hope Liverpool miss top four to make bargain buy Potential investors are holding back on making serious contact with Liverpool. One source with insider knowledge of Liverpool's search for new investors has suggested several are delaying offers while they wait to see if non-qualification drives down the price. (tribalfootball.com)  Reds confirm new signing Liverpool Football Club can today confirm the signing of Swindon Town teenager Jamie Stephens. The 16-year-old goalkeeper will join the Academy until 2012 and is set to sign a professional contract on his 17th birthday. The move follows a period training with the Reds earlier this season, after which Stephens said: "The Academy is unbelievable. They have so many staff, everyone is so polite, and kind, it's really friendly, like a family club." (LFC Official Website) Liverpool miss out on Rhone Group investment bid The New York-based fund management company had made a £110 million bid for a controlling stake in Liverpool, but imposed a three-week deadline on talks that has now expired, according to a report in the Independent. (Soccernet)   Torres treatment a big clue to how Benitez sees his Liverpool FC future I wish I could answer the questions as to why Fernando Torres was taken off at Birmingham on Sunday – but I for one have given up trying to guess. Preserving players early in the season is one thing – but doing it in April just doesn’t make sense. No wonder Steven Gerrard was scratching his head. I hate harking back to the old days because that’s exactly what they are – old. But if Rushie had been subbed after 65 minutes of a game we needed to win back in the 1980s there would have been a mutiny. And Torres is the modern day Ian Rush – the one player who you need on the pitch when you are chasing a winning goal. Yes, he might have been having an off day but looking at the way Liverpool pressed late on, he would have only needed to stand there and swing his leg at the ball to have an impact. (Mark Lawrenson - Liverpool Daily Post)  Ridgewell enjoyed his Liverpool revenge Arsenal boss Wenger knows Denilson key to silencing Barcelona midfield Birmingham City defender Liam Ridgewell was pleased with his goal in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool. Ridgewell took particular pleasure from his equaliser as he was part of the Blues side which surrendered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 home draw with Liverpool two years ago - a result which effectively doomed them to relegation. Ridgewell said: "That result a couple of years ago was a difficult one to take, being 2-0 up and them coming back at us. "It was a big part of us being relegated, dropping those two points near the end of the season - and we only went down by one point. "I think that is one of the reasons why we have kicked on this season because we didn't want that to happen again. "But we have done the sort of thing Liverpool did that day so well ourselves this season, coming back from 1-0 down and even 2-0 down against Everton. "People know we never say die, and we have done it against the top sides as well, and that has been the way it has been this season, especially at home. "We have always believed in ourselves to come back and we did that again against Liverpool." (tribalfootball.com)
	MONDAY 5
	Benayoun baffled by Reds decline Yossi Benayoun has revealed the disappointment and frustration in the Liverpool squad at failing to match last season's performance levels. The midfielder admits the Reds hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are now out of their own hands after being held to a 1-1 draw at Birmingham on Sunday. Benayoun accepts Liverpool tossed away a golden opportunity to keep the pressure on City and Tottenham with the result at St Andrew's but insists they will keep battling away. (TEAMtalk)  Miracles now needed for Champions League spot It's the time of year when miracles happen but Liverpool now require one of biblical proportions. What was already an uphill battle to secure the final Champions League spot, looks almost impossible today. Yesterday’s desperately frustrating stalemate at St Andrew’s delivered a hammer blow to hopes of clambering into the top four. With Rafael Benitez’s side four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City having played a game more, only the most optimistic of Kopites can honestly believe the club will be dining at Europe’s top table next season. This was a golden opportunity to turn up the heat on their top four rivals but Liverpool blew it. Benitez’s search for a cure to his side’s travel sickness goes on after their weaknesses at both ends of the pitch were laid bare in the Midlands. (James Pearce - Liverpool Daily Post)
	SUNDAY 4
	Rafa explains Torres call Rafa Benitez insists his decision to substitute Fernando Torres at Birmingham in Sunday's draw was simply an attempt to freshen up his flagging Liverpool side. Torres has been in fine form since his return from injury and while Benitez will point to an exerting Europa League tie on Thursday that saw Liverpool play for an hour with 10 men, his front-man looked perplexed by the decision. "He was tired, he was really tired," Benitez told Sky Sports. "We needed fresh legs so I went with Ngog." (Sky Sports)  Reds hopes hit by battling Blues Liverpool's Champions League hopes were hit on Sunday as Birmingham came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in the Premier League at St Andrew's. Steven Gerrard had put Liverpool ahead a minute into the second half with a fine curling effort but Liam Ridgewell levelled matters nine minutes later to leave the Reds four points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City having played a game more. The draw leaves Rafa Benitez still searching for a first Premier League victory over Birmingham - after eight attempts spanning his six seasons at Anfield. (TEAMtalk)  Yossi starts Yossi Benayoun, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Maxi Rodriguez come in against Birmingham this afternoon. Daniel Agger, Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel all make way. The Liverpool team in full: Reina, Insua, Johnson, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Gerrard, Rodriguez, Benayoun, Kuyt, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Agger, Aquilani, Babel, Ngog, Degen, Mascherano. (LFC Official Website) Carra harbours fourth fears Jamie Carragher fears a top-four finish may already be beyond Liverpool, even if they secure a perfect end to a frustrating campaign. Carragher journeys to the West Midlands on Sunday to take on a Birmingham City side who have not lost to the top three on home soil, and the Reds stalwart insists it is a game they can ill afford to draw. But even if Rafa Benitez's side manage to take the spoils over Alex McLeish's men, Liverpool are still outsiders behind Manchester City and Tottenham for a UEFA Champions League place, according to the 32-year-old defender. "We need to think about winning every game from now until the end of the season, but because we're a little bit behind even that might not be good enough," Carragher said in the Sunday Mirror after seeing Spurs slump to defeat against Sunderland while City thrashed Burnley. "People look at our run-in and think we've got easier games than City and Spurs. "But I'd much rather be where they are than where we are and because of that I think City are probably favourites to finish fourth. "We can't worry about the others, though, because we've got to get ourselves in a position where we can put some pressure on them. "It's no good what a run-in looks like on paper. You've got to win your matches. City and Spurs might have tough games to come. But who's to say they won't win them? "They are up where they are because they're two very good teams. For me, City are definitely favourites." (Sky Sports) Saviola blow for Benfica Benfica will be without Javier Saviola for their Europa League return date with Liverpool on Thursday. The Argentina international has suffered a broken toe and is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks. Benfica could also be without commanding centre-half Luisao, with the Brazilian currently nursing a knee problem. (Sky Sports)   Darby hoping for promotion Stephen Darby is hoping to help Swindon win promotion. The reserve team captain is currently on loan with Swindon Town and has helped them put a run together (including an excellent 3-0 win over Leeds at Elland Road yesterday) that has seen them reach the play-offs. Darby is hoping that if he can help Swindon win promotion to the Championship, the experience will help him in his bid to become an Anfield regular. "This is my first experience being out on loan and I feel like I'm learning each game which is great," said Darby. "The lads have been brilliant helping me get settled in and they've made me feel really welcome which has made it a lot easier for me. "This is the right time for me to go out on loan and I need to play some games and get more experience. I spoke to the coaching staff at Liverpool who told me this would be good for my development. "Swindon play football the right way and they are a good team. "We are not putting too much pressure on ourselves and want to pick up as many points as we can. "I want to help Swindon try and get promotion and then come back to Liverpool and hopefully get a chance in pre-season and show what I can do. "I know it is tough to make it at Liverpool but it is the club I love and I want to give my best. "The night before I came to Swindon Carra phoned me and gave me some great advice. I also got a text of Stevie Gerrard. That was really nice of them and it gives you a lot of confidence." (LFC Online) Rhone Group press Liverpool for answer to £110m investment offer The deadline set by the Rhone Group for Liverpool to accept a £110 million offer to take a 40 per cent stake in the Anfield club expires on Monday, with the only concrete proposal received by current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in their search for fresh investment likely to be effectively rejected. Rhone became the first suitor to show their hand when the New York-based fund management firm, run by billionaires Robert Agostinelli and Steven Langman, presented their offer to Liverpool in the early hours of March 13. It is believed they informed the club they expected to discover whether their bid had been successful by April 5. (Telegraph.co.uk)   Thor Zakariassen ©