TUESDAY 12
	Liverpool demolish Leicester City 5 - 1 in FA Youth Cup A first-half hat-trick from returning Finnish striker Lauri Dalla Valle secured Liverpool Under 18's path into the next round of the FA Youth Cup. The Reds got their revenge after being defeated 3 - 0 on the 29th of August in an Academy League fixture on Merseyside. Dalle Valla scored three goals whilst Thomas Ince (son of Paul) scored one before half-time to put the Reds in a very strong 4 - 0 lead away from home against a highly-rated Leicester side who were unbeaten the whole season until tonight. Tall and lanky striker Michael Ngoo also had a strong game setting up Dalle Valle and ensuring the Leicester defenders were kept on their toes throughout. Leicester scored the first of the second half after Adi Yussuf (who deserved his goal) slotted the ball past Deale Chamberlain in the Liverpool goal. Towards the end of the game, Ngoo rounded off a great Liverpool victory with a goal of his own to make it 5 - 1. The Reds now face either Watford or Hartlepool in the 5th round. Team : Chamberlain, Flanagan, Wisdom, McGiveron (replaced by Sama), Robinson (replaced by Ellison), Ince, Coady, Roberts, Buchtmann, Ngoo, Dalla Valle (replaced by Adjoran) Incidentally, there was still no sign of "wonder-kid" Adam Pepper who is rumoured to be returning to Everton after having a fallout with Liverpool's Under 18 staff. Despite returning from an injury, Pepper has been left in the cold and looks like he'll be returning to Everton (in what many claim to be a major coup). (Liverpool FC South African Supporters) Rafa hopeful over Johnson Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez insists Glen Johnson is making good progress from his knee injury. Johnson suffered a knee ligament problem during his side's 1-0 win over Aston Villa at the end of December. Reports have suggested that the injury could sideline Johnson for up to three months, with Liverpool initially suggesting the England right-back would be back in action in a month. Benitez is refusing to put a timescale on the former Chelsea and Portsmouth star's return to action, but is happy with his recovery to date. "I was watching him yesterday and he seems okay," said Benitez. "It's a question of time. He's progressing but we have to wait." (Sky Sports) Benítez calls for Liverpool to show 'attitude' against Reading The Liverpool manager, Rafael Benítez, has called for his side to show "attitude" against Reading in their FA Cup third-round replay at Anfield tomorrow. With the FA Cup representing one of the club's best chances of a trophy this season, Benítez cannot risk any embarrassment at the hands of the Championship side. "We have to approach the game thinking about winning and not giving them any chances or any confidence that they can do something," he said. "In the Premier League you have to win but if you can't you say 'unlucky'. But in the Cup you have to win. The attitude is more important against teams from a lower division. After that you know you have some quality, but attitude is the key." (Press Association/guardian.co.uk)   McDermott eyes Reds scalp Reading caretaker manager Brian McDermott hopes an FA Cup replay win at Liverpool on Wednesday would aid his chances of becoming permanent boss. McDermott has made no secret of his desire to take over the reins permanently after the Royals sacked Brendan Rodgers last month, with the Royals flirting with relegation from the Championship. "Will winning at Anfield help me get the job? It will certainly help," McDermott said. (Sky Sports) Mascherano missing for Liverpool Midfielder Javier Mascherano will miss the FA Cup third round replay at home to Reading as he serves the final game of his four-match ban. Defenders Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly and midfielders Albert Riera and Nabil El Zhar all remain on the injury list. Manager Rafael Benitez could recall Yossi Benayoun to the starting line up after the Israeli began the 1-1 draw at the Madejski Stadium – Liverpool’s last fixture on January 2 – on the bench. Provisional squad: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Darby, Insua, Benayoun, Gerrard, Lucas, Torres, Ngog, Aquilani, Kuyt, Kyrgiakos, Degen, Babel, Cavalieri, Spearing. (BreakingNews.ie) New Royals duo sit out cup replay Reading will be without new signings Andy Griffin and Gunnar Thorvaldsson for Wednesday night's FA Cup third-round replay at Liverpool. Full-back Griffin signed on loan from Stoke for the remainder of the season on Tuesday while Icelandic striker Thorvaldsson has received international clearance to complete his loan from Esbjerg. However, the duo were not registered for the original 1-1 draw 10 days ago so will not be available at Anfield. Brian McDermott's side have not played since Simon Church's goal gave them a draw against the Reds and the Royals manager is unlikely to make many changes. Czech Republic international Marek Matejovsky could return from an abdomen injury to the scene of his stunning goal in March 2008, while the scorer of another famous Anfield goal, Brian Howard, could start. Howard netted the winner for Barnsley in the fifth round of 2008 and has fully recovered from a broken jaw to put himself in contention. Noel Hunt and Chris Armstrong (both knee) remain sidelined. (TEAMtalk) Aldridge denies calling for Benitez to be sacked John Aldridge today slammed reports that claimed he said: "Liverpool must sack Rafa Benitez". The fromer Anfield and Ireland striker and Reds legend was quoted in glossy 'lads' mag', Nuts which alleged he said, among other things, that Liverpool must sack Benitez, that the manager "can't claim injuries are a problem" and that "he could not see any way for Liverpool to finish in the top four". However, Aldridge, who says he is now considering legal action, was today mystified and furious with the offending article, which was also picked up and reported nationally elsewhere today, as he vehemently denied speaking to the magazine. He has spoken to members of Liverpool's backroom staff this morning to explain that he did not make any such comments and is now considering his options. "I can categorically say that I never spoke to Nuts Magazine," Aldridge, a Football Echo columnist, said today. "I certainly wouldn't say anything so inflammatory that Rafa should be sacked. "Rafa is under enough pressure at the moment and his job is hard enough; I have never, ever said that he should go. "The story is completely fictitious. I will be consulting my lawyers about the matter." Aldridge added: "As for this being the most difficult time I have ever experienced as a Liverpool fan, it's anything but. "Yes, things are not going as we would like them to be but we are just experiencing a bad season. "That's all." (Liverpool Echo) Spurs game rearranged Liverpool's Barclays Premier League clash with Tottenham has been re-scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, kick-off 8pm GMT. (LFC Official Website) Torres: Best is yet to come Liverpool forward Fernando Torres insists the best is still to come from the under-performing Reds. The 25-year-old Spanish star has been frustrated by injury so far this season, although his goals-to-games ratio in the Premier League is still outstanding. Torres has netted 12 times in 14 league starts in what has been a poor campaign for Rafa Benitez's side, who currently lie seventh in the table. With Liverpool also exiting the UEFA Champions League at the group stage, pressure is beginning to build on Benitez, but Torres insists there is still a long way to go this season. "Unfortunately this season is not turning out how we had wanted, but our best is still to come," he said in the Liverpool Echo. (Sky Sports) Winning FA Cup is tougher than Liverpool’s Europa League mission Liverpool need to fly out of the blocks to ensure they wreck Reading’s hopes of causing an FA Cup upset at Anfield tomorrow night. The competition represents the Reds’ best hope of winning a trophy this season and it’s vital we don’t give the Championship club a sniff of glory. The lesson is clear – if you aren’t up for it, then you will get found out. The FA Cup is a fantastic competition and I think it provides more of a challenge for Liverpool than the Europa League. With European ties being over two legs you can afford to have one bad game and get away with it. In Europe you also know exactly what style of football to expect. But the FA Cup is about one-off matches where anything can happen and that’s what makes it so exciting. Let’s hope this is the start of a memorable run. After what’s happened so far this season we certainly need one. (Ian Rush - Liverpool Echo)  Time for Liverpool FC owners to do some real straight talking Turns out the departing Tom Hicks junior had the right idea – it was about time the Americans starting responding to supporters’ concerns directly. Not in the way he did it of course. But communication between the owners and the fans is non-existent and that needs putting right. Because the silence is too deafening. Tommy Hicks broke it in a way which kind of sums up the three-year tenure of his father and George Gillett. There were elements of stupidity in the way he stuck his abuse in an e-mail, in black and white – so it was always going to come out into the public domain and come back to haunt him. It was a very strange response and only heightens the hostility between this regime and the Liverpool supporters. However, Tommy was only really his dad’s eyes and ears around the place – him going is just a board member stepping down, and one who really wasn’t doing very much anyway. The real problem with the current regime is there is no useful information from the club any more and the supporters would like to hear from these two about some very urgent issues. I think the Americans are hiding from the reality that it is time for them to put their money where their mouths are or try to press ahead with making sure they can get a sale. (Mark Lawrenson - Liverpool Daily Post)
	MONDAY 11
	Tom Hicks promises big summer splash as son walks the Anfield plank Tom Hicks remained bullish in the wake of his son's resignation from Liverpool today when he pledged a "big" summer in the transfer market at Anfield and replaced the outgoing director with another Dallas-based ally. Hicks's son, Tom Jr, bowed to pressure to relinquish his directorship of Liverpool and its parent company, Kop Holdings, following the furore over the obscene email he sent to a Liverpool supporter in a row over Rafael Benítez's spending power. (guardian.co.uk) Alonso backs Benitez Real Madrid's deep-lying playmaking midfielder Xabi Alonso, who swapped Liverpool's Anfield for the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, has offered his support to his former manager Rafael Benitez. "There is no questioning that he is a good manager who can still bring success for Liverpool," Alonso is quoted to have told Sky Sports. "He doesn't operate the same way to a lot of other managers, but you can't deny that he is successful in what he does. "He keeps his distance emotionally - you are the player and he is the manager and that's the way he likes it. You have to accept that. "I will always respect Rafa for what he has done in football but, more importantly, I will always be massively grateful to him for the chance he gave me to join Liverpool." Alonso, though, did concede that the persistent speculation linking then-Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry with a transfer to the Merseyside outfit was the catalyst for his desire to crave a Real switch. He said in the People: "The pursuit of Gareth Barry took some time for me to accept and, in all honesty, it changed the course of my future. "I did get over it but it did take time for me to accept what had happened to me. "Leaving Liverpool was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but after what happened with Barry I knew in my heart I had to tell Rafa that I wanted to go to Madrid when they came knocking at the door. "I was still fairly young when I joined Liverpool and I had not only grown into the player I'd become there, but also the man I'd become." (Goal.com) Zuiverloon wants Babel at West Brom West Brom's flying Dutchman Gianni Zuiverloon would love to see best mate Ryan Babel join him in Birmingham. Birmingham City's £9million offer for Babel was rejected by the Reds and boss Rafa Benitez wants to keep him. However, given the unpredictable nature of the January transfer window, the fact that Babel isn't getting much game time and is eager to play ahead of this summer's World Cup, an increased bid may tempt Liverpool to sell. "Would I like to see Ryan move down here? Well I'd love for him to play, that's the big part," said Zuiverloon. "He needs to play so it doesn't matter where it is. "If he goes to Birmingham City then it's even better for him and for me too as then we could do stuff together in Birmingham. "But he needs to play and that's the most important thing for him." (Liverpool Echo) Hicks Jr resigns as Reds director Liverpool director Tom Hicks Jr has resigned from his position at the club and their parent company after a foul-mouthed e-mail rant at a fan. The American, son of co-owner Tom Hicks, became embroiled in controversy on Sunday when it emerged he had responded abusively when one supporter contacted him directly about the state of the club and their finances. Having initially called the fan an "idiot", Hicks Jr reportedly then sent a second e-mail saying: "Blow me f*** face. Go to Hell. I'm sick of you." Hicks Jr subsequently apologised but he has now quit his role at the club and their parent company Kop Holdings. (TEAMtalk) Benitez: Big freeze can spur Liverpool FC on to FA Cup glory Rafa Benitez today promised Liverpool will use their weekend frustration as a spur to secure their place in the FA Cup fourth round. The Reds had to spend yesterday kicking their heels rather than tackling Tottenham at Anfield after the Premier League clash fell victim to the arctic conditions on Friday. Though the stakes would have been high, Benitez would have preferred to take his chance against Spurs rather than waiting to face Reading on Wednesday night to give his squad an opportunity to build up their confidence. However, he hopes the incentive of a home tie against Burnley later this month will help carry Liverpool past their Championship rivals and Benitez is looking for a vast improvement on their initial showing at the Madejski Stadium. (Liverpool Echo) Liverpool join Jones race Liverpool have reportedly joined Premier League rivals Birmingham City, Stoke City, Aston Villa and Tottenham in the race for Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones. The Sunday People claim Rafa Benitez is proposing a swap deal involving Ryan Babel and Jones trading clubs in this transfer window. Having recently sold Andriy Voronin to Dynamo Moscow, the Spaniard is looking to bring in an able replacement, and Jones reportedly fits the bill for Liverpool. (Sport.co.uk)  Reds' shock loan swoop for City youngster Rafa Benitez is reportedly preparing a loan move for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha. The Liverpool boss is desperate to add defensive cover to his side, with right back Glen Johnson set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Onuoha signed a long-term contract at the City of Manchester Stadium in the summer, but has only made four appearances since after an injury ruled the 23-year-old out for a large part of the season so far. Reports suggest that the Reds are ready to offer Onuoha a short-term loan deal at Anfield. Liverpool are short on defensive options in all positions, and Onuoha's versatility makes him a perfect candidate for a switch to Merseyside. (Givemefootball.com)
	SUNDAY 10
	Tom Hicks Junior apologises to Liverpool FC fan for sending abusive email Tom Hicks Jr has apologised to a Liverpool supporter after he was accused of sending an abusive email. The Dallas based Liverpool director and son of co-owner Tom Hicks Senior was contacted by Stephen Horner, a concerned fan, who emailed him an extract of a Liverpool Echo article published this weekend. The extract contained a series of points raised in the Football Echo's Blood Red Column this weekend. The article analysed and explored the challenges facing Rafa Benitez. But just before 4am in Texas yesterday (10am in England), Hicks Jr sent one reply calling Mr Horner “an idiot”. He then sent another email – this time with Liverpool’s financial and commercial directors Philip Nash and Ian Ayre copied in – which told Horner: “Blow me f*** face. Go to Hell. I’m sick of you.” Mr Horner says he was shocked by the outburst but late last night, he was again contacted by Hicks Jr, this time to say sorry for the incident. The email read: “Stephen, I apologize for losing my temper and using bad language with you. It was a kneejerk reaction. Tommy” (Liverpool Echo) Voronin completes move to Moscow Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin has joined Dinamo Moscow on a three-year contract from Liverpool, the Russian club have confirmed. The 30-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Hertha Berlin, met his new coach Andrey Kobelev on Saturday and put pen to paper on his deal. Dinamo sporting director Konstantin Sarsania told the club's official website: "The transfer of Andriy Voronin can be considered accomplished. "The clubs reached an agreement and the player signed a contract for three years. "We are delighted that such a strong player has joined Dinamo and we hope he can help solve the team's problems." Voronin moved to Anfield in 2007 from Bayer Leverkusen after 12 years in Germany but scored only five goals in 27 league appearances for the Reds. He said: "I had options for continuing a career in Germany, and several in Russia, but eventually opted for Dinamo. "I liked the professional approach of the leaders of the Moscow club during the negotiations, and I also liked the conversation with the head coach Andrey Kobelev. "Our views came together. Dinamo have set high goals. I'm interested. I believe the Russian league is of a very good level." (TEAMtalk) Benitez admits Torres, Gerrard could be sold Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admits he could sell Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. He has confessed for the first time that Torres, Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Pepe Reina may have to be sacrificed if the Reds fail to claim the top-four place that will secure the club financially. Benitez told the Sunday Mirror: “If a club came in and offered a lot of money for a player then it would be about doing what is best for Liverpool. “I don’t want to sell our big players. We have worked on contract extensions because we want to keep them and keep our squad strong. “There would have to be conversations about what is best for the club in that situation and to decide what to do. “Clubs haven’t really enquired so I don’t know. “All I can say is that I want to keep our best players because they will take us closer to the top four. “It is clear that we should look to keep the players that are important to us.” (tribalfootball.com) Liverpool tracking Wolves defender Stearman Wolves defender Richard Stearman is interesting Liverpool. (tribalfootball.com)   Thor Zakariassen ©