It infuriates me when people are judged on their appearance. Just because Rafa Benitez is a tubby mess, this does not give opposing supporters the right to abuse him. The Aston Villa supporters went well over the top with their ‘Fat Spanish Waiter' banner. Admittedly, he is carrying a few stone overweight, and he's [. Click to continue reading...

RAFAEL BENITEZ has assured Jermaine Pennant he won't freeze him out at Liverpool.

The Anfield manager was prepared to let the winger leave the club during the recent transfer window.

Pennant had talks with both Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers but ultimately declined the advances of both clubs. Click to continue reading...

Albert Riera today vowed to prove his worth at Anfield and insisted fans shouldn't judge him on his last spell in English football with Manchester City.

On the day Rafael Benitez unveiled his deadline day signing to the media at Melwood, Riera insisted his game has developed during the three years he has since spent in Spain - and now he can't wait to make an impact on Merseyside. Click to continue reading...

While going out and buying the world's best players is a great way to get the glory you desire, there's nothing like overseeing the development of a player from a youngster with high potential to a world-class star. There are several sides in the Premier League with talent-laden academies, but it's certainly hard to [. Click to continue reading...

FOR all Liverpool's wheelings and dealings during the transfer window, this summer will forever be remembered for the one player who didn't go anywhere.

The Champions League semi-final defeat to Chelsea had barely began to sink in when Rafael Benitez started planning for the new season in earnest with a £10m bid for Gareth Barry. Click to continue reading...

I remember watching Albert Riera playing for Manchester City a couple from times.

Back then I wouldn't have paid you air miles for him.

But I also watched him in La Liga for Espanyol last year and he seemed to have improved a great deal. And he clearly benefited from playing every week, so if Rafael Benitez really sees him as the solution to his left-sided problem then he must give him a run of games. Click to continue reading...

Roma's Norwegian international full-back John Arne Riise has penned a heart-felt open letter to Liverpool fans all over the world following his transfer from Merseyside to the Eternal City this summer.

John Arne Riise, something of a cult hero among Liverpool fans during his seven successful years at Anfield, left the club in the summer for AS Roma as it became clear his first-team opportunities under Rafael Benitez would become increasingly restricted following the manager's transfer dealings. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez confirmed the signing of Albert Riera from Espanyol.

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Arsenal look set to miss out on Xabi Alonso after Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez said the midfielder is likely to remain at Anfield. The 26-year-old Spanish international has been heavily linked with a move to the Gunners in recent weeks after his proposed move to Juventus fell through. But any deal is dependent on the transfer saga [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool have signed Spain winger Albert Riera from Espanyol for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old has signed a four-year contract at Anfield after choosing Rafael Benitez's side over a host of other clubs including neighbours Everton.

Riera, who has been given the number 11 shirt at Anfield, has previously played in the Premier League in the 2005-06 season when he was on loan at Manchester City. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of 26-year old Albert Reira from Espnayol on a 4-year contract for £8m. Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is confident his new recruit will have no problems in adapting to life in Premiership football: "Riera has the qualities we were looking for. He's a left footer who normally plays on the left wing, [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool have signed Brazilian striker Vitor Flora on a free transfer.

The 18-year-old spent last season playing in his homeland with Botafogo and has signed a contract until 2010.

He holds an Italian passport so he does not require a work permit, however, he will need to gain international clearance before playing for the Reds. Click to continue reading...

It can't be much fun being told that you're surplus to requirements at your current club. However, this is appearently what's happened at Anfield, with Rafael Benitez kindly explaining to this Liverpool winger that his future lies elsewhere. Will he be moving to a new club on Monday? The Daily Mail . Click to continue reading...

If a team does poorly, or as is the case in modern-day football, fails to entertain, the blame falls on the manager. That sounds right until you consider that if those bloody millionaires running aimlessly on the pitch had followed instructions, and if the opposition had turned around and grabbed their ankles as asked, the [. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez suffered a torrent of abuse and saw his Liverpool side miss out on the chance to go top of the Barclays Premier League after a goalless draw at Villa Park.

Aston Villa fans taunted the Reds boss with chants of 'There's only one Gareth Barry' after the collapse of the England midfielder's move to Liverpool, and some of the crowd aimed personal insults at the Reds manager. Click to continue reading...

They play in different leagues, so perhaps the comparison isn't valid, but two different results and contrasting styles of play caught my eye this weekend:

Wolverhampton Wanderers stormed to the top of the Championship table with an utterly convincing 5-1 defeat of Nottingham Forest at Molineux on Saturday. Click to continue reading...

IT clearly wasn't in Rafael Benitez's plans to get to a day from the end of the transfer window and be watching Gareth Barry playing for the opposition.

But it was the players missing from his own squad that proved the greatest frustration for the Liverpool manager.

Steven Gerrard's absence already assured Liverpool would be suffering from a lack of creativity – but having to make do for an hour without Fernando Torres, the one player who can make something happen out of nothing, left Benitez on a hiding to nothing. Click to continue reading...

FERNANDO TORRES is set to miss Liverpool's meeting with Manchester United after he suffered a hamstring tear at Villa Park yesterday.

The Spanish striker, who sustained the injury after half an hour of the goalless draw with Aston Villa, will undergo a scan to assess the extent of the damage today. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez says he is hopeful Albert Riera's move to Liverpool will be completed tomorrow; and did not rule out going for any other targets.

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Liverpool Boss Rafael Benitez has confirmed Fernando Torres will have a scan to assess his hamstring injury picked up in the Aston Villa game.

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Liverpool's proposed new stadium has suffered a fresh delay of at least a year, with fears now mounting on Merseyside over whether the ground can ever be built under the ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

An official statement pointed to global market conditions for what was described as a "short-term" problem, though The Daily Telegraph understands that Hicks and Gillett accept that the earliest target for an opening date is the 2012-13 season. Click to continue reading...

Alvaro Arbeloa is refusing to get cozy in Liverpool's starting XI, as he is well aware of the competition he will face from his team-mates throughout the season.

Arbeloa has started all four of the Reds' competitive fixtures so far this season, leading some to declare that he has won the title of first-choice right-back. Click to continue reading...

Phil Thompson believes Liverpool will have few problems negotiating their way to the Champions League knockout stages despite drawing one of the tougher groups.

Last night's official draw saw Rafael Benitez's men pitted against Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, French giants Olympique Marseille and Spanish up-and-comers Atletico Madrid in Group D. Click to continue reading...

It is Rafael Benitez's fourth season in charge at Liverpool.He should have got things right by now.Liverpool are still doing things the hard way.Dirk Kuyt scoring a late late winner with the rest of the team playing in the wrong gear. Here's a note on Rafa's tinkering and what its doing to the club.

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Rafael Benitez has a point. Especially where his legacy is concerned, for the Spaniard certainly won't be remembered for ensuring that Liverpool qualified umpteen times for the Champions League group stages. Instead, it's all about silverware for the Reds manager and the fans. But can they win any trophies this season? Click to continue reading...