Benitez backs Carson

Carson, 22, has been on a season-long loan at Aston Villa this season, but any permanent move is being held up by his believed £10m-price tag.
"It is a matter between the clubs," Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.
"We agreed the fee with Aston Villa last year. The fee has been there for one season so to talk about the fee now is not correct."

Benitez added that his Villa counterpart Martin O'Neill was aware of the situation.
"We agreed with Martin O'Neill and that was the situation," said the Spaniard.

What is Carson worth?
Carson arrived at Anfield from Leeds for £1m in January 2005 and had a spell at Charlton in 2006/07 before Villa paid £2m to take him on loan for this season.
He has drawn the comments from Benitez after urging the Reds to be more reasonable when it comes to deciding his future.

told the Wolverhampton Express & Star newspaper: "It's too much. It's stupid money really.
"It may be time to move but I don't know if anyone will agree a fee."
He added: "I don't think Liverpool are stupid. They know what I'm worth.
"They would've recouped what they paid for me in loan fees over the last couple of years, so hopefully they can help me out."

Villa retain first option on signing Carson permanently and he knows his future almost certainly lies away from Anfield.
"Liverpool have a great keeper in Pepe Reina and he's going to take a lot of shifting, but I've played football for the last two seasons and I don't think I'll be content sitting on the bench."

Crouch for sale

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has placed a £15million price-tag on England striker Peter Crouch, who is a target for several other Premier League clubs.
Crouch has grown frustrated at a lack of first-team starts with the Reds and has been linked with a possible return to former club Portsmouth, despite having another 12 months to run on his current Anfield contract.
Benitez confirmed: "We have offered Peter a new contract.

"Nobody was talking about him when we signed him from Southampton and then everyone was criticising him because he was not scoring goals.
"But I supported him and now he wants to play every week. We know that Portsmouth are always in the media, talking, every time. But we have had no official offers, just talking.
"But if we receive an offer, £15million or more would be reasonable, I want the best for Crouch and the best for my club.

"I talked to him before and I have talked to him two days ago. He knows my position and I know his position, we are professionals we want the best for each of us.
"But now he is a different player, he is a big name. For the last month we have heard that he wants to play, he wants to leave and that there are other clubs who would like to sign him.
"We will now wait and see whether there are any offers. Then we will talk with him. Clearly we would want a big price."

Alonso denies Real move

Liverpool's Spain international midfielder Xabi Alonso has played down rumours linking him with a summer move away from the Anfield club.
The 26-year-old's future with the Reds had been called into question due to Liverpool's interest in signing Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry, but Alonso has dismissed such suggestions.

He told Sky Sports: "It surprises me because I know the real truth.
"There has been no movement from Real Madrid, whether official or otherwise.
"At the moment I am with Liverpool, I have a contract with Liverpool and I want to be at Liverpool.
"I have been surprised and very disappointed to read that I want to leave Liverpool. The people who write these things have clearly not done very rigorous research."

Alonso, who joined Liverpool in the summer of 2004 from Real Sociedad, is under contract at Anfield until the summer of 2012 and has scored 14 goals in 163 appearances for the Reds.

welcome back,sammy lee

Lee, a midfielder in the 1980s glory days, previously worked as reserve team manager and then first team coach under Graeme Souness and Gerard Houllier.
He eventually left for a full-time role with England in 2004 before joining Bolton Wanderers in 2005.
Benitez said: "Sammy knows about the passion of the club and about the standards that we set here."
Lee made 294 appearances for the Reds when they won a string of trophies and was a hero to a generation of Liverpool fans.

606: DEBATE
Welcome back Sammy!
Zed_The_Red
He will help fill the gap left by Alex Miller, who left his role as first team coach earlier in May to take up a managerial role in Japan.
Benitez has also lost Spanish assistant Paco Ayesteran and sorely needed support on the bench for the 2008-09 campaign.

Lee served as Sam Allardyce's deputy at Bolton for a while before replacing him as boss in April 2007, shortly before the end of the season.
But he endured a terrible start to the following campaign, with Bolton lying second from bottom of the Premier League table when he was removed from his post.
Liverpool were so close to having a great season this time around
Sammy Lee

That was not on Benitez's mind, however, as the Spaniard commented: "We have not brought Sammy back simply because he used to play for the club and used to work here as a coach.
"He is a very experienced and very well respected coach in his own right and his reputation in football made him the outstanding candidate when we knew we were looking for a new member of our coaching staff."
Lee said: "The club have made great progress over the last few years and they were so close to having a great season this time around.

"Hopefully we can keep improving and get to where we all want."

Arsenal and Liverpool to fight it out for french star

Arsenal and Liverpool are to fight it out for the signature of Marseille attacking midfielder Samir Nasri after the French club confirmed they may listen to offers. (Press Association)The French international has been linked with a move to the Premier League for months now.

The 20-year old is widely regarded as one of Europe's hottest properties.Both Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez are said to be very keen on bringing to the player to their respective clubs this summer but it is likely to set them back at least £20 million.Nasri is a terrific player with a lot of potential. He has made over 100 appearances for Marseille, has over a dozen caps for his country and is still on 20-year's old.

Reds back fowler

Liverpool fans are hoping to watch Robbie Fowler's Cardiff City upset the odds with victory in this afternoon's FA Cup final.

Cardiff take on Premier League outfit Portsmouth at Wembley looking to win the trophy for the first time since 1927 against a Pompey side whose last success in the competition came back in 1939. In a poll on Liverpoolfc.tv we asked you which side you would be supporting this afternoon - and Dave Jones' Bluebirds came out as overwhelming winners with a massive 72.9& of the vote compared to just 27.1% for Portsmouth.

Fowler hasn't played for five months since hip surgery but is expected to start on the bench if he passes a late fitness test. Another ex-Red, David James, is a certain starter in the Portsmouth goal.

Martin signs new deal

Liverpool goalkeeper David Martin has signed a new deal with the club that will see him remain at Anfield until June 2010.

The Reserve team stopper, who has played a key role in Gary Ablett's treble winning side this season, is highly rated at Melwood and will continue to act as an understudy to current number one Pepe Reina. The 22-year-old has yet to make a first-team appearance since joining the club from MK Dons in January 2006 although he did make the bench when Reading came to Anfield for a Carling Cup clash in October later that year.