Liverpool Distractions - Football (Soccer) News And Picks

Liverpool Distractions
By Tim Robertson
Posted:4:00 am PDT 2007-02-03

It takes a lot to overshadow a Merseyside derby, but the dramatic developments in the Liverpool takeover saga this week threaten to distract the Reds in the build-up to another huge fixture in their season.

Having closed the gap on second-place Chelsea in recent weeks to five points, Liverpool need to keep the pressure on with victory over their local rivals.

But their task has not been made easy by off-field events at Anfield this week.

Dubai International Capital, who had been involved in long-running talks over buying out the current ownership, dramatically pulled out when American sports mogul George Gillett made a bid of his own.

Gillett, owner of the Montreal Canadiens, now seems poised to take control of the club in partnership with Tom Hicks, owner of the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers.

But while those discussions rumble on in the Liverpool boardroom, Rafael Benitez has to keep his players focused.

"I have spoken to [chief executive] Rick Parry and he says he feels this could be better, really good for the club," said Benitez, who had been hoping the DIC deal would go through in the new year to release funds for the transfer market. "But I prefer to leave them to decide while I concentrate on the derby against Everton on Saturday.

"I had no hint of what was about to happen, I was thinking of the games and the signings I was trying to do. Even now, I am only really thinking about the derby."

Benitez was largely limited to bringing in youngsters this winter. A deal for West Ham's Javier Mascherano would give him a senior player, but it has been held up while the Premier League seeks to "satisfy" itself that the deal complies with regulations.

Liverpool had been granted special permission by FIFA to sign the 22-year-old despite him having already played for two clubs during the current season, but that does not appear to be what is concerning the league.

Mascherano's rights were never owned by West Ham, but rather by an outside sports investment company which brought him from Brazilian club Corinthians to East London. The league is clearly concerned to know how much control West Ham have had over the movements of the player.

Should the deal go through, it will be interested to see how Argentina international copes with the much bigger spotlight at Liverpool, having failed to make an impression at West Ham.

However, he will not be involved on Saturday.

Liverpool have now won five straight in the league, and as they close on the leaders, it is only adding to the frustrations of their players who know they dropped easy points early in the season.

"At the start of the year it was frustrating, if we picked up points then we would be among it now," striker Peter Crouch said. "It's just frustrating but now we're on a run we have to keep it going. There's more pressure but we enjoy that more being up the top."

"The gap is getting closer. We've got to bank on the top two slipping up but we'll concentrate on our own job and close the gap as best we can. It's going to take a lot for them to lose three games but we'll keep plugging away and whatever happens will take care of itself."

The chances of Liverpool actually becoming contenders in this year's title race are slim. Only Chelsea are in a position to challenge Manchester United, but given the way the latter are playing right now, even that is hard to see at present.

Even so, Liverpool's impressive form should allow them to lock up a Champions League place.

They will face an Everton side missing star striker Andrew Johnson, and are clear favourites at -175 on WagerWeb, with the Toffees at +450.

But, much like multi-million pound takeover deals, local derbies are rarely as straightforward as that.

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