Torres backs Rafa to get Liverpool back into Europe

Under-fire Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez received possibly the most important endorsement he could yesterday when the club's Spanish hotshot Fernando Torres backed his compatriot. Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League this week despite winning at Debrecen, but the 25-year-old striker, who has been out of action for the last few weeks with a groin injury, backed his boss to restore pride at the Merseyside club.

"Benitez has shown he is the right man to take Liverpool forward," the Spain striker said. "When the club has needed to be strong it always has been. Now is the time for everybody here to stick together from the manager right down to lowliest member of staff because above all else we want to make our wonderful fans happy with our performances and results.

"We must be united to finish as high as possible in the Premier League. I am convinced that we will end up in the top four. We also have high hopes for the FA Cup and the Europa League," concluded Torres, who could play some part in this Sunday's derby against Everton. The statement of support will be key for Benitez, who can argue that without his continuing presence at Anfield the club's best players will head for the exit.

In the wake of the European exit, the club has been attacked by perennial Kop-baiter Gary Neville. "You get what you deserve as a team, don't you? We are where we are because we deserve to be there and it is the same with Liverpool," the Manchester United captain said. "We went out of the competition ourselves after the group stage a few years back [in 2005] and they haven't performed well enough in the Champions League this season to get the results. Simple as that."

Meanwhile, if any more spice were needed to be added to this weekend's grudge match with Everton, the flat refusal by Liverpool's hierarchy to even countenance a ground share with their rivals, who had a bid to build a new stadium rejected by the government yesterday, should provide it. Despite such an agreement working for European giants such as AC and Inter Milan, it's unlikely to happen in Liverpool.

"It is not on our agenda at the moment," said the club's deputy executive director, Peter Shaw. "We are progressing with our own stadium. It has gone quite far already and once the financial markets reopen for business it will progress further."