Liverpool facing gruelling schedule

LIVERPOOL face a testing fixture schedule that will stretch manager Rafael Benitez’s squad to the limits over the next six weeks.

Tuesday night’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Arsenal was postponed because of fog and has been re-arranged for January 9 – the date set aside for the semi-final first leg.

That means Liverpool must play a minimum of 10 matches in 43 days and it could be more if they overcome the Gunners in the Carling Cup, or if draw their FA Cup third round game with the north Londoners at Anfield on January 6.

Liverpool’s entire domestic season rests on the opening weeks of 2007, with tough matches against Chelsea, Bolton and Everton as well as the two cup ties with Arsenal.

That was partly why both Benitez and counterpart Arsene Wenger were so keen for the match to be played last night, both disagreeing with referee Martin Atkinson’s decision to postpone a second inspection of the conditions.

Atkinson was worried the fans could not see the action properly and that his assistants would have struggled to view the full width of the pitch.

Police were also concerned about the traffic chaos on the motorway approaches to Liverpool which were gridlocked as far back as the M6, where many Arsenal fans were stranded with no chance of making the 7.45pm kick-off because of heavy fog.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has added his concerns about the decision to postpone, saying: “The referee said 90 minutes before kick-off that if the fog didn’t get any worse we would start.

“An hour before kick-off it seemed to be even clearer, which is what makes the postponement so frustrating.”

Parry was involved in discussions on the re-arranged game, and the Carling Cup semi-final first leg date was the only alternative.

He said: “There are no obvious dates for the re-arrangement. The date set aside for the first leg of the semi-final – January 9 or 10 – was the only alternative. We are both in the same boat as regards to other commitments.”

The only free midweek slot in January 16/ 17 is already been earmarked for a possible FA Cup third round replay.