‘Big names’ must drive Reds on, declares Benitez

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez expects his “big names” to lead by example and drive the club on to Champions League qualification. A difficult season has seen captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres’ form affected by injuries while the ever-consistent Jamie Carragher had an uncharacteristically poor start to the campaign.

Despite Torres scoring his fifth goal in three matches early on against Manchester United on Sunday the team failed to recover from Wayne Rooney’s penalty soon after and eventually lost 2-1 at Old Trafford.

Torres’ disenchantment grew as the match wore on and his increasing frustration led to him being booked for a foul on Park Ji-sung and his subsequent dissent to referee Howard Webb.