Soccer: Houllier - Time to turn the screw

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier is banking on the comforts of home to carry his side into the Champions League.

The Reds face to vital Premiership clashes with Newcastle and Chelsea at Anfield within four days ahead of their double cup final adventure, and those two games will go a long way towards determining their league fortunes this season.

With main rivals Leeds facing a difficult trip to Arsenal tomorrow between their two Champions League semi-final clashes with Valencia, Houllier knows there could be no better time to turn the screw.

"I think these next two home games will be absolutely vital for us and what we want to achieve," he said. "I don’t want to talk about Arsenal and Leeds on Saturday, it’s down to us, nobody else.

"After the Newcastle and Chelsea games, then we will see where we really are. These are two home games and they are crucial to us.

"The boys know exactly what is at stake at the moment. Every game is a cup final - and we still have two real ones to go."

Newcastle head for Merseyside determined to put a spanner in the works of the Reds’ bandwagon after squandering a 1-0 lead at home to Southampton on Tuesday night.

Despite a desperately disappointing injury-plagued season, they travel across the Pennines able to boast a home win over Houllier’s side this season, as well as a double over Leeds and a draw with Manchester United.

"We’ve been yo-yo, up and down, and it’s cost us dearly," manager Bobby Robson admitted. "We’ve lost far too many games at home.

"We have two big games left against Liverpool and Arsenal, and it’s not over for them. They’re desperate to get into the Champions League and Ipswich and Leeds are chasing them.

"The two games against Liverpool and Arsenal will be big games because they’re looking for nothing less than three points."

Keeper Shay Given, who broke his nose and damaged a wrist in a clash with Southampton’s Kevin Davies, is a doubt, although Peruvian midfielder Nolberto Solano is available again after completing a two-match ban and Scot Stephen Glass could return from illness.

Bradford’s seemingly inevitable relegation was confirmed by defeat at Everton last Saturday, but there will still be plenty at stake at Valley Parade tomorrow as Middlesbrough look to secure their own safety.

Two points will be enough for Terry Venables’ side whatever happens elsewhere, and a repeat of this season’s FA Cup third round tie, which the Teessiders won 1-0 courtesy of Hamilton Ricard’s superb strike, would more than do the trick.

"We have to keep playing like we have played against big teams," said the Colombian. "Bradford and Manchester United may be miles apart in the quality they have in their squads, but we have to try to treat them like any other."

Bantams’ boss Jim Jefferies is already eagerly anticipating the start of next season just days after is side were pushed through the trapdoor into Division One despite a drastic improvement in form in recent weeks.

"I can’t wait for the start of next season because the signs are there we could do well," he said.

Sunderland and Charlton will stage a European shoot-out at the Stadium of Light as they keep their fingers crossed for the end-of-season shakedown.

Seventh place in the Premiership could yet be good enough for a UEFA Cup berth depending on the outcome of the various cup competitions still to be decided, and if either side were to pick up all three points this weekend, they would put themselves in pole position.

Striker Kevin Phillips could return from an ankle injury for the Wearsiders, but Argentinian midfielder Julio Arca is rated at only 50-50 with a similar problem and Slovakian Stanislav Varga is suspended.

Charlton, who are set to complete their best top flight finish for 48 years should they maintain eighth place, could have leading scorer Jonatan Johansson back from the throat infection which ruled him out of Monday’s 2-1 victory over Ipswich.