Rick Parry: Everyone at Liverpool needs to pull together

Nov 23 2007

RICK PARRY today called on Liverpool’s players and staff to put all off field problems behind them and to concentrate on getting a positive result against Newcastle United.

It has been a difficult 48 hours at Anfield following Rafa Benitez’s much publicised fall out with American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

But Parry insists the time has come for the focus to return to events on the pitch, particularly with Liverpool facing a demanding run of games heading into December.

He said: “We need to focus on events on the pitch and nothing else, starting with today’s game against Newcastle.

“Next we have another big game against Porto in the Champions League so we are in the midst of a string of important games and we just need to focus on events on the pitch, which has always been the Liverpool way.”

Benitez suffered a major blow ahead of today’s trip to the north east when Daniel Agger was deemed not fit enough to travel.

The Danish defender has been building up his fitness at Melwood after suffering a broken metatarsal in early December but the Newcastle game has come too soon for him.

Sami Hyypia is now certain to keep his place in central defence alongside Jamie Carragher.

Javier Mascherano’s late return to Merseyside after being on international duty with Argentina in Colombia means Benitez will leave it until the last possible moment before making a decision about whether he is in the right condition to start the game.

Mascherano only arrived back on Merseyside yesterday afternoon following a gruelling 14 hour flight and Benitez must decide whether to take a risk on the Argentinian or to leave him out, with both Lucas Leiva or Momo Sissoko coming into contention.

Harry Kewell is also in with a chance of starting his first game of the season for Liverpool having completed 90 minutes for Australia in their recent friendly against Nigeria.