my liverpool fc

SIR ALEX FERGUSON expects Liverpool to push Manchester United all the way for the title this season.

The Red Devils manager is ready for a pulsating four-way tussle for the Premier League, with all of last season’s top four having strengthened their squads over the summer.

Liverpool have signed strikers Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin and Ryan Babel plus Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun so Ferguson is wary of the Anfield side’s hunger for their first title since 1990.

He said: “There is no gap between the top four teams. We are happy with the signings we have made and we have a great chance but there is no complacency in terms of the challenge we will face from other clubs.

“Liverpool have bought five players, Arsenal have two or three and while Chelsea have only actually bought one, they have added a few others.

“It just tells you what a great desire there is amongst us all to win the Premier League.”

Given this year’s champions will almost certainly need to amass a minimum 90 points from their 38 games, Ferguson is understandably hoping to begin the campaign in winning form.

“I felt confident about last season but I also felt we needed to make a good start to show we could live with Chelsea,” he said. “That was the big test because Chelsea had set the benchmark by getting off to a good start, then maintaining it for the whole season. To achieve that helped us enormously and from about 30 weeks into the season, we held on to the number one spot which, with a young team, is not particularly easy.”

Kewell predicting a bright future

HE may have missed one of the biggest penalties of his career but Liverpool’s Harry Kewell believes there are enough green shoots coming through of a new generation for the Socceroos to take heart from the Asian Cup quarter-final loss to Japan. Kewell said. "The young players have come in and played really well. The future’s bright - it’s good to see the young talent’s in there, willing to participate in the big games."