Free signing puts big-spending Liverpool in command

TOULOUSE, France, Aug 16 (Reuters) Liverpool's positive start to the season is good news for coach Rafael Benitez after a busy offseason of big spending, but it was free signing Andriy Voronin who paved the way for European progress.

The five-times European champions have one foot in the group stage of the Champions League after the Ukraine striker's sublime first-half strike was enough to give his side a 1-0 victory at Toulouse in their third qualifying round first leg encounter,yesterday.

Voronin, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen as a free agent during the close season, is one of the four major new recruits at the club along with Spain striker Fernando Torres, Dutch forward Ryan Babel and Israel's playmaker Yossi Benayoun.

Liverpool have spent around 79.3 million dollars on players since the end of last season after being taken over in March by US sports tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

The pair are making plans for a new stadium in the city's Stanley Park and have provided Benitez with transfer funds to help the 18-times English champions bring an end to a 17-year domestic title drought.

Liverpool opened their league campaign with a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa last weekend.

In Toulouse, Voronin played alongside strike partner Peter Crouch and he was on target two minutes from halftime with an impressive 25-metre drive.

''It was a fantastic goal and Andriy showed the quality he has,'' Benitez told a news conference today.

The Liverpool manager believes Voronin's arrival gives him more tactical possibilities.

''He is different from the strikers we have as he has game intelligence, he links up the play well and he can score goals,'' he said.

With Torres and Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt starting on the bench, the Merseysiders were not short of options.

''All strikers are different. Now I can change and look for different things,'' said Benitez, who may be tempted to field Torres and Kuyt against Chelsea in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday.

Torres played just 15 minutes in Toulouse while Kuyt was rested completely. The two other players making European debuts for Liverpool, Benayoun and Babel, both acquitted themselves well in the searing afternoon heat.

REUTERS BJR VV1518