Suarez To The Rescue After Reina Blunder Almost Costs Us Dearly

By David Douglas (dedlfc)

With speculation rife before the game that we had finally let Andy Carroll go on a season long loan to West Ham, we went into the second leg vs Hearts on the back of a very encouraging home draw against League champions Man City.

We named a very strong side bearing in mind we also had one eye on the vital league game at the weekend vs Arsenal with our manager again giving a full debut this time to young striker Adam Morgan and also interestingly deploying Stewart Downing at left back.

The vibrant energy of Morgan enabled an early half chance where the ever impressiveShelvey released our new left back Downing who sent in a cross which Morgan was sadly unable to control.

Throughout most of the first half we again controlled the play with Joe Allen again the outstanding midfielder providing the defensive midfield cover, in the absence of Lucas and is his wont producing an extensive array of passing.

Morgan scored with a disallowed first half strike, with a predators instinct, being called offside after the ball went out for a goal kick.

With the game approaching half-time we deserved to have the lead but were again wasteful with the few chances we had managed to muster- we seemed to be over complicating things with some of our play.

Very early in the second half Shelvey had a long range effort go just over the bar. The loudest cheer of the night was reserved for the substitution of our young striker Adam Morgan for the young starlet Sterling who shone so brightly over the weekend.

Then two moments that define, up until now, the footballing career of Luis Suarez at Liverpool, he had two chances in the space of two minutes.

The first when Henderson played the perfect through ball to Suarez who rounded the keeper forcing him wide, but then inexplicably hits the outside of the post after delaying his shot too long, within one minute Suarez has another chance which this time he pulls the trigger with but again fluffs his shot wide.

With the game heading to a close with us still winning 1-0 on aggregate it looked like the game would quietly pass by as a draw but with the ever tenacious Templeton of Hearts a constant threat, there was always hope that they would be able to create something.

Templeton tried a long range average effort which 99 times out of 100 our keeper Reina would stop with his eyes closed but this was that rare occasion where it went straight through his hands and over the line. Worryingly, Reina over the last couple of decisions Reina has developed a propensity for similar mistakes (against Arsenal and Fulham last season), whether it’s concentration or technique let’s hope he can eradicate from his general play.

What we really needed was a quick response to going behind and we got this when Boriniplayed through Suarez and he this time finished with aplomb on the left to save us from the embarrassment of being taken to extra time. This time unlike the two opportunities earlier he put the chance away well to again demonstrating how frustrating it is to see him and sure for the player himself, judging by his recent comments, squandering relatively easy chances .for a player of his class and dispatching the difficult ones.

With the supporters going delirious we have now booked ourselves into the group stages of the UEFA Euro League.

Other news permeating through during the game, was the signing of young 18 year old striker Yesil from Bayer Leverskusen which I suspect is one for the future more than now. We need to find a new striker or two and if we do not we will again be stitched up and feel like we have not learned from our previous famine in front of goal.

Man of the match: Stewart Downing - hasn't been in the left back role on a regular basis but grasped the concept and produced several attacking supporting runs.

His delivered a couple of telling crosses on overlapping runs which in the absence of Andy Carroll had no takers.  Proof positive how important it is that Henry, Rodgers and co work the oracle in the transfer market on the last day the window.

Allen The Pass Master Helps Aid Liverpool Recovery

The cauldron that is Anfield has over the last decade lent it itself to bolstering our displays against the top teams.  The positivity drawn from the game was that Liverpool didn't start like a house on fire, like a team raising its game from the getgo, but gradually after the initial quarter hour we imposed our passing game on Man City.

The key moment in the game as far as we were concerned may seem like an anomaly, as Lucas has been the fulcrum over the last couple of seasons went off with a thigh injury, but it allowed Joe Allen to move from a advanced position back into a pivotal deep lying position and as such knitting the defence to the attacking forces of the team with his precise passing.  Jonjo Shelvey also added thrust to the midfield with his running power and neatness on the ball. He is blossoming under the guidance of Rodgers coaching methods.

The midfield three of Gerrard, Shelvey and Allen bgean dominating, allowing Raheem Sterling, starting his first Premiership game to see plenty of the ball and the young man showing maturity beyond his years, playing with head and showing awareness of his colleagues, gave Kolo Toure a vastly experience defender a torrid time throughout the afternoon.  Gerrard’s early laser-guided cross field ball to Sterling was a sign of things to come and with Suarez looking sprightly Liverpool’s intent was there for all to see.

Just after the quarter hour, Streling fasten on to a short pass and cutting back on to his right foot delivered a most inviting cross to the near post which Borini met with a side foot and should have put the home side one up.  Almost immediately, Tevez sprung the offside trap and gliding past Reina clipped the ball across the goal from the most acute angle against the far post.

Liverpool adopting Rodgers philosophy to the eight degree stepped up the pressure, by hunting in packs high up the pitch to pressurise City and with midfield coming to the fore led by Allen acting as the conductor supreme, intercepting, prompting and probing giving his colleagues the time and space to operate in.  Gerrard as he has so often delivered a peach of a cross from the right channel which Kompany sliding in, could do no more than slice over his own goal.  Yet another glorious delivery from the resultant corner by the captain led to the opening goal, where Skrtel beating his marker all ends up delivered a typically robust header which tore into the red Anfield net to give Liverpool a deserved the lead.

Footballing guidance from the Governor

Liverpool came close to going adding to their lead when Suarez read a superb Allen reverse ball and curled the ball just past the upright.

The continued pressing in the second-half allowed Borini to intercept a loose pass early in the second-half and driving forward played an inviting pass through to Suarez on the run only for the forward to fluff his lines in the clinical zone.  Liverpool’s domination forced Mancini to bolster his midfield bringing on Rodwell and Dzeko for Balotelli and Nasri, which allowed Yaya Toure to move closer to the City engine room and get Tevez on the ball.  Immediately, Tevez drifted to the right channel and clipped over a across which the flailing Reina missed, and Kolo Toure tapped home after picking up the rebound off the unsuspecting Kelly.

Liverpool showed tremendous resilience and conviction to keep pressing forward and were rewarded when a Gerrard drive was handballed just outside the area by Rodwell.  With Gerrard and Suarez standing behind the ball, the betting considering Suarez previous efforts were on the club captain, but for once the Uruguyuan delivered a stunning free-kick from 25 yards bent round the wall and in the bottom corner of the net.  The stadium took off Star Trek Enterprise style while the scorer and his cohorts headed for the corner.

City responded bringing on David Silva for the ineffective Milner.  We continued to look comfortable until the impressive Skrtel, who had had erstwhile been a defensive rock, inexplicably turned blind playing ball back to the roving Tevez who rounded Reina to score his 100th top class goal in English football.

Andy Carroll, coming on for Borini,almost put Liverpool back ahead with a looped header which was cleared off off the line.  It was the last chance of match where a win was there for the taking, but in retrospect has shown the Liverpool faithful the potential is there even if there is a long way to go.
Allen showed that he could become the pass master than Liverpool have craved since Xabi Alonso’s exit and while Raheem Sterling is still a work in progress, he has shown just what pace, skill and conviction can do.  In one game he reached a level where Stewart Downing must look at himself and do some soul searching.

Rodgers said about Allen,  "I think the Liverpool supporters will enjoy watching this kid play football," Rodgers added. "He is 5ft 6ins but in terms of being a footballer he is 7ft 6ins.
"He's absolutely immense. His courage in getting on the ball, how he reads the game and his football intelligence is outstanding.  "We paid £15m for him and I said that very quickly that price would double and people probably laughed at me. "He will play here for many years and the supporters will love this kid." What should not be overlooked is Coates contribution, he looked composed on the ball and his distribution showed within a footballing environment he could develop into a very good footballing defender.

Rodgers comments suggest that reputations cut short shrift with him and players like Downing and Adam’s know that attitude and producing on the pitch is all the matters.  Rodgers comments about Sterling hints at this.

"I said when I first came in I wouldn't pick players on status or what they've done but on what I saw in front of me," Rodgers said. "He is a young player who has improved every single day I have been here.  "He was fighting for the team, showed real tactical understanding playing against a really experienced player in Kolo Toure." 

This was a promising performance from a Liverpool side who at times outplayed the Champions.  As good a performance as this was, the next three league games against Arsenal (home), Sunderland (away) and Manchester United (home) will give us a feel as to whether we are going in the right direction.
 
Man of The Match: Raheem Sterling – In only his first Premiership start, he showed a level of composure beyond his years which allied with his pace and skill made him a threat at every turn.  He showed awareness is a key part of game and gave Liverpool a thrust from wide which they haven’t had for good while.  His manager said, "For a 17-year-old lad coming in to play against the champions, I thought his performance was fantastic. “It was an easy decision to pick him.”
 
He still has some way to go, but is another that hopefully the Rodgers school of footballing science will aid in his development.

In any other game Joe Allen would have been the Man of The Match.  He controlled the tempo of the game and filled in for Lucas adding an extra dimension to the position in such a way that Rodgers may have further food for thought regarding the position in the future.

Euro League:Webster own goal breaks Hearts!

by David Douglas (dedlfc)

With the news of Carroll not playing this evening and Sterling being a starter for the first team in our colours, the main thoughts pre-game were of how exciting it was to see Sterling starting in the first team and to also see if we could bounce back from the bad league defeat away to WBA.

We demonstrated that we were up for the fight against our Scottish rivals by maintaining our 4-3-3 formation but this time resting Lucas, Allen and Gerrard and bringing in the work-horse Spearing and giving the in-form Shelvey a run out and also despite the speculation playing Charlie Adam as the central focal point of our three midfielders.

The first half was quite even with Hearts holding their own for most of it, long range efforts by Charlie Adam and the effervescent winger Sterling being the main highlights until a mistake by Hearts stylish midfielder Taouil who attempted a cross ball which was brilliantly anticipated by the pace of Sterling, with Sterling now through on goal he had the maturity and unselfishness to play a perfect sideways pass to Borini who fluffed the chance by hitting another post by the team.

To not take your chances is not something that Rodgers can improve on - this will take time and extreme hard work from the team to start making our own luck.

The second half was in a similar vein until we decided to take off the ineffective Spearing for the classy Joe Allen, this substitution now gave us the control of the game which culminated into a cross down the right which Borini attempted to slot away but Hearts defender Andy Webster got the only touch which went past Hearts keeper and treacled over the goal line.

Hearts brought about an excellent save from Reina very late into the game and we had won.

Conclusions from this match:-

• Borini is again not fit
• Allen is total quality and controls how the team plays whenever he is on the pitch

Man of the match: Raheem Sterling - made the wrong pass at times but overall was a fantastic outlet to give the ball to. Excellent prospect!

Old Failings Cost Liverpool Dear

The chants of Dalglsh, Dalglish boomed around the stadium midway  through the second half.  Only this time it was the mocking tones of the Baggies fans after they had gone 2-0 up.  Followed by chants of “You used to be famous and then the sounds of Easy, Easy!”
#
A painful reminder if one was needed that we have many rivers to cross before we reach the banks of redemption in the eyes of our faithful followers.  Joe Allen looks what he is a protector of the ball, who by his very nature graduated at Brendan Rodgers school of football in Swansea.

Liverpool’s profligacy in front of goal was to cost us, as with last season Luis Suarez was the main culprit.  First, he forced a save out of Foster after a fine move then after some excellent work by Glen Johnson who found the Uruguayan with a pinpoint cross, he headed wide with the goal beckoning.
Johnson himself was also found wanting, when blasting high wide and handsome.  That was all the invitation required for West Broom to come to the party. Skytel's headed clearance from Morrison’s was dispatched  in stunning fashion by Gera from 20 yards leaving Peep Reina floundering.  Agger's sending of seemed particularly harsh, adjudged to have brought down Long, which resulted in the irate Liverpool centre-half being shown a straight red.  He will miss Man City, Arsenal and Sunderland and with this is mind the prospect of a bid from Manchester City can not be far from the service.

Long’s penalty was expertly saved by Reina, but Liverpool’s rest bite would only last moments as Skytel was caught languishing on the ball and Long nipping in was again upended.  His was usurped in the penalty taking duties by Odemwingie who emphatically drove ball in from the spot.  Jamie Carragher the replacement for Agger, struggled for the rest of the afternoon with the pace of the West Brom frontline and one can only hope that he is finds form from yesteryear against Man City next weekend.

It was inevitable that the Baggies would score again and when he came it was embarrassingly easy with Lukaku dispatching an easy header from the post.  In saying that, Luis Suarez again missed two glaring chances from 6 yards out, the first after a goalkeeping spill could’ve put us back in the game at 2-1 and if Liverpool are to put  pressure on Spurs, Newcastle and Arsenal then he  must be more clinical in front of goal and Borini must hot the goal running.

Man of the Match: Luis Suarez because of his sharpness and passion.  Stewart Downing’s contribution was once again disappointing and his delivery from the first right flank was disappointing.  First game of the season or not he really is struggling with the levels of expectation and with Liverpool’s recent purchase of Oussama Assaidi and Raheem Sterling champing at the bit.

Charlie Adam A Player At The Crossroads

There is no doubting the skill of Charlie Adams  and his ability to be a match winner.  He a rare breed of footballer in the British game, one that can land a 60 yard pass into the stride of winger or striker running at full pelt and of the reverse ball he has no equal in the British game.

So why then should this undoubted talent struggle to get into Brendan Rodgers Liverpool team?  The 4-3-3 formation relies on the essentials of running power and movement and heart to keep pressuring the opposition to regain the ball.  The set up allows only one player Suarez to not have to much of a defensive attitude.  Pace has never been the part of the Adam’s game.  It’s arguable whether as good a dead ball specialist as he is whether his delivery’s trumps that of the Liverpool captain, who on at the European Championships showed just how special he can be whether on the run or from a dead ball.

Charlie Adam’s is to good to be an impact or bit part player in any team and with the arrival of Joe Allen for £15 million, only two vacancies in the Liverpool midfield remain and one of those is automatically filled by the club captain and the other by Lucas Leiva.  The great strides made by Jonjo Shelvey whom by all accounts has greatly impressed the manager suggest that barring injury playing time might be of a premium for this talented player especially as Rodgers is a self-confessed fan of Joe and seems determined to bring him back into the fold.

Could his Liverpool career being coming to its conclusion?

Rumours suggest Adam could be used as a makeweight in a deal for Fulham’s Clint Dempsey.  With Danny Murphy having left the club Adam could be just the player to fill the void left by the former Liverpool favourite. Murphy played a pivotal role for Fulham over the last few seasons where others providing the legs in the engine room he was more the quarter-back figure masterminding, scheming and probing which is not unlike the role Adam’s played for Blackburn.

Liverpool ended last season with the dependable Jay Spearing as the midfielder enforcer and go into the new season with two additional midfielders which increases the competition for places with Gerrard, Allen, Lucas, Spearing, Shelvey, Spearing, Adam, Suso and even Joe Cole who probably sees can fill a central birth at a pinch vying for three places.  And with the possible additions of Sahin and Tello a few more maybe looking over their shoulders as squeeze becomes tighter.

Charlie Adam is not a quitter and one feels he will have to dragged out of Liverpool feet first rather than go quietly to a club where medals will not be the going concern.  But at an age where a footballer is considered to be moving into their peak, Adam as a Scotland international will not want too much bench time.

On a separate note, Daniel Agger’s recent pronouncement that he is happy to stay Anfield, hints at the board looking to raise monies for transfers, which is certainly not what Liverpool fans looking for stability want to hear.

Agger said: "I haven't heard anything. That is how the club wants to do it. I would prefer to stay but that decision is not up to me at the moment.  "I can't imagine playing for other clubs in England. But, you never know if the club prefers to sell me. “Liverpool can do a deal even though I have two years on my contract. But I haven’t changed my mind on the subject. Sometimes you can end up in a position where it’s not your decision. “I don’t want to be somewhere I am not wanted but I would prefer if they want me to stay. That is my priority. I am fine with my situation.” 

Agger is not just a firm favourite with the fans, but last season they finally saw a footballer who could be ready to fulfil his world class talent and move up an echelon to that of a world class footballer. 

What separates Daniel Agger from most centre-half’s is his ability as a footballer and it’s the reason why he has been linked to the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool should fight tooth and nail to hang on to a player who could help make fans believers of the Rodgers football philosophy. 

The news that Liverpool are awaiting Martin Skrtel’s decision on the offer of a four year contract means the next week or so will be crucial in the development of Brendan Rodgers plans both in the short and long term. 

Friendly: Liverpool 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1

It was always going to be a celebration with the ‘return home’ of one of Liverpool Football Club’s favourites sons Sami Hyypia (464 games for LFC).  The resounding choruses of O’ Sami Hyypia sung before, during and after the game showed just how much feeling there is for this man mountain there is and how in awe the beloved faithful are of this true Anfield great.

His partner for most of the decade Carragher started the game alongside the Uruguayan Coates with speculation still in the air that Daniel Agger’s mooted move to Man City may still be alive.  On the same theme, speculation about Charlie Adam moving on was also doing the rounds in the morning papers and will probably grow legs given his failure to start this game after Joe Allen’s protracted transfer has finally been given the green light and Shelvey’s stunning pre-season form.

With Rodgers striving to implement his methods though his 4-3-3 formation it was interesting to note that the exciting Sterling started in tandem with Downing either side of the ubiquitous Suarez with Gerrard, Shelvey and Lucas in  midfield with Enrique and Kelly in the full-back positions.  Joe Allen was absent due to Swansea’s refusal to provide clearance.

The early skirmishes saw the players trying to adapt to the new/old Liverpool philosophy, keeping the ball on the ground and moving the ball around with a quick tempo.  In the second minute came a moment of beauty with Enrique playing a ball inside the right-back and Sterling nippily breaking in behind the full back  showing good body strength, before cutting in past the defender in and curling an imperious shot inside the far post.  He celebration was joyous as was the execution impudent and confident.

As with any team employing this system, Liverpool work extremely hard to win the ball back and the return of Lucas Leiva is intrinsic to maintaining the level of pressurising required and the younger legs of Jonjo Shelvey who has been extremely impressive during pre-season is equally as important – these two give Gerrard licence to roam and act and link-up with the front three and in the long run my just hold off old father time for a little while yet.

Leverkusen showed enough in the opening twenty minutes with their movement and quick interchange to make sure Liverpool’s concentration levels remain focussed.

With almost half gone, Liverpool broke quickly turning defence into attack from a great first time passing move between Shelvey, Suarez and Downing, with the last named putting Suarez through before he was crudely brought down by the covering Daniel Schwaab.  The resultant free-kick was ingenuity itself with Downing shaping as if to drive in a shot, sneaking a pass through to Suarez level with the penalty area spot, who miscontrolled, but unfortunately for Sami and Leverkussen the ball was defensively fly-hacked into the path of Lucas who gratefully rolled the ball into the empty net.
 


Downing: Liverpool career reaching crising point

Although the game lacked intensity, there was some quality moments with the Leverkusen front line combining superbly just before the break, with the before failing to show the required composure not for the first time.  In the same vain some of Liverpool’s pass and move was a delight and hopefully a sign of things to come.

The interim saw the introduction of Andy Carroll, Jay Spearing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Jack Robinson for Gerrard, Enrique, Lucas, Downing and Suarez. Leverkusen made four changes as expected.  Interestingly, Liverpool kept the same formation with Andy Carroll leading the line.  The big man in the first five minutes showed twice in quick succession his value in defensive areas, heading out twice from set pieces.

Liverpool continued to play in the same vain with Carroll dropping deep to pick up a Carragher pass and play a delicious ball inside the right full-back for Sterling to speed past his man and cut the ball for Adam, whose short curled pass was just out of the reach of the marauding Henderson.  Sterling tracking back down the right won the ball back and before passing inside to Adam driving forward, who surprisingly refrained from shooting with his weaker right foot, passed out wide to Shelvey, whose floated cross was headed just wide of the near post by Carroll.  The big man was not to be denied.  Turning expertly onto a Adam flick, his drive squirmed under the Leverkusen goalkeeper, Leno.

Sidney Sam brilliantly rode Carragher’s tackle unleashing a spectacular shot into the corner of Reina’s net with 15 minutes to go.  It was nothing more than Levrkusen deserved for some excellent play in the final third.  Jamie Carragher with 4 goals from 701 first team starts, unleashed a ferocious drive from 25 yards just over the bar obviously having read the Steven Gerrard text book on shooting.

In a second-half where Liverpool eased off the pedal after their goal, the home side could be pleased in still trying to play with the same style, although with less intensity which allowed Leverkusen to apply more pressure to the back line.  Sterling showed with his goal and in flashes, although fleetingly as Liverpool failed to provide enough ball, that Liverpool have increasingly missed that type of player the last decade.

It will be interesting if Rodgers can set the team up to play with Carroll offering a different option, as it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he is developing as a football who’s becoming more confident with his own play on the floor and should he stay, surely that can only be good for the flexibility and potency of the team going forward.

Man of the Man:  Sami Hyypia – Always a class act and will never walk alone.  Hyypia coming home makes one reflect on just how important it is to keep Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger.

Suarez touch of gold sprinkles magic over Gormel

With Luis Suarez signing a new extension to his contract to give his thumbs up to the Rodgers philosophy and the sight of the imminent signing of midfielder Joe Allen watching from the stands, we went into the second Leg of the Euro league clash vs Gormel high in expectation of a confidence boosting win in Brendan Rodgers first home game as LFC manager.

Our aim at home this season is returning Anfield to fortress Liverpool where we can dominate teams and win comfortably. We started off on the right road with early chances to our captain Gerrard being saved well and Borini starting brightly but trying a little too hard to impress from a lay-off from Gerrard.

The selection of the silky skilled Suarez linking wonderfully with an advanced Gerrard and Borini started to influence the game with two good efforts in quick succession which the Gormel keeper handled very well.

The impressive start finally culminated in a goal after 22 mins with the impressiveSuarez showing his nimble footwork to full effect by gliding past the Gormel defender to the by-line before sending over a cross which was deflected back to thewaiting Borini, who duly volleyed home with aplomb to get a goal on his home debut joining an illustrious list of former LFC strikers to achieve the feat.

The opening goal gave the players and the crowd the expected lift and we continued to demonstrate our superiority with only the occasional threat to the returning Reina's goal.

With the heighten speculation on the future of both our centre backs, it was pleasing to see Skrtel and Agger back together in tandem.

As the first half drew to a close Liverpool took a 2-0 lead with the chief instigator of chances Suarez again wriggling through, committing the keeper and then laying the ball across for our captain Gerrard to tap home from about six yards.

With a 2-0 half time lead Rodgers would have been no doubt been pleased with the way Shelvey and the returning Lucas (playing his first home game since being injured last year) had control of the midfield.  There seemed to be a sense of purpose throughout  with the whole team tracking back and winning possession as quickly as possible.  Is that the Barcelona/Spanish work ethic Rodgers so admires kicking in?

The second half should have brought a goal for the imperious Suarez but he was again thwarted by a wonderful fingertip save by the Gormel keeper. The third goal finally came but not from Suarez but from our attacking right wing-back Glen Johnson with a stunning left footed volley from outside the area.

The 3-0 score line did not flatter our boys who had worked effectively both defensively and in attack and the biggest roar of the night was reserved for Carragher who came on as sub for Skrtel for his 701st LFC appearance just after 75 mins, he may not have the physicality to handle the rigours of a full match anymore but he still has the uncanny knack of being in the right place to anticipate danger and moreimportantly he has an invaluable place in the hearts of every LFC fan.

Suarez and Gerrard continued to cause havoc to the Gormel defence but were not able to get that richly deserved 4th goal for their hard work and intelligent inter-play.

Lucas Leiva also got his well deserved standing ovation when he was substituted for Spearing just before the final whistle after his excellent return to the side. His calming influence on the side has been greatly missed with Jay Spearing a willing tireless and wholehearted team member, not able to exert the same cajoling inspiration the Brazilian has become so adept at consistently producing.

At the final whistle with the score at 3-0 what did we find out?

• Fitness levels of the whole squad had stepped up a level even from a week ago.

• Suarez, Gerrard and Borini working together in tandem is going to be a joy to watch this season.

• Our defence is solid if we can keep Agger and Skrtel with Reina behind them.

• We need a solid back up defensive midfielder for Lucas as Spearing is not the answer.

• Shelvey is a very good back up option for Joe Allen.

• If Carroll stays we need to utilise him better for the best of our club.

Man of the match: The brilliant world class Suarez, need to keep him fit and he will again cause havoc to all the defences he faces.

Luis Suarez Signs A New Contract Extension

The news that Luis Suarez has signed a new extension to his current contract. has given the club the shot in the arm it required. With Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel both seemingly non-committal the board now has the impetus it needs to forge ahead with potential signings and placate those wavering on signing new contracts.

We all know that players can change tact on a whim and a prayer and while Suarez could in future change his mind in looking for glory, one always felt because of previous sentiment regarding the club initially coming in for him and his families happiness in the city his affection wasn’t a sham.  His comments today to Liverpoolfc.com bourn that out:

"To sign a new contract with Liverpool is unbelievable for me because I am so happy here at both the club and also in the city."  "That is important for me and I am very happy with my new contract. "When you are a kid, everybody wants to play for Liverpool. I am here now and it is a dream for me, and now I am a Liverpool fan.  "I am happy off the pitch because the people of Liverpool are good with me and my family. "I try my best on the pitch and when you are happy off the pitch, you are happy on the pitch. "I want to say thank you to the fans because they are our 12th player. The supporters of Liverpool are unbelievable.  "Five or six years ago I watched on TV the stadium and the club, and now I play here and the supporters have helped me. That's very important for me."  Liverpool need a steely resolve to withstand the likes of Juventus and resigning of this enigmatic talent shows a statement of intent.  The fact that the board have placed a £22 million price tag on the head of Daniel Agger shows on one front that any team wanting the Danish captain will have to pay top dollar/  Man City’s recent back down from Van Persie transfer shows an unwillingness to be taken for granted in the transfer market and  continuing to pay the highest wages to players in the later half of their twenties. 

The problem is that like top class finishers, top class ball playing centre-half’s are a rare breed and with Agger and Skrtel as a pairing Liverpool have arguably the best and most consistent pairing since Hansen and Lawrenson.  With these two in tandem and Gerrard’s return to form, the inclusion of a few top class signings and keeping Carroll to add an extra dimension should the need arise,  Liverpool could be on the cusp of a change in fortunes without raising expectations of a top tthree place.

Rodgers system based on a vey fluid 4-3-3 and will look to instil pace and movement something which has been missing from the locker on a consistent basis over the years.  Intriguingly, it will be interesting it to see how Rodgers uses two undoubted ball playing talents in his squad.
 
Joe Cole, at his best is still a magnificent talent and many see that talent as unfulfilled at the highest level.  The player seems to hint at his best position being in the centre of midfield position where Liverpool have a number of candidates and thus it seems a more likely any position would be out wide where the ex-Chelsea made his name under Mourinho.  Cole over the last few years has lost a yard and his ability to go past his man makes a wide position questionable and it may well be that he could be used more as an impact player.

Charlie Adam is another possessing the technical ability which Rodgers craves and his long range passing is second to none.  But, the possible purchase of Joe Allen, to my mind is a direct threat on his immediate future or at least his starting place.  Having watched Allen representing Team Great Britain in the Olympics, one of his main attributes is to keep the game moving and his short passing is crisp allowing him with his busy movement to act as conductor of ceromonies, whereby Adam  in contrast needs others to create the space and time for him, but it depends on where and how Steven Gerrard is deployed for to how this will all take shape.

Also, with the flourishing talents of Sterling and Suso, Liverpool have in the ranks two young diamonds who could have an enormous impact on the season ahead.  Enough has been written about Sterling on this blog, hasten to say he offers pace, trickery and a directness and an excellent delivery from wide areas which presents Rodgers with additional weaponry looking ahead.  In reserve games he has often linked up well with the mercurial and sublime skills of Suso whose passing often seems laser guided and has in his artillery something which Adam doesn’t and Cole no longer possesses, that being an ability to go pass opponents from a standing start.  For a midfield player driving from the centre that’s an extremely useful talent to have especially when there is a clinical striker and wingers ahead of you to latch on to through balls on the run.

All in all,  Suarez signing has provided a late pre-season filip and partly answered dedlc’s recent blog in which he examined his flawed character as he prepares to go back into the cauldron of a new season.

Will The Real Luis Suarez Please Stand Up Next Season

By David Douglas dedlfc

The new season brings with it the annual expectation that we can capture our former glories and justify gambling on a new manager with new ideas and football philosophies. One of the most vital cogs to Brendan Rodgers pending success at Liverpool is how he handles the enigma called Luis Suarez.

On his good days he is undoubtedly one of the very best players in world football and first came to prominence in this country through his displays in the last world cup and to have his silky skills representing our club is at times a great pleasure.

On his bad days such as the embarrassing controversy over the Evra race row and the non handshake. Suarez can be hot headed and a liability to his team mates as his eight match ban testifies. It cast a huge shadow over this great club which arguable may have gone a long way to costing Kenny Dalglish his position at his club. The player recently reignited the controversy with inflammatory comments about Man United.

The treatment he has faced throughout the Olympics when his every touch was booed was to be expected especially when one of the group games was based in Manchester at Old Trafford, although one cannot countenance the booing of any countries national anthem.

What we now face is a player at the crossroads of his Anfield career, he is currently being treated similarly to Cristiano Ronaldo when he came back from the World Cup of 2006 after his spate with England's Wayne Rooney, the test will be can Suarez raise his game to emulate Ronaldo who in the following season 2006/2007 broke 20 goals barrier for the first time at United and in doing so earned the begrudging respect of fans around the country (even my fellow Reds!) Although, in saying that Ronaldo paid tribute to Wayne Rooney and his work as his wing-man throughout that season and Liverpool's transfer targets will need to be out of the top drawer to help him flower to the extent I've mentioned above.

The booing he receives next season could hinder our drive towards a Champions League place, should his concentration be swayed to have an adverse effect on his game and thus a detrimental effect on the club's fortunes. Like many world-class players Suarez has tremendous belief in his own abilities and Brendan Rodgers man-management skills will be tested even before the start of the season to have the enigmatic waspish Uruguayan finely tuned for the new season.

I strongly believe that Suarez will also like Ronaldo before him raise his game despite the situation he  has to overcome with the crowds across the country and have a fantastic season to show the strength of character that he has in abundance and drive us to a very respectable position in the league next season.

Start of A New Dawn - New Manager, New Philosophy

by David Douglas dedlfc

With the sad departure of our club icon Kenny Dalglish after his second tenure, our owners have chosen the untested Brendan Rodgers to take the club to the next level.

His first tour to North America consisted of three games vs Toronto which ended in a 1-1 draw with Adam Morgan getting his first goal at senior level, a loss to Roma 2-1 with Charlie Adam getting a consolation goal and the final game of the tour ended with a 0-0 draw with our potential rivals for a top four spot next season Spurs. 

In summary the tour for the merchandising and fan support side of the club was very successful and the fact that some of the younger members of our squad like Sterling, Suso and Morgan got a run out which will benefit the team long term.

The negative was the fact that we again had a lot of possession and chances but were unable to kill off teams - which was the story of last season.

We have said goodbye to two stalwarts of the squad, Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez both will be sadly missed but we wish them both well at their new clubs.

We are also pleased to add to our squad Fabio Borini, a striker that Brendan Rodgers has worked with previously at Chelsea at youth level and at Swansea, we hope he is a total revelation and provides Suarez and Carroll with the support and goals needed to end up as high as possible in the league.

Our first competitive game took place in the Euro League away to Gomel from Belarus with such an early start it was to have been expected that Brendan Rodgers (also in his first game as LFC manager)  would have rested some of the senior members of the squad to save them for the start of the new season in just over two weeks time.

But he chose several senior players to assist them with their fitness for the new season, such as Gerrard, Borini, Henderson, Skrtel, Johnson.

The other exciting thing about bringing in Rodgers is the fact that he bases his whole football philosophy on the world renowned tiki-taka (total football) 4-3-3 formation. This will take time to develop within the LFC squad but will be aided no doubt by the fact that Rodgers will be trying to bring to our club his able lieutenant Joe Allen from Swansea.

This Euro league also saw the return from a year long loan of Joe Cole desperate to prove he can be a success in our colours but his woeful luck in an LFC shirt continued in the early stages of the first half with a potential hamstring injury which resulted in the exciting talent Raheem Sterling getting to make his Euro debut for the club after only 24 minutes.

Gomel to their credit took the game to us for the majority of the game and were very unlucky not to be ahead of us by at least two goals at half time with Gerrard in particular struggling to adapt to the pace of the game after his successful Euro championships as England captain.

Jamie Carragher in his 700th appearance for us had to work harder than he had probably hoped to keep Gormel at bay, he was deservedly given the honour of captaining the side on the night and produced a solid performance.

With the side struggling to string a collection of passes together Rodgers made a tactical change just into the second half and brought on Martin Kelly for Glen Johnson to provide more attacking impetus and more solid defending.

The vital two moments of the game were first when our defensive midfield maestro Lucas Leiva finally made his competitive return from injury last year to provide the stability and control to the midfield which was clearly missing with Spearing and Henderson especially unable to cope with the fluidity of movement.

The second changed the whole game with again Sergei Kozeka smashing a shot against the post and Platonov amazingly rolling the rebound wide of an open goal. Within a minute Liverpool took the lead when Downing with limited options took a long gamble with his left foot from 25 yards. His shot flew past their keeper and gave us an undeserved but vital away win.

Brendan Rodgers will be pleased with the win but will look to the midfield to assert more control in the return leg next Thursday, it will also be interesting to see whether Sterling will get a run out as he again showed encouraging signs that he may now be ready to take the step up to first team football. 

Man of the match:Jamie Carragher who produced a captain's defensive performance leading the troops to victory in his 700th game.