Liverpool 0 Stoke 0

Joe Cole’s post match interview reaffirmed the believe that Liverpool’s lack of potency in front of goal is not just costing the team points, but knocking confidence, he said speaking to www.Liverpoolfc.com  “There was a bit of frustration in the dressing room after the game.

'The only criticism of us that I would have was that we didn't stick the ball in the back of the net. We just lacked that final bit. We have two weeks now to work on it and we're looking forward.'

Liverpool started with an unchanged line-up from the team that beat Norwich 5-1 away.  Which again meant starts for youngsters Suso and Sterling and the Real Madrid loanee Sahin.

Stoke with former Liverpool players Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam in their starting line-up starting well controlling the opening exchanges with bright interchanges and link-up play which the Liverpool midfield finding difficult to get to grips with.

It wasn’t until Gerrard unleashed a 30 yard drive which Begovic palmed away and Agger almost toe-ended in a Suso chipped pass that the shackles were finally broken.  But, the lack of real penetration was evident as from close range we rarely threatened the Stoke goal.


Early in the second-half Glen Johnson’s speculative shot was well saved low down.  The England defender was proving to be, after Suarez, Liverpool’s most potent attacking weapon.  His forward run cutting in from the left was sensationally picked out by Steven Gerrard, but he failed to show the required composure, blazing over from 10 yards


Suarez has has been in fantastic form recently was again Liverpool’s fluorescent light ghosting past 4 Stoke defenders from the half way line but blazing past the upright when a more measured finish was the desired option.  Liverpool were now raising the tempo and Agger showing why Liverpool have just tied him down to a long term contract drove from his own-half into the penalty before crossing for the onrushing Sterling to strike the outside of the near post.

The post was struck again late on with Skrtel poking the ball against the post and Suarez just failing to get to the rebound.

Liverpool’s concentration was found wanting early in the match with Sahin giving the ball away to Adam, fortunately Pepe Reina as his has on so many occasions over the years proving masterly in one on one situations.  Conversely, the Liverpool stopper gave the ball away with a pass out to Knightly, whose delicate chip he saved scrambling back, tipping the ball over the bar.

Much will be said about Luis Suarez theatrical dive in the box which was all being told rather unsavoury, but what should not be overlooked is Stoke’s rough house tactics targeting in particular Suso and Sterling.  It was pleasing to see both youngsters show game mentality not to be knocked out of their stride and be a part of some of the more positive moments of the game.  Suarez was also savagely treated, especially by Robert Huth and it was no coincidence that Stoke picked up six yellow cards to Liverpool’s none.

As has been said in many quarters, the lack of a quality finisher is hindering Liverpool progression even with stellar performers as Suarez and Gerrard in the side.  Rodgers may reach the point where he has to trust Borini to come good or put in a young striker like Adam Morgan because we cannot go on dominating possession with a lack of reward (interestingly Stoke had 52 per cent of possession).

There are positives going forward as we kept control of the inform Peter Crouch and managed a clean sheet as Cole highlighted. “There's a lot to work on but we have got to take the positives out of it. We didn't get beat and we kept a clean sheet, which was important as we haven't kept one for a long time. Now we just need to kick on.”

Man of The Match: Luis Suarez – Once again, head and shoulders above anything else on the pitch, being Liverpool’s focal point in attack and his ability to conjure something out of nothing is staggering.  But once again, like his colleagues, he was guilty of some poor finishing and taking the wrong options in crucial areas.

Comment:  Possession is nine tenths of the law, but Liverpool have to be in a position to convert the chances they are creating and to do that they must have the tools to do so upfront.  The question is can we wait until January when the damage to the season may already have been done or does Rodgers dip into the reserves yet again or trust Borini to be that man and at £11 million one would hope he graduates to the lethal striker status sooner rather than later.