Werner Hails Dalglish Impact

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has backed Reds boss Kenny Dalglish to lead the club back to glory.

Dalglish has helped revitalize the club since replacing Roy Hodgson at Anfield last January and he was rewarded for his progress with a three-year deal in May.

Werner is happy with the job Dalglish is doing at Anfield and he is convinced he is the right man to bring silverware back to the club.

"We are enormously pleased that he is our coach, he provides great leadership on the pitch," Werner told Sky Sports News.

"I've been with him when he's talking to employees and when he's talking to supporter groups, and when he talks about Liverpool, this is a man who understands the club's history and our relentlessness when we were winning and hopefully he will bring trophies."

Werner also cooled talk that the club was exploring the option of ground sharing with neighbours Everton with both clubs considering moves away from Anfield and Goodison Park.

"There's the possibility of building a new stadium at Stanley Park; the one thing I will say is that there have been rumours that we're interested in the possibility of a share with Everton," added Werner.

"I won't ever say it completely [ruled out], but our fans don't want it so I think it's a non-starter."

Spending Complete, Says Reds Chief

Liverpool's director of football Damien Comolli believes the current squad is so "complete" there are not currently areas under review for improvement.

In a summer of change at Anfield manager Kenny Dalglish brought in seven new players and offloaded most of the deadwood which had accumulated over the last couple of years.

Owners Fenway Sports Group' net spend in the two transfer windows since assuming control last October is around £45million.

It was felt such expenditure was required in order to give the club the best possible chance of quickly turning around their dip in fortunes after seventh and sixth-place league finishes and regaining Champions League status.

Certainly the recruitment of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January and Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson, Sebastian Coates, Craig Bellamy and Doni over the summer has made the Reds stronger in all areas.

And Comolli said now was the time to assess the new signings and see how the squad operates as a whole.

"We want to see how we're going to do," said the Frenchman. "We are very pleased with what we've done during this window and the previous one as well. For me it's like a big window from January until August 31 and in total we brought in nine players, we changed the team and changed the squad, so it's the time to reflect. "

To be honest I would really struggle to say we need something there or something there because I think we have such a complete squad at the moment.

Let's see how those players develop, how they gel together, how the young players like Sebastian Coates adapts, and then we can make a decision (on areas to strengthen) later."

Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea In Transfer Battle For Serie A Forward

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are on high alert after hearing Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic has delayed signing a new contract with the club.

The Montenegrin forward was the subject of a bid from Arsenal in the summer transfer window that was eventually rejected, and now it appears that he is considering his future.

“It’s not only Chelsea who want Jovetic, but Arsenal also,” former Fiorentina defender Roberto Galbiati told Italian television station Italia 7.

“Arsenal, on the last day of the summer transfer market, submitted a bid to Fiorentina but the club refused.”

Liverpool have watched Jovetic since he scored both goals against them in a UEFA Champions League match in 2009, and are thought to be considering their options for January.

The 21 year-old missed the whole of last season with a cruciate knee ligament injury, but is looking to get his career back on track.

Now Jovetic’s agent Fali Ramadani has revealed that with Fiorentina not in Europe this season, he is in no hurry to sign a new deal.

“He still has two years left to run on his present agreement,” Fali Ramadani told Calciomercato.it.

“I have no meetings set up with the club about this matter.”

The versatile forward – who is capable of playing up front, on the wing or in attacking midfield – is most often compared to Roberto Baggio, and would be an asset to any Premier League club.

Liverpool Striker Is Fed-Up With Lack Of Silverware At Anfield

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is growing frustrated with the lack of silverware he is picking up at the Anfield club, according to reports in the Daily Star.

Kuyt joined Liverpool in 2006 from Dutch giants Feynoord and since his time at Anfield has been a runner-up in both the Champions League and the Premier League.

However the 31-year-old is feeling left behind with Dutch international team-mates, AC Milan's Mark van Bommel and Inter's Wesley Sneijder winning numerous amounts of trophies.

Speaking about his lack of winners medals since arriving at Liverpool, Kuyt said: "They have enormous honours' lists while I am the champion of winning nothing when it comes to trophies."

Pulis In Penalty Admission

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has admitted Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty in their win over the Reds.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish was left fuming with a number of decisions that went against his side at the Britannia Stadium and is considering making a formal complaint to manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board Mike Riley about the standard of refereeing.

The Reds had two claims for penalties for handball against Rory Delap and Matthew Upson turned down by referee Mark Clattenburg, while Dalglish felt the penalty awarded to Stoke was dubious.

After reviewing some of the incidents, Pulis has conceded Delap's handball in the first half was a definite penalty for the visitors.

"I think Rory's was a definite penalty looking at it," Pulis told Sky Sports News. "On the day from where I was I thought it wasn't, but Rory's was a definite penalty.

"Matthew Upson's comes off his thigh onto his hand and I don't think it is a penalty.

"I can see why he's given the penalty against Jamie [Carragher]. Jon's actually got the wrong side of him defensively and Jamie has pulled him back and whether he pulls him back or doesn't pull him back he is trying to get round him and has his arm around his waist so I can see why the penalty was given.

"Kenny's got to do what he has got to do and I am not going to tell Kenny what to do or I am not going to tell Liverpool Football Clubwhat to do, they have to do what they have to do.

"I spoke to Mike Riley last year on a couple of occasions and Mike was first class.

"We have a procedure to go through and I am sure Kenny will go through the same procedure."

Daniel Agger Feels Confident

Daniel Agger believes his commanding start to 2011-12 is a result of getting a full pre-season schedule under his belt - though he's convinced he has yet to hit peak form.

The Dane has started all four of Liverpool's Barclays Premier League matches so far this campaign having worked tirelessly over the summer to regain full fitness following a knee injury that ruled him out of the tail end of last term.

So imperious has been Agger, compatriot and Anfield legend Jan Molby last week hailed the No.5 as being in the 'form of his life'.

The man himself, however, feels there is more to come.

Agger told Liverpoolfc.tv: "The fact I got the full pre-season has helped me a lot. I feel a lot stronger, a lot better, but I still have more to come, hopefully.

"I feel I can give some more, have more to offer, so hopefully I can carry on playing games and that will help me.

"Fitness-wise I am happy right now, but as the season carries on you get more games under your belt and you get stronger, quicker and better."

On Molby's glowing praise, the centre-back added: "It's difficult to compare to other years or games. It's so difficult for me to say something like that.

"But I feel really good now, I feel comfortable but as I said, I feel I have more to give and so that's what I'm working at."

Despite having starting each of Liverpool's league matches this season, Agger knows he faces stern competition for his place in Kenny Dalglish's line up, particularly after Sebastian Coates was drafted in to bolster the defensive ranks on the eve of the transfer deadline.

However, the 26-year-old welcomes the increased challenge for a first-team berth and believes it can only be of benefit to the Reds in their quest for honours.

"I haven't seen too much of him yet, but he's a big, strong guy and I hope he will be well suited to the Premier League," said Agger.

"I have been here almost six years now and every year there are new players coming in and players going.

"It is normal for a big club like Liverpool to bring in players to add to the competition. Everything changes every year, so it's good to have healthy competition as we have now. It's good for the club and the players."

Meanwhile, Agger acknowledged his disappointment at Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Stoke City - but stressed the importance of the squad putting the result behind them as they begin to gear up for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

He said: "It was disappointing, of course, because we wanted to get more out of it, but it was just one of those days and we just have to carry on, work hard and aim for the next game.

"But no matter how you've played, you're always down if you lose. I will always be down no matter how we lose. The rest of the lads were as well because it was so disappointing.

"We don't want to lose games like that. We need the points and we need to get as many points as we can. It was a game we could have taken all of them.

"You have to give Stoke credit. They got what they wanted and played how they wanted, like they normally do, so I think we have to give all the credit to them because they got the result and we didn't."

Eccleston Under Investigation

Liverpool striker Nathan Eccleston is under investigation from the club after claiming the September 11 attacks in America were not the work of terrorists.

The reserve team player has caused outrage after claiming the attacks were 'an accident' and that he believed a group called the 'Illuminati' were responsible.

The 20-year-old, who has made just nine appearances for the Anfield giants, made the posting on his Twitter account on the 10th anniversary of the atrocity.

Eccleston wrote: "I aint going to say attack don't let the media make u believe that was terrorist that did it. #O.T.I.S."

OTIS is reported to stand for 'Only The Illuminati Succeed'.

An LFC spokesman said: "The club takes this matter extremely seriously and senior club officials have informed Nathan Eccleston that we are undertaking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding these postings and will decide on an appropriate course of action."

Hillsborough Debate Date Set

A House of Commons debate on the full release of government papers related to the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 people died will be held on October 17.

Members of Parliament have agreed to stage the debate in response to an e-petition on the Downing Street website that has now been signed by more than 140,000 people, many of whom are fans of clubs other than Liverpool.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron had said that any e-petition on the website that receives more than 100,000 signatories should be considered for debate by MPs.

Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram, who has been a driving force behind the campaign, revealed the news of a date on Twitter, saying: "Confirmation: Hillsborough debate agreed - October 17 for half a day in the House of Commons Chamber with a vote on the motion if necessary.

"Let's not get carried away. We have secured a HoC (House of Commons) debate, but this is not the end of the fight. Thanks to Merseyside MPs, Andy Burnham and others."

Rotheram enthused further on the support of the people on the campaign when he presented the application for a parliamentary debate to the Backbench Business Committee on Tuesday.

"This is an issue that will not go away until there is justice for the 96," he said. "Within two weeks the e-petition had acquired well over the 100,000 signatures required. The campaign spread far and wide.

"People from all over this country and people of all different football and political persuasions, came together and said, finally, after 22 years, enough is enough."

The Hillsborough Justice Campaign (HJC) welcomed the decision, with chairman Kenny Derbyshire saying: "We would like to thank those MPs who turned up in support of the recent e-petition.

"They have made the right decision in moving this forward to be debated in the House. However, we would like to thank those people who made this possible.

"This turn of events would not be occurring were it not for the overwhelming support of the general public who signed the e-petition, which resulted in more than 100,000 signatures in less than a week.

"They alone should take credit for this; a great example of people power succeeding.

"Whilst pleased with today's outcome, the bereaved families of the HJC point out that they still strongly oppose the Government's decision to appeal the Commissioner's ruling and request again that the Government withdraw the appeal.

"The families of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign want the minutes of the cabinet meeting held under Margaret Thatcher to be released (without redaction) in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and as deemed by the Information Commissioner to be in the 'public interest'.

"The families can see no logical reason why this should be at variance with the work of the Hillsborough Panel."

Ministers have so far failed to officially support calls for all the reports about the 1989 tragedy to be made public.

However, it is hoped that next month's debate will help persuade the government to waive the 30-year rule and allow the papers' release to the families of the victims.

Enrique Rewards Reds Apprentices

Jose Enrique was the special guest as Liverpool FC rewarded its staff for completing a training course to help further enhance the club's customer service levels.

Around 50 Reds employees passed apprentice-based programs which focused on customer services, business administration, IT, team leading and management, in addition to motivational training and customer excellence experiences.

LFC worked with Sysco Group, a Liverpool based-training company to deliver the customer service program and the apprenticeships enabled the team to track their own progress on a daily basis, allowing them to learn from every encounter and to adapt their approach to meet each individual supporters needs.

The club's head of customer experience Jean Crisp said: "It was clear from my first day that the passion for the club isn't just felt by the fans - all of the staff here are huge fans themselves and feel every aspect of the club and what it means to the supporters.

"This attitude helped enormously as everyone here wants LFC to be the best football club in world football, not just the Premier League.

"Sysco understood that to engage with our customers in the best possible way, we would have to recognize the skills of our employees and offer them a plan that would recognize them as individuals and allow them to track their own personal development."

The awarded were handed out at Anfield by summer signing Enrique and LFC's new commercial director Andrew Parkinson.

"A major reason for me coming to Liverpool was down to the passion of the place," commented Parkinson.

"It came as no surprise to me to find out that the club had been implementing this type of program. We understand that our fans are the most important part of this great football club and to take on board their comments and views.

"It is also fantastic that the training was delivered by The Sysco Group, a local company which understood the passion of the project."

Patience Needed As Kenny Dalglish Looks To Steer Liverpool Ship To Success

It is said that you learn more in defeat than you do in success. In Liverpool’s case, they will have learned a lot from Saturday’s defeat at the hands of Stoke City. So fickle is football these days, that following three straight victories, there was heightened talk of a possible title push this season. One defeat later, and people start to question whether or not the players are good enough. At least this match should make one thing perfectly clear: Liverpool is not yet ready to be considered challengers for the Premiership, and they shouldn’t be judged as such.

This is after all, a club who were facing a very real possibility of administration less than a year ago. Add to that the team’s shocking performances under previous manager Roy Hodgson, and it was a club going in the wrong direction, fast.

That the squad Kenny Dalglish has assembled over the summer was even being talked about as possible contenders gives an indication of how far it has come. The work of Dalglish, Director of Football Damien Comolli, and of course the owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) this summer can not be understated. They identified problem positions in the team, and filled them with quality players. Many of the players signed conform with the new FIFA Fair Play Rules that are due to be enforced in the coming years. Others fit the FSG strategy, of young players with good resale value. It has also been reported that by clearing out virtually all of their “dead wood” (players of little use such as Phillip Degen, Christian Poulsen, Milan Jovanovic etc), they have lowered their wage bill by £30m. This is now a club with a long-term plan.

However, this plan is, as stated, a long-term one, and immediate success simply isn’t going to happen. Saturday was proof of that. This isn’t something that Liverpool fans will like to hear, but if that were Manchester United in that position on Saturday, you would fully expect them to grab an equalizer, and possibly go on to win the game. United have that ruthlessness that is required, and the ability to carve out a win when it looks unlikely. Liverpool, just like on the opening day of the season against Sunderland, failed to show these characteristics, and have lost valuable points because of it.

It’s no disgrace dropping points away to Stoke however. They have now lost only once at the Brittania in their last 15 games- it has become one of those venues that teams dread playing in. They have also played three games more due to their European commitments, and so is probably a touch fitter and sharper. Like I said, no disgrace, but that doesn’t excuse the performance on Saturday. Liverpool were poor. Simple as that. The fact is that once Stoke took the lead, Liverpool offered very little. Jordan Henderson had the best chance for Liverpool when put through by Jose Enrique, but he shot straight at Asmir Begovic, and then had two more shots blocked before Adam couldn’t find the net either from the rebound. The only other chance for Liverpool came then the ball broke to Suarez in the last few seconds but his instinctive swing at the ball sent it wide. They had a decent shout for a penalty turned away, but all in all, they didn’t play well enough.

It is easy to criticize Stoke, as they were happy sit on their lead and show virtually no ambition in attack. Who can blame them? They are playing a team that they are expected to lose to and have found themselves a goal up. They have every right to shut up shop in that situation. Charlie Adam had an off-day, and because of that, Liverpool’s passing game suffered. He was clearly still feeling the effects of the knock that kept him out of Scotland’s victory over Lithuania, and his ball retention was lacking. The Reds were also evidently missing the presence of an out-and-out right-back, as Martin Skrtel filled in there, offering little in the form of attacking support. Few good moves took place down the right-hand side. Other problems for Liverpool were that their passing lacked accuracy and conviction, and they didn’t get enough men in the box.

Criticism of many Liverpool players, a lot of it from there own fans, is premature. Jamie Carragher is the focus of many people’s attention, having given away the penalty, and there have been calls for him to be dropped. Carragher should not, and will not be dropped. He is still a very good defender and a defensive organizer. Without him in the side, the defence would be significantly weaker, as he is the one who calls the shots in the backline. He is also a leader. Arsenal has been the perfect example of a team without enough leaders, and Liverpool doesn’t want to make that mistake unnecessarily. Henderson has also come in for some stick. He was very good against Bolton, as were the rest of the team, and he was poor on Saturday, as were the rest of the team. To he is not good enough already is being very short-sighted. He has just turned 21 years old, has a full season of Premiership football to his name, and is an England international. Give him time, and he will develop into a top class footballer.

This is a team with several new faces. The likes of Henderson, Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique and Charlie Adam have only just started playing for the club and need more time to get accustomed to how Dalglish wants them to play. All four will play key roles for Liverpool this season, and I am sure all of them will be successes. Top four will be the priority this season, and the squad is capable of getting there. After they got top four, and only after that will a title challenge become a realistic target. All they need is patience.

Mark Lawrenson: Liverpool FC Must Get A Result At Tottenham

Liverpool FC will be disappointed but not downhearted after their defeat at Stoke City.

The manner of the loss was a world apart from the miserable way in which they went down at the Britannia Stadium last season.

Kenny Dalglish has got a gripe about the decisions of referee Mark Clattenburg. I think Stoke’s penalty was soft but, let’s be honest, Suarez would have tried for that spot-kick.

That said, Liverpool deserved at least one penalty for handball, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

I’d be more pleased playing-wise, as Dalglish’s men looked good. And don’t forget, Stoke is a difficult place to go and get something these days.

It was the first of a run of four Premier League games which last season Liverpool lost, and the outcome this time around will go a long way to telling us how far the team have progressed.

They go to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, and while Spurs put you under pressure they do give the opposition time to play and I’d expect Liverpool to gain some reward.

If Liverpool have serious ambitions of a top-four finish then they have to go to White Hart Lane and look like a team capable of winning.

The game should see the return of Steven Gerrard. And, if fully fit, I think the skipper will go straight back into the team. There’s little point leaving him on the bench, as he’s such a good player and gets a positive reaction from those around him.

I can’t see the experiment of playing Martin Skrtel at right-back lasting too long. I understand why Dalglish played him there against Stoke because of his height.

But he’s not a full-back – remember Middlesbrough a few years back? – and one of Martin Kelly, Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan will be the better long-term bet.

Liverpool Possesses Three Near-Term Options At Right Fullback To Replace Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson's injury will give manager Kenny Dalglish further concern about the right back position. It is fast becoming a problem area for the Liverpool defense. Here is a look at some of his right-back options in the near term.

Martin Kelly

The promising Kelly started the season as the first choice right back, and his performances have caught the attention of England manager Fabio Capello. After a bright start to his time in the LFC first team, his 2010-11 season ended prematurely after he tore his hamstring in February. He suffered a hamstring strain in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Bolton. He should return soon, as club doctors said the latest strain was a slight one and would keep him out for two weeks. Kelly has returned to training and is in contention for Sunday's game at Tottenham.

Martin Skrtel

Skrtel, a central defender by trade, was Kelly's substitute against Bolton and performed well enough to earn the start against Stoke. He was defensively sound against Stoke, but did not add much to the LFC attack when he pushed into the final third. It would not be a shock to see him in the starting lineup against Tottenham.

John Flanagan

With league and cup games on the schedule in the coming weeks, 18 year-old John Flanagan should see more first-team action. He is still learning his trade, but has eight games of EPL experience on which he can build. Expect to see him play in LFC's next Carling cup game on Sept. 21.

Alan Shearer Backs Dalglish To Bring Best Out Of Carroll

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has been backed to bring the best out of England striker Andy Carroll by Newcastle United goal-scoring legend Alan Shearer.

Dalglish has already leapt to the defence of his £35 million striker after his lifestyle was criticized by England head coach Fabio Capello and Shearer has insisted that his fellow Geordie is in good hands with the Anfield boss.

Shearer, who played under Dalglish in the title-winning Blackburn Rovers side in the mid-90s and managed Carroll for a brief spell as Newcastle United boss, believes his former player is in the best possible hands on Merseyside.

“If there is one guy that will get the best out of Andy Carroll it will be Kenny Dalglish and I know that from my own personal experience when I worked under him at Blackburn,” Shearer told Goal.com.

“Whether you are scoring goals for fun or whether you are having a tough time in front of goal Kenny will not change. Kenny will be able to pass on all the experience and know-how that he has gained as a player and as a manager. He will be a great help to Andy.”

Shearer – who will play for Kevin Keegan's Entertainers against Roy Evans' Liverpool old boys at Kingston Park, Newcastle on Sunday, October 9 in a charity game – is confident the 22-year-old Carroll will overcome a sluggish start to the season to win over Liverpool fans.

The former England and Newcastle skipper, who was idolized by Carroll as he came through the ranks at St James’ Park, backed the 6ft 3in targetman to come good amid veiled criticism from Capello.

The Italian said the centre forward had to “be careful” off the field and had to “drink less” than other footballers and called into question his attitude to training while with England.

“Andy is at a great football club and he is working under a great manager in Kenny Dalglish,” Shearer added. “He hasn’t had the best of starts to this season for whatever reason but ability-wise he will never lose what he has got and I sure he will come good again.

“I used to sit and listen to guys give me advice, particularly through the media, so I would hate for him to think that I would be sat here publicly giving him advice so I won’t start now.

“But what I can say is that confidence in football is the biggest thing and once he gets up and running then he will be fine. I have no doubt about that.

“First he must fight to regain his first-team place and then start playing on a regular basis to get back his sharpness and match fitness and it is then that Liverpool will see the best of him.”

Raul Meireles Angry Over Liverpool Broken Promises

Chelsea summer signing Raul Meireles has cast light on his transfer from Liverpool on deadline day.

“All I have to say is that I had one promise at Liverpool which wasn’t fulfilled,” said Meireles in the Chelsea press conference prior to their UEFA Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen.

“It’s not the only thing to blame. But that’s why the Liverpool fans are unsure why I left.”

“I was aware that Liverpool wanted to sell me in the summer, which was a bit surprising to me,” said Meireles, who was reluctant to discuss his relationship with Reds boss Kenny Dalglish.

“There’s no point touching this subject any more.

“I was a bit surprised, but now I’m just concentrating on my present and future, and that’s with Chelsea.”

Even so, Meireles was pleased to have been offered a further chance to impress in England with Stamford Bridge.

“When Chelsea showed interest, it was like a golden opportunity,” he said.

“I’m here now, it’s a new adventure, and I want to do well here.”

Liverpool Had Little Choice But To Sell Meireles - Comolli

Director of football Damien Comolli has insists Liverpool did not want to sell Raul Meireles but had little choice after he handed in a transfer request and told the club he wanted to leave.

Meireles joined Chelsea in the final minutes of the transfer deadline day last month in a reported £12million move, a switch that angered many Reds supporters.

The 28-year-old Portugal international last week insisted he never wanted to leave Liverpool but admitted he jumped at the chance to go to Stamford Bridge when it became clear he would be sold.

Meireles has accused Liverpool of a broken promise and claimed he was forced to submit a transfer request once they had decided to sell him to Chelsea.

Putting across Liverpool's side, Comolli said on the club's official website in response to questions sent in by supporters: "I think Raul said it himself with what I've seen recently in the press. Basically, he came to see me and said 'I want to leave, I want to play for another club'.

"Our intention was not to sell him but we were put in a corner a little bit when he put in a transfer request and said he wanted to go and that he didn't want to play for Liverpool anymore.

"I think the owners and Kenny (Dalglish) have said it, and we all have the same view. When someone doesn't want to be here it's difficult to say 'you are going to stay'.

"We've been through that process in January with Fernando Torres and this felt like the same situation. We've done it, we think it was the right thing to do for the club, because it's very, very difficult to have somebody here who doesn't want to be here.

"The job of the manager in the Premier League is already difficult having to manage 25 players and only having 11 to start on a match day, so you have to deal with all the others.

"On top of that if you have someone who is adamant they don't want to be here and wants to play for someone else, we took the view it's better if he goes and we get the best possible deal for the club. In the end I think we did well."

Meireles was not the only player to leave Anfield this summer, with Alberto Aquilani returning to Italy after agreeing a loan move with AC Milan for the rest of the campaign, while Joe Cole moved on a season-long loan to Lille.

Asked why Aquilani was allowed to go after impressing in pre-season, Comolli said: "With him it was more a question of opportunities to play. He's obviously a big player, he's got a very good resume and he's a very good player. But Kenny and the coaching staff felt he would play in a certain position.

"As I told Alberto during the summer, unfortunately in that position is someone called Steven Gerrard and it would have been difficult for Alberto to play."

Comolli also dismissed reports that Liverpool now have first refusal on highly-rated Lille star Eden Hazard as part of the Cole deal.

Liverpool's Striker Target Confirms Future

Benfica forward Oscar Cardozo is set to pen a deal keeping him the club until at least 2016.

The Paraguayan's current deal will keep him at the club until 2014, how an offer of a two-year extension is expected to warn off interest in the striker.

Liverpool had reportedly been interested in the 28-year-old, however the player's agent Pedro Aldave says he is currently negotiating the extension.

"The kid is happy in Benfica and it will be normal to stay there, but it is necessary to settle more details," Aldave said.

The fee demanded for the player is reported to be in the region of €60 million, however given that Liverpool have spent over £100 million since the appointment of Kenny Dalglish, the club could be tempted to make a move.

However, the signing of Craig Bellamy on deadline day in the transfer window negates their need for the striker, but if Luis Suarez's reported transfer to Real Madrid ever came to fruition, then Liverpool may be forced into a move.

Babel Blasts Liverpool Training Regime

Liverpool flop Ryan Babel has blamed the Anfield club’s training regime for his poor form in England.

The Dutch forward arrived on Merseyside in 2007 with a growing reputation and a hefty £12m price tag.

But the 24-year-old scored just 12 goals in his four years at Liverpool and was sold to Hoffenheim in January.

The forward has enjoyed a stellar start to his new season in the Bundesliga and puts it down to better training at his new club.

“I think I've had really benefited from the move to the Bundesliga,” he told Dutch paper De Telegraaf.

"We do more preparation work at Hoffenheim than I ever saw in England and we do longer training sessions. I’ve never felt so fit. "

"You need competition to get fit. I often sat on the bench and the schedule in England, with a game every three days, meant the training was only there to maintain us.”

The Anfield Way

Dean Saunders may have scored goals wherever he's been, but his heart - and footballing philosophy - will always belong to Liverpool.

The former Welsh international told Goals on Sunday that it was always his dream to follow in his father's footsteps and play at Anfield.

He did just that when the club paid a then-British record £2.9million to Derby County for him in 1988 and he still singles that out as the highlight of a glittering career that also brought international recognition.

"My dad played for Liverpool and had a bin-liner full of cuttings, so I was brought up on it," he said.

"He played in the same team as Billy Liddell and Bob Paisley so I was always brought up with Liverpool. I got a free transfer when I was 18 and went to Brighton.

"Then I went from Brighton to Oxford, Oxford to Derby, in a short period of time and then I managed to find myself with Liverpool wanting to sign me - I couldn't believe it.

"I made my mind up; they had Peter Beardsley, Ian Rush, Jan Mjolby, all the best players and I thought if I could play in that team it would be unbelievable. It's a brilliant club."

Saunders' time at Anfield came after Liverpool had dominated the First Division for almost a decade.

But he did mark his first full season with a medal as part of the side that beat Sunderland 2-0 to lift the FA Cup in 1992 - and still regards that as the highlight of his career.

"We managed to win the FA Cup at Wembley and I remember walking down the steps at Wembley - I'd only ever watched the cup final on TV - and I thought I had a free transfer not so long ago and now I've got an FA Cup winner's medal!" he said.

"It's the best thing I ever won to this day - because it's the first thing I won."

He is now managing Conference outfit Wrexham and although he admits he it took him some time to "get my head round the league", he is trying to pass on the Boot Room philosophy to his players.

And it appears to be working because they are currently top of the table.

"What I tell my players now, it's all about what I learned at Liverpool really," he said.

"Working with John Toshack, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and my dad played for Liverpool for 12 years, so everything I try and put over to the players all stems from simple beliefs they had at Liverpool."

Carragher Urges Reds Fans To Forget Stoke Defeat

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to banish the memory of their 1-0 defeat at Stoke City when they travel to Tottenham next Sunday.

The Reds’ unbeaten start to the season was ended in controversial fashion at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Referee Mark Clattenburg awarded Stoke a dubious penalty when Carragher was harshly adjudged to have brought down Jon Walters.

Walters picked himself up to score the only goal of the game and Clattenburg rejected two vociferous appeals from the Reds for a spot-kick of their own.

Rory Delap and Matthew Upson both got away with handling in the box and Kenny Dalglish’s side also paid the price for missing some great chances.

“We have to be disappointed with the penalty decisions,” Carragher said.

“We had one go against us and a couple not go for us so we feel a bit aggrieved.

“We performed quite well and when you do that you normally get three points.

"I thought we reacted really well to going behind and deserved something from the game.

“Hopefully if we play like that against Tottenham next weekend we’ll get something.

"We have to ensure we bounce back.”

Stoke rode their luck but Carragher was full of praise for the way the Potters survived a second-half onslaught from the Reds.

“Their keeper and their back four did really well – you have to admire the way they defended,” he added.

“They’ve been like that for a long time, especially at home.

"We can be quite pleased with how we performed but we came away with nothing. It was Stoke’s day.”

Gerrard: Suarez Will Become Legend

Steven Gerrard expects striker Luis Suarez to establish himself as one of Liverpool's all-time greats over the next few years.

Suarez made an immediate impact following a £22.7 million move from Ajax in January, ensuring Liverpool did not suffer following the sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea.

The Uruguay international, who was voted Player of the Tournament at this year's Copa America, has scored six goals in 15 Premier League starts for the Reds - and Gerrard believes he has a big part to play as Kenny Dalglish's side push for a top-four spot.

Asked whether Suarez could become an Anfield legend, Gerrard told the club's official website: "I don't see why not. He's still young enough and I'm sure he's going to get even better than he is now, which is a scary thought.

"He's got the appetite for the game to learn and get better. Hopefully he will go on here for a long time because he's certainly got a massive part to play at this club in the future - the history is there to be written.

"He's a very enthusiastic footballer and very intelligent. He's like a kid in the street and he can't wait to get out for training and games. Alongside Dirk (Kuyt) of late, they've been like two Duracell bunnies. They just don't stop and for defenders that must be a nightmare, knowing when you control the ball those two will be chasing.

"It's fantastic to have him and hopefully he can continue his form until the end of the season. If he does, it will give us a much better chance of getting some silverware."