Reds Proud To Have Suarez

Liverpool veteran Jamie Carragher believes the Reds are lucky to have a player of Luis Suarez's ability within their ranks.

The 24-year-old has made an instant impact at Anfield following his arrival from Ajax back in January, scoring seven goals in just 18 appearances for the club thus far.

It's his all-round performances that have been earning rave reviews on Merseyside this season though, and Carragher believes the Uruguayan striker is quickly become a crucial ingredient in the Reds' side.

"For me, to say you've started well you have to have performed well over the first 10, 20 or 30 games for your new club. One game - good or bad - doesn't mean anything," the central defender told LFC weekly magazine.

"Luis has already shown how good he is by playing well in lots of games. I think he's already done enough to prove that he's a top player. Hopefully he'll be here for a very long, long time."

Kenny Dalglish's fear of potential burnout this summer appear to have been unfounded, with the forward returning from the Copa America sharper than ever on Merseyside.

Suarez scooped the player of the tournament for his international exploits, helping Uruguay to win the competition, and Carragher admits that his club team-mates’ performances in the tournament were simply superb.

"I watched the highlights of their games and Luis was brilliant, the player of the tournament," the defender continued.

"I'm just delighted that we've got him because he's one of the best in the world. We should be proud of the fact that he's here at Liverpool."

Reds Wait On Johnson Fitness

Assistant manager Steve Clarke is not prepared to speculate on the fitness of Glen Johnson and expects Liverpool to have a point to prove against Tottenham at the weekend.

England full-back Johnson suffered a hamstring injury in the defeat to Stoke last Saturday having only made his first appearance of the season as a late substitute.

The 27-year-old had been sidelined with a thigh problem and his latest setback therefore represents a frustration for manager Kenny Dalglish.

Ahead of Sunday's trip to Spurs, Liverpool is waiting to discover the extent of Johnson's injury and Clarke does not want to guess before medical assessments are complete.

Dalglish's right-hand man told Liverpool's official website: "We are still waiting on the results of Glen's scan so until that comes out there's no point in speculating about it.

"We will just see how he is when we get the scan and see what the timeframe is."

On top of Johnson's injury, the loss to Stoke came has a huge annoyance to Liverpool in a game in which they dominated, but lost to Jon Walters' controversial penalty.

It was Dalglish's side's first defeat of the season and Clarke is expecting the squad to bounce back when they take on Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.

"When you've been in football as long as I have you know these things can happen. You can completely dominate the game, create many chances and not manage to get a goal that would have given us some reward for the hard work we put in," said the Scot.

"Stoke got a soft penalty which gave them an undeserved lead and I think that was the first time they had been in our penalty box.

"Once they got themselves in front they proved to be very difficult to break down and they were difficult opponents on the day.

"Everyone was disappointed in the dressing room after the game because we lost the game. We as the coaching staff have to try to put forward the positives.

"We played well and we created enough chances to have won two games so we have to give the players the positives and understand their disappointment at the same time.

"It's a long season and you know you will get setbacks but it's how you react to those setbacks. The mood in training has been fine and the players know they performed to an acceptable standard obviously without the required result against Stoke.

"We have to make sure when we go to Tottenham on Sunday that we put in an acceptable performance, only this time make sure we get the required result."

Raul Meireles To Chelsea Was A Fantastic Deal For Liverpool

Former Liverpool skipper Phil Thompson believes that the sale of Raul Meireles, who was bought for £11 million, to Chelsea for a fee of around £12m was a “fantastic deal” for all the parties involved.

Meireles, who impressed and became a fan favourite in his one and only season on Merseyside, was sold at the eleventh hour on the final day of the transfer window.

The Portuguese played a key role in Liverpool’s revival in the latter half of the season and made his disappointment with the Anfield club known in his first interview as a Chelsea player when he expressed “surprise” over the fact the Reds wanted to sell him in the first place.

The 28-year-old showed what he is capable of over the weekend by providing the assist for Daniel Sturridge’s goal in the 2-1 win over Sunderland, as did Alberto Aquilani, who was shipped away on loan to AC Milan despite being one of the side's best performers in pre-season, by playing a part in the two goals scored against Lazio.

However, Thompson feels his old club made the right choice in getting rid of the duo, who he feels did not fit in.

“I think it's decisions and you have to make decisions. Alberto Aquilani spends last season on loan and he came back in the summer. Yeah, he was [the best player in the pre-season] but you have to look at the quality of the opposition as well," Thompson told Goal.com.

“The two players are quite similar in many ways – Meireles and Aquilani. Both are central midfield players, both are forward midfield players, so it’s a forward midfield player of a three (up front). They would have to fit in to how you are going to play the game.

“I think the way Kenny [Dalglish] has probably looked at it at the time, he has not seen them fit in."

The 58-year-old also stated that there was a slight change in the attitude of Meireles before the season started as he realized he had gone down in the pecking order with the arrivals of Jordon Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing in the summer.

“Raul, I think, had a real good purple patch last year when he scored vital goals, good goals - him and Maxi Rodriguez," Thompson continued.

“But when the season was starting and the transfer signings were coming in, I think he’s looked at it and not being in the team [got him] thinking. He didn’t look happy. Let’s put it that way. That’s just me looking from the outside and around since I have the privilege.

“But I have seen the games, I have seen the way he was, his attitude. And I think once Chelsea’s interest came in, and of course Fernando Torres was down there, and he then wanted to leave.”

He added that had Liverpool not sold Meireles in the summer, they possibly would not have got the same fee for him later and hence could not let the opportunity to sell him go away.

“I think it was a fantastic deal because £12m for Raul was great," Thompson added.

“And I think if he wasn’t going to be playing a major part in the team, if then come January and he wasn’t too happy, would you have got £6m for him? I think both things suited both parties.

“Alberto and Raul got what they wanted, because Alberto knew his results weren’t needed to go and play (for Liverpool) and Raul was not going to be in the first team – he wanted to leave.”

Comolli Explains Why Liverpool Loaned Out Dani Pacheco

Damien Comolli was asked, “Why have we loaned out Dani Pacheco?”

Liverpool’s Director of Football replied:

Dani has gone on loan because we want to see him play in the first team somewhere. Last year he went to the Championship and had a good start, then he was sub for a few games, but he did well in those games. We know how well he can do at youth level, he did really well last year in the U19 European championships when Spain lost in the final against France, he did well at the U20 World Cup in Colombia in August, we were there and watched all the games.

The next step is ‘can you show us what you can do in the first team?’ It would have been difficult for him to play in our first team, and rather than play in the reserves we thought if there is an opportunity for him to go on loan to a good team in a top league, and we can see what he can do and if he can develop, it would be a good opportunity. That’s why we took it.

I call it a development loan. Put the player on loan, see how he develops and then that will give us a very strong indication of where his career is going. It’s a little bit like Peter Gulacsi, who is on loan at Hull City. We think Peter has got fantastic potential for the future, he’s done extremely well with the U21s for Hungary, he captained the team, he played in the Toulon tournament at the end of May against very good teams and he was outstanding, and we felt that this year was important for him for his development.

We will monitor both of them very closely.

Anfield In Panic Mode

Saturdays loss to a frustrating Stoke side on a mentally frustrating day, full of squandered chances that should have ultimately have seen Liverpool bag all three points at the Britannia Stadium.

The game was full of moments that Liverpool would go on to rue as the home side ran out 1-0 winners, despite all the chances and opportunities falling the Reds way. From the turning down of penalties that were stone wall spot kicks, to squandered opportunities from Jordan Henderson and Luis Suarez, Liverpool should have sealed all three points. But with this, along with 70% of possession and 15 shots, all that can be said, is that it was just one of those days.

This is one of the most beautiful - if frustrating things about football - it doesn't matter about stats, opportunities, possession or solid chances - although it helps - ultimately it's about goals scored or not scored within a game that decides the points.

This being said, the apparent dash for the panic button following the 1-0 defeat has managed to really frustrate me. Before the season started, I was the first to ask questions about the signings made and the players released. I was not totally convinced that the players brought in; Messrs. Adam, Henderson, Downing and Co. had all flattered to deceive in my opinion and were not good enough if Liverpool were to massively improve this season and gain a Champions League qualification spot at the end of it.

However, since my expression of disappointment over the signings of some overrated and mediocre players, I am happy to admit that my predictions may have been wrong. The team and the new players have impressed so far by playing an attacking and entertaining style of football, with moments of mesmerizing beauty and attacking prowess that had been missing at Anfield for a long time.

Did this come to a halt against Stoke City on the weekend as they bullied us off the ball like they do to so many other Premier League side?

No, this isn't even close to the truth. Liverpool was great once more. They played flowing football, showing great awareness and understanding, creating an unthinkable amount of chances along the way. It was simply not to be Liverpool's day, nicely summed up with Stuart Downing's post match quote.

However, the unfortunate and largely unlucky final score has sent many blogs, news outlets and fan forums talking as if Liverpool should already be worried, hitting the panic button already after failing to take all three points back to Merseyside.

Such a reaction is baffling to say the least. Not forgetting that Stokes Britannia Stadium is a notoriously hard place to visit that even Arsenal, Chelsea and United struggle at, the performance was still a good one. if Liverpool continue to play such football throughout the season, they will be more than fine, coming out as winners most of the time.

For this I ask for patience. It is hard to forget that this team still needs time to gel. Also, if they continue to play the football that they have been, we can't ask much more than that.

Hopefully, against Tottenham on Saturday the luck will be on our side, after all, all successful teams need their fair share of luck. Maybe a little less panicking and a little more finger crossing will bring with it all three points on Saturday.

Liverpool Launch Initiative To Nurture Talent In Mumbai Schools

Liverpool, along with Standard Chartered Bank, have launched a program for nurturing football talent in over 2000 children from around 80 schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

There are over 650,000 students from the financially challenged section of the society in over a 1000 schools run by the BMC.

Titled 'Go Forward', the plan will see 32 children being selected from a camp to undergo four-months of rigorous training with I-League players and the English club's coaches. The initiative will culminate in an exhibition match between the two BMC teams and the best of Mumbai’s public school football teams

“Go Forward is a significant milestone for promoting football in India," said Liverpool legend Phil Thompson at the launch. "It will be our endeavour to enable the final 32 children to interact and learn from the experience of past players and coaches from LFC.

"This is getting into grass roots football by involving the Municipal schools of Mumbai. This is the first time ever Liverpool is getting involved in such a scheme and, depending on its success, we can hopefully take it to other cities of India and other countries of Asia.

He added: "It's a fantastic and wonderful venture. It gives chance to school children to dream and aspire for bigger things in what they enjoy doing. But the important thing is this should be sustainable over the years.

"We are passionate about the community. We at Liverpool realize the need to give the community’s children the chance to enjoy football. That is one way of making sure the young remain attached to football and don’t take up other sports."

Borrell's Wolfsburg Relief

Rodolfo Borrell admitted to feeling a sense of relief after seeing his side come from behind to salvage a late draw against Wolfsburg.

An own goal from Marvin Kleihs, who inadvertently sliced the ball into the Kop net after superb approach play from Krisztian Adorjan, was enough to see the young Reds gain a 1-1 draw in their second NextGen Series outing.

While pleased to see his side get a point, Borrell was far from satisfied with the overall display.

"We are grateful to get a draw but overall I was disappointed with our performance," Borrell told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"We were below par. I thought we were sloppy, especially in the first half. We improved in the second half but we need to work hard every day to keep on improving.

"The only positive for me from the night was we didn't lose the game and we need to be much better when we travel to Wolfsburg next week."

The Reds almost won the game right at the end when substitute Adam Morgan found himself clear but he was closed down quickly as the effort went wide.

"I thought Adam was going to score because he is a good goalscorer. It was a good chance but these things happen," he added.

Defender Stephen Sama added: "We made a big mistake for their goal but I thought we came back strongly in the second half.

"The manager wasn't happy with our first half performance and he told us to believe in ourselves more in the second half. I thought we did that and in the end we are happy to get the 1-1 draw."

Youngsters Earn Wolfsburg Draw

Liverpool needed a late own goal to salvage a point as they were held to a 1-1 draw in a keenly-contested NextGen Series clash with Wolfsburg on Wednesday night.

The young Reds had looked like suffering a second defeat in just three matches in the competition when Hendrik Hansen converted a right-wing free-kick deep into first-half stoppage time.

However, an own goal from Marvin Kleihs four minutes from the end gave Rodolfo Borrell's side a fortuitous but deserved share of the spoils.

The result means Liverpool have taken four points from their first three matches and they will now be hoping to step it up a level in time for next week's return game in Germany.

The Spanish coach had gone into the Anfield clash warning his players to beware the wounded beast following Wolfsburg's disappointing start to life in Group 2.

The Reds had themselves recovered from a heavy defeat against Sporting Lisbon on Matchday One and it was no surprise to see Borrell stick with the same side that overwhelmed Molde last time out.

Indeed, Liverpool was clearly eager to put on a show in front of their home crowd and they almost stole ahead on 10 minutes. Suso picked up a loose ball 25 yards from goal and fizzed in a low shot that bounced inches past the far post.

It would prove to be the best chance of a patchy first 20 minutes and a lengthy injury to Nils Winter did little to help the flow of what was proving to be a very tight encounter.

Liverpool were lacking their usual cutting edge in the final third but almost changed the complexion of the game when Craig Roddan teased a ball out to the right for Toni Silva on 24 minutes. The Portuguese winger shimmied beyond his marker and clipped a delightful effort beyond Wolfsburg stopper Patrick Drewes, only to see Jonas Sonnenberg clear from underneath his own crossbar.

The scare inspired an immediate response from the German side and Tyrell Belford got down well to keep out Michael Thielke's low drive before showing good hands to hold onto Maximilian Arnold's well-struck attempt.

As the interval approached Suso twice went close to an opener when he followed up a free-kick that curled agonizingly past the far post with a thumping drive that flashed beyond the upright.

It looked like being a frustrating first-half stalemate for the Reds but it got even worse deep into stoppage time when the away team won a free-kick on the far right.

Arnold curled a delightful ball across the six yard box, allowing the ironically named Hansen to ghost in at the far post and coolly steer home in front of the Kop.

It was a bitter blow for Borrell and co but the coach would have called for an instant response from his side following the interval.

The Spaniard's decision to swap Suso for Krisztian Adorjan suggested he wanted far more in the attacking third and there was an immediate improvement in Liverpool's play.

The Hungarian looked hungry to make an impact and almost inadvertently levelled on 54 minutes when Silva's low cross hit him and dropped just shy of the near post.

Silva had looked lively all night and it was his run and cross that provided Raheem Sterling with a good opportunity on the hour mark, but the England youth international could only guide his volley into the side netting.

The German youth champions appeared to be on the ropes at this point and four minutes from time the Reds snatched a deserved leveller.

Adorjan found space on the left side of the area and drilled a low cross into the six yard box where the unfortunate Kleihs was on hand to put through his own net.

Liverpool even manufactured a glorious chance to win the match but substitute Adam Morgan saw his shot deflect wide after rounding the 'keeper deep into injury-time.

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.