Boss Eyes London Double

Kenny Dalglish admits he has been delighted by Liverpool's overall form this season and is confident they can bounce back from their Stoke disappointment when they lock horns with Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds have taken seven points from their opening four Barclays Premier League matches so far this term, but slumped to their first defeat when they went down 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium last time out.

The Scot maintains that his side was unlucky to come away with nothing against the Potters and feels his players will be ready to give a response in North London.

Dalglish told his pre-match press conference: "The performances have been very, very good so far.

"It's only 45 minutes in the second half against Sunderland - that is the least effective we've been. But it was by no way, shape or form a bad performance by us though. We've been happy with the way the players have gone about their work.”

A first-half penalty from Jon Walters was enough to secure a narrow win for Stoke in a match that saw Liverpool denied what appeared to be two clear-cut spot-kicks themselves.

Dalglish insists the Reds did not get the rub of the green in the Potteries and believes that his team will play worse this season and still pick up points.

"I have the same impression as what I had there and then. We played very well and had a lot of possession," he said.

"But we didn't score and if you don't score, you are not going to come away with the three points.

"No-one can say we didn't play well, apart from scoring. We aren't happy at losing a game but you have to accept that at some stage in the season you won't get what you deserve.

"Other times we'll not play well but get the three points. They say it evens itself out over the course of a season, so we've got a lot to look forward to I think."

Asked about his meeting with the General Manager of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, Mike Riley earlier this week, the boss said: "If you understand we have a meeting and have read the quotes on Liverpoolfc.tv, then I don't think we need to add to that.

"Everybody can speak to Mike Riley. He was coming here anyway so it didn't make any difference. Mike is very approachable and will speak to any manager who wants to speak to him. It's not as if we got preferential treatment.

"Mike will visit all of the clubs and so he should. We should work together.

"That's all we have to say on the matter. We'll continue to treat them with respect and dignity and I don't think we've failed on that point."

Liverpool head to Tottenham with the knowledge that their opponents' preparations have been disrupted by a Europa League clash on Thursday.

However, Dalglish is adamant it will have no bearing on Sunday's game and claims that it remains to be seen whether the Reds will benefit from an absence from Europe this year.

"They have a game tonight but he's (Harry Redknapp) only taken one player who played last Saturday, so they will still be at their strongest on Sunday," said Dalglish.

"Harry has done a fantastic job there. They are a very exciting and attacking team. They had a fantastic year last season when they did well in the Champions League. Maybe getting into the Champions League acted against them last season in trying to get back in this year. They finished fifth which was just one spot away.

"We know what Spurs and Harry stand for. We know what type of game we will be in for and we know it will be a good game."

He added: "As I've said, Harry has only taken one player who played last Saturday, so nobody is going to get any benefit from being in or out of Europe.

"It depends what type of team you want to put out. Each team will run it and see the importance of it in their own way. For us, we want to do as well as we possibly can in every game that we play in. We'll go into every competition and try to win it. If we had been in the Europa League we would have put out a strong team and we will do the same in the Carling Cup.

"I don't know if it will be beneficial or detrimental to us not being in Europe. It's a long time since this club has been out of Europe so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Only time will tell."

Tottenham have endured a difficult start to the season, suffering heavy defeats against both Manchester United and Manchester City.

The Londoners have seen a number of key personnel ruled out through injury so far, but Dalglish insists that they remain a tough proposition on their own patch.

He said: "I don't think they were at full strength were they? If you look at it in realistic terms, going to Old Trafford is a difficult place for anyone to go. And regarding the home game with Manchester City, they are capable of putting in top class performances and unfortunately for Harry, that day they did turn one in.

"They were both very difficult games, but I don't think they were at full strength. I don't think they are at full strength even now, so it's great credit to them that they went to Wolves last week and won 2-0."

Asked if he felt the trip to White Hart Lane was the toughest match of Liverpool's season so far, Dalglish added: "If you look at the stats, Arsenal finished above Spurs last season and we've already been to Arsenal and won. That was a really difficult place to get a result but we did it. So going to Tottenham is going to be equally hard. We'll see what we can do. If we do as well as we possibly can then we'll take our chances.

"They've got quality players throughout the team. There won't be a team in the Barclays Premier League that we come up against who don't have quality. Tottenham are the same as everyone else. Maybe they have them in different areas but certainly Adebayor is formidable and Defoe is a decent player.

"There is a lot of good in their side but I don't think we are too bad either."

Dalglish Happy With Progress And Squad Unity

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has stated he is delighted with the progress the club are making under his tenure.

The Scot took over in January after the sacking of Roy Hodgson and has turned the fortunes of the Reds around in his time at the club, bringing players such as Luis Suarez and Stewart Downing.

Dalglish is confident the club can bounce back from their defeat to Stoke last week and is confident the team can recover from any poor results due to the cohesion of his playing squad.

"There are always lots of things for everybody to be happy about," Dalglish told the club's official website.

"The supporters, the staff, the players - everybody. As we always say, if we stick together we are going to be a formidable unit.

"That's the important thing, for everybody to stick together. If we lose a game we have to stick together. There is a disappointment which is good, but no-one is walking around with a petty lip feeling sorry for themselves."

The Scot is unsure whether being out of European competitions will benefit them this season as he believes he would have been able to field a strong side no matter who his team were playing.

He added: "If we had been in the Europa League we would have put out a strong team and we will do the same in the Carling Cup.

"I don't know if it will be beneficial or detrimental to us not being in Europe. It's a long time since this club has been out of Europe so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Only time will tell."

Jon Flanagan Ready To Take On Tottenham

Jon Flanagan insists he’s ready to shine if Kenny Dalglish calls upon him for Liverpool FC’s clash at Tottenham on Sunday.

The 18-year-old LFC defender could earn a recall for the trip to White Hart Lane as Glen Johnson is ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Flanagan is vying with fellow Academy graduate Martin Kelly, who returned to full training this week, for the right-back slot.

Alternatively, Dalglish could opt to persevere with Martin Skrtel on the right after playing the centre-back there to handle Stoke’s aerial threat last Saturday.

Flanagan, who hasn’t featured in the Reds’ last three league games after starting on the opening weekend against Sunderland, would relish a first team return.

“Hopefully I can get back in the team – that’s my target,” Flanagan said.

“We’ve got a few injuries at the moment so maybe I’ll get another chance soon. When I do get back in there I’ll have to show what I can do.

“Kells is back in training so it all depends what Kenny wants to do but if he needs me at Tottenham I’ll be ready.

“All I can do is keep working hard in training and keep listening to the coaches.

“Kenny has massively helped me and shown a lot of trust in me. I need to keep repaying that faith.”

Flanagan enjoyed a hugely impressive start to his Reds career after Dalglish handed him his debut against Manchester City back in April.

The tough-tackling Childwall youngster kept his place for the last seven games of the season and got the nod to start this campaign.

He’s been out of the team in recent weeks but Flanagan, who joined the Reds’ Academy at under-11 level, is rightly proud of his rapid rise through the ranks.

“Last season everything went great for me,” he said.

“To get a run of games like I did towards the end was amazing. I’m a Liverpool fan and I was originally from Anfield but we moved to Childwall when I was about 10.

“This season hasn’t gone as well as I hoped so far but it’s still unbelievable what I’m doing at such a young age.

“It’s every kid’s dream to play football in the Premier League. I’ve already played nine games for the club I support and I want to play more. I just need to ensure I keep progressing.”

Liverpool Linked Again With Transfer Move For Everton Star

Everton utility man Seamus Coleman is once again being linked with a surprise move to bitter rivals Liverpool by fanatix.co.uk.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish worked hard throughout the summer to strengthen his squad and it had appeared as though there would not be anymore transfer activity at Anfiield this season.

However, with the news that Everton are struggling financially and have admitted that they may be forced to sell star midfielder Marouane Fallaini, it seems Liverpool could heap further misery on their neighbours.

Coleman had been linked with the Reds during the summer and it seems Liverpool are once again prepared to make a move for the Irishman and could even offer as much as £10million.

Everton have already lost Mikel Arteta to Everton and striker Jermaine Beckford to Leicester with some suggesting that there could be an exodus from Goodison Park.

Everton owner Bill Kenwright has admitted that the finances at the club are in dire straits and that they may be forced to sell in January.

Coleman has impressed since making the move to Everton and has an ability to play either at right-back or as a right sided midfielder.

The 22-year-old would certainly keep in line with Liverpool's current policy of buying young players that still have plenty of time to learn and develop.

Bellamy Addition Stirs Liverpool Fans

Craig Bellamy was Liverpool's last signing of an expensive summer after he landed at Anfield from Manchester City on a free transfer.

But the Welshman's return to his former club was disappointing as the Reds registered their first loss of the season to Stoke City, who are now a point above Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League table in fifth place.

Liverpool fans are divided over whether the 32-year-old will get going this year, and more still are unsure whether this year will see the Merseyside club break it's five-year trophy drought.

Short of a handshake and a shirt holding ceremony, John O'Keefe got proceedings under way with an official salutation for the returning Welshman, saying: “Welcome back Craig.”

Mike Kemp spoiled the party, saying: “He will be a bench player - nothing more, nothing less. After this season he'll be past it.”

Tame Taba disagreed. He argued that Bellamy has a youthful exuberance that belies his age. He countered with: “He's 32 but got the pace of a 21-year-old player!”

David Siggs agreed that “he will do well”, while others urged Kenny Dalglish to give Bellamy plenty of chance to get going.

Stefan Da Silva said: “Bellamy is a fantastic player and he must be given a chance to play a full 90 minutes because he dominates the game very well.”

Ashlin Adams agreed: “Once Bellamy settles in it's going to be a dangerous strike force.”

But a few held unhappy memories of the striker who made 27 appearances for Liverpool between 2006 and 2007 and scored seven goals.

Edward Dempsey asserted: “He better do better this time around.”

Philip M Kemp-Bell went one further, adding: “He's pants! Utter crap, it didn't work first time, why would it work now.”

While Kieran Hurley, referring to an unconfirmed incident with former Reds left back John Arne Riise, said: “Hope he's forgot his golf clubs!”

Altangerel Enkhtur was more sympathetic. He said: “He does give as a lot of options going forward, doesn't waste chances, and he has pace. All this adds up to one thing. It was a really good signing!”

Grant Mercado wanted to talk about Liverpool's general form and saw Stoke as just a blip. He said: “I'm sure Liverpool will turn in a performance that will match the result against Tottenham.”

But James Morgan was dubious: “You think so?”

Mercado responded: “James Morgan, I know so.”

Morgan added: “See dear, I love Liverpool so dearly but since their failure in getting trophies as they used to, man, I am withdrawing myself, but never the less, we will never walk alone.”

Grant Mercado was patient with his fellow fan, whose faith was clearly wavering. He said: “James Morgan, you have to be positive. The team they have now will give Manchester United and the rest of the top flight a game and come out with a lot of points. As for trophies, we will get one this season and be in the top three.”

Dalglish: Skrtel An Example To All

Kenny Dalglish has saluted the attitude of Martin Skrtel following the defender's impressive displays in an unfamiliar right back role.

The Slovakia international assumed the position following an injury to Martin Kelly in the recent win over Bolton and gave another solid showing in the defeat at Stoke.

The Reds boss acknowledges it isn't a natural fit for the No.37 but feels it illustrates the squad's overall desire to put the team first.

Dalglish said: "He's been playing out of position but it's been no problem for him. He came on against Bolton and was very, very comfortable.

"One of the benefits of this group of players is that they are prepared to play wherever they can get a game.

"They will do their very best and if it is not right, then it is not their problem, it is ours.

"There is no way Martin Skrtel is ever going to let you down through lack of commitment. He's played right-back in the last two games and done brilliantly. He doesn't look out of place to me. If we have to keep him there, then we will keep him there.

"Martin's been given the opportunity and he's done the best that he can. He'll continue to do that and I'm sure if somebody else gets the opportunity they will be exactly the same. I don't think too many of them will put their hands up to play in goal though!"

Dalglish's business in the summer transfer market means competition for places is now as fierce as ever at Anfield.

The Scot admits it gives him plenty of options when selecting his starting XI and insists that his players are aware that rotation will be necessary as the Reds battle for honours on three fronts.

"It's important people understand that there aren't many times that a player gets dropped now. There are going to be changes made at every football club," he said.

"You won't have the same sheet that says the same this August as last August. You just make your decisions and you can judge what you see.

"You also take into account the opposition and your own players. As I said last week, we don't have a team, we have a squad. And we have a very strong squad. That's the most important thing.

"It's logical to think that there will be different faces every week. But not just for the sake of doing it. It is for the benefit of the football club.

"The players get to grips with it better than maybe some other people do. It's just a fact of life that there will be changes."

He added: "If you look back I did it when I was here first (as manager). It was only when someone said there would be rotation that there were objections. Football fans fully understand it and they want to see us play the best we possibly can and get the best results we can."

Dalglish Refusing To Rush Steven Gerrard’s Comeback

Kenny Dalglish is relishing the chance to unleash Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard again – but says he will not rush his comeback.

The Liverpool captain is unlikely to be passed fit to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday despite coming through a training match this week, with the midweek trip to Brighton in the Carling Cup now a more realistic target.

Dalglish says LFC must remain cautious over the timing of Gerrard’s return to first team action following his lengthy lay-off because of a serious groin injury and be careful not to raise expectations by naming the date for his comeback.

Having the England international back will be a significant boost for the rest of the squad says Dalglish but ensuring his return is for good rests on Liverpool showing “common sense”.

“We have just got to be careful,” said Dalglish.

“We are not going to get ahead of ourselves here and start talking Steven up for him not to play.

“That would then be seen as a disappointment. We will just take our time.

“Steven will be back for us when he is fit and well, when the timing is right for everyone. We just need to put the brakes on a wee bit. It sounds like people expect him back (to start) on Sunday. There is no date set for Steven to come back. No date whatsoever.

“He will only play when he is fit and well and when it suits us. That will be it. When he is at that stage, it will be fantastic for everybody but mainly for Steven himself. He loves playing and has been out for a while. The sooner he is back, the happier he will be.

“If you have got someone like Steven in your squad, it is going to raise the profile and the standard. We want to have a really strong squad and him being in it makes it much stronger.

“A fit Steven Gerrard strengthens this football club, no question. There is no player that will ever get taken for granted here. There are players who you will always appreciate what they have done for the football club and he is certainly one of them. He has done as much for the club as anyone else.

“That’s it in a nutshell.”

Gerrard is not the only Liverpool player having to be nursed back to full fitness with Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio also on the sidelines.

Martin Kelly is back in training following his slight hamstring injury and Dalglish says it is vital all the sidelined players are afforded time and patience, no matter how desperate they may be to play.

“We have always said that we have got to manage the situation, not just with Steven but for everybody. Fabio has had a lot of problems and he is totally frustrated that he cannot play. Everybody wants to play.

“But if you have been out that long, you may as well wait until it is right. We are not trying to be anything other than totally realistic and honest in our appraisal with Steven, Fabio and anyone else.”

Agger Slams Rafa And Roy

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger believes the club's current squad is "miles apart" when compared with last season's crop, most of whom were recruited by Roy Hodgson and Rafa Benitez.

The Reds endured a difficult time in the 2010-11 campaign under former manager Hodgson, who was ultimately sacked in January and replaced with current boss Kenny Dalglish.

The Scot guided the club to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League and over the summer Dalglish bolstered his squad with a number of recruits, including Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and Craig Bellamy.

"The coaching staff are helping," Agger told liverpoolfc.tv. "If you look at the squad now, it looks really, really strong with so many good players so I think it is good for us to have the belief to go forward and win games. We definitely have that now and if you compare it to last season, I think we're miles apart."

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."