Match Preview: West Brom v Liverpool

Both parties would probably prefer to move on from the past, but there will be an inevitable degree of focus upon another Roy Hodgson reunion with Liverpool at West Brom on Saturday evening.

It has been almost nine months since the 64-year-old was sacked at Anfield following a woefully unsuccessful half-a-year in charge of the five-time kings of Europe and much has changed in that time.

Kenny Dalglish is now Liverpool's boss having been promoted from an ambassadorial role and a position working with the club's Academy for a second spell as manager in the wake of Hodgson's departure.

The Kop idol was a constant issue during Hodgson's reign, with it widely recognized most fans would have preferred the Scot to have replaced former boss Rafa Benitez in the summer of 2010.

Dalglish was ultimately appointed, but Hodgson has already got one over on his predecessor after West Brom defeated Liverpool 2-1 at The Hawthorns in April, when two Chris Brunt penalties gave the Baggies a first win over the Merseysiders in 30 years.

Hodgson was characteristically too much of a gentleman to revel in a win against a club which had made him unemployed just 12 weeks previously and instead the focus was upon a success which moved West Brom further clear of relegation.

It was Hodgson's fifth game unbeaten since taking over at The Hawthorns and he will hope for more of the same this season having built a recent run of four Premier League matches without defeat, including back-to-back Midlands derby wins.

Liverpool will also have other concerns away from Hodgson, as Dalglish attempts to find a cure to his side's developing trend for frustrating draws which was epitomized in last weekend's evening match against Norwich.

West Brom will be without striker Shane Long after the Republic of Ireland international was ruled out for six weeks with the knee injury suffered during last weekend's win over Aston Villa.

Somen Tchoyi and Simon Cox will be vying to partner Peter Odemwingie up front.

Midfielders Paul Scharner and Graham Dorrans (both knee) and winger Jerome Thomas (foot) are expected to be fit.

Liverpool are to assess the fitness of star striker Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan sustained a 'little knock' in the midweek Carling Cup win over Stoke.

If fit, the Copa America winner could be partnered by Andy Carroll in attack after the £35million man gave an indication he is finding some sort of form at the Britannia Stadium.

Midfielder Lucas Leiva is available again after missing the draw with Norwich through suspension, but Jay Spearing will be disappointed to drop out after doing well against Stoke.

Daniel Agger is likely to play in the centre of defence after the Dane started his first match in just over a month in midweek following his recovery from a rib injury.

Possible starting XIs:

West Brom: Foster, Reid, Olsson, McAuley, Jones, Brunt, Mulumbu, Scharner, Thomas, Tchoyi, Odemwingie.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Enrique, Lucas, Adam, Downing, Gerrard, Kuyt, Suarez.

Hodgson Wary Of Reds

West Brom manager Roy Hodgson admits his side is underdogs against his former club Liverpool on Saturday.

The Baggies are unbeaten in their last four games and picked up a good win on the road to Aston Villas last weekend.

Despite playing in front of a home crowd at the Hawthorns, the 64-year old is weary of the threat from the Reds.

"Liverpool has done very well this season."

He said. "They have spent quite wisely and brought some very good players into the club.”

Their team is much stronger than it has been in awhile.

We have to be aware that we won't be favourites going into the game, despite playing at home.

"If we are to get anything from the game we have to play at our highest level.”

In our favour is the fact that for the last four or five games we haven't been playing too badly ourselves and we also believe we have good players."

Duo Set For Reds Landmark

Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel could both notch up a century of league appearances for Liverpool if they feature in Saturday's trip to West Brom.

Here are the rest of the facts and stats:

The Reds have drawn the last two league games (Manchester United and Norwich). The last time they shared the spoils in three successive matches was in January 2009 while the last trio of consecutive 1-1 league draws for Liverpool came in December 1988.

At West Brom: Liverpool 23 wins, West Brom 20 wins, 16 draws.

Overall: Liverpool 56 wins, West Brom 29 wins, 33 draws.

Last season Albion won this fixture 2-1. After Martin Skrtel had opened the scoring after 50 minutes the hosts hit back to win the game courtesy of two Chris Brunt penalties on 62 and 89.

Brunt's goals were the first scored by West Brom against Liverpool in the Premier League in the 10th clash. The Reds in those meetings have hit the net 26 times.

Liverpool had shaded the earlier meeting at Anfield thanks to a single Fernando Torres goal.

The Reds have an excellent record at the Hawthorns, winning eight of the last nine fixtures scoring 26 and conceding four. 23 have those goals have come in the last seven visits.

In the Barclays Premier League the clubs have met 10 times with Liverpool winning nine and losing one.

Liverpool has lost only two of the last 16 visits.

The last time these sides played out a goalless draw in the West Midlands was in November 1968.

The 6-0 victory on this ground in April 2003 is Liverpool's biggest ever league win over Albion.

Michael Owen's four-goal haul in April 2003 is the last hat-trick scored by a Liverpool player against the Baggies. John Wark in a 5-0 win in March 1985 is the only other to achieve the feat for the Reds on this ground.

Prior to last season's Hawthorns clash the Reds had kept 9 successive clean sheets against West Brom in the league since 1986.

Andy Carroll scored twice for Newcastle on this ground two seasons ago - but Newcastle lost the FA Cup tie 4-2.

Liverpool go into this game on the back of an unbeaten six game run in all competitions, which along with Tottenham is the longest currently of any top-flight team.

Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel could both make their 100th Premier League appearance if selected.

A win for Liverpool will see them reach 1,300 Premier League points.

If they score three goals they will reach 50 in the league since Kenny returned as manager in January (this is his 28th league game).

Albion's win here last season ended a run of 12 successive league defeats home and away. In those 12 games they had scored two goals and conceded 36.

It was their first home win over Liverpool in 10 games since a 2-0 win in February 1981 and is their only success in the last 20 meetings at the Hawthorns and Anfield.

The Baggies are looking to record back-to-back home league wins over Liverpool for the first time since November 1966.

The Baggies finished last season with their best Premier League finish (11th) - this after being 17th when Roy Hodgson took over in February.

Roy Hodgson was in charge of Liverpool for 191 days - a reign which took in 31 games of which the Reds won 13. In the Premier League he presided over seven wins in his 20 games.

His first league victory as Reds boss came against his current employers at Anfield in August 2010.

From taking over with a dozen games of last season remaining Albion lost only twice under Hodgson - to Chelsea and Wolves.

They avoided relegation from the Premier League for only the second time.

His record as West Brom manager in the league currently stands at eight wins and six defeats from his 21 games.

Last season Albion set an unwanted Premier League record of going 34 games without keeping a clean sheet. The sequence ended with a 1-0 home win over Everton in their penultimate game.

Already this season they have kept more (three) than they did in the whole of last season.

They have beaten Liverpool only twice in the last 33 league meetings and in that time they have scored only 13 goals.

The only League hat-tricks scored by West Brom against Liverpool came in 1936 and 1938 and were scored by the same man - W.G.Richardson.

James Morrison was sent off at Anfield last season Somen Tchoyi made his Baggies debut in that game.

Last season Chris Brunt became only the third player to score 2 penalties in a Premier League game against the Reds. The others were Matt Le Tissier (Southampton) in February 1994 and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford in April 2003.

Albion have scored only two of their last six penalties. Peter Odemwingie and Chris Brunt have each taken three and scored only one of them. Brunt missed a spot-kick at Villa Park last week.

In that game Hodgson's men came from behind to win 2-1 with goals from Jonas Olsson and Paul Scharner. It was their first league win at Villa Park since 1979.

The four games at the Hawthorns this season have produced only six goals with Albion scoring three. They have beaten Wolves, drawn with Fulham and lost to Manchester United and Stoke.

After scoring just three times in the opening six league games they have netted twice in each of the last three fixtures, taking seven points in the process.

Albion are unbeaten in the last four games since going out of the League Cup at Everton last month.

They have 11 points from their opening nine games so far - four points fewer than at the same stage last season.

The Baggies are looking a third successive home league clean sheet in the top-flight for the first time since December 2005.

West Brom along with QPR, Doncaster and Aldershot (all with three) have scored fewer league goals at home this season than any other team in England.

Of Albion's nine league goals this season five have been scored in the opening eight minutes of games.

This will be Albion's 100th Premier League game at the Hawthorns. They have won 30, drawn 25 and lost 44.

Current league positions:

Liverpool: Pld 9 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 2 Goals For 12 Against 10 Points 15 Position: 6th

West Brom: Pld 9 Won 3 Drawn 2 Lost 4 Goals For 9 Against 11 Points 11 Position: 12th

Leading scorers this season (league in brackets):

Liverpool: Suarez 7 (4), Bellamy 2 (1), Carroll 2 (1), Adam 1 (1), Gerrard 1 (1), Henderson 1 (1), Kuyt 1 (0), Maxi 1 (0), Skrtel 1 (1), own goals 2 (2).

West Brom: Long 3 (3), Brunt 2 (1), Fortune 2 (0), Odemwingie 2 (2), Cox 1 (0), Morrison 1 (1), Olsson 1 (1), Scharner 1 (1), Thomas 1 (0).

Gerrard And Suarez Injury Latest

Kenny Dalglish has given us an update on the injury situation at Liverpool ahead of the West Brom game on Saturday.

The biggest concern is Luis Suarez who picked up a knock against Stoke in the Carling Cup but Dalglish said they will wait until the last minute to see if Suarez is fit enough to play on the weekend.

Dalglish said, “He’s had a bit of treatment so we’ll see how is. He’s had a tough time recently, so we’ll see how he is on Saturday.”

Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson did not feature during the week against Stoke and the boss said that he was resting them and that they are both fit to take on West Brom as they are both just coming back from long term injuries.

Dalglish said, “It’s just part of the course of sensibility, I think, with both him (Gerrard) and Glen (Johnson). There’s nothing wrong. They both could have played if they had to play. It was our choice.”

Comolli Personally Scouts Big-Fee Argentine

Damien Comolli has personally led a convoy with two scouts to watch Fabricio Coloccini in action, according to the Daily Mirror, with the Argentine high on Liverpool’s transfer wish list for January.

Kenny Dalgilsh has already purchased Andy Carroll and Jose Enrique from Newcastle, and with Enrique’s connections to Coloccini, Dalglish and Comolli are both said to be hoping that a deal can go through in the next transfer window.

Alan Pardew has admitted that Coloccini has stalled on contract talks with the Toon, and Liverpool are closely monitoring the situation. And with Jamie Carragher pushing the other side of 30, Comolli is hoping to find a back up defender to add depth to the Reds’ squad.

Pardew won’t let Coloccini go to Liverpool on the cheap, with the Newcastle manager most likely demanding a ‘big fee’ for the star, the paper claims.

And with Coloccini’s experience in the Barclays Premier League, the 29-year-old could move into the Liverpool squad very quickly, and play off Carroll and Enrique, with whom he already has chemistry on the field.

Dalglish's Delight At Jose Form

Kenny Dalglish today reiterated his delight at the form of Jose Enrique following suggestions the defender has proved the signing of the summer.

The Spanish full-back has made a seamless transition to life at Anfield in his nine appearances so far following an August transfer from Newcastle United.

And quizzed by journalists on suggestions Enrique was the best buy of any club in the Barclays Premier League during the summer transfer window, Dalglish replied: "We're just delighted to have him. He's not disappointed us in any way, shape or form.

"If other people have an opinion that's fine, but we're the ones who had to make the choice on whether to sign him or not.

"We did and we're pleased we did sign him. He's done really well for us."

Dalglish Demands Swift Resolution In Suarez-Evra Racism Row

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has accused the Football Association of having a disruptive influence, due to its prolonged delay resolving Patrice Evra’s racism claims.

A fortnight on from Luis Suárez’s contentious bust-up with the Manchester United defender, the Liverpool striker, who was accused by Evra of sustained racial abuse, has still not been asked to provide his version of events.

Dalglish says if the accusations are unfounded, which Liverpool insist they are, Evra should face sanctions for tarnishing Suárez’s reputation.

Having already spoken to Evra, the FA is assessing what further course of action, if any, will be required as they continue with what they are calling a ‘thorough process’.

It was expected Suárez would meet FA officials this week, but no decision has yet been taken about whether he has any case to answer.

From the moment the accusations were made, the FA was acutely aware of not only of the sensitive nature of the issue, but also the fraught relations between Liverpool and Manchester United.

They have sought to proceed delicately, but on the back of the more recent controversy surrounding John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, pressure is now mounting for the authorities to find a swift resolution.

Liverpool will certainly be noting the speed with which the England captain is dealt with compared to their own player, who they are eager to be exonerated as soon as possible.

“The quicker these issues are dealt with, the better it is for everybody,” said Dalglish. “It does not matter if it takes two months, Luis has the full support of everybody. But the longer it goes on, the more disruptive it is. I don’t think it really helps anybody.

“If it is as clear-cut an accusation as everybody says it is, then let’s get it dealt with. And let’s make sure the person who is in the wrong gets punished. The FA has not spoken to anybody here. It’s strange, isn’t it?”

Despite a flurry of recent cases where high-profile players have been accused of racist abuse, Dalglish does not believe the English game has been tainted.

“Whoever the guilty party is; the person who said it or the accuser, should get their due punishment,” he said. So we’ll look forward to our case coming to a conclusion. For me, I don’t see racism, as far as this club is concerned anyway, apparent in any way, shape or form. It has to be proved before you accuse. I don’t think it’s prevalent in the game here and certainly not at this club. We’ve got a case going on ourselves which seems to be dragging its feet. We’d rather have it done and dusted.”

Dalglish is also seething that Suárez has been embroiled in a debate about diving, especially since Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was one of those who publicly accused him of going to ground too easily.

The Liverpool manager is concerned Suárez will receive unfavourable treatment if officials believe what he says are scurrilous observations.

Dalglish said: “Every player needs some form of protection and we don’t expect any player to be treated any differently from any other person. But then he should not be suffering either because somebody comes out and makes an outrageous statement that maybe influences referees.

“He just wants to be treated exactly the same as every one of our players. He does not want any favours but he doesn’t want to be pre-judged either. The wee man just gets up and gets on with it. He accepts he is going to get kicked and it does not worry him.”

Dalglish And Wenger Deny Racism Problems

Two top Premier League managers have denied racism is a problem in English football following two alleged incidents this month.

In the wake of accusations made against Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Chelsea and England captain John Terry, both Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger on Friday said racism was not widespread.

Dalglish told reporters: "I don't think it is prevalent in the game here and it certainly isn't at this football club."

Wenger said: "I do not think that, in sport, racism is basically a problem because you are rewarded on merit. However, in society I still think there is some job to do and we are not at the end of it.

"But in sport, overall, I don't think it is a problem."

Dalglish added that he hoped the case against Uruguayan striker Suarez, following allegations that he racially abused Manchester United's French defender Patrice Evra, will be concluded swiftly.

He said: "For me, I don't see racism as far as this football club is concerned, apparent in any way, shape or form. We have got a case going on ourselves which seems to be dragging its feet.

"We would rather have it done and dusted, out in the open, and whoever is the guilty party, whether it's the person who said it or the accuser, get their due punishment.

"We look forward to the case coming to a conclusion."

Clarke Hails Impossible Shot

Steve Clarke believes it would have been impossible for any goalkeeper to save what he describes as a 'very special goal' from Luis Suarez on Wednesday night.

The Uruguay international fired both goals as the Reds progressed to the Carling Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Stoke City.

But it was Suarez's first - involving a nutmeg on Ryan Shotton and a sensational curl beyond Thomas Sorensen - that drew looks of awe from all four stands in the Britannia Stadium.

"We had a great angle from the bench because we were sitting right behind the flight of the ball," first-team coach Clarke told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"As soon as he did the nutmeg on the defender and curled it, you could tell it was always going to end up in the back of the net. Most of us were up celebrating.

"The actual shot, the way it curled away, made it impossible for the goalkeeper to get a touch on it. The little bit of skill was fantastic and the shot was even better."

Liverpool have gone through a period notable for missed chances lately - and Clarke hopes Suarez's antics will be the start of a more fruitful phase.

"The way it's been recently for us, it was going to take either a very lucky goal or a very special goal to turn the luck for us. Wednesday night was a very special goal," he said.

"If you go through a spell where the goals are not going in, all you can do in training is re-emphasize to the players to relax on the shot, take their time, pick their spot. A training situation and a match situation are totally different because you can't replicate the pressure of a match situation in training."."

Henderson: One Game At A Time

Jordan Henderson wants to focus on beating West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday rather than worrying about who Liverpool will meet in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

Kenny Dalglish's men secured a spot in the last eight after coming back from a goal down to beat Stoke City 2-1 on Wednesday night.

After three away ties in the competition so far this season, the Reds will be hoping for a home tie in Saturday's draw, but Henderson is keen to take it one game at a time.

"We are not bothered who we get, and we'll wait for the draw and see what it gives us," Henderson told the club's official website. "We just want to go as far as we can in the competition.

"We now have an important game at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and that is our next concern getting the three points."

The Reds achieved their first win at the Britannia Stadium for over ten years after striker Luis Suarez scored two goals to finish off Stoke.

Henderson added: "I thought we started the game very well and created a lot of chances.

"Even when we went 1-0 down we didn't give up and we always knew we could come back strongly, and we are over the moon with the win.

"The first goal was just fantastic and a bit of brilliance from Luis, but we are used to that because we see it all of the time. The finish was brilliant again from Luis. I just managed to knock the ball back in the box and he did the rest."

Liverpool Alerted To Wantaway Munich Striker

Liverpool has been alerted to Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic, who has voiced his dissatisfaction at being left on the sidelines.

The Croatian, who had been linked with a surprise move to Liverpool over the summer has re-emerged as a target, after revealing to Goal.com his desire to leave the club if he remains on the substitute's bench.

Olic, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, has found himself fourth choice striker, behind Mario Gomez, Nils Petersen and Thomas Muller.

Speaking after Bayern's 6-0 victory over Ingolstadt, in which he was used as a second half substitute, Olic said: "With each workout I feel a little bit better.

"But I was disappointed that I could not play from the beginning. In the end I was happy to come on for a half hour.

"I always hope that I will play. I was injured a long time, maybe I need to have more patience. Nevertheless, I feel well and I've always said that I would not be happy if I did not play. And I will say it again now.

"When I see that I am no longer being given playing time, then I have to think about a change.

"I've always said that I will not be happy if I'm sitting on the bench during the winter of my career. If I cannot play here, then I will try to elsewhere."

Liverpool currently have four strikers on their books, but with Dirk Kuyt often used as a midfielder and Andy Carroll misfiring, Olic would find more first team opportunities at Anfield than the Allianz Arena.

Zamora Dreaming Of Liverpool Move

Cristian Zamora is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Javier Hernandez and make a major impact in the Barclays Premier League.

However, the Chivas teenager isn't interested in joining 'the little pea' at Manchester United, with two of the Red Devils' rivals on the player's radar.

"I hope to go down that same path, because I have the ambition to play at a big club in Europe. I think I'm going in the right direction, because four months ago I was in the lower ranks of the club and now I'm gaining ground," said the youngster.

"Maybe in the future I'll realize the dream of playing for Liverpool and being an opponent for Chicharito in England."

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has spent big on bringing young players to Anfield, with Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson two high-profile examples.

The Reds are also looking to expand their global marketability by bringing players from all over the world to Merseyside, and Zamora could fit the bill from Central America to Liverpool.

Liverpool Alerted By Coveted Croatian Starlet's Transfer Admission

Lyon are ready to part with defender Dejan Lovren for the right price, according to the player's representative.

The 22-year-old has been tracked by a number of European giants, including Inter Milan and AC Milan.

However, following Liverpool's interest in the summer, the player's agent Nikky Vuksan says an offer would be evaluated if one came the player's way.

"I know that many European clubs, including a few Italian and Spanish teams, have made enquiries about the player but so far none of them has made concrete steps or submitted bids," Vuksan said.

"Lyon is going through a difficult time from a financial point, but we're also talking about renewal.

"I think that if we were to get a good offer, then the club would evaluate it.

When asked if the interest from the Milan duo was genuine, Vuksan added: "It would be an honour for us, but at the moment we are only talking about hypothesis."

Liverpool's summer search for a defender resulted in them signing Sebastian Coates.

However, Liverpool's problems at the back, with Daniel Agger's injury problems a constant concern and Jamie Carragher's career coming to an end, the club may again look to youth in the transfer window.

The signing of Coates, as well as that of Jordan Henderson has signalled a new direction for the club, and if their interest in Lovren shows Liverpool is ready to continue that policy.

Liverpool Want England To Be Careful With Steven Gerrard

Liverpool will seek assurances from the Football Association that Steven Gerrard’s workload will be carefully managed in England’s home friendlies against Spain and Sweden next month.

Gerrard only returned to first-team action at Anfield earlier this month after being sidelined since March with a groin injury.

The midfielder, who is expected to win his 90th cap against world champions Spain, was rested by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish for the midweek Carling Cup victory against Stoke City due to concerns over the 31-year-old’s ability to complete three games in the space of a week so soon after his return to fitness.

The Liverpool captain is set to be restored to the team against West Brom this weekend, but having adopted a specialized training program at Anfield since his recovery from groin surgery, the club is keen to avoid his routine being disrupted while away with England.

Liverpool have no issues with Gerrard being selected for the friendly games and the player himself is keen to re-establish himself in Capello’s team after being restricted by injury to just five caps since the 2010 World Cup.

Gerrard is also determined to close in on the milestone of 100 international caps, but Liverpool are keen to avoid the player completing 90 minutes against both Spain and Sweden later this month.

The midfielder’s handling by England has been a source of contention for Liverpool in the past.

The club’s head of fitness, Darren Burgess, criticized England’s handling of Gerrard via Twitter after the player limped out of the 2-1 defeat against France last November.

Burgess tweeted: ‘Unbelievable from all associated with England and English FA with regard to Steven Gerrard’s injury. Completely ignored agreement and past history.’

Relations have improved since then, however. Capello did not select Gerrard in his squad for the recent Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro after Dalglish called on the Italian to be ‘intelligent’ with the midfielder’s fitness following his return from injury.

Liverpool Starlet Ready To Leave Anfield For Loan Deal

Liverpool’s teenage starlet Stephen Sama is ready to leave Liverpool on a temporary loan deal, with Preston North End manager Phil Brown reportedly keen on acquiring his services.

According to The Mirror, Sama has put in a series of impressive performances for the Liverpool reserve side that have been enough to put him on the radar of Brown. The Preston boss now hopes to bring Sama into his side as they make a push for promotion from League One.

Sama signed for Liverpool as a 16-year-old from Borussia Dortmund back in 2009, with the club impressed by his athletic build and physical presence. Sama’s physicality made him ideally suited to the English Premier League, and he progressed quickly to make himself a key player for the Academy.

Notching up 32 matches for the Liverpool Academy as a starter in each one, Sama found himself rewarded with a new contract that will keep him at Anfield until June 2014.

After making his first team debut on 1 August 2011 during a 3-3 friendly draw with Valarenga, Sama solidified his status as a player with real potential and a future at Anfield.

Standing at 6ft 2in, Brown now believes the Cameroonian-born German can deal with the physical demands of lower league football, despite being just 18-year-old.

Sama would join a number of other Liverpool players out on loan, including Alberto Aquilani, Joe Cole, Daniel Pacheco, Stephen Darby, Marin Hansen and Peter Gulacsi.

Chinese Starlets: The Verdict

Academy director of recruitment Stuart Webber believes Liverpool's two Chinese trialists could yet have a future at the club.

Long Chen, 16, and Chen Xiao Mao, 14, have now returned to their homeland following a successful stint in Kirkby.

There are no current plans to make their Liverpool dream a reality, but Webber is keen to commence a long-term program that could help assist with their development.

Webber told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Both boys have done really well. They've probably done better than we thought if we are being totally honest about it.

"They've taken to the training with great enthusiasm but unfortunately, because they are so young, we can't actually sign them at this moment in time.

"What we want to do is set up a program whereby we bring them over again after Christmas; then again next summer as well as in October next year.

"We've seen how they have adapted to this environment and got to know their level of ability. They've both done well and the next step will be us coming up with a proper plan so we can support them.

"We'll see where that takes us over the next year or two. Youth football needs to have a more long-term outlook and hopefully we can come up with a plan that sees us all achieve something out of this."

Match Report: Stoke 1 - 2 Liverpool

A second-half brace from Luis Suarez sent Liverpool through to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup with a 2-1 win over Stoke.

Both managers named strong teams, and a crowd of just short of 25,000 at the Britannia Stadium were rewarded with a first half full of chances that ended with Kenwyne Jones heading in the opening goal after Jon Walters had robbed Sebastian Coates.

But the night was to belong to Suarez.

Nine minutes into the second half the Uruguayan curled an exquisite shot into the corner before, with extra-time looming, heading in the winner five minutes from time.

Stoke were unbeaten at the Britannia Stadium this season, with Liverpool among their victims in the Barclays Premier League in September.

A penalty from Walters separated the teams that day, and the striker came close to giving the hosts an early lead here with an audacious effort from wide on the left that dropped just over the bar with Jose Reina back-pedalling.

At the other end Stoke backed off and allowed Andy Carroll a run and shot that was parried by Sorensen into the path of Suarez, but the ball came to the Uruguayan very quickly and he could only direct it wide.

It was a breathless start to the game, and Ryan Shotton should really have done better than drag his shot well wide when he found himself in space at the back post.

Liverpool were looking marginally the more threatening and Sorensen produced a smart save to deny Suarez after a neat move involving Lucas Leiva and Maxi Rodriguez, while Carroll did not make the most of a free header.

The striker had another golden chance 26 minutes in, shooting straight at Sorensen from 15 yards with Stoke appealing in vain for offside.

The Potters thought they had opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Walters flicked in Rory Delap's long throw but referee Lee Probert felt Ryan Shawcross had impeded Reina and it was disallowed.

They had the ball in the net again nine minutes later, and this time it did count, although it was a goal Liverpool will feel should have been prevented.

Uruguayan defender Coates, making only his second start for the club, was robbed by Walters out on the right and the striker charged into the area before crossing for Jones to head into the far corner.

Nine minutes into the second half Liverpool drew level with a goal of real quality from Suarez. After collecting the ball wide on the left, the Uruguayan nutmegged Shotton before curling a delightful shot into the far corner.

After the glut of chances in the first half, the second was much tighter, with Liverpool coping comfortably with a number of Delap long throws.

Dalglish made his first change in the 82nd minute, bringing on Craig Bellamy for Maxi, and the striker almost made an immediate impact, striking the post with a low effort from 20 yards.

But Liverpool were to get another chance as Jordan Henderson's 85th-minute cross picked out the head of Suarez, who nodded home the winner.

The night ended on a sour note for the striker as he hobbled off moments later to be replaced by Dirk Kuyt, but Liverpool withstood a number of late Stoke salvos to book their place in the last eight.

Dalglish Delighted With Comeback Triumph

Kenny Dalglish hailed the battling qualities of his Liverpool side as they fought back from a goal down to defeat Stoke 2-1 and reach the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

Dalglish said: ''Every win's important but I think the most important thing was that we hung on in there. In the first half I think we missed six chances you normally expect us to put away, at least one or two of them anyway, but they got one in front.

''In the second half the boys dug deep, defended really well, the wee man scored a fantastic goal and then a good header as well. It was important that we finished off some of the football we've been playing, especially the last two games.''

Liverpool had already tasted defeat at Stoke this season having lost 1-0 to a Jon Walters penalty in the Premier League in September, and they went behind again with a goal of their own making.

''You're not going to come here and go away unscathed,'' added Dalglish. ''They normally get a goal from somewhere, that's why they've been successful. We had to match up to them and make sure that when we got the opportunity we passed and moved, and we did that in the first half.

''We're disappointed to lose any goal but the way they came back from it is more important to us. It's never the mistake, it's the way they reacted to it.''

Pulis Bemoans Decisions

Stoke boss Tony Pulis bemoaned decisions which went against his side after the Potters lost to Liverpool in the Carling Cup.

Jamie Carragher was booked after a challenge on Matthew Etherington on 21 minutes before Jon Walters had the ball in the net with a header from a Rory Delap throw-in but Ryan Shawcross was adjudged to have impeded Jose Reina and the goal did not count.

Stoke then took the lead via a Kenwyne Jones header but Luis Suarez notched a brace to win it for the Reds, although Peter Crouch had a penalty shout turned down late on.

Pulis had no quibble with the result at the end, telling Sky Sports: "I thought Liverpool were better, more so first half than second half.

"I thought we were much more even contest second half but they played really well first half Liverpool and fair play to them.

"We were pretty fortunate to be coming in one-nil up but like I say second half it was much more even-steven.

"I didn't think there was a lot of chances second half and he's made one himself - great, great goal, great finish and the second goal is a good finish as well."

But the Stoke boss thought the club had the rough end of the decisions from referee Lee Probert.

He said: "Carragher's a smashing lad and a great pro and I've got a lot of respect for him but the challenge is a bad challenge.

"If he gets what we think a Stoke City player might get, then he's off and that's 20 minutes.

"The other two incidents, the goal that we score from a long throw, we don't think is a free-kick and especially when you compare it to what the lad's done on Crouch in the second half. And the referee has good views on all three decisions.

"We just want even-stevens, we don't want nothing more than Liverpool but we don't want nothing less as well and we think we got the rough end of it from a referee that has disallowed a great goal that we scored at Aston Villa a couple of years ago and also a great goal from Tuncay last year at Everton that he disallowed.

"We're really disappointed in respect if he's going to give the incident down one end and disallow that goal, then he's going to give a penalty for the lad (Crouch) because he can see it.

"You can't have rules in one box and not the same rules in the other box."

He added: "The disappointing thing is, like I say, for me Liverpool first half fair play to them and to Kenny were a better team than us, they played much better than us, created good chances and Thomas made some very, very good saves.

"Second half was more even-stevens, the disappointing thing is we're sat here talking about three incidents again that are very, very contentious that have gone against us and gone for Liverpool."

Liverpool Ready To Step Up Chase For Defender

Liverpool is ready to step up their chase for long-term Arsenal target Jan Vertonghen, according to Footy Bunker.

The versatile Ajax player can player in a number of positions including centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield – something which may appeal to Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish with the Reds yet to keep a clean sheet at home this season.

Vertonghen, 24, has been heavily linked with Arsenal in the past with rumours even suggesting Belgian team mate Thomas Vermaelen has convinced the player to sign for the Gunners.

However, if Liverpool is ready to make their move this coming January then they could beat Arsenal to the signature.