Liverpool Job May Be Too Big For Hodgson

Roy Hodgson's appointment at Liverpool was greeted by a great deal of skepticism from supporters, but the national media, never too quick to criticize his predecessor Rafa Benitez, were purring.

The Anfield faithful were assured they were taking on a man of dignity, a man with class, and a man that would play the attacking football they craved. Claims that the job was too big for him were laughed off - this is, after all, a man that has managed Inter Milan and two separate national sides.

But Liverpool are a different proposition altogether. One of the two great sides in English football, one of the five biggest clubs in the world and one whose supporters DEMAND success.

The fans probably need to lower their expectations in truth - Liverpool are after all nothing like the force they were - but they have every right to expect more than what Hodgson's men served up at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

And the Londoner's post-match comments hardly screamed out 'class' or 'dignity'. "It was a triumph for Stoke's way of playing," he said.

A backhanded compliment if ever there was one, but he is right of course. It was a triumph for playing with two wingers, it was a triumph for playing with two strikers and it was a triumph for 11 players that fought to the death for their manager and their shirt.

It was a defeat for a side that set up to defend, a side that were disjointed, dispirited, despondent, a side that were clearly not fired up for the task.

The players themselves deserve criticism for that - they proved what they are capable of against Chelsea - but every ship needs a captain and perhaps Hodgson is just not that man.

It has been claimed he does not have the universal backing of the dressing room and that appeared clear as day at the Britannia - Steven Gerrard apart, there was no player that looked willing to fight for the shirt and the manager.

Hodgson hardly has an embarrassment of riches to choose from in fairness, but he is famed for getting the most out of players and that knack seems to have deserted him at Liverpool.

Take Fernando Torres for example - excellent against Chelsea at Anfield, but completely isolated at Stoke. Did Hodgson honestly believe the Spaniard could turn countless long balls into goalscoring chances? Against Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth?!

Torres never had a kick, but it was hardly his fault and he must have been upset with the way his side was instructed to set up - the poor bloke never stood a chance.

Most bizarre of all is that Hodgson does not appear to see any great problem. He declared himself happy with the performance in the derby defeat at Goodison last month and was similarly unperturbed by the showing at Stoke, claiming "I thought we did very well for 55 minutes."

I'm sorry Roy, but you need to clear your desk right away if you think that was good enough for Liverpool. His side was on the back foot from the first whistle and was remarkably fortunate to go in level at half-time but it appears Hodgson would have been pleased with 0-0. Is 'hanging on' at Stoke acceptable for Liverpool these days?

They went to Stoke to defend, to frustrate and to avoid defeat. They were so comprehensively outplayed that a 2-0 loss flattered them. It could easily have been far worse, yet Hodgson accepts it.

"Stoke are a very difficult team to beat here," he argued. True, but would Sir Alex Ferguson accept a Manchester United defeat there? Of course not, and as manager of the other great club in England, neither should you Roy.

Stoke deserve an enormous amount of credit for their performance - they pressed high up the pitch, got the ball wide, gave the front two plenty of service and were full value for their win.

Yes, they scored from a Rory Delap throw, but they also added a fine second and played the better stuff throughout at the Britannia. They were the only side set up positively trying to win the game and there were a good number of their players - not least former Red Jermaine Pennant - that looked a class above their contemporaries.

This was the great, great Liverpool and they were utterly, utterly dreadful. They didn't play "very well" for five minutes Roy, never mind 55 and you need a serious reality check if you think they did.

Hodgson said the chants for Kenny Dalglish do 'not help anybody' but who can blame the fans? They will not accept performances like Saturday's and neither should the manager.

But he does, and for that reason he must be on the thinnest of thin ice.

Liverpool Set Sights On £6m Rated Midfield Starlet

Roy Hodgson is clearly looking to the future, as our new owners NESV who have apparently made it clear that they have a policy to invest in youth which shows a commitment to the future which is of course very laudable but perhaps the club should also be looking to the here and now, especially given the poor start to the season.

Whilst Liverpool have shown a marked improvement of late clearly the Merseyside club is still some way short of the kind of squad that can clinch a top four spot and therefore Hodgson will surely look to bring in some established players to sign in January.

That said, Adam Barton is by all accounts a player with great potential. The 19 year old is a talented central midfielder who would cost Liverpool around £6m though one could argue Hodgson would do better to invest the money in players who are Premier League ready.

Fernando Torres Ankle Injury Doesn't Keep Him Out Of Spain Squad

Liverpool have confirmed striker Fernando Torres will still report for international duty with Spain this week despite suffering an ankle ligament strain against Stoke.

The Reds striker required treatment during the second half of the 2-0 Premier League defeat at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday but still completed the 90 minutes.

Torres will now be assessed by Spain staff ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Portugal in Lisbon.

An injury to Torres, who had hit form with four goals in four games prior to the weekend, is the last thing Liverpool need.

The defeat at Stoke also saw Brazil midfielder Lucas sent off late on after he picked up a second booking.

But manager Roy Hodgson insists his side is not back to square one after their six-match unbeaten run came to an end.

Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones did the damage with second-half goals for Stoke but Hodgson said: ‘I don’t see why it should give us enormous reason to doubt what we are doing or doubt what we are capable of doing.

‘I find it hard to have to explain that every time you win a game things are flying forward and when you get a bad result they are flying backwards.

‘I’m a 38-to-55-game-a-season man and I make my judgment over that period.

‘I don’t think I need to fear one setback in six is going to throw us back into a bad situation.’

Christian Poulsen To Leave Liverpool For Sevilla In January

Christian Poulsen could be set to end his Anfield nightmare by leaving Liverpool for former club Sevilla, according to reports.

Goal.com Spain comments that the Dane is unsettled at Merseyside and craves a move away from the Reds, with los Nervionenses emerging as front-runners to secure his signature.

Poulsen only joined the English Premier League side from Juventus during the summer, but has been unable to secure a first-team place under Roy Hodgson, who wants to make funds available to restructure his team in the winter market.

Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano has demanded new signings be brought in, with central midfielder Tiberio Guarente ruled out until next season with a knee injury while winger Jesus Navas will be missing until the new year as a result of an ankle problem.

Goal.com reported earlier this week that the Primera Division side will look to add at least one new signing in January, with more new names arriving during the summer.

Hodgson Apologises For Comments On Johnson

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has apologized after his comments about Glen Johnson's form were interpreted as a criticism of the England defender.

Johnson has struggled to find any rhythm during an injury-hit start to the season and has missed the Reds' last three matches with a groin problem.

After Liverpool's midweek draw with Wigan, Hodgson said Johnson had not yet reached the level which made him a regular in Fabio Capello's side over the last year.

Reports then emerged claiming Johnson is unhappy at Anfield and that his relationship with the manager has deteriorated.

Hodgson responded after Saturday's defeat at Stoke by insisting he didn't mean to cause Johnson any offence.

"We all want Glen Johnson to find his England form, but that has nothing to do with him being injured at the moment," he said. "That was just a general comment that I think I was entitled to make.

"We have a player with ability and we are hoping he is going to bring that ability to the team because we want to use it help us win matches.

"It is no good being a player with great ability if you are not bringing that on to the field of play.

"We know Glen can and will do that but first and foremost Glen has to get fit and I'm hoping that will be the case by next Sunday (at home to West Ham) because he has made good progress.

"He as well as I knows this season he hasn't reached that form very often - it amazes me that when you make a statement of such obvious voracity people want to make headlines out of it.

"Everyone is saying what I am saying. I hope I am honest and I hope the players are honest.

"I didn't realize I had been accused of criticizing him; I don't normally criticize my players and I'm sorry if that has been suggested."

Kelly: I'll Play Anywhere

Martin Kelly has admitted he is still not sure what his best position will be in the future.

Liverpool's No.34 has earned rave reviews for his performances at right-back in the first XI but he is also equally adaptable at centre-half having began his career in that role at the Academy.

He has also played left-back in the Europa League this season.

"I'm still not sure what my best position is," he told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"I have played at centre-back for England U21s but at the moment I'm playing right-back for Liverpool which I'm enjoying and I am working as hard I can to adapt.

"It doesn't matter where I play for Liverpool and I just look forward to each game and give my best."

It has been a season of major progress so far for the Warrington-born defender. He has been a regular member of Roy Hodgson's squad and also made his England U21 debut.

He was part of Stuart Pearce's squad that qualified for the U21 European Championship finals which take place in Denmark in June 2011, and he is hoping to get the call come the end of the season.

"It's going to be a great summer and we've got a good squad and I am just hoping I will be involved," said Kelly.

"We have got a friendly against Germany this week so hopefully I will get the chance to show the manager what I can do."

Looking ahead to the summer's main event, Kelly added: "Playing in the U21 European Championships would be a fantastic experience for me.

"Being in the set-up with Stuart Pearce is also good for my development and I can learn a lot from him.

"I always enjoy it when I go away with the England U21 squad and I can't wait for Denmark."

Starlet's Anfield Dream

Liverpool record breaker Jack Robinson has revealed how he dreams of starring as a first-team regular at Anfield.

The tough-tackling full-back became the Reds' youngest ever player when he appeared as a substitute on the final day of the 2009-10 Barclays Premier League season at Hull City, aged just 16 years and 250 days.

Robinson is now an established member of John McMahon's reserve squad - but he's hoping to progress sufficiently over the coming seasons to achieve a lifelong ambition of running out in front of the Kop on a regular basis for the senior side.

The 17-year-old told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Having had that little taste of the first team, it's definitely where I want to be. That is my goal - to try and get back there in the next three or four years.

"Hopefully it's a realistic aim. I'm in the reserves now and if I can keep progressing and have a full year with the reserves, then maybe I can be involved in pre-season with the first team next summer.

"Then, if I do well, hopefully I might get a few chances next season."

Robinson was included in Liverpool's first-team pre-season preparations in Switzerland by Roy Hodgson during the summer.

He also figured as a substitute in the friendlies with Grasshoppers and Kaiserslautern.

Robinson added: "A lot of first-team players were there and they helped me a lot, telling me what to do. Even if I did something wrong, they'd pat me on the back, tell me to forget about it and to carry on.

"Roy was very helpful. He was always talking to me and letting me know whether he thought I was performing well or not so good.

"It was a great experience for me."

Liverpool Confirms Five New Directors

Following the termination of the Hicks and Gillett from the Anfield board – the reds have confirmed to the UK authorities the five new directors sitting on the Anfield board. All of whom are members of the NESV consortium.

We reported four of these as confirmed 10 days ago but the paperwork has now been completed and a further director has been appointed.

A company called UKSV (United Kingdom Sports Ventures) has been created to own Liverpool FC. This is a subsidiary of the American group.

John W Henry

Everyone is aware of the front man of the bid from NESV. The 61 year old first took a step in sports club ownership 21 years ago but it was the creation of NESV in 2002 and the purchase of the Boston Red Sox baseball team that has been the most well documented involvement in sports.

Tom Werner (Chairman)

The 60 year old made most of his personal wealth through his job as TV producer. He was a co-founder of NESV along with John Henry, and is currently the Chairman of NESV, Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC.

Jeffrey Vinik

The 51 year old current owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a Florida based Ice Hockey team. After owning his own hedge fund he bought the Ice Hockey team in February this year. He described the purchase of the Lightning as ‘a dream come true’.

David Ginsberg

He is one of two vice-chairmen at NESV. His relationship stretches back a long time as he used to work for John Henry as a fund manager.

Michael Gordon

Described as an investor in the group. He is a former business partner of Jeffrey Vinik from their days running an asset management fund.

Match Report: Stoke City 0 - 2 Liverpool

Liverpool's stuttering mini-revival petered out in dismal fashion as they lost 2-0 to Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

A six-match unbeaten run came to end as they were outfought, outplayed and outmanoeuvred by Tony Pulis' side.

Ricardo Fuller opened the scoring just after half-time and Kenwyne Jones completed a comprehensive victory in the final minute before Lucas Leiva was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The Potters were more than worth their win against a team who appear to have lost their way as quickly as they found it.

They have won away from home only once this season and only three times since last November.

Their first 45 minutes appeared to be a direct continuation of the second half at Wigan, where they had found themselves under almost constant pressure and were lucky to come away with a draw.

Only the returning Sotirios Kyrgiakos had not played in the previous two matches so there may have been an element of fatigue, especially as Stoke played a day earlier on Tuesday.

But no team in the Premier League, let alone a club like Liverpool, can expect to use that as an excuse for an abject and disjointed first-half display.

Roy Hodgson's side appeared unprepared and unable to deal with their hosts' brash, energetic approach which allowed them to dominate the game from first to last.

Stoke were appealing unsuccessfully for a penalty in only the second minute when Maxi Rodriguez leant heavily on Ricardo Fuller as they challenged for Rory Delap's long throw.

It was a sign of things to come as the visitors found themselves being forced back, looking worrying susceptible to Delap's trademark set-piece.

Midfielder Dean Whitehead benefited from weak headed clearances to fire in a low shot which Jose Reina turned around a post and then drill a similar 30-yard effort just past the angle of upright and crossbar.

Jones and former Reds winger Jermaine Pennant also had chances before Steven Gerrard registered Liverpool's first shot in the 29th minute, forcing Asmir Begovic to tip the low effort behind, although the goalkeeper dealt more comfortably with Raul Meireles strike from the resulting corner.

It was a brief retort which was soon forgotten when Jones rounded Paul Konchesky to cross low into the six-yard box, forcing Jamie Carragher to dive in front of Matthew Etherington to prevent the opening goal.

Less than two minutes into the second half Fernando Torres, who had been anonymous previously, was booked for tackling Pennant from behind.

But the real threat was still coming from Delap and Liverpool's inability to cope with his party trick finally cost them in the 56th minute.

A scramble saw the ball break to Etherington at the far post and his cross-shot bounced back off Konchesky to Fuller, whose had his first effort blocked but stabbed home the second from close range.

Despite the stereotype, it was Stoke's first goal from a Delap party-piece in 23 league matches.

Jones almost made it two when Martin Skrtel mistimed his jump but his left-footed effort beat both Reina and the far post.

Liverpool, as they did in the first half, had two chances in quick succession with Rodriguez shooting straight at Begovic from Dirk Kuyt's cut-back and Skrtel firing wide from Kyrgiakos' knockdown of Gerrard's free-kick.

David Ngog and Ryan Babel replaced Meireles and Rodriguez but with Liverpool still unable to gain decent possession of the ball it made little difference they effectively had four strikers on the pitch.

Their embarrassment was completed in the 90th minute when Gerrard gave the ball away and Jones was able to skip past Skrtel to fire home.

The dismissal of Lucas just compounded matters.

In terms of territory and control Liverpool have now lost the last five halves they have played in.

The 45 minutes prior to that had been the electrifying first-half display against Chelsea but team now appears to be on a downward spiral again.

It is a descent Hodgson has to arrest quickly. He left the Britannia Stadium with chants of "Dalglish" - a reference to former player and manager Kenny - ringing in his ears.

Hodgson: Fans Singing For Dalglish Does Not Help

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has expressed his frustration at supporters who chanted for club legend Kenny Dalglish to be put in place as manager during his side's limp defeat at Stoke City.

The travelling fans were heard singing for the Scotsman, who led the side to league titles in the 1980s, during a second half in which the Reds conceded twice and failed to muster many chances to get back into the game.

Asked about the chants, the former Fulham boss told reporters: "That seems to be part of the life as Liverpool football manager.

"We're trying do the best job we can in the circumstances, but I don't think that that singing helps."

The veteran manager was also riled when asked to comment on Glen Johnson, a player he criticized in midweek for not hitting his top form this season, and admitted his disbelief that his frank criticism had hit the headlines.

"We all want Glen Johnson to find his England form," he said. "We've got a player with a lot of ability, and we want to use that to win.

He added: "He knows himself that he hasn't reached that ability - everyone's saying what is obvious."

Hodgson spoke of his disappointment that Liverpool's season had become stuck once again, but admitted that he knew that getting anything at Stoke would be difficult.

"I'm sad that a good run has come to an end," he said. "It was always going to be a tough task, because it's a battle and I knew we'd be hard pushed to win that battle.

"We did OK first half, we dealt with the pressure - in particular the throws, corners and long balls forward. When they scored from a long throw it was always going to be even more of an uphill battle.

"I thought the players stuck at it to the end and did the best they could."

He added: "I can't say my players threw the towel in, and I can't be seen to be making excuses, we lost to a strong team."

Hodgson also revealed that star striker Fernando Torres, who cut a forlorn figure throughout, had picked up a knock, but player and manager refused to countenance a substitution.

"I think we missed Fernando Torres in the second half after the kick he took," he said. "He didn't want to come off, and I didn't want to take him off when you need a goal, but I don't think he was firing on all cylinders."

You Cannot Compare Chelsea And Stoke - Roy Hodgson

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson believes that the unique challenge presented by Stoke City was the reason why his team were unable to continue their impressive recent form.

Goals from Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones condemned Hodgson’s side to their first defeat in four league games, just as it seemed the Anfield club were getting their season back on track.

Indeed, Liverpool had even beaten league leaders Chelsea last weekend as they put together a run of three league wins in a row, prior to Wednesday’s draw at Wigan Athletic.

As such, Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat against Stoke came with an element of surprise, but Hodgson believes you cannot compare the challenges presented by Tony Pulis’ and Chelsea, and that his team coped better with the latter than the former.

"Chelsea and Stoke are two very different teams, aren't they? Today we've been defending long throws and long balls that are knocked forward towards our backline, corner kicks and balls flying into our penalty area,” he told ESPN after the game at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium.

"Against Chelsea, it's a team who are moving the ball across the field and you have to control them - I don't think you can compare games against Chelsea with games against Stoke.

"Every team that comes here knows it's a very 'special' game. What you have got to do is defend as stoutly as we did in the first half and not concede that goal and do more than I thought we were able to do going forward.”

Hodgson believes that his side’s inability to prevent Stoke from getting the opening goal in the game left his side more vulnerable to conceding again.

"When the second goal came I was taking enormous risks and had the centerhalf playing as a centerforward.

"The first goal came again from a long throw, which before we'd been defending as well as we can, but unfortunately after that first goal goes in you have to take a few more risks and throw a few men forward, which almost got us back into the game.

"Unfortunately, it didn't, so we have to accept that we were beaten.”

The Liverpool manager was not looking to evaluate his side’s defeat too closely at this point, but he did not think fatigue was a factor in their loss.

"It's obviously a bad result - every time you lose it's a bad result.

"It is always difficult to give sensible assessments after you've been beaten.”

"I don't think it was a game too far [in terms of having the legs] because I felt we finished the game very strongly. I don't think it's a problem of legs, it's about coping with the problems that Stoke cause any team that comes here with the height and strength of their frontmen and backline.

"We don't have a long throw in our armory and had to deal with that from them and then try to use our weapons and we didn't do that well enough until the last 25 minutes."

Hodgson thought that one reason behind his side’s inability to get back into the game after going behind was an injury picked up by striker Fernando Torres. However, the Spaniard remained on the pitch for the entirety of the game and the Reds boss expects him to be fit for Liverpool’s next game against West Ham on Saturday.

"I don't know whether Torres' injury affected him in the second half, it probably did - so we missed him after the break.

"It's a kick to the ankle and he's also twisted it a bit, but we've got a week so hopefully he'll be OK.”

Liverpool Set For Merseyside Battle For New Torres Partner

Everton have emerged as Liverpool’s biggest challengers in the race to sign Pavel Pogrebnyak, according to Russian newspaper Soviet Sport.

The Russian striker has been linked as one of the strikers on Roy Hodgson’s shortlist but there will be competition from other Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Blackburn.

Now it has transpired that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has pulled out of any potential deal and is concentrating on bringing other targets to White Hart Lane.

And Blackburn have seemingly been ruled out, with Sam Allardyce’s side considered as the least probable to bring the Stuttgart player to Ewood Park and Everton have emerged as the No.1 contenders.

With Liverpool having money to spend in January it seems a striker is on the agenda at Anfield and Pogrebnyak is top of their list.

And now David Moyes is interested in making sure he lands on Merseyside by making an offer to bring the 28-year-old to Goodison Park.

Stuttgart head coach Fredi Bobic has recently confirmed Liverpool are interested, saying: “I have been listening to rumours that Liverpool and Tottenham have their eyes on Pavel.

“It’s a fact. However, none of these clubs have been talking to us about him lately. He is a player of VfB Stuttgart,” the former Bolton striker admitted.

Liverpool Interested In Dortmund Hotshot Lucas Barrios

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is reportedly interested in signing Borussia Dortmund marksman Lucas Barrios. The Anfield manager is desperate to bring in a quality striker to offer support for Fernando Torres and has earmarked a move for the prolific Paraguayan international.

The well built 26 year old has been a remarkable success in the Bundesliga since his move from Cola Cola in the summer of 2009. Barrios has netted 31 goals in 50 matches for Dortmund and has attracted a great deal of interest as his form of late has helped take his side clear at the top of the table.

Roy Hodgson has been told he will receive significant funds to help improve the quality of his squad and the attacking third appears to be the area most in need of boosting. The Dortmund striker is rated at around £14m and his physical presence could help make him a good strike partner for Torres.

Liverpool may have had an upturn in form of late but are still finding goals very hard to come by, managing just 13 goals in 12 Premier League games thus far. Hodgson had attempted to bring in the likes of Roman Pavlyuchenko and Carlton Cole at the end of the last transfer window and now realizes he must try his hardest to bring someone in when the transfer window reopens in January.

Glen Johnson Unhappy At Liverpool

Following Roy Hodgson's questioning of his England slot, right-back Glen Johnson could leave Liverpool.

Johnson arrived at Liverpool last summer and performed solidly last season, having been signed from Portsmouth for a reported £18million.

However, according to the Sunday Mirror, Johnson was furious to hear Hodgson question his England selection and now the right-back has apparently asked for talks with Hodgson and new Anfield director of football strategy, Damien Comolli.

The Sunday Mirror also speculates that Johnson could be sacrificed and sold in order to help fund future Liverpool signings.

Johnson has been injured of late, with youngster Martin Kelly solidly deputizing for him in the Liverpool back four.

Guus Hiddink: Manchester City & Liverpool Approached Me During The Summer

Turkey boss Guus Hiddink has claimed that Liverpool and Manchester City made approaches about acquiring his services during the summer.

The former Russia boss previously had a short stint in the Premier League as an interim manager at Chelsea, where he steadied the ship following Luiz Felipe Scolari's exit to eventually win the FA Cup before resuming his international commitments.

During the summer, however, the Merseyside club was searching for a new boss owing to Rafael Benitez's exit, prior to the appointment on Roy Hodgson.

City, meanwhile, continued their mammoth spending under Roberto Mancini.

"In the summer City and Liverpool both came to me with an inquiry," Hiddink said, according to The Mirror.

"But at my age I don’t want to manage a club again for seven days a week over three years."

Hodgson and Mancini's futures at their respective clubs has been the subject of speculation in recent times.

Reds Suffer Last-Gasp Heartache

Liverpool U18s were left to rue missed opportunities as a last-gasp equalizer earned Everton a 1-1 draw in the mini-derby at the Academy on Saturday afternoon.

Craig Roddan had looked to have put Rodolfo Borrell's side on the road to victory when he powered home a diving header after his initial penalty was well saved on 55 minutes.

However, the Blues responded and snatched a share of the spoils when the hosts failed to deal with a 90th minute set-piece.

It was all the more frustrating for Liverpool after Conor Coady had failed to convert a first-half spot-kick.

Borrell told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It was difficult to take as I felt our overall display deserved more.

"We were the better side in the second half and we played some great football at times. I think the fans that came to watch us will have been happy with the way we played but disappointed to see us concede so late on.

"I think we deserved more and feel sorry for the lads because they did so well against a side that fielded three over-age players."

Liverpool U18s: Belford, Flanagan, Smith, Sama, McGiveron, Coady, Roddan, Sterling, Silva, Emilsson, Ngoo.

Unused substitutes: Stephens, Morgan, Sumner, Walsh, Regan.

Match Preview: Stoke City vs Liverpool

Stoke take on Liverpool in Saturday's evening kick-off in the Premier League at the Britannia Stadium, with both sides looking to kick on off the back of a recent improvement.

The first 12 games of the campaign have been no bed of roses for either side, with the Potters having lost four games straight before they rallied to beat Birmingham 3-2 on Tuesday.

Despite turning their home patch into something of a fortress in their time in the top flight, Stoke have looked vulnerable at the Britannia this term, exemplified by the Blues' two goals in two minutes to level matters, when it seemed the result was in the bag.

Dean Whitehead's late goal to win it however demonstrated the spirit of Tony Pulis' side, but Liverpool will pose far more of a test than they arguably would have earlier in the season.

Pulis has been disheartened by decisions from referees against his side in recent weeks, so he will be keeping his eye on the officials for any contentious issues not going his way.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have picked up their form since their derby defeat to Everton, having now gone unbeaten in their last four league games and finally looking something like the side that frequently sat in the top four of the division.

Wednesday however demonstrated that work was still to be done, when they drew 1-1 with Wigan at the DW Stadium despite seemingly being in control.

Star striker Fernando Torres looks to be getting back to his devastating best, with three brilliantly taken goals in his last two games.

Coming off the back of such a decent spell, manager Roy Hodgson will be confident his side can come away with something from the game, given Stoke's fragile state this season.

But he must be wary that his side have not won at the Britannia in their last two visits, and that this stadium is a place where the wheels have come off for Liverpool before.

At the start of 2009 Liverpool travelled to the Britannia leading the table and with an opportunity to extend their advantage over Manchester United and Chelsea to continue their march towards the title, only to fail in a dour goalless draw.

Then-manager Rafa Benitez's rant against Sir Alex Ferguson's manipulation of referees appeared to be the catalyst for a poor run of form that saw them lose their momentum and miss out on the title to United.

There is arguably as much at stake for Hodgson now as there was for Benitez then, but the 63-year-old knows that a victory would push them towards the top-four place captain Steven Gerrard still feels they can obtain.

It is over 25 years since the Potters beat the Reds, but Pulis' team always have the ability to upset the odds, and Liverpool the constant ability to disappoint.

Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross is likely to make his return to the heart of defence after serving a one-match ban following his dismissal against Sunderland.

Other than that, Pulis may stick with the same side that beat Birmingham, with Danny Higginbotham the most likely to lose his place in favour of Shawcross.

Tuncay however could make a return to the starting line-up after Pulis admitted the recently recovered Ricardo Fuller may not be able to play two games in a week.

Jermaine Pennant should keep his place to face his former club for the first time since leaving Anfield to join Zaragoza in 2009.

Liverpool could welcome back Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Glen Johnson to the squad and the defenders are in contention to start.

Other absentees Jose Cole and Fabio Aurelio have also made a recovery form their knocks and are a possibility for the bench.

Hodgson used Martin Kelly at right-back in their win over Chelsea and draw with Wigan, but is likely to lose his place should Johnson return from his groin injury.

Kyrgiakos, who has had tonsilitis, has been in good form for the Reds, but it is yet to be seen whether he will make it into the starting line-up over Jamie Carragher or Martin Skrtel.

Midfielder Raul Meireles came off at half-time with illness at the DW Stadium, and will be assessed before a decision whether he will play can be made.

Hodgson has no new injury worries and is likely to stick with a similar midfield and forward line, with Ryan Babel and Daniel Agger still longer-term absentees.

Possible starting XIs:

Stoke: Begovic, Collins, Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Delap, Whitehead, Pennant, Etherington, Jones, Tuncay.

Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky, Lucas, Meireles, Gerrard, Rodriguez, Kuyt, Torres

Roy Gets Mixed Injury News

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has had mixed fortunes over his injury list after Joe Cole and Glen Johnson were both ruled out of the trip to Stoke.

He will be boosted however that centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos and goalkeeper Brad Jones have recovered and are set to at least make the bench.

Cole had missed the last three matches after sustaining a hamstring injury against Bolton, whilst Johnson has missed the previous two games with a groin strain.

The news is likely to force Hodgson's hand to make some changes to his side, after selecting the same line-up for their 2-0 win over Chelsea and 1-1 draw with Wigan on Wednesday.

Hodgson admitted that options were thin on the ground, but hoped that he could keep changes to a minimum and that they would be fit enough to last what is likely to be an exhausting encounter at the Britannia Stadium.

"I'm rather hoping that the two and a half days we'll have had after Wigan will have given us time to recover," he said.

"I don't think we've got that many possibilities to make too many changes.

"We've got senior players like Johnson, Cole and Daniel Agger who are not fit to take part in the game, and then it's young players like Jonjo Shelvey, Jay Spearing and Danny Wilson.

"There isn't an enormous luxury to make wholesale changes.

"If we do make any at all it will be the odd one here and there because the team is functioning well.

"The guys who played against Wigan and Chelsea had a very light training session on Friday, mainly just recovery and prevention of injury. A little bit of movement, but nothing serious.

"We're very aware that it's three very important games in six days, so we don't want to leave anything on the training field.

"We want all our energy, vitality and intensity when we go into the match."

Liverpool Line Up Wolfsburg's Diego Benaglio As Possible Replacement For Pepe Reina

Despite Pepe Reina’s denial of reports that he’s looking to leave Liverpool, the Reds have already lined up a replacement for the Spaniard should he depart, according to German reports.

The 4-4-2 Web site claims Liverpool are looking at VfL Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

Bayern Munchen are also said to be interested in the 27-year-old Swiss stopper, who is contracted to Wolfsburg until the end of the 2012/2013 season and is valued €10M-15M.

Benaglio is an extremely reliable goalkeeper. He boasts agility and sharp reflexes, is excellent on crosses and very commanding in his area.

The Switzerland No. 1 is also great in one-on-one situations.

New Torres Partner Could Be Available On A Free

Liverpool and Manchester City have been boosted by the news Italy striker Antonio Cassano will not be welcomed back by Sampdoria after a spat with their president.

After refusing to attend an awards ceremony, Cassano had a blazing row with president Riccardo Garrone, which led to ‘the jewel of Old Bari’ being frozen out of the Genoa-based club.

Now, according to Sky Sports, Sampdoria have asked the Italian league authorities for consent to annul his contract – paving the way for a sensational free transfer elsewhere.

Garrone said: “Obviously Cassano is the best and without him, our team loses a lot. But we will move forward with our decision.”

And the Premier League is a distinct possibility with Liverpool and big-spending Manchester City both interested, but they will face strong competition from Italian side Fiorentina.

Liverpool are currently looking for big name signings, particularly up front, and manager Roy Hodgson has recently stated he is looking for £20 million players to bring to Anfield.

Although Cassano could be available for nothing, he certainly fits the bill of a world class striker and would complement Fernando Torres if he made the move to Liverpool.

Furthermore, Manchester City are always on the lookout to bring the best players in the world to Eastlands and, with the FIFA rules on financial fair play coming in soon, the Citizens will be looking for cheaper players to bring to the club.