Why Liverpool Should Break The Bank To Sign Carlos Tevez

A look at the Liverpool’s goals for column, despite spending £57.3m on two strikers, doesn’t make the happiest reading for Liverpool fans. Profligate against Stoke, unable to finish off Manchester United and a draw at home with Norwich means we currently sit ten points behind City and have scored the least goals of clubs in the top six. Tevez scores goals, loads of them, and you can argue until you’re blue in the face that he is too similar to Suarez in style because you’re wrong. Tevez is far more direct than El Pistolero and also scores his fair share of long-range screamers. If we are to have any chance of holding off Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and even Newcastle in the race for third or fourth then we need to score more. The prospect of Suarez and Tevez playing together makes me moist around the gusset.

Both literally and figuratively, Tevez has the appearance of a wounded animal, and we have seen what he can do when he has a point to prove. He dragged City out of the mire time and time again the season past and, when given a bit of love, is beyond talismanic. His effort is inhumane, his effect on the players around him palpable and, when all is said and done, he is properly world class. Releasing the hound from January onwards would be a masterstroke if we can justify paying the £200k a week to take him on loan. He needs to play well to get a long-term move somewhere, we are still a few players short.

I had hoped, when Bellamy arrived, we would see more of him in tandem with Suarez and less of the tractor. And while Carroll has started to improve, his presence up front dictates a certain style of play. Tevez is technically as good as anyone in the Premier League, he is like Suarez in his ability to pop up everywhere and become the apex of several rapid fire triangular passing movements in quick succession and can play anywhere in a front three.

With all of this in mind, do I think Dalglish will even be looking at him? I’m not sure, I’ll admit to being mighty confused so far as to his transfer policy and, even if I’m still in the ‘it’s Kenny, why worry?’ club, a fellow supporter did whisper to me yesterday ‘what if Benitez had been given this level of financial support’ and I came away feeling a bit weird. But that is a separate article for another time. When Bellamy signed on a free I said that there was no better free signing in the league, with Tevez I feel the same in a loan capacity. There are obviously innumerate hoops to be jumped through for this transfer to happen, namely Mancini’s probable reluctance, but I’d be slightly worried if the board and management team didn’t at least give the idea some consideration.

Reds To Swoop For Huddlestone

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is lining up a New Year move for Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone, according to reports.

Huddlestone moved to Spurs from Derby back in 2005 when the current director of football at Anfield, Damien Comolli, was working at White Hart Lane.

The Frenchman is ready to try and tempt the 24-year-old away from London and up to Liverpool.

The Reds appear to be blessed in the middle of the park with plenty of options, although Steven Gerrard's ongoing injury situation at Anfield continues to cause concern, so where they would fit Huddlestone in is unclear.

Huddlestone would have to prove his fitness before any move materialized as he is currently ion the sidelines until December after undergoing surgery on his right ankle.

New Injury Setback For Gerrard Could Hamper England Return

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard could have his hopes of getting back into the England team dashed as a result of his fresh injury concerns, according to the Guardian.

The midfielder missed the Merseyside outfit’s win at West Brom last weekend after infection set in on his ankle following a knock in training last week, hampering his recovery from a previous injury and he has not featured in a game for the Reds since their draw with Manchester United over two weeks ago.

Gerrard is understood to have a cast on his ankle and Liverpool are said to be considering the method of treatment on Tuesday, but the setback is threatening 31-year-old’s hopes of taking part in England’s two upcoming friendlies against Spain and Sweden at Wembley, with manager Fabio Capello set to announce his squad for the games on Sunday.

The Italian is expected to choose a more youthful outfit, but if Gerrard were to be fit for the games he could be given the nod after having not appeared for the Three Lions in a year, with his last showing coming against France at Wembley.

Dalglish Battles Mancini For Experienced Inter Milan Defender

Kenny Dalglish is set to go head-to-head with Roberto Mancini in the battle to sign Inter Milan defender Christian Chivu, according to reports in the Italian media.

The vastly experienced defender is out of contract in the summer and it appears as though the Italian club will not offer him a new deal.

The 31-year-old has been a regular for Inter Milan since moving from Serie A rivals Roma and has played 97 league games in his four year spell with the club.

Chivu has 75 caps for Romania and in his time with Inter Milan has won three league titles, two Coppa Italia's as well as the Champions League in 2010.

Liverpool and Manchester City are both said to be interested in landing the versatile defender and with Chivu being available on a free transfer they may be able to offer substantial wages.

The left-back, who can also operate in the centre of defence, cost Inter £14million back in 2007 but it is believed that he is ready to find a fresh challenge in the Premier League.

Dalglish is not yet happy with his defensive options as the Reds have struggled to keep clean sheets this season. However, Mancini knows the defender well from his time in charge of Inter and could yet attempt to bring Chivu to the Etihad.

Luis Short-Listed For Ballon d'Or

Luis Suarez's sensational first year at Liverpool has seen him emerge as a contender for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

The Uruguayan's scintillating form for both club and country has led to countless plaudits over the past 12 months, culminating in his inclusion in a 23-man short-list.

The No.7 has found the net 11 times in 26 matches for the Reds so far, including a stunning brace in the recent Carling Cup triumph at Stoke City.

The striker also notched four goals as he helped his country secure the 2011 Copa America title where he was named player of the tournament.

The former Ajax man's impact at Anfield has been such that it has even left manager Kenny Dalglish searching for the superlatives to describe his influence on his Liverpool side.

Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero and Nani are the other three Barclays Premier League stars on the list, while no fewer than eight Barcelona players are included.

The winners will be revealed at the second FIFA Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich on January 9, 2012.

Academy Duo Award Youngsters

Academy youngsters Adam Morgan and Joe Rafferty paid a special visit to Speke's Goals Centre on Monday.

The duo dropped by to hand out certificates to 60 local children who had taken part in Liverpool FC's half-term soccer camp at the centre.

LFC Community Coach Dave McParland said: "We have had the facilities off Goals Soccer Centre for free which is fantastic and we'd like to say a big 'thank you' to them.

"We have had over 60 children from local schools come down for a week between 10am until 3pm and it has been a great experience for them."

Striker Morgan added: "The facilities at Goals Soccer Centre are absolutely fantastic and it was great to meet the kids and put something back into the community.

"Before I came to Liverpool we didn't have facilities like this and I was playing Sunday League football, so the kids can only benefit from something as good as the one in Speke."

During the camp, the kids were also given talks about vital social issues and the importance of working together as a team.

Club Chaplain and Community Manager Bill Bygroves said: "I think this is vitally important in all sorts of ways.

"Not only does it keep the children fit and healthy it is a great way for the club to engage with its community and to partner with the Goals centre.

"They had a wonderful time and learnt some new skills and important social messages.

"We gave them a little cameo of our Truth for Youth messages we take into schools which are very important telling them about racism, bullying, knife crime and the importance of being a good person."

Morgan Strikes As Reds Sink Bolton

Liverpool Reserves produced another exhilarating display of attacking football to overwhelm Bolton 3-1 on Tuesday afternoon.

Second-half goals from Suso, Adam Morgan and Raheem Sterling did the damage as the young Reds made it two wins on the spin in the Barclays Premier Reserve League North.

Michael O'Halloran grabbed a late consolation for the visitors but it did little to take the gloss off an accomplished showing.

It means Rodolfo Borrell's team have now taken six points from their first four league matches and will go into next Monday's trip to Blackburn in high spirits.

Ahead of a sun-drenched encounter in Kirkby, the Spaniard had called upon his side to approach Bolton with the same hunger and desire that had seen them convincingly put Chelsea to the sword.

The former Barcelona coach was without Hungarian starlet Krisztian Adorjan who was away on international duty but was buoyed by the inclusion of first-team squad members, Jon Flanagan and Danny Wilson.

The visitors came into the contest on the back of five defeats in their first seven league games and the Reds looked to take advantage of their low confidence early on.

Indeed, it could have been 1-0 inside 90 seconds when Morgan let fly from distance, but his shot arrowed inches past the upright.

Less than a minute later they were at it again but Sterling's tap-in was ruled out for offside after Morgan was brought down attempting to round Jay Lynch in the Wanderers goal.

The No.9, who had passed his driving test just hours earlier, looked eager to make it a day of double celebration and almost finished off a neat move soon after when he fired Sterling's cutback into the side netting.

Having survived the quick-fire peppering of their goal, Bolton started to grow in confidence and Topi Obadeyi was unlucky to see his stinging effort flash just wide of the far post.

Jack Sampson then wasted a glorious chance to put the away team ahead before Morgan repeated the trick when he somehow contrived to steer Suso's pass off target on 25 minutes.

Next, the Spaniard jinked his way towards the edge of the box and lined up a low shot that was easily claimed by Lynch.

It had developed into an even contest and Bolton came close yet again when Josh Vela failed to connect with a left-wing cross. The Reds could only half-clear their lines and Martin Hansen was relieved to see O'Halloran's piledriver crash into his near post side netting.

On 44 minutes Borrell's team almost snatched the interval advantage when Sterling exchanged a delightful one-two with Suso, but the winger could only stab wide when faced by the advancing Lynch.

A goal was the only thing missing from a vibrant Liverpool display but any concerns it was going to turn into an afternoon of frustration were ended within four minutes of the restart.

A free-kick was awarded on the right-side of the area, allowing Suso to step up and curl a deflected shot beyond Lynch and into the far corner of the net.

It gave Liverpool the confidence-boost they needed and after weathering a short period of Bolton pressure they doubled their lead on 62 minutes.

Conor Coady found Michael Ngoo in space, who in turn picked out the run of Morgan. The young striker was determined to get his goal and this time made no mistake with a cool, low finish from the right-hand side of the area.

To their credit, Bolton responded and Wilson was forced to make a tremendous last-ditch block to deny Vela after Obadeyi had got in behind the Reds rearguard.

The visitors' desire to reduce the arrears inevitably left gaps at the back and 19 minutes from time it was three.

This time Morgan turned provider, steering a sublime ball in behind the defence for Sterling to race through and tuck home at the second attempt.

At this point it looked like Liverpool would continue to add to the scoresheet but it was Bolton who were celebrating next as O'Halloran tucked home from close range following a neat counter attack down the left.

With time running out both teams came close to adding to their respective tallies, but it wasn't to be, on an afternoon when the reserves once again illustrated their huge potential.

Jamie Carragher Opens New Football Pitches In Netherton

Liverpool FC star Jamie Carragher officially opened the country’s newest community outdoor football pitches.

The Reds defender joined players from Bootle Bucks and Netherton Rangers junior sides to unveil the venue in Glovers Lane, Netherton.

The redeveloped site, run by Sefton council, has four five-a-side and two seven-a-side pitches.

They are located next to Netherton Activity Centre.

Bootle-born Carragher said: “These facilities are vitally important to Netherton and Bootle and we are very proud of them.

“I remember playing at the NAC as a kid and it is a lot better now with these excellent pitches.

“It is a tough time economically so it is great for parents to bring their children here – it will keep their children fit and give them lots of enjoyment.”

The pitches cost around £700,000 and were designed with latest 3G technology, consisting of long rubber infill and synthetic grass.

The entire rebuilt NAC site cost £6.2m and it includes a leisure centre, fitness rooms, library, a sensory facility for disabled visitors and a large IT suite.

Carroll - Squad Can Cope

Andy Carroll believes Liverpool have the squad to cope without the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

The club's long-serving duo were absent for Saturday's Premier League clash with West Brom, a game the Reds won 2-0.

Carroll scored Liverpool's second on the stroke of half time and he admitted that it was tough without Carrgher (calf) and Gerrard (ankle).

However, the former Newcastle man was pleased with the club's replacements and admits when the pair return it will provide a boost.

"It was tough not having Stevie or Carra in the squad," Carroll told the Liverpool Echo.

"They are great players and we need them in the team once they've got over their little niggles.

"But we have fantastic players that can come in. The game showed we've got lads who can step in when needed and do a job.

"We showed what we can do. We passed it around well and deserved the three points."

Carroll played alongside Luis Suarez up front and the 22-year-old marksman was delighted to be paired with the Uruguay international.

"Luis is a great player who works so hard for the team and it's nice to have him up top with me," he continued.

"Luis drops off, gets the ball into his feet, can dribble with it and slip people in.

"I couldn't name a better player in the Premier League than Luis. He's fantastic to have in the squad. He makes chances and scores goals himself so he's a great all-round player and he showed that again.

"We just try to stretch defenders and try to make the pitch as big as possible.

"Luis makes it easy playing alongside him. I think we played well together and hopefully that will carry on."

Liverpool Plot Surprise Bid For Tottenham Attacker

Liverpool have emerged as shock contenders to sign Tottenham midfielder and Mexican international, Giovani Dos Santos.

The attacking midfielder arrived at White Hart Lane from Barcelona in 2008, but has made more appearances on loan away from the club in the three years since then. The 22 year-old has enjoyed decent success on loan with the likes of Ipswich Town, Galatasaray and most recently, Racing Santander.

The attacker was somewhat forgotten at the North London side but since making the move to La Liga, seems to have revived his profile somewhat.

Although dos Santos is thought to prefer a move to warmer climates, if the Merseysiders will meet the £9.7m price-tag of the Mexican star, they could tempt Spurs into selling.

This would be something of a surprise move for Liverpool to make but it is worth noting that Anfield’s director of football Damien Comolli was the man who brought Giovani Dos Santos to White Hart Lane from Barcelona so clearly the Frenchman values the Mexican youngster.

The 22 year old has made just two Premier League starts since his move to North London over three years ago and appears to not be part of Harry Redknapp’s first team plans. Given that Daniel Levy did not hand the Tottenham boss much in the way of a summer transfer fund boost it seems plausible that any decent bid for Giovani would be accepted.

Giovani dos Santos is an adaptable attacker who can play either in an advanced central midfield floating role, out wide or in the hole behind the strikers. He is young and clearly has the raw potential to make a name for himself and his top performances for Mexico prove he has the ability to follow up on that potential.

Liverpool has a number of midfield options but may feel that a new attacking weapon would come in handy. Though the likes of Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing were brought in over the summer the Merseyside club also lost Raul Meireles and sent out Alberto Aquilani and Joe Cole out on loan, with neither looking likely to be part of Dalglish’s long term plans.

Dalglish Faces Competition From Italy For Talented Croatian Defender

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is concerned about his options in the centre of defence and is keen to bring Croatian centre-back Dejan Lovren to the club in January.

The Reds have struggled to keep clean sheets this season and have conceded 10 goals in 10 league games so far this season, leading Dalglish to believe he needs to strengthen his defensive options.

The 22-year-old has become one of the most sought after defenders in Ligue 1 after a string of superb performances for Lyon and the Croatia national team.

Lovren has become a regular under Slaven Bilic and recently scored his first goal for Croatia in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Malta.

Lyon are desperate to keep hold of the 6ft 2" defender but are aware that there is plenty of interest in the player not only from England but also Italy.

Lovren's agent Nikky Vuksan revealed that there is interest from the Premier League with sides hoping to sign the player in the New Year.

"Many top clubs in England have spoken to us in recent weeks and also [clubs] in Italy," Vuksan said.

"Lyon know that and I think the leaders should think about it if they finally receive a good offer."

Bolton Line Up January Double Swoop For Liverpool Starlets

Bolton Wanderers are hoping to take Liverpool duo Raheem Sterling and Jon Flanagan on-loan in the January transfer window.

Manager Owen Coyle is desperate for new recruits to salvage his team’s season after two wins all season has left his side second bottom.

Winger Sterling, 16, is one of the most highly-rated teenagers in England and Coyle insists he can help the teenager’s development in the same way he has done for Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge.

The England U17 international is yet to make his first-team debut and following the Reds summer recruitment drive is unlikely to feature this season.

Defender Flanagan, 18, has made nine appearances for the Reds so far but as Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly are now fit his chances of any action is greatly reduced.

Coyle is in need of a right-back with major doubts arising over Paul Robinson and the injury to Tyrone Mears.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is willing to let the youngsters go on-loan to give them first-team experience but this may change by the new year depending on injury and form of his current regulars.

Jordan Ibe Offered Multi-Million Pound Package To Snub Liverpool

Manchester City are ready to offer Wycombe starlet Jordan Ibe a multi-million pound package, in a bid to beat Premier League rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United to his signature.

The 15-year-old shot to fame with a superb goal against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, in his first professional start, following a series of impressive substitute appearances.

Ibe's strike helped seal a place in the Wycombe history books, as their youngest ever scorer, but with a host of Premier League sides now stepping up their interest, it looks like his days as a Chairboys player are numbered.

Manchester United came close to sealing a transfer in the summer, but rivals Manchester City have now made approaches to the players agent, offering a package that includes a house and car for the family, on top of a four-year development based contract.

The deal is attractive, but it's thought that Ibe would prefer a move to United or Arsenal instead, despite the financial incentives being offered up by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

A switch in the forthcoming January transfer window is looking increasingly likely, but with such competition for a player manager Gary Waddock said this week can 'play at the highest level', there are a number of twists and turns still to come.

Liverpool's Young Defender Signs New Long Term Deal

Liverpool left-back Jack Robinson has been handed a new long-term contract at Anfield after impressing manager Kenny Dalglish over the past six months.

Last season the 18-year-old was called into action on a number of occasions as Paul Koncheskey was sent out on loan and Fabio Aurelio was sidelined with an injury.

Dalglish is said to have been impressed with the assured performances of the youngster and has kept Robinson around the first team squad ever since he played against Arsenal and Manchester City last season.

Robinson joined the club at Under-10 level and became the youngest ever player to play for Liverpool when he made his debut against Hull in May 2010 aged just 16 years and 250 days.

The defender has made five first team appearances and is considered back-up to Jose Enrique who has impressed since making the move to Anfield in the summer.

"I was going for my lunch and I saw Damien Comolli (director of football) on my way through," said Robinson. "He pulled me to one side and said the club wanted to offer me a new contract.

"I'm delighted. There was no doubt in my mind, I was just so excited the club were offering me a contract. I've just got to keep working hard in training. I can't just sit back on this contract. I've got to keep improving and showing people what I'm about."

David Cameron Apologizes For Offensive Hillsborough Remarks

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron apologized for comments he made about the "Justice for the 96" campaign. A Downing Street spokeswoman claims his words were misinterpreted and he did not intend to offend victims' families, according to the Daily Mail.

"The Prime Minister regrets if any offence has been caused," the spokeswoman said. "He didn't in any way mean any offence. His intention was quite the opposite. He was actually expressing his sympathy for how hard it can be to find closure coming to terms with grief."

In April 1989, 96 Liverpool fans were killed and hundreds more were injured because of overcrowding in the stands at Hillsborough Stadium. Early newspaper reports blamed the tragedy on Liverpool fans. Subsequent investigations cited crowd mismanagement by local police as the principle cause of the tragedy.

Since then, the victims and their families have tirelessly campaigned for authorities and officials to release all documents and information relating to the Hillsborough tragedy. The campaign is an effort to "clear the names of the dead," according to Brian Reece.

Cameron compared the campaign to "a blind man, in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there," prompting an outcry.

During the PM's question time in Parliament, Cameron was pressed by Liverpool MP Luciana Berger to apologize for the comparison. She called them "grossly offensive" to the victims and their families.

Stanley Black & Decker Join LFC

Liverpool Football Club has announced a new addition to its growing family of commercial partners. Stanley Black and Decker Inc will become the club's official partner in the tools and security categories on a worldwide basis.

Stanley Black and Decker Inc has been raising its profile globally through the Barclays Premier League during the past two seasons, and now it has partnered with one of the world's most iconic brands in football.

LFC Managing Director Ian Ayre said: "The Stanley and Black & Decker brands enjoy great heritage and tradition, much like Liverpool FC, and we look forward to working with Stanley Black and Decker on a global basis.

"Stanley is an excellent organization and fits very well into our family of sponsors and we are proud to join them and help take their engagement with football fans to the next level. The deal comes at an exciting time for Liverpool FC as we continue to announce a number of new partners, which will strengthen our commercial business."

Scott Bannell, VP of Global Corporate Brand Management for Stanley Black & Decker, added: "We are a 168-year-old company, and we are excited to be partnering with a club such as Liverpool that was founded in 1892, and is the most successful and iconic football club in the EPL, and one of the most popular and well-known football clubs in the world. Its rich history and tradition of excellence makes Liverpool a perfect fit with our own brands.

"Liverpool's heritage as a football powerhouse, its passionate and global fan base with more than 200 fan clubs in more than 40 countries, and dedication to success, is all in perfect keeping with our strategic goals to support and increase global brand recognition and sales activities for our portfolio of world class brands.

"This partnership with Liverpool FC will play an important role in continuing to effectively promote the Stanley Black & Decker portfolio of brands, and we are excited to now be a part of the Liverpool FC family."

Liverpool Ready To Raid German Champions For Top All Round Striker

Liverpool is close to making an official bid for Borussia Dortmund 23 year old Polish International striker Robert Lewandowski according to reports in Germany.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is still looking to strengthen his front line despite spending tens of Millions on strikers in the summer and has apparently identified Lewandowski has just the sort of player he wants and likes.

Liverpool had looked set up front with the purchase of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll but below standard performances from Carroll and a lack of depth up front have convinced Dalglish that he needs more competition and cover up the front.

Lewandowski is not an out and out scorer but more of an all round front man, he makes as many assists as goals and is the perfect man for an out an out striker to feed off.

A fee in the region of £8 Million should be enough to land the Polish International who cost Dortmund £4 Million back in June 2010.

Kenny Dalglish Hails Strength Of Reds Squad

Kenny Dalglish believes the fact Liverpool performed so well at West Brom without skipper Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher underlines the strength of the squad he has built.

The Reds overcame the loss of the experienced duo to beat the Baggies 2-0 thanks to goals from Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll.

Gerrard was sidelined with an ankle infection and Carragher missed out after picking up a calf injury in the midweek win at Stoke City.

However, Dalglish is hopeful they will both be fit for next Saturday’s home league clash with Swansea City.

“We are certainly much better with them in the squad than out of it,” Dalglish said.

“They have done magnificently for this football club and they will continue to do magnificently for us too. They will continue to make a contribution.

“I suppose it is a reflection on the strength of the squad when the two talismanic figures aren’t playing and you still come and put on such a top performance.

“Steven was in my mind for the game but it just flared up. We’ll have a more accurate idea on Monday or Tuesday when we return to training.

“Will he be fit for England? I haven’t got a clue. It’s nothing to do with any injuries before, it’s an infection. I suppose it’s like having an abscess on your mouth.”

Dalglish was delighted with the Reds’ overall performance which featured another stunning display from Luis Suarez, who was instrumental in both goals.

The Uruguay international won the penalty for the opener from Adam and then set up Carroll for the second.

“I said last week I had run out of superlatives about Luis. And I’ve not educated myself in three or four days, so what I said then stands now,” Dalglish said.

“He’s a fantastic footballer and I think for us there were a lot of excellent performances out there. There’s not one player who played for us that could be disappointed with their performance.

“Luis and Andy haven’t played that many games together and I thought they did well. I’m sure everyone in our squad is appreciative of what Luis does, but I’m sure that also applies the other way.

Charlie Adam Delighted With Andy Carroll Contribution Against West Brom

Charlie Adam paid tribute to striker Andy Carroll after Liverpool FC’s record signing grabbed his third goal of the season in the win at West Brom.

The LFC midfielder was hugely impressed with the performance of Carroll, who wrapped up the points with a neat finish just before half-time.

“The big man was unbelievable and the finish for our second goal was terrific,” Adam said.

“Once we got the goal it changed the complexion of the game. I thought we played well in the first half.

“Second half, we never kept the ball as well as we should have and it’s something that we’ll maybe have to get better at.”

Adam, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot, admitted it was a crucial victory for Kenny Dalglish’s side after recent draws against Manchester United and Norwich City.

“We’re disappointed with some of the results we’ve had this year,” he added.

“Last week (against Norwich) we had numerous chances and could have finished it off but that’s what happens when you play in the best league in the world. If you don’t score you can get punished and we did.

“We’ve done that a couple of times this year but against West Brom we deserved to win.”

Andy Carroll Hails His Strike Partnership With Luis Suarez

Andy Carroll believes his double act with Luis Suarez is starting to click as he hailed his Liverpool strike partner as the best in the Premier League.

The Reds’ record signing is targeting an extended run in Kenny Dalglish’s side after netting his third goal of the season in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at West Brom.

Carroll impressed on his first league start for nearly a month but admitted he owed a debt of gratitude to Suarez, who produced another man of the match display alongside him.

“Luis is a great player who works so hard for the team and it’s nice to have him up top with me,” Carroll said.

“Luis drops off, gets the ball into his feet, can dribble with it and slip people in. We just try to stretch defenders and try to make the pitch as big as possible.

“I thought it was a good move for my goal. Luis put me in and I had time to take a touch and slip it past the keeper. It was great to score again – there’s no better feeling really.

“Luis makes it easy playing alongside him. I think we played well together and hopefully that will carry on.

“I couldn’t name a better player in the Premier League than Luis. He’s fantastic to have in the squad. He makes chances and scores goals himself so he’s a great all-round player and he showed that again.”

After scoring in the derby victory at Goodison at the start of October, Carroll found himself on the bench for the league games against Manchester United and Norwich City.

However, the £35million man was recalled by Dalglish for last week’s Carling Cup win at Stoke City and retained his place against the Baggies.

Carroll is desperate to become a permanent fixture in the Liverpool side.

“I’ve been disappointed to be sat on the bench,” he said. “But when you are left out it just makes you work harder the next day in training to get your place back.

“We have a big squad, players come and go every week. It was a different XI at West Brom compared to the previous week and the week before that. Everyone is fighting hard in training for a place.

“I’ve been working hard every day to get my fitness up and to try to get a place in the team and I think I earned it.

“I thought I played well against Stoke and again on Saturday – to get a goal made it even better. We will have to see what happens next weekend. I want to get my name in the starting XI every week.”

Liverpool slipped back to sixth place following Spurs’ win over QPR yesterday but they are only one point adrift of third-placed Chelsea.

The Reds have now gone seven games unbeaten in all competitions and Carroll believes the fact Saturday’s win was achieved without either Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher highlighted the depth in Dalglish’s squad.

“It was a good game to be involved and I thought all the lads played well,” Carroll said.

“We showed what we can do. We passed it around well and deserved the three points.

“It was tough not having Stevie or Carra in the squad. They are great players and we need them in the team once they’ve got over their little niggles.

“But we have fantastic players that can come in. The game showed we’ve got lads who can step in when needed and do a job.”