“Liverpool’s record signing Andy Carroll may have not made his mark against his former club but ex-Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy more than made up for it with two goals at Anfield. Another for Steven Gerrard on only his second appearance after two months out with an ankle infection ensured the Reds’ struggles at home were banished. Kenny Dalglish’s side had drawn four of the last five at Anfield, where they have dropped 12 points so far this season, and for an hour it appeared that run would continue.” ESPN

“The year 2011 began with Liverpool FC and its fans in the midst of a great depression, heading nowhere under Roy Hodgson. Before long we were losing our main goalscorer, and spending the £50m (plus the fee for Ryan Babel) on two new, young strikers. With Torres gone, and Steven Gerrard about to be sidelined for more-or-less the rest of the year, it was going to be no easy task for a new manager to drag the team from the bottom half of the table towards the top six. Kenny Dalglish did just that.” Tomkins Times

“Liverpool will be without Luis Suarez for Friday’s home game with Newcastle United after the Football Association handed down a one-match ban and £20,000 fine for a gesture made towards Fulham fans. Suarez, who is also facing a seperate eight-match ban for the use of racist language towards Patrice Evra, was pictured apparently giving supporters a one-fingered gesture and admitted the charge.” ESPZN

Liverpool 1 Blackburn Rovers 1: In-Depth Tactical
“Blackburn’s recent record had been abysmal. They had won just one of their last 17 away league games, and had failed to keep a clean sheet in 20 matches. Liverpool, however, are having trouble putting teams away; they are unbeaten in their last eight home matches, but have drawn four of them. And they have the worst shot conversion rate in the league this season, a miserly 8.6%.” Tomkins Times

Liverpool 1 – 1 Blackburn Rovers
“Even the return of captain Steven Gerrard after a two-month absence failed to lift Liverpool out of their current Anfield malaise as the Barlcays Premier League’s bottom club Blackburn left with a point they barely deserved. The England international, sidelined since October with an ankle problem, played the final 21 minutes but could not inspire a change in fortunes. Kenny Dalglish’s side, although unbeaten at home this season, have now drawn six and won three and been held five times in the last six outings at Anfield.” ESPN

“There have been various times in my life when football results have taken a backseat; misunderstanding or misquoting Bill Shankly’s ironic words about ‘life and death’ is common, but when all is said and done, it’s unlikely that many people maintain the exact same interest in their team’s results, irrespective of the slings and arrows of daily life.” Tomkins Times

“Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish celebrated his first league win as a manager at Villa Park as first-half goals from Craig Bellamy and Martin Skrtel ensured a comfortable victory over Alex McLeish’s side. Bellamy and Skrtel struck inside the first 15 minutes to seal the Reds’ fifth away win in the Premier League this season, but the star of the show was striker Luis Suarez, who tormented the Villa defence and hit the bar and the post.” ESPN

Plaudits rain down on Luis Suarez after inspiring Liverpool FC to win over Aston Villa
“KENNY DALGLISH praised Luis Suarez after the striker ignored the ongoing delay over his FA charge by inspiring Liverpool to victory at Aston Villa. Suarez earned plaudits from both managers as the Anfield outfit secured their seventh win in their last eight away games with a 2-0 triumph over the Midlanders yesterday.” Liverpool Daily Post

“Hearts were in mouths and joy was on hold. In the 70th minute of Liverpool’s 2-0 Carling Cup win over Chelsea, Lucas Leiva was stretchered from the field, having tried in vain to hobble on, and the fans began to fear the worst. It was a sour end to an enjoyable night, the second time in nine days they had come to Stamford Bridge and tasted victory, but the news was to get worse. Within 48 hours it was confirmed that Lucas had suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee which would require surgery to correct, ruling him out for the rest of the season.” The Football Project

Why Liverpool Should Consider Signing Steven Fletcher
“There are a lot of Liverpool fans talking about the need to purchase a striker in January, to bring some rain upon a very sun scorched and drought ridden chance conversion rate. In fact, 15 games into the season, Liverpool has the worst chance conversion rate into goals in the league: a feeble 8.9%.” EPL Talk

“Queens Park Rangers had won just one of their previous 20 league games at Anfiled, and have won only one Premier League match at all against Liverpool. Liverpool themselves may have felt like they were due some luck having hit the woodwork 12 times this season – more than anyone else.” Tomkins Times

Liverpool 1 – 0 Queens Park Rangers
“Liverpool striker Luis Suarez showed just why he is prized and feared in equal amounts with an impressive all-round performance as he guided the Reds to a home victory over QPR. The Uruguay international, who has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons during a two-month lean spell in front of goal, was at his threatening best as he scored his first goal in the Premier League since October 1.” ESPN

“Fulham striker Clint Dempsey struck a late winner as Liverpool’s outstanding form on the road ended with a controversial 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage. Dempsey stabbed home a long-range 85th-minute shot by Danny Murphy that had bounced off the arms of Jose Reina, to secure only Fulham’s third Barclays Premier League win of the season. However, a sense of grievance cloaked Liverpool’s night after they were denied a strong claim to a penalty and a legitimate goal from Luis Suarez was disallowed for offside, before Jay Spearing was shown a straight red card.” ESPN

Fulham 1 Liverpool 0: In-Depth Tactical Analysis
“Fulham had failed to score in six in their last eight Premier League games against Liverpool, and the visitors have the league’s best record in terms of shots conceded (44). Unfortunately, neither record prevailed in the end as Fulham gained a 1-0 victory after Spearing had been received a straight red card.” Tomkins Times

“So, according to Derek Llambias, the Newcastle managing director, Andy Carroll is worth ‘fuck all’. Of course, having bragged of turning down a bid of £30m, at which point Liverpool could easily have walked away, they must have had some sense of his value, but that’s by the by. Either way, at £35m, Andy Carroll remains a news story. Welcome to the goldfish bowl.” Tomkins Times

“Striker Andy Carroll was the fall-guy for Liverpool after missing a first-half sitter in the goalless draw at home to Swansea. For the second successive home match against a newly-promoted team Kenny Dalglish’s side failed to convert their chances. Carroll’s was the miss everyone will remember, although there were enough opportunities created afterwards to have prevented a third home draw in a row.” ESPN

Dalglish laments disappointing performance
“Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish refused to blame Andy Carroll for his close-range first-half miss but said his side’s performance in the goalless draw at home to Swansea was unacceptable. For the second successive home match against a promoted team the Reds created a number of chances but could not convert. Their frustration was not helped by a couple of brilliant saves from Michel Vorm late on to deny Luis Suarez and Glen Johnson but the major talking point was Carroll’s miss from six yards in only the seventh minute.” ESPN

Liverpool FC 0 Swansea City 0 – Final whistle report
“LIVERPOOL’S poor home form continued as they were held to a goalless draw by newly-promoted Swansea City on a frustrating afternoon at Anfield. It was the Reds’ third successive home stalemate in the Premier League and they have now won just two of their six home matches. Boss Kenny Dalglish will rue another stack of missed chances and Swans keeper Michel Vorm pulled off some stunning saves.” FC Liverpool Echo

“Roy Hodgson 0-9 Kenny Dalglish: not the score at The Hawthorns on Saturday, comfortable as Liverpool’s win was, but the number of men recruited by the Merseysiders’ last two managers who were named in the visitors’ matchday squad of 18. Six started, showing 2011 has been a year of rapid transformation as well as heavy investment at Anfield. But, while Dalglish invariably insists players are signed for the long term and snap judgments can be deceptive, how are the signings shaping up? And are they delivering value for money?” ESPN

“Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez showed more signs of forging a potent strike partnership as Liverpool strolled to victory over West Brom – and former Reds manager Roy Hodgson – at the Hawthorns. A Charlie Adam penalty and Carroll’s third goal of the campaign confirmed Liverpool’s superiority as they climbed into fifth spot in the Barclays Premier League. But it was the way that Carroll and Suarez gelled which would have given the most satisfaction to Reds boss Kenny Dalglish.” ESPN

Liverpool wait on Gerrard results
“Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will have to wait until at least Wednesday to discover how long his latest injury will keep him on the sidelines. Gerrard, who had only recently returned from a groin problem that kept him out of action for six months, missed Liverpool’s 2-0 win at West Brom on Saturday and was pictured leaving hospital with his right leg in a protective cast.” ESPN

Gritty Stoke subdue sizzling Reds but Suarez’s brilliance secures the win
“A wonder-goal from Suarez and a wonder-assist from Henderson (for Suarez’s second) ensured Liverpool left the Britannia Stadium bound for the next round of the League Cup. The Reds were good value for the win and we saw some fantastic early play from them before the game petered out into a somewhat scrappy contest.” Micro LFC

Sebastian Coates
“Last night for a brief moment Jonathan Walters made Liverpool’s Sebastián Coates look distinctly average. With Walters bearing down on him, deep inside his own half, the Uruguayan international hesitated on the touchline with the ball. Several failed attempts to jink past the striker later, and a particularly lack lustre effort at a clearance and Liverpool were 1-0 down. It looked amateurish, it was clumsy and had seemingly provided Liverpool’s hoards of pessimists with a new scapegoat. Move over Lucas Leiva, farewell Emilano Insua, we’ve got a new young, South American to spit venom at for 90 minutes every Saturday.” Sabotage Times

“Some three-quarters of an hour before kick-off, Harry Redknapp entered Anfield, posing obligingly for supporters taking pictures on their camera-phones. If the smile seemed a little forced, the chances are that, when he left Liverpool’s ground, his grin was altogether wider. While Newcastle have a four-point cushion in fourth place, Tottenham’s status as favourites to finish there was cemented by a combination of fine goalkeeping, profligate finishing and the Merseyside woodwork.” ESPN

Liverpool 1 – 1 Norwich City – Match Report
“The lynch mob went into overdrive yesterday following the 1-1 draw with Norwich. The sheer volume of over-the-top reactions to the game was astonishing. Away from all the blood and thunder, a statistical analysis of the draw offers us a calm, rational sense of perspective. Norwich will not give points away easily in the league this season, as they proved against Manchester United. Their league position of 8th is justified and they gave a good account of themselves again yesterday. They had 8 shots on goal, one less than the total United managed last week and on par with Arsenal’s shots against us at the Emirates. They were, therefore, somewhat of a force to be reckoned with.” The Empire of the Kop

“It’s often said that a player returning from a long-term injury is like having a new signing and that is certainly true for Liverpool after Steven Gerrard’s first start in more than six months last weekend. He couldn’t have asked for a much better comeback, playing 90 minutes against Manchester United and scoring a goal too. As the captain and the driving force of Liverpool, his return is obviously a massive boost and he will be looking to kick on again when Norwich visit Anfield on Saturday.” ESPN

“This Saturday will mark the anniversary of Fenway Sports Group’s takeover of Liverpool and it comes just a few days after UK magazine FourFourTwo published its annual Football Rich List. The magazine ranked FSG owner John W Henry at 20th in the list, and calculated that each Premier League point Liverpool had earned since the purchase has cost Henry a whopping £7.5 million ($11.7M). (The team it beat last week, local rivals Everton, comes in at £48,000 per point, given that owner Bill Kenwright paid £20M for it in 2004.)” SI

“I’ve always rather liked Liverpool. Hardly surprising really. In 1980s Essex, as they were in most of the Home Counties, they were the natural affiliation for all 8 year old boys. Indeed, until my dad took me to Roots Hall and turned me to the mediocre side, I had ‘Shankly Gates’ bedcovers. There, I said it. But there’s something about Liverpool that appeals to me even now, much to the amusement of other more cynical souls. I love the history, the ethos, Bill Shankly’s socialist principles, the Kop and their standing ovations for opponents who have pleased them.” In Bed With Maradona

Joseph Vernet, Imaginary Landscape, Italian Harbor Scene
“Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was the villain in the eyes of Everton fans after he was involved in the sending-off of Jack Rodwell before scoring the second goal in a controversial 2-0 derby victory. The Uruguay international was berated as a cheat by the majority of Goodison Park – and appeared to have a coin thrown at him – after making the most of Rodwell’s sliding tackle midway through the first half.” ESPN>

Everton vs. LIVERPOOL: 15 positives to take from the game
“Liverpool’s victory against Everton at Goodison Park was marred by an outrageously negligent red card decision, but there were still plenty of positives to take away from the game.” Liverpool Kop

“Luis Suarez was visibly upset after being substituted against Wolves yesterday, and as soon as the final whistle went, he sped off down the tunnel as quickly as possible. Players get subbed off all the time, and there’s absolutely no shame in being replaced by Steven Gerrard, so why was Suarez particularly upset? For me, the answer is obvious, and I can understand his frustration.” Liverpool Kop

Reasons to be cheerful
“What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in familiarity. As many have done before them and, no doubt, plenty of others will do in the future, the travelling supporters from Wolverhampton asked: ‘Where’s your famous atmosphere?’ Their answer came three times before the final whistle. At a club where they celebrate their bona fide heroes and castigate the false idols, it was hard to say which drew the loudest cheer: was it Steven Gerrard’s first Anfield appearance for six months, a quite stunning goal by the irrepressible Luis Suarez or the announcement of Fernando Torres’ sending-off 200 miles away?” ESPN

“True enough, it’s only the Third Round of the League Cup and both of the teams playing this evening, whether rightly or wrongly, may well feel that they have bigger fish to fry than this competition this season. There is, however, something in the sea air in Brighton this evening. The trains into the railway station are jammed solid and the queue for the trains out to The American Express Community Stadium snakes out of the station and around the concourse outside. There’s no hint of trouble, of course, and everybody is safely in their seat by kick-off the time of kick-off, but the sheer volume of traffic of the majority of a crowd of almost 22,500 pouring through a main railway station during the rush hour adds inevitable pressures. It all seems, however, dealt with very professionally indeed.” twohundredpercen

“So apart from losing 0-4, having two men sent off and one taken off injured, everything went according to plan at White Hart Lane then! It was a sobering defeat and awful performance alright, the sort we don’t get too often, mercifully, and on a par both quantitively and qualitively with the worst of them. But not unprecedented. And where can you look for context, for solace, other than history? How often do these heavy defeats happen and what can we learn from them? How were we doing at the time they happened – in a trough already or did they come out of the blue? – and what effect did they have on us subsequently? Can we find any comfort from heavy defeats in the past?” Tomkins Times

“Liverpool stumbled over a familiar hurdle at the Britannia Stadium as they slipped to their first defeat of the season. In four visits to Stoke since the Potters earned promotion to the Premier League, the Reds have collected just two points and lost their last two matches. Not since 1968 have Stoke recorded back-to-back home league wins over Liverpool and the result brought a side brimming with confidence before the international break back down to earth with a hefty bump.” ESPN

Stoke City record valuable victory over wasteful Liverpool
“After a start to the season that took them to the top of the table for the first time in two years, there had been growing talk of Liverpool having developed into genuine title contenders. But at a ground that has consistently proved to be a graveyard of success for the club came the feeling that even at this earliest of stages, their championship hopes may just have died a little.” Guardian

“As a rule, English players rarely move abroad. These days, it’s arguable they don’t need to — the money is in England, as are many of Europe’s best clubs — but even when Italy and Spain find themselves in similar privileged positions, you see their players venturing to different countries. The English stick to what they know, for various reasons — poor language skills, perhaps, or a reluctance to experience a different culture. The lack of knowledge from overseas is arguably one of the many reasons that has made English football so insular.” ESPN

“THERE are remixes and then there are remixes… When I first started buying 12″ records around 1986, it seemed every single had a dance remix available to buy for a pound or so more. Less so much a remix, more a lengthening procedure – what you got was essentially just the same record but extended at the start for four minutes or so with some pre-house disco beats knocked out by the likes of Shep Pettibone, Jellybean Benitez or Arthur Baker.” The Anfield Wrap

“Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam scored their first Liverpool goals as the Reds crushed Bolton 3-1 to move top of the Premier League. The summer signings struck either side of a powerful Martin Skrtel header as the hosts, inspired by the outstanding Luis Suarez, produced an electrifying performance at Anfield.” ESPN

Liverpool 3-1 Bolton
“Fluid attacking, solid defending, intense pressuring and high-scoring. It was a sublime performance from Liverpool. Kelly’s injury and Klasnic’s late consolation goal for Bolton were slight annoyance’s in an otherwise perfect day. Suarez was up to his usual mischief, running Bolton’s defenders ragged and creating some great chances. The beautiful cross with the outside of his foot eventually lead to Henderson’s first Liverpool goal, which was expertly finished.” Joshua Kearney

“We all love the player that scores and gets assists. Those guys whose moments of genius at the end of an attacking move directly create the goals that get our teams to glory. And why not? The professionals, however – the coaches, the directors, the scouts, and so on – are capable of seeing things outside the box. Or, rather, inside the box. The large technical box of cogs and gears which power the team and allow those creative players to shine.” Tomkins Times

“This was another of those occasions that confirmed how much more comfortable life is under Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool succeeding where they failed last year by overcoming lower-league opposition to progress to the next round of the Carling Cup with the minimum of fuss. Daniel Nardiello scored a late penalty for Exeter City but Liverpool were strolling by that stage, following an outstanding display by Luis Suárez, who left the field to applause from all sides of the ground.” Guardian