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• Kenny Dalglish may not start striker against Spurs
• ‘It’s not automatic [he] will come straight into the team’

Kenny Dalglish says Luis Suárez is keen to play against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night following his eight-match suspension for racially abusing Patrice Evra but the manager is not sure whether to throw him in at the deep end.

The Liverpool manager said of Suárez, who has not played since the 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day: “He’ll want to play, won’t he? There is a lot to be taken into consideration – the way the other boys have played without him and the fact he has not played for a month.

“After five or six weeks out, it’s not automatic someone will come straight back into the team. It depends on the individual, it depends on our needs; not just who we have available but who we are playing against.”

Suárez has always been good at beginnings; almost exactly a year ago he scored at Anfield 16 minutes into his Liverpool debut. It was his first domestic club game since a seven-match suspension for biting PSV

Liverpool’s devotees have found a season that was going nowhere has suddenly been injected with hope

For the historic clubs there comes a moment when they will not allow themselves to be denied any longer. Liverpool set that process in motion by overcoming Manchester City in the Carling Cup semi-final and now they have removed Manchester United from the FA Cup. The latter success reverberates to a far greater degree.

When Liverpool’s followers look back on the week’s events they will not be so dull as to debate the details. The surge that is pounding through their minds even now is of the momentum that Kenny Dalglish’s side established after the interval here. It was reminiscent of the displays inspired in other days by the beaten manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson is more often associated with the ravenous ambition and limitless endeavour that distinguished Dalglish’s men in the second half. The aftermath now sees the United manager at far greater risk of a trophyless campaign. The tie was not distinguished, but the sheer impetus of Liverpool hinted that their old standing need not be out of reach permanently.

Some aspects of what was, in truth, an unkempt match can be mocked, but the victors will think only of their vindication. The extra energy with which they pummelled their opponents late in the match spoke of a team that realised its moment had come. Andy Carroll was the epitome of that.

Once again he did not score but he helped to settle the outcome by acting precisely as he is supposed to do, glancing the long ball from his goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, into the path of another forward, the substitute Dirk Kuyt, to hit the winner while Patrice Evra was stranded out of position.

If United’s thoughts were drifting towards a replay by that time, most of the crowd would have been in a similar frame of mind. The hosts, however, borrowed from the Old Trafford repertoire by somehow insisting on victory. At such a moment we recognise the fallibility that the leading clubs hide from us most of the time.

It is a little disconcerting to recognise that Paul Scholes, a retiree until his sudden return to the field, was perhaps the most accomplished performer while his stamina held up. United got 75 minutes of the technique and sheer talent that bolsters a side. On this occasion, that did not suffice.

Liverpool were the inexhaustible force. Dalglish did everything in his power to sustain that intensity. The captain, Steven Gerrard, was even sacrificed after 72 minutes so that Craig Bellamy could bring more verve to bear. The latter, so important in sending the team to that Carling Cup final with his goal against City, would help in sustaining the momentum that proved too much for United.

Dalglish, with his sharp and sardonic humour, would shun any hint that he had been masterful, yet he had made the most of the personnel at his disposal. Liverpool are no longer the sort of club that conquers out of habit. Their last major trophy was the FA Cup, in 2006. It will take much more than a result such as this to prove they have been reinstated among the elite. They stand seventh in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League appears improbable for the time being.

In such a situation, a victory over United is invaluable as an instant means of injecting hope and confidence into players and supporters alike. The context alters with a single result. No Liverpool devotee left the ground wondering what the point was of buying Jordan Henderson or, through gritted teeth, having to steel himself not to admit his dissatisfaction with Carroll in the presence of people who are not fans of the club.

Dalglish will be more relaxed and the unavailability of Luis Suárez, who is serving his ban for racist abuse of Evra in an earlier match, was no hindrance. The grandeur of Liverpool in its heyday will not return by natural right, but a win of this character must help galvanise the club. This was one ground where an FA Cup tie was met not with a yawn, but with a roar of triumph.

LiverpoolManchester UnitedKenny DalglishSir Alex FergusonKevin McCarra
guardian.co.uk

• Fan appears to make monkey signs
• Photograph is circulated on Twitter

Liverpool knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup but were put on the defensive when the question of racism again raised its head at Anfield. An image of a Liverpool fan appearing to make an offensive monkey gesture in the direction of Patrice Evra was circulated on Twitter, prompting Merseyside police to investigate.

Patrice Evra, who became embroiled in a row that led to Luis Suárez being found guilty of racially abusing the United defender in the 1-1 draw on 15 October, was booed loudly every time he touched the ball during the Cup tie, which Liverpool won 2–1.

“This matter is now under investigation by specialist hate crime detectives and we are working with Liverpool Football Club to identify the man in question,” said the match commander, Ch Supt Jon Ward, while Liverpool asked supporters who may be able to help to contact the club.

When Kenny Dalglish was asked what he thought of Evra’s every touch being booed, the Liverpool manager responded: “Are you winding me up?” He added: “Why would I be disappointed for Patrice Evra? I can’t believe you have asked that question before anything else. Have you ever played football? I used to get booed.

“The media has played its part this week in trying to maintain dignity and respect on the pitch and to concentrate on the game. The behaviour of both sets of players on the pitch was a credit to the game. There was banter between the two sets of fans but it was friendly. There may not have been a lot of respect, but both sets of supporters were brilliant. I don’t think there was anything there that was untoward.”

The Kop joined in several choruses of “There’s only one lying bastard”, putting into words what appeared to be the underlying theme of Liverpool’s defence of Suárez.

Queens Park Rangers players took a collective decision to back Anton Ferdinand by not shaking hands with their opponents before their Cup tie with Chelsea at Loftus Road, which they lost 1–0. However, the Football Association chose to discard the usual pre-match convention. The issue was a concern due to John Terry being accused of making a racially abusive slur at Ferdinand in October. Terry will answer the charge, which he denies, at West London magistrates’ court on