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Posts Tagged ‘stoke’

• ‘We’re desperate to win silverware and taking it very seriously’
• Forward says Liverpool have to be more ruthless against Stoke

Dirk Kuyt believes failure to qualify for Europe has placed added significance on the Carling Cup at Liverpool this season and the Dutchman says his first trophy since joining the club in 2006 is long overdue.

Kenny Dalglish is expected to field a strong lineup in the fourth-round tie at Stoke City as Liverpool seek their first win in five visits to the Britannia Stadium and a place in the quarter-finals for the first time in four seasons. Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, made several changes for Tottenham Hotspur’s visit in round three to deal with the demands of the Europa League on his squad. With no such distractions or targets available to Liverpool, Kuyt knows the competition is a priority for Dalglish’s team.

The Holland striker said: “Not being involved in Europe is a major blow to the club so the Carling Cup is a great trophy to win because we’re all desperate to win some silverware. Last season was such a disappointment, this one is all about improvement and we can achieve that by doing well in the Carling Cup. We have the squad to do well in each competition and have a lot of depth. The Carling Cup is being taken very seriously and hopefully we can use the bad taste we have in our mouth after drawing with Norwich in the league and use that in a positive way against Stoke.”

Liverpool have not won a trophy since the 2006 FA Cup and Kuyt, who signed for the club that summer, is desperate for the first silverware of his Anfield career. “In all my time as a Liverpool player I have been close to winning trophies,” he said. “There was the Champions League final, the semi-final and coming second in the Premier League. We have been close but it is now time to get some silverware.”

Stoke inflicted the first defeat of the season on Dalglish’s team in September when Liverpool wasted a host of clear chances, as was the case in the 1-1 draw against Norwich City on Saturday. Kuyt said: “Stoke is one of the most difficult games in the league. They are very strong, but we can be a strong, physical team as well. If we create as many chances as we have been doing we will be happy, but the only thing that has to change is the number of goals we score. We have to be more ruthless.”

Lucas Leiva is available for selection at the Britannia Stadium having served a one-match suspension against Norwich after collecting five bookings this season.

LiverpoolStoke CityCarling Cup 2011-12Carling CupAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Striker will join up with Spain for friendly with Portugal
• Roy Hodgson dismisses reaction to Glen Johnson criticism

Liverpool have confirmed that their striker Fernando Torres has suffered an ankle ligament strain but will still report for international duty with Spain this week.

The Spain forward required treatment during the second half of yesterday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Stoke but still completed the 90 minutes.

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

After a slow start to the season, Torres had shown signs of rediscovering his form with four goals in four games prior to the Stoke trip.

He has endured a difficult year after knee operations in January and April and suffering a groin injury playing for Spain in the World Cup final.

Meanwhile the Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson, has admitted he was surprised his assessment of Glen Johnson’s form had created such a fuss and apologised for any perceived criticism.

After the midweek draw with Wigan Athletic Hodgson gave an honest assessment of how he thought the right-back had been playing, saying he had not yet reached the level which made him a regular in Fabio Capello’s side.

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

Just a few hours earlier, after the 2-0 defeat at Stoke, Hodgson said he stood by his comments, although they were not meant as a direct criticism of the player.

“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 veracity 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 realise I had been accused of criticising him; I don’t normally criticise my players and I’m sorry if that has been suggested.”

Fernando TorresLiverpoolRoy HodgsonSpainguardian.co.uk

The irony of returning to the Britannia Stadium one year on from his attack on Sir Alex Ferguson was not lost on Rafael Benítez yesterday, as he produced another “list of facts” ahead of this fixture, but the contrast in pressure between the two visits tells a miserable tale about Liverpool. Last year they came here as league leaders and saw their title challenge falter irrevocably. And that was against a Stoke team involved in a relegation struggle. They now return weakened by injury and hoping to stay in touch with the top four. Andy Hunter

Venue Britannia Stadium Tickets £35-£45 (0871 663 2007) Last season Stoke 0 Liverpool 0 Referee L Mason

This season’s matches 12 Y31, R4, 2.92 cards per game

sportingbet odds Stoke 11-4 Liverpool 9-10 Draw 9-4

Stoke

Subs from Simonsen, Diao, Tonge, Kitson, Beattie, Tuncay, Cort, Pugh, Whelan

Doubtful Tuncay (hamstring)

Injured Am Faye (back, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WLLLDL

Disciplinary record Y39 R1

Leading scorer Beattie 3

Liverpool

Subs from Cavalieri, Gulacsi, Babel, Riera, Darby, Kyrgiakos, Degen, Ayala, Rodríguez, Spearing, Plessis, Pacheco

Doubtful Reina (back)

Injured El Zhar (hamstring, 26 Jan), Kelly (ankle, 26 Jan), Gerrard (hamstring, 30 Jan), Johnson (knee, 6 Feb), Benayoun (broken rib, 10 Feb), Torres (knee, 25 Feb) Suspended None

Form guide WWLWLD Disciplinary record Y26 R4

Leading scorer Torres 12

Match pointers

• Stoke have failed to score in their last four games in all competitions against Liverpool

• Liverpool have kept three clean sheets in their last four league away matches after going six on the road without one from the start of the season

• Stoke have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six league matches

• Liverpool have drawn just one of their last 17 league away matches

• Stoke have had just 60 shots on target this season, fewer than any other side

Stoke CityLiverpoolPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk