Brendan Rodgers believes Suarez is happy playing at Liverpool FC
The situation was markedly different in the summer when - in the light of a bid in excess of £40m from Arsenal - the Uruguay international claimed the club had reneged on a deal which would allow him to join a side playing in the UEFA Champions League.
However, a promising start to the season sees the Reds in third, behind Chelsea only on goal difference, and Suarez has contributed significantly already after returning from suspension, scoring six times in five league matches.
Earlier in the week, captain Steven Gerrard said he thought the 26-year-old would reconsider his position at the end of the campaign depending on whether the club had qualified for the Champions League.
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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers on January Transfers: "We need to bring in players for the team"
Liverpool have made a strong start to the season and Rodgers is happy with the options already at his disposal, but he still believes the squad needs to be bolstered.
The manager has identified the areas which he feels have to be strengthened and is convinced that the Reds are on the right track to compete with the best in the Premier League.
"We need to bring in players for the team," Rodgers said on the club's official website.
"We've got a squad and we've got enough cover but in the future the focus is on bringing in players that can come straight in and improve our team. We did that last year and benefited from that.
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Wenger admits there was nothing "subtle" about the way Arsenal tried to sign Suarez
The Gunners boss made the admission on the eve of Saturday's first-versus-third showdown at the Emirates - but insisted his club's carefully calculated £40,000,001 offer was in no way meant to be "provocative".
Arsenal had made their specific bid believing it would trigger a get-out clause in Suarez's contract but were quickly rebuffed by the Anfield club in July, with American owner John W Henry posting on Twitter: "What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?"
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[Match Report + Video]: Liverpool 4 - 1 Westbromich Albion
Liverpool 4-1 West Brom
Brendan Rodgers kept with his three at the back formation, with Lucas Leiva replacing Victor Moses in the only change for The Reds.
Rodgers’ midfield consequently had much better control, with the triangle shape flipped so that Lucas held and Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson pressed higher up the pitch.
Henderson in particular was impressive, especially in the first-half. It was almost as though some comments this week had put his back out…
But it was up front where Liverpool were entertaining and impressive. Luis Suarez’s hat-trick was sensational, all three goals of the highest quality.
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Luis Suarez: "Fear SAS"
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez says there is much more to come from his 'SAS' partnership with Daniel Sturridge.
The strike duo have combined superbly since Suarez returned from his ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.
The partnership has been dubbed the new 'SAS' - with Blackburn's Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton the original one.
Suarez had a renowned partnership with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar when he was Ajax, but he believes his double-act with Sturridge could be even better.
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Gerrard: "To take risks on unknown young players is difficult.
Steven Gerrard says the increasing number of overseas stars competing in the Premier League is making it extremely difficult for young players to get first-team opportunities at leading clubs.
And he stressed that the pressure faced by managers means they are unlikely to give young talent a chance to gain experience at the top level.
The Liverpool skipper told the BBC: "Managers are only ever eight to 10 days away from the sack.
"So to take risks on unknown young players is difficult.
"At Liverpool, (manager) Brendan Rodgers has been fantastic because he's been brave and he's given young players a chance.
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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits to Luis Suarez fears
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has admitted he feared star striker Luis Suarez would leave Anfield over the summer.
The Uruguayan international returned from a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in the Capital One Cup defeat to rivals Manchester United before scoring twice in Sunday's 3-1 win over Sunderland in the Premier League.
But it looked as though the striker would be leaving the club during the transfer window, with Real Madrid linked with him before Arsenal put in an offer of £40million and one pound in the hope of triggering a release clause.
Suarez remained at Liverpool, though, and Gerrard admits he is delighted by his team-mate's decision to stay, as well as his positive attitude since committing to Brendan Rodgers' side.
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Pascoe on Suarez: 'We've welcomed back world-class talent'
Pascoe insists the Uruguayan's presence in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United midweek has already given the squad at Melwood a significant boost.
And Rodgers' right-hand man also reserved special praise for Daniel Sturridge, who lead the line impeccably throughout Suarez's absence.
"Straightaway we've got a world-class striker coming back in," Pascoe told Liverpoolfc.com.
"He's a great lad and he's very committed to the team and to Liverpool. The way Luis plays, he'll create chances and I'm sure that he'll score many goals.
"His return has given us a boost at Melwood. He has of course been around and he's been training over the last few months.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes the return to action of Luis Suarez will help Danny Sturridge
Suarez returned from a 10-match ban in Wednesday's Capital One Cup defeat at Manchester United in midweek.
Rodgers is expected to call upon Suarez's services again when Liverpool travel to Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday, and he hopes the chemistry between the Uruguayan and Sturridge will get better as the season progresses.
"I think it will only improve him (Sturridge) and make him a better player. Good players want to play with other good players," said Rodgers.
"I think you will see with how they will perform together that they can be a real threat.
"It is not something that Daniel or anyone else will be worried about. Their focus is on the team.
"It is my job to manage the dynamics and the structure of the team.
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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits his side never got going
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits his side never got going after seeing their unbeaten record ended by Southampton at Anfield.
Dejan Lovren's second-half header earned Southampton a famous 1-0 victory to condemn Liverpool to their first defeat of the campaign.
Rodgers had no complaints with the result, conceding Liverpool struggled to impose themselves during the 90 minutes against a well-organised Southampton.
"I just thought we never got going really," Rodgers told Sky Sports. "I thought in terms of our tempo and technically we were nowhere near the level we have been at and it is obviously very, very disappointing having not lost for quite a long time in the league, I think it was March and funnily enough against Southampton.
"We have been on a real tremendous run but today, from the first whistle, we never really got going and we suffered from that."
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Former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish defends record in second spell at Anfield
Kenny Dalglish has defended his record during his second spell in charge of Liverpool and feels he over-achieved in his final season.
Liverpool legend Dalglish was sacked by the club's American owners in May last year and replaced by Brendan Rodgers after the Reds finished eighth in the Premier League.
The Reds had picked up their first trophy in six years in 2012 when they won the Carling Cup and also reached the FA Cup final, but that was not enough to save Dalglish's job.
The Scot has defended his record in that campaign, and believes winning a trophy and reaching another final was more memorable than finishing fourth and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
"What those boys achieved in 2012 was fantastic. To win the Carling Cup and to get to an FA Cup final was beyond any expectations," Dalglish said in his book 'Kenny Dalglish My Life' serialised in the Daily Mirror.
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Brenda Rodgers says Luis Suarez is working very hard ahead of his return
Luis Suarez has been "working his socks off" and will be ready to face Manchester United next week, according to Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers.
Striker Suarez will be available for the first time this season after completing his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season.
He has been allowed to play international matches, and Rodgers says Suarez has been given training hard for his return.
Suarez, who played 90 minutes in a friendly against Burnley in midweek, will be available for next Wednesday's Capital One Cup tie at Old Trafford.
"We have been organising some games behind closed doors, both in terms of in-house 11-a-side matches and bringing teams in," Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.
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[Match Report]: Swansea 2 Liverpool 2: Shelvey atones for errors by helping hosts salvage a point
Jonjo Shelvey put the hosts into a second-minute lead when he converted from close range after forcing his way into space inside the box.
Swansea's joy was short-lived as Daniel Sturridge capitalised on a poor back pass from Shelvey to find the target and maintain his record of having scored in every game so far in 2013-14.
The Reds then went ahead nine minutes before the break as new signing Moses found the bottom corner from the edge of the area after carrying the ball from deep.
The hosts equalised midway through the second half with Michu slotting home from Shelvey's flick to make it 2-2.
With no further goals, the result was enough to send Liverpool back to the league summit, a point ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham.
The pre-match team news confirmed starting berths for deadline day signings Mamadou Sakho and Victor Moses, with the former replacing Daniel Agger who missed out due to a slight knock.
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Match Preview: Swansea City vs. Liverpool FC
MATCH STATS
TEAM NEWS
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup has the luxury of being able to pick from virtually a fully-fit squad.
Former Liverpool player Jonjo Shelvey is available again after pulling out of England under-21 duty, leaving Neil Taylor as the only definite absentee.
Liverpool's in-form striker Daniel Sturridge should be fit to start despite missing England's matches with a thigh problem.
New signings Mamadou Sakho and Victor Moses are in the squad.
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Kolo Toure speaks on Liverpool start to new season.
Kolo Toure insists Liverpool have the team spirit to drive them towards achieving their aspirations of winning silverware this season.
Liverpool have begun their Premier League campaign with three successive 1-0 wins, including beating the champions Manchester United at Anfield last time out.
The three victories have put Liverpool on top of the Premier League as they prepare for their Monday night clash with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Brendan Rodgers' team also showed resilience to overcome an extra-time scare in the Capital One Cup against Notts County.
And Toure believes the unity and determination within the squad will be crucial to what they can achieve this season.
"With team spirit, you can win anything," he told the club's official website. "Individuals are very important, but team spirit is the key - it is the most important thing.
"Individuals can win you one game, but to win trophies or be champions it is [down to] a group of players.
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John W. Henry speaks on plans to improve Anfield
Liverpool owner John W Henry has insisted that sufficient finances are in place to progress with the redevelopment of Anfield.
Henry's Fenway Sports Group are currently waiting for planning authorities to give the go-ahead to increase the stadium's capacity in a project believed to be costing around £154m.
The American businessman revealed that Liverpool City Council has made "good progress" in buying up the few remaining privately-owned properties around the stadium in order to enable the Main Stand to be expanded.
Planning permission will only be sought once all deals are finalised, and Henry believes that - rather than the financing - remains the biggest hurdle.
"We are making good progress," Henry told the Liverpool Echo. "There are a lot of different groups working very well together and that's the key to a big project like this happening, when everybody is on the same page. When everybody is on the same page, we move forward.
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[Revelaed]: "Why I turned down Liverpool" Everton New boy speaks
Everton new boy James McCarthy knows he will have to work hard to justify his price tag – but is confident that he can flourish under Roberto Martinez.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder joined the Toffees from Wigan for an initial £13m fee last week and is prepared to bide his time before making his mark.
He said: “It is a price tag and one I need to deal with. I am looking forward to trying to prove why I am here.
“It is not going to be easy, we have got a lot of competition for places. I am going to give it my best shot and hopefully I can do well.”
McCarthy admitted that the opportunity to renew acquaintances with his former Wigan manager Martinez was a key factor ahead of the switch to Merseyside.
“He is a very good manager,” he said. “You can see he likes to play football. It is always pleasing on the eye for people watching.
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[Injury Update]: Glen Johnson expected to face a long time on the sidelines.
Liverpool defender Glen Johnson will miss Liverpool’s next two Premier League games due to an ankle injury and could have to face an even longer time on the sidelines.
The right-back sprained his ankle during Liverpool’s meeting with Manchester United on September 1st. The English international has been forced to sit out of both of England’s qualifiers against Moldova on Friday and Ukraine on Tuesday.
Johnson underwent an assessment on his injury at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, as confirmed by the club last Tuesday.
So far, the club is unsure about the time period for which Johnson could be out, though reports suggest that the 29 year old may have to spend time on the sidelines for atleast up to ten weeks. If this will be the possibility, Johnson will even miss the final two qualifiers for his country against Montenegro and Poland at Wembley in October.
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Gerrard pays tribute to Chelsea start
Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard has paid tribute to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as he prepares to play his 100th game for England.
Lampard will join Gerrard as one of the few players to play 100 times for England, joining the likes of Peter Shilton and David Beckham, if he plays against Ukraine tomorrow.
Despite the constant remarks that the pair cannot play together in the same team, perhaps that time has passed.
Gerrard
Gerrard was full of praise for a player who has been a close rival and team-mate for many years, in an interview with the Mirror.
“Frank deserves all the accolades that he get,” Gerrard said. “For me, it is always nice when we are in the same team.
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[PHOTO]: Stupidest Liverpool Fan Tatoo Ever?
Brendan Rodgers has already shown himself to be an astute operator in the transfer window and one man that shows this is Kolo Toure.
After enduring a frustrating time at Manchester City last season it was easy to write off the man from the Ivory Coast as past it at the top level of football. Added to this was Toure’s drugs rap for taking a banned substance aimed at aiding weight loss. His days at the top seemed to be over.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have started the new season magnificently. Three solid wins have seen them occupying the place where they feel they belong – number one in the Premier League table. No one should be taking the plaudits for these solid performances more than Kolo Toure. It isn’t really shocking that hardcore Liverpool fans have taken to him like a duck to water.
What is shocking however, is this outrageous fail from one of their fans. It’s one of those scenarios when you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry. How this Reds fan managed to say or spell the word ‘Toure’ as ‘Touro’ is mind-boggling. His excuse was intoxication, but sorry, it takes a level of stupidity rather than drunkenness to misspell a simple name like that!
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