Liverpool maintained their top-four place

     
Liverpool 4-0 Everton
Gerrard 21′ 
Sturridge 33′,35′
Suárez 50′ 

Liverpool maintained their pursuit of a top-four place in magnificent style as Everton were thrashed in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.  

FA Cup Full Time result sunday

Sun 5 Jan 2014 - FA Cup Full Time result

                    
Nottm Forest 5 - 0 West Ham FT   
Abdoun 12′ (pen)   
Paterson 65′, 71′, 79′
Reid 90′  
For more details( Nottingham vs West Ham ) 
also see ( Manchester United's stock price suffers £220m drop)
also see ( Portugal football legend Eusebio die )

Liverpool vs Hull

            

Liverpool 2  -  0 Hull        

Agger 36′  

Suárez 50′ 

 

Liverpool moved back into the top four following successive Christmas defeats with a comfortable victory over Hull.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho accuses Luis Suarez

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho accuses Luis Suarez of diving

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says Liverpool striker Luis Suarez should have been booked for diving in a 2-1 win for the Blues over the Reds.

Chelsea vs Liverpool

 Chelsea win match against Liverpool

      

 Chelsea 2    -   Liverpool 1

  Hazard 17′      Skrtel 3′

  Eto'o 34′ 

Chelsea reduced the gap between themselves and league leaders Arsenal to two points with a fine performance against a Liverpool side which has now suffered successive league defeats.

Manchester City beat Liverpool on Boxing Day match

Manchester City beat Liverpool on Boxing Day match

Manchester City closed to within one point of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a comeback victory over Liverpool in an enthralling encounter at The Etihad.

Liverpool face Man City title test on on Boxing Day

Liverpool face Man City title test on on Boxing Day  

 Liverpool may be top of the table at Christmas but they face a test of their title credentials when they travel to Manchester City on Boxing Day.

Third-placed City are a point behind the Reds and have a 100% league record at Etihad Stadium so far this season.
Only two points separate the top five.
Second-placed Arsenal are at West Ham, while Chelsea, who are fourth, host Swansea. Everton, in fifth, entertain Sunderland, while Manchester United travel to Hull.
Reigning champions United are eighth, six points off the top four and eight points adrift of Liverpool.

Striker Robin van Persie and midfielder Michael Carrick have respective thigh and Achilles injuries but the Old Trafford club's boss David Moyes hinted the pair could be back soon.

"This is the time when miracles happen," said the Scot. "Let us hope there is one for Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick."
All 20 Premier League teams will be playing on Boxing Day. The game at Hull gets proceedings under way at 12:45 GMT, while the match between City and Liverpool at 17:30 GMT concludes the action.
City have won all eight league games at home and scored 35 goals in the process, including six against both Tottenham and Arsenal and four in the Manchester derby.
But the Reds have the Premier League's top scorer, Luis Suarez, in their ranks. The Uruguayan, who missed the start of the season because of suspension, has 19 goals from 12 games so far.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers played down his side's title chances after a win over Cardiff and thinks Manchester City are the favourites.
Arsenal, who make a trip across London to Upton Park, drew 0-0 with Chelsea on Monday have now gone three league games without a win as they go for a first title since 2004.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, says this season's title race is "unbelievable" as he prepares to pit his wits against Swansea counterpart Michael Laudrup.

Liverpool rises to the top of the Premier League

Liverpool rises to the top of the Premier League

LONDON: Through financial turmoil, court battles and humbling setbacks in recent years, Liverpool has risen to the top this season and reached a noteworthy milestone in England.

Ahead of Arsenal on goal difference, the Reds lead the Premier League heading into the traditional Boxing Day games on Thursday.

"It is a nostalgic time and people always want to know where the team is at around Christmas Day," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said Tuesday. "It is brilliant for supporters. I am not going to deny them a dream."

The last four Christmas Day leaders went on to lift the trophy in May. The last not to was Liverpool in the 2008-09 season under Rafa Benitez.

So much has changed since then.

"It has been a hard period in this club for four or five years and (being top) was probably a distant thought," Rodgers said. "They have to enjoy it."

Staring into the financial abyss in 2010, bankruptcy was looming until the owners were ousted in court and new American investors, headed by John Henry, rescued the club.

But the Reds still seemed to be a team in decline. A return to the lucrative Champions League by finishing in the top four seemed unlikely, let alone a 19th English title _ and the first since 1990.

Even after former great Kenny Dalglish was replaced as manager by Brendan Rodgers in 2012, Henry's heavy investment in the squad didn't seem to be paying off.

Rodgers' first season ended in May with Liverpool 28 points behind champion Manchester United and 12 points adrift of fourth place.

Since then, Luis Suarez was denied a move to Arsenal, and has scored 19 goals in 12 matches since missing the opening five games while completing a biting ban.

The Uruguay striker has been devastating up front in December _ with no new disciplinary problems. Four goals against Norwich were followed by doubles against West Ham, Tottenham and Cardiff as the team scored 17 while rattling off four wins.

Only 2012 champion Manchester City can match such lethalness, with a league-leading 51 goals.

On Thursday, Liverpool visits Man City, which is in third place and has won three of its last four league games by scoring 14 goals.

The game at the Etihad Stadium should show how ready Liverpool is to retain its place among the elite.

Players once dismissed as Anfield misfits have come to the fore, and now expensive flops including Andy Carroll have been offloaded.

Captain Steven Gerrard being sidelined could previously have derailed the team. Now Jordan Henderson, who seemed to be burdened by a huge price tag after arriving from Sunderland in 2011, is providing the dynamism and assured touches in midfield.

Raheem Sterling is another young English player establishing himself as a regular starter, with the winger scoring three times in the last four games.

"He has shown he is back to that level where he is really aggressive and direct," Rodgers said.

The ownership puts the team's re-emergence down to Rodgers, who became an easy target for derision during the club's potentially misguided foray into reality television last year but whose man-management skills are being lauded once again.

"He has great communication skills," Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said. "He's very articulate in his strategy and the players have responded to him."

There are, however, 19 games to go and the most open title race the Premier League has seen since its inception in 1992.

Even though the Arsenal-Chelsea derby proved to be a 0-0 outcome on Monday, there is little to separate them in the standings from Liverpool.

Liverpool and Arsenal are the only teams in the top five with the same managers as last season, with Manuel Pellegrini now at City, Jose Mourinho back at Chelsea and Roberto Martinez in charge at neighbor Everton.

"It is a transition period for a lot of teams so maybe we have the extra year on a few and the way things are going at the moment ... we can be dangerous," Liverpool defender Glen Johnson said.

And, as for the reigning champions?

Manchester United is in eighth place nearly a half season into the post-Alex Ferguson era. But the Red Devils are only eight points behind Liverpool, and the standings could look very different at the start of 2014 with nine points up for grabs over the next week or so.

Steven Gerrard says Suarez is best player in world

Steven Gerrard says Suarez is best player in world 

England captain Steven Gerrard has acclaimed Liverpool team mate Luis Suarez as the best player in the world on current form.

In 12 appearances this season the red-hot Uruguay striker has scored 19 goals to fire Liverpool to the top of the Premier League. That is six more than his nearest rival, Argentina and Manchester City forward Sergio Augero.

Suarez's prolific streak has earned him a new long-term contract at Anfield where he has overcome widespread misgivings after several controversial incidents including one last season when he bit the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

"On current form he's the best player in the world," Gerrard said of Suarez.

"Lionel Messi's out injured and Cristiano Ronaldo's had a bit of an injury of late," the Liverpool skipper told Sky Sports television, referring to the number one players at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.

"He (Suarez) is certainly the best striker out there. He's proving that with his minutes-to-goals ratio."

The Ivanovic incident resulted in a 10-match domestic suspension that meant the Liverpool striker missed the start of this season.

The 27-year-old Suarez has this season become the first Liverpool player to score at least twice in five consecutive home matches.

He is on course to surpass the Premier League record of 34 goals shared by former England strikers Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.

Cole achieved his haul with Newcastle United in 1993-94. Shearer's was with Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95.

"He will certainly push it close," said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers after Suarez bagged two goals in a 3-1 win over Cardiff City on Saturday. "He looks like he can score a hat-trick in every game."

Liverpool visit Manchester City, who are one point behind the leaders in third place, on Thursday.

Arsenal missed their chance to return to the top of the Premier League

Arsenal missed their chance to return to the top of the Premier League

LONDON: Arsenal missed their chance to return to the top of the Premier League after being held to a bruising 0-0 draw by title rivals Chelsea in a spiteful London derby on Monday. 

Team	Played	Won	Draw	Lost	GD	Points
1	Liverpool	17	11	3	3	23	36
2	Arsenal	17	11	3	3	16	36
3	Man City	17	11	2	4	31	35
4	Chelsea	17	10	4	3	14	34
5	Everton	17	9	7	1	13	34
6	Newcastle	17	9	3	5	2	30
7	Tottenham	17	9	3	5	-5	30
8	Man United	17	8	4	5	8	28
9	Southampton	17	6	6	5	4	24
10	Stoke City	17	5	6	6	-4	21
11	Swansea City	17	5	5	7	0	20
12	Hull City	17	5	5	7	-6	20
13	Aston Villa	17	5	4	8	-6	19
14	Norwich City	17	5	4	8	-14	19
15	Cardiff City	17	4	5	8	-12	17
16	West Brom	17	3	7	7	-5	16
17	West Ham	17	3	5	9	-8	14
18	Crystal Palace	17	4	1	12	-16	13
19	Fulham	17	4	1	12	-17	13
20	Sunderland	17	2	4	11	-18	10
1-3: Champions League; 4: Champions League preliminary rounds; 5: Europa League; 6 - 7: Europa league depending on domestic cup; 18-20: Relegation

English Premier League point Table

 

Brendan Rodgers says,Liverpool still coming to the boil

Brendan Rodgers says,Liverpool still coming to the boil

Liverpool:  Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes there is still more to come from his Liverpool side after they moved to the top of the Premier League table.

The Reds beat Cardiff City 3-1 at Anfield on Saturday to move above leaders Arsenal, who face fourth-place Chelsea on Monday.

Since their 3-1 defeat at Hull City on December 1, Liverpool have picked up four consecutive victories, scoring 17 goals.

Rodgers, who took over from Kenny Dalglish in 2012, believes that the squad are taking his ideas on board and cites the January signings of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho as key factors in their current form.

The 18-time English champions now face tough trips to Manchester City and Chelsea, but Rodgers thinks his side can still improve.

"Last year it took us a while to get into the top 10," he said. "People are talking about a good start, but you will see from January this is a team that's been on the up.

"It's a set of principles and footballing ideas that have been implemented over 18 months coming to fruition and the players are enjoying their aggressive attacking football with hard work as the core. And we can get better.

"It's unprecedented to go from seventh (where Liverpool finished last season) to first, but where we are shows the work that the players and the club have done and we just want to keep this momentum going.

"We're very calm and we're not getting carried away. It's been five tough years, but the fans are going home happy and we're reclaiming that mentality at Anfield."

Manchester City are many pundits' favourites for the Premier League title, but Rodgers is excited by the prospect of his team's trip to the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

"We really look forward to the games. We should have won at Manchester City last year," he said.

"They're a great squad of players and people look at it as Man City's title to lose because of the squad they have.

"We're just taking it a game at a time. We're on a fantastic run and pressing the game very well. We'll get there on Boxing day in a good moment."

With Rodgers using the same team that started in last weekend's 5-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur, the Reds took the lead midway through the first when Suarez volleyed in from Jordan Henderson's cross.

Three minutes before the interval, Suarez broke away and set up Raheem Sterling for the second before the Uruguayan curled in from the edge of the area from Henderson's backheel.

Jordon Mutch pulled one back with a header from Peter Whittingham's free-kick in the second half.

Cardiff manager Malky Mackay faces speculation that he is on the brink of being sacked by owner Vincent Tan, but the Scot, who took the Bluebirds to promotion last season, insists he will not be forced to quit.

"What I can tell you crystal clear is that I won't be resigning as manager of the football club," he said.

"I'm proud of the job that I've got and I couldn't look myself in the mirror to walk away from the people that work for me, the coaching staff and all of the staff and the players and our fans. I'm not going to walk away from them either.

"I've been in English football for 15 years and been a manager for five years, so I've worked with and against a lot of people and it heartens and humbles me, some of the quotes that have come out this week. And I was humbled by our fans.

"I absolutely will not be resigning from the football club, there's no need for that to happen.

"Anything beyond that, I will have conversations with the League Managers Association, but at the moment there's absolutely no way I'll be resigning."

Luis Suarez signs new Liverpool deal

Luis Suarez signs new  Liverpool deal

Luis Suarez has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Liverpool.

The striker, 26, joined the Reds in January 2011 and has scored 17 goals in 11 Premier League starts this season.
Suarez, whose original deal was set to expire in 2016, will earn around £160,000 until the end of this season and then £200,000 per week over the final four years of the contract.
"I am delighted to have agreed a new deal with Liverpool and have my future secured for the long term," he said.

"I believe I can achieve the ambitions of winning trophies and playing at the very highest level with Liverpool. My aim is to help get us there as quickly as possible."

Suarez admitted his close bond with Liverpool's fans was an important factor in his decision, particularly their backing during his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic earlier this year.
He told Liverpool TV: "I love the city and the supporters. They have helped me and I try my best on the pitch.
"It was a difficult time after the summer, but they helped me come back and play and I think when supporters help you off the pitch you try your best to make them happy on the pitch."
He also revealed that manager Brendan Rodgers played an influential role in persuading him to pledge his immediate future to Liverpool.
"He was very important. When you have confidence with the manager you can try your best," he said.
"When the team is together and you are happy in the dressing room, that makes me happy."
Suarez's relationship with leading figures at Anfield has improved significantly since he attempted to force a move to Arsenal in the summer.
The Gunners made two bids for the Uruguay international, including a club-record offer of £40m plus £1 in an attempt to trigger a release clause in his contract.
Both were rejected, with Liverpool boss Rodgers accusing Arsenal of "playing games".
Suarez was considering submitting a formal transfer request and also the possibility of court action if the dispute was not resolved as he believed the second bid triggered a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave the Anfield club.
Suarez was initially made to train alone during pre-season, but returned to the first-team fold on 16 August after talks with Rodgers.
"This is fantastic news for everyone associated with the club; the team, the owners and most importantly the supporters," Rodgers said on Liverpool's official website. 
"Luis is a world-class talent and securing his services is crucial for what we are trying to achieve here.
"What's most important and most exciting is that, at just 26 years old, his best years are still ahead of him and we now know we'll be seeing him reach that potential in a Liverpool shirt."
Suarez's time at Liverpool has often been controversial and he has previously been handed handed two long-term bans.
He was banned for eight games in December 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra before receiving his 10-match ban in April for the incident with Ivanovic.

Brendan Rogers- Luis Suarez has matured since match ban for biting

Luis Suarez has matured since his 10 match ban for biting and is thriving on the leadership role he has been handed by the club says manager Brendan Rogers.

The Uruguayan striker has been in scorching form since returning from suspension for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season, scoring 17 goals in 11 league appearances, more than the total managed by half the clubs in the Premier League.

Having appeared to be on his way out of the Anfield club during the off-season and at odds with his manager, he is now more settled in Merseyside. His redemption following a litany of off-field dramas continued on Monday when he was given the Football Supporters' Federation Player of the Year award, which was voted for by more that half a million fans.

"I think he's just matured," Rogers said in a news conference ahead of Saturday's visit of 15th-placed Cardiff City.

"He's really felt the love of the supporters after the 10-game ban, it was extremely difficult for him to cope because he's a man that plays football because of the love of the game, I think you see that in him every week and every day at training I'm fortunate enough to see that.

"I just think he's maturing, he is accepting the role and responsibility that I've given him. He is one of the senior players... one of the pillars of the group."

The 26-year-old was named captain for Sunday's 5-0 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger, who was on the bench, and Rogers said his enthusiasm was rubbing off on his younger team mates.

"We are a young side, our average age is probably the lowest it's been for a number of years in the Tottenham game, and he's taken on that mantle in order to help and support those players, whilst having that real x-factor that he has to his game."

Liverpool are second in the table, two points off leaders Arsenal and on track for Champions League qualification for the first time since failing to progress from the group stage in the 2009-10 season.

British media have reported that the club has started talks with Suarez's agent over a new contract, but Rogers would not be drawn on the situation.

"There's nothing to report on that. Obviously anything contractually is private so at the minute we are just focusing on his football."

Liverpool open Suarez contract talks

Luis Suarez: Liverpool open talks over new contract for striker

Liverpool have opened talks with Luis Suarez's agent over a deal that could make the Uruguayan striker the highest-paid player in the club's history.

  24 April: Banned for 10 games by the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic
29 May: Drops a big hint he wants to leave Liverpool by saying he finds life in England hard
12 June: Reiterates his love for Liverpool, but insists life in England is very hard
8 July: Liverpool turn down a £30m bid from Arsenal
24 July: Arsenal offer £40,000,001 for Suarez, believing it triggers a clause in his contract
2 August: Sources say Suarez will consider a formal transfer request and the possibility of court action if dispute with Liverpool is not resolved
7 August: Suarez says he wants to leave Liverpool to join a Champions League side
8 August: Told to train alone by manager Brendan Rodgers, who says the player has shown "total disrespect" for the club.

Managing director Ian Ayre returned to Merseyside on Tuesday having spent 24 hours in Spain, where he held talks with Suarez's agent, Pere Guardiola.

Liverpool's owners have sanctioned the deal but it remains to be seen whether Suarez, 26, is willing to commit beyond 2016, when his current contract ends.
Real Madrid retain an interest in him.
But Reds manager Brendan Rodgers said recently: "He is really happy here. He is playing with a smile and enthusiasm. The whole profile of the club fits him perfectly. The supporters idolise him and you can see the connection there."
It may take a contract offer of close to £200,000 per week, double Suarez's present deal, to persuade him to sign a new contract. However his relationship with leading figures at Anfield has improved significantly since he attempted to force a move to Arsenal in the summer.
The Gunners made two bids for the Uruguay international, including a club-record offer of £40m plus £1 in an attempt to trigger a release clause in his contract.
Both were rejected, with Rodgers accusing Arsenal of "playing games".
Suarez was considering submitting a formal transfer request and the possibility of court action if the dispute was not resolved as he believed the second bid triggered a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave the club, whom he signed for in January 2011 for a fee of £22.7m.
Suarez was initially made to train alone during pre-season, but returned to the first-team fold on 16 August after talks with Rodgers.
He missed the first six games of the season after being given a 10-match ban in April for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, but returned against Manchester United on 25 September and has scored 17 goals in 12 games.

Andre Villas-Boas sacked as Spurs manager

Tottenham have sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas in the wake of Sunday's 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool.

The defeat was the club's worst at White Hart Lane in 16 years and left Spurs seventh in the Premier League - eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
Villas-Boas, 36, took over at Tottenham in July 2012.

"The club can announce that agreement has been reached with head coach Andre Villas-Boas for the termination of his services," said a Spurs statement.

"The decision was by mutual consent and in the interests of all parties."
Villas-Boas had come under increasing pressure in recent weeks as his side struggled to keep pace with the top four in the league.
His side lost 6-0 to Manchester City on 24 November and, despite a draw against Manchester United and wins at Fulham and Sunderland, the defeat by Liverpool proved the final straw for the Spurs hierarchy.
Villas-Boas said he would not "resign" as he was not a "quitter" after the loss to the Reds but, after being summoned to a meeting with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on Sunday, his future was taken out of his hands.
"We wish Andre well for the future," added the Spurs statement. "We shall make a further announcement in due course."
The early names being linked with replacing the Portuguese include current Russia boss and former England manager Fabio Capello, ex-Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo, Swansea boss Michael Laudrup and Tottenham's current technical director Franco Baldini.
Italian Baldini, 53, helped oversee the club's transfer dealings during last summer when the club had to contend with the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world record £85.3m.
Bale scored 21 goals last season as Spurs finished a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal to miss out on Champions League qualification.
Tottenham recruited Paulinho, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela with the money from the sale of the Wales international but the team has been unconvincing so far this season.
Villas-Boas had only managed one win from his previous six home league games, with his side scoring just 15 goals in 16 top-flight matches.

Luis Suarez scores twice as Liverpool

Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool dominated 10-man Tottenham to move second in the Premier League table.

The Uruguayan's 16th goal of the season took him past the total for the whole Spurs side when he found the bottom corner from Jordan Henderson's flick.
Philippe Coutinho hit the bar before the excellent Henderson volleyed in.
Paulinho was then sent off for a high kick on Suarez before goals from Jon Flanagan, Suarez and Raheem Sterling completed Spurs' humiliation.
Liverpool were without injured skipper Steven Gerrard, who last week joined Daniel Sturridge on the treatment table, but they could have easily scored more as they took control early on and never let it slip against a poor Tottenham team, who did not have a shot on target.
This was Liverpool's first victory in seven visits to White Hart Lane, while Tottenham ended a five-game unbeaten run with another disappointing display in front of their home fans.
Andre Villas-Boas's side have now won just one of their last six matches at White Hart Lane and they must seek to overturn that form if they are to establish themselves as Champions League contenders, let alone fight for the Premier League title.
More prominently, this result will lead to further questions about the Portuguese coach's future having already fielded them after a 6-0 loss at Manchester City last month.
Spurs came up against a Brendan Rodgers side led by the irrepressible Suarez, who took his amazing scoring run to 14 goals in eight Premier League games and 17 overall this season.

But the South American, who was captain for the day, was ably supported by the effervescence of Henderson and Sterling, who tore shreds out of Kyle Naughton before the Spurs left-back was replaced at half-time.

Henderson has had his critics at Anfield but appears to be finding consistent form now and he played his part in the opener after almost being played in by Suarez.
But with Michael Dawson sliding in to intercept, the Premier League's top scorer collected the loose ball, danced around Kyle Walker and slotted into the bottom corner.
Suarez, Coutinho and Glen Johnson all went close to doubling the lead before the half hour, with Nacer Chadli heading over from an isolated Spurs attack, but the visitors went 2-0 up before the break with Sterling involved again.
His raking ball from the right found Coutinho, who touched the ball to the onrushing Henderson. His first shot was saved, but then after Hugo Lloris could only push Suarez's effort up into the air, Henderson volleyed in.
Roberto Soldado, who retained his place after a midweek hat-trick against Anzhi Makhachkala, then had the ball in the net but referee Jonathan Moss believed the Spaniard fouled Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after a poor touch by the Belgian.
As the half-time whistle blew boos echoed around White Hart Lane, reflecting a woeful first period for the hosts.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ezekiel Fryers came on for Naughton but Spurs could not contain Sterling, whose cross was headed against the post by Mamadou Sakho from only two yards out.
And a nightmare afternoon for Spurs continued when Paulinho received his marching orders for a high foot, which connected with Suarez's chest.
A sign of how dominant Liverpool were came when Flanagan smashed in off the bar for his first Liverpool goal, before Suarez chipped in and Sterling steered home a crisp shot.
Liverpool's squad might not be as strong as some of the other title contenders but when they play like this they will not fear upcoming games against Manchester City and Chelsea before the year is out.

Liverpool chief says Suarez damaged club brand

LONDON: While pleased Luis Suarez is back in action following a biting ban, Liverpool is still concerned about the damage the striker caused for the club's brand globally.

The 10-match suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a game in April came after Suarez had been banned for eight games after racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra in 2011.

"Any types of incident of that nature are damaging to a brand," Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said on Thursday.

Suarez returned to action in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the League Cup on Wednesday, although the Uruguay striker hoped not to be playing in a Liverpool shirt again.

Throughout the offseason, rather than focusing on repairing his image, Suarez was publicly pushing for a transfer away from Liverpool in search of Champions League football. Liverpool, though, was steadfast in rejecting bids from Arsenal for the Uruguay international and put him through a rehabilitation process to try and ensure there are no further incidents that harm the club.

"Luis is a footballer, he's a street fighter, he's a larger-than-life character," Ayre said at the Sport Industry Group Breakfast Club in London. "Nobody is condoning any bad behavior but it's just something you have to deal with. He is what he is, he is the character he is, and we have to try and harness that.

"We have worked a lot with Luis since the last incident with Ivanovic and he has responded well to that. He has been prepared to commit to that sort of work on his character."

While Ayre said Suarez's misdemeanors haven't hit sponsorship revenue, the 121-year-old club wants to ensure its principles are upheld.

"We are very much an institution and we base ourselves on family values, and when your kids are naughty you tell them off and you try to teach them the error of your ways _ it's no different," Ayre said.

"Every time you have a negative issue like that particular one then of course it's damaging, but the important thing is to put it right and restore the integrity of the football club. And I believe that's what we did."

The club and its American ownership backed Suarez after the racist-abuse verdict, hitting out at the English Football Association process.

After Suarez sunk his teeth into Ivanovic during a Premier League game in April, Liverpool immediately condemned the player's actions, while still claiming he was being victimized with his hefty sanction.

But Liverpool, whose principal owner is sports tycoon John Henry, has learnt lessons from how it handled the Suarez cases.

"What's important at those times is to ensure we act respectively and professionally as a football club, and in the past we've got some of that wrong and more recently we got that right," Ayre said.

"We have a process now," he added. "It's not a Luis Suarez process _ it's a process for any crisis whether it's on the pitch or off the pitch."

For now, Suarez is back helping Liverpool's bid to return to the top four and qualify for the Champions League again.

"I'm here to help the team and help Liverpool and I'll try my best," Suarez said after the game at Old Trafford.

And Ayre was glad to see him back "terrorizing defenders."

"He is a great team member," Ayre said. "The players are supportive of him and he is supportive of them. The most important thing is that he is on the football pitch, and most importantly committed to playing for Liverpool.

Manchester United beat Liverpool 1-0 in League Cup

The match Forget about talk of how much the League Cup means to the top clubs – this was a rousing affair at a noisy Old Trafford with both sides going all out to reach the fourth round. After defeats at Anfield and the Etihad, painfully so on Sunday, there may have been pressure on United but the response was emphatic. After a tight first half, Javier Hernandez struck from Wayne Rooney's corner seconds after the restart and both sides hit the woodwork, while David De Gea and Simon Mignolet made stunning saves.
Goals Just the one but how sweet that Chicharito, so often the scourge of the two Merseyside clubs, should get it. This was his chance to shine after being patient and he took it, losing Jose Enrique to flick out a leg and convert Rooney's corner.
Subplot Luis Suarez's return from a lengthy absence and a summer of headlines about his future received inevitable focus but, for United, this was all about bouncing back from Sunday's derby disaster. Rooney was handed the captaincy ahead of Ryan Giggs, which surprised some supporters, and it's worth remembering Liverpool were determined to go far in this competition because they are not in Europe.
Star men There were fine performances in red shirts throughout the team but centre-backs Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans were immense. Rooney