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Uruguayan had to wait while his manager focuses on rehabilitating the £35m striker

The masks were ready, the T-Shirts were on sale again outside Anfield and Liverpool prepared to make up for lost time with Luis Suárez on his first appearance since commencing a nine-match Football Association ban last year for improper conduct and racially abusing Patrice Evra. Then the team-sheets landed and changed the script from the rehabilitation of the Uruguay international to that of Andy Carroll. It is a process the former Newcastle United man, at least, has seized

Suárez being Suárez, he found a central role in the only controversy of an incident-lacking draw against Tottenham Hotspur with a kick into the chest of Scott Parker, a foul more clumsy that malicious and which earned a yellow card from referee Michael Oliver four minutes after he had taken to the field. He also squandered a glorious chance to win the game late on when he planted a free header from a Steven Gerrard free-kick straight into the grateful arms of Brad Friedel.

There were similar frustrations for Carroll as he wasted a clear opening from Martin Kelly’s cross and headed just over in the closing stages. But given the starting point in his Liverpool career when Suárez last started a game on Boxing Day, and his all-round contribution against Spurs, another encouraging display from Carroll augured well for Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool challenge on three fronts.

There is no disputing Suárez’s pre-eminent position among Liverpool strikers this season but Dalglish was justified in not granting special dispensation to the Uruguayan after he had spent exactly six weeks stewing on the sidelines. Like any other player, Suárez had to earn the right to win back his place and not one among Carroll, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy deserved to make way for Liverpool’s headline-maker-in-chief, the focus of the television cameramen as soon as he entered the pitch for the substitutes’ warm-up.

A little over two weeks ago, when a 3-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers prompted a withering condemnation from their manager, it appeared the loss of Suárez had hurt Liverpool as gravely as they feared when his eight-match suspension began and that a return to the starting line-up would be automatic. Only Bellamy had shown form worthy of a side with aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League but, belatedly, Carroll and Kuyt made crucial contributions to a response that ended Manchester’s interest in domestic cup competition for the season, revived Liverpool’s campaign and maintained that form in the comfortable win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Tuesday when all three featured on the score-sheet.

Even so, it would have come as a relief to Carroll to retain the faith of his manager and it was an important call from Dalglish to persist with the £35m striker despite the availability of Suárez. Being a young, strapping centre-forward, and one criticised for having an alleged laissez-faire approach to the game, does not make Carroll immune from a damaging loss of confidence, as his performances had showed prior to the influential display in the FA Cup win over Manchester United. No amount of public praise from Dalglish, the latest coming in the wake of revelations that Liverpool had enquired about swapping the England international for Carlos Tevez, can compare to being asked to lead the line against title-chasing opposition. This was Carroll’s third consecutive start in the Liverpool team, equalling the best run he has been given all season. He needs far more before a considered judgement can be delivered.

It should also have assisted Carroll’s response to complaints over a lack of movement to have Gerrard moved out of central midfield and deployed behind him. The adjustment almost paid dividends in Liverpool’s first attack when their captain pierced the Tottenham defence, rekindling memories of the fruitful supply-line he once provided for Fernando Torres, and Carroll peeled off the shoulder of the recalled Michael Dawson.

It required a perfectly executed challenge to prevent the striker testing Brad Friedel in the visiting goal.

The early combination proved a false dawn for Carroll and Liverpool who, for all their promise around the Spurs’ area, did not escape behind Dawson and the commanding Ledley King that easily again throughout the first half. Carroll almost created a clear opening for himself before the interval but slipped as he turned onto a fine piece of control. Otherwise his aerial presence was often required in the Liverpool half while Bellamy and Kuyt were afforded little room by Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, the Spurs’ full-backs.

Carroll did win his share of headers against the Tottenham central defence but, unlike Evra in United’s recent visit to Anfield, the runners were well-marshalled. Kuyt only escaped from Benoît Assou-Ekotto once to a flick-on from Carroll and set up a thwarted shooting opportunity from Charlie Adam as a result before the inevitable arrived. Liverpool were in need of ingenuity to supplement the centre-forward’s impressive work-rate and the wait was finally over in the 66th minute for Anfield and Suárez.

The visitors were a man down at Anfield before they started and they showed reduced attacking verve against Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur were a man down before they even started. Perhaps that assertion just underlines the fact that we put such weight on everything a manager says and does. In practice, though, it was difficult to tell if the visitors would have been more vibrant under the watchful eye of Harry Redknapp.

We have been taking managers very seriously for a long time. It is not enough that they pick the team and lay down the tactics. Their presence on the touchline or in the stand is somehow thought essential. Given that the cult of the manager is so marked, the lack of Redknapp made the scene a little odd. Perhaps, too, it accounted for diminished verve in his Tottenham team.

Regardless of the court case in London and his inability to get to Merseyside because of a technical problem with the plane, it was still hard to forget him. Kevin Bond, the assistant manager, and Joe Jordan, the first-team coach, would have been in no doubt as to what was required and the plan for the night had been laid down already.

All the same the true issue was whether footballers somehow need their leader in view to give of their best. It seems preposterous such an attitude could be allowed in a professional sport where players are paid so lavishly on the basis that they themselves shape the outcome of a match. Even so, this was the type of fixture that did call for managerial expertise and the lack of Rafael van der Vaart because of a calf strain was another factor to be addressed by those in the technical area..

Liverpool held some advantages. They were at home and, just as significantly, far closer to full strength than their opponents. Tottenham mostly had to resist in the first half but they still hinted at the ability that makes a Champions League campaign very likely next season.

That under-strength line-up did at least have Ledley King in its midst. That, in its own way, was a means of compensating for Redknapp’s unavailability. Given the severity of the knee trouble that has bedevilled his career, it said much that the defender was starting a match for the second time in seven days. There is hope that playing the game regularly might again become normal to the centre-half.

If Redknapp, glowering at his television, had a complaint, it would have related to the lack of confidence on the ball that hindered Tottenham’s efforts to take the game to the opposition. It was Liverpool who dominated possession before the interval but Tottenham had an intensity of their own even if they had neither sight nor sound of their manager.

Any small misgiving lay then in the conservatism. The best moment for them in the first half probably lay in Michael Dawson’s impeccable tackle on Andy Carroll after five minutes when a penalty could so easily have been conceded. Even so that stringency would not have sufficed for Redknapp. His emphasis on attacking style has, after all, seen the team notch 20 goals in 11 away fixtures in the league before they got to Anfield.

That incisiveness was out of reach in the opening 45 minutes. The interpretation of that fact is awkward to assess. It is, after all, supposed to be a taxing night when any side takes on Liverpool here. All the same we have come to expect more from Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and others in the line-up.

It was easy to think how exasperated Redknapp would have been at that stage. The bid for the title itself has faded but the manager is still entitled to call for confidence and ambition when his side is on the ball.

Tottenham, too, had beaten Liverpool in all three of their most recent encounters, including a 4-0 spree at White Hart Lane in September.

Given the context, it was natural to ask that Tottenham do more than demonstrate efficiency while containing Kenny Dalglish’s side. They did better in the second half and looked more interested in attacking but still the verve and penetration were in short supply.

The single heartening factor would have been the discipline in Tottenham ranks when Liverpool commanded so much territory.

That focus had to be even more intense when Luis Suárez made his return from suspension and came on before an adoring Anfield in the 66th minute. Everything depended then on Tottenham’s capacity to maintain order even without Redknapp’s presence.

“Por fin llegó el día,” was the message Luis Suarez had posted on his Twitter account. “Finally the day has come,” it translated. This was his first game back since the nine-match suspension that threatened to blow a gaping hole in Liverpool’s season and, almost immediately, was reacquainted with yet more of the controversy he finds it hard to shake off.

Suárez had been on the pitch only three minutes when he swung out out his right boot, missed the ball and caught Scott Parker flush in the abdomen. The referee, Michael Oliver, issued a yellow card but this is the generation of Twitter and Wayne Rooney was already typing in his disdain. “If ref sees that kick from Suárez and books him for it, it should be red,” said the Manchester United player.

It was a harsh critique – the kick looked painful but did not appear malicious – and Liverpool will just be glad to have their most incisive player back on the field even if his introduction, after 66 minutes, could not conjure up a winner in a game played in the absence of Harry Redknapp, whose travel arrangements from Southwark crown court never saw him get past London City airport because of a technical problem with his plane.

It was an unorthodox night in other ways given that play was delayed because a cat had strayed on the pitch, with conspicuously few stewards willing to find out how tame it was. A clinging fog had threatened the game at one point earlier in the evening and, once it cleared, it was not difficult to imagine Redknapp seated in front of a television somewhere in London wincing with discomfort about the length of time it was taking Spurs to offer even a glimpse of the exhilarating football that has brought them to third in the league.

This has been a renascent Liverpool side since the nadir of their 3-1 defeat at Bolton three weekends ago and most of the pressing in the opening exchanges came from the side that have just navigated their way to the Carling Cup final as well as eliminating Manchester United from the FA Cup.

They were quick to the ball, strong in the challenge and clearly buoyed by their recent successes but, for the most part, there was still that sense of a team needing a touch more creativity and, in those moments, it was understandable if segments of their crowd found themselves peering longingly in Suárez’s direction.

Dalglish had reasoned that a footballer whose professional life has been suspended since Boxing Day might find it difficult to reacclimatise straight away, and it may also be that the Liverpool manager was also emboldened by Andy Carroll’s improvement over the last few games. Either way, the home side were crying out for the Uruguayan’s ability to get behind opposition defences. Carroll is a far more static player and, though Bellamy darts around with an indefatigable desire to make things happen, he does not carry the same menace.

Their best chance in the first half came as early as the fifth minute when Steven Gerrard, impressive in front of Fabio Capello, sent Carroll clear with a beautifully weighted pass. Michael Dawson’s recovery tackle was timed exquisitely because, as the last defender, the repercussions had he mistimed it would have been grave. Jay Spearing sent in a long-distance effort that struck the stanchion behind the goal and Liverpool played with the great energy, with Gerrard dictating midfield. Spurs were unusually blunt, restricted to only a couple of half-chances. Kyle Walker’s surging runs from right-back were a prominent feature but there were only flashes of Gareth Bale’s penetrative qualities and Emmanuel Adebayor was even more peripheral.

They did, however, start to take better care of the ball at the start of the second half, even if there was the sideshow of Bale trying to deceive the referee, Michael Oliver, into awarding a free-kick from a non-challenge. Bale has too much raw ability to add diving to his repertoire and Liverpool’s players were entitled to feel aggrieved. Briefly, tempers flared, with Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson both remonstrating with Bale, who earned a booking for his deception.

The game needed a spark and it came when Suárez started unzipping his tracksuit top. Tottenham’s supporters taunted him with chants that brought John Terry into the equation, but they could hardly be heard at that point.

Anfield was welcoming back a player the crowd here have largely deemed to be the victim of an injustice. It was a standing ovation and the decibel levels went up another notch when, with his first involvement, he dispossessed Benoît Assou-Ekotto to set up a Liverpool attack.

Suárez went on to have four efforts at goal but the most inviting chance came at the other end when Bale sprinted clear only to shoot too close to Pepe Reina.

All the best images from Anfield where Liverpool will be trying to extend their unbeaten home run and Spurs will be going for a win to keep their title dreams alive

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Simon will be here from about 7.30, so until then why not read this preview?

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.”

To continue reading click here.

Bale 5/1* to outgun Gerrard in Monday Night special, say @Sportingbet_com

We paid out at 5/1* when Jermain Defoe outscored Sergio Aguero a fortnight ago in one of our exclusive Spurs specials and have again gone 5/11* this evening, this time for Gareth Bale to outscore Steven Gerrard.

The Welshman has netted three times in his last two matches and can be backed at 22/11* to score twice this evening and 9/11* to score first. We’re 16/11* that Gerrard and Bale score the same number of goals.

Spurs are 13/51* to repeat last season’s success on Merseyside and grab all three points with the draw at 12/51* and we’ve also priced up an Emmanuel Adebayor goal matchbet special against the returning Luis Suarez.

The Togolese frontman is 9/21* to outgun his South American adversary while you can get 8/11* for the pair to hit the net the same number of times and 8/111* that neither notch.

Those expecting a fiery encounter this evening can also pile into our enticing 33/11* price that Suarez gets sent off while we’re also offering 28/11* on Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish being sent to the stands.

Elsewhere we’ve also dedicated markets to potential debutant Louis Saha, making him 3/11* to score at any time, 11/21* to bag a second half strike and 14/11* to notch with his wrong (right) foot.

Open a new account today and you can claim up to £100 in Free Bets at Sportingbet.com. Sign-up with Spurs’ Official Betting Partner and back your hunch on tonight’s game!

*Odds correct at time of writing

Monday, February 6

Hi everyone. It’s been a while since my last diary entry, in fact back to the FA Cup tie at Watford. That was a tough night and they deserve credit for that.

We went to City and it was heartbreaking to lose the way we did. We then went to Vicarage Road and Watford put us under all sorts of pressure. We managed to get away with a 1-0 win and we now travel to Stevenage, another tie we’ll have to be ready for.

I thought the lads were nice and bright against Wigan. We started well, which was all-important on the night, got ourselves 2-0 up and then 3-0 up in the second half. They came back into it, scored a goal and had a couple of chances but overall, a good job done.

The transfer deadline day saw Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen come into the squad.

I’ve played against Louis many times and he’s a great player, a top professional. Ryan is another experienced defender who has been around the Premier League a long time now. They will both bring more experience to the squad and will be great signings for us, I’m sure.

A few lads went out, Seb Bassong, Charlie (Vedran Corluka) Steven Pienaar, Pav. I’ve played a number of times with ‘Bass’ and I’m sure he’ll do well at Wolves. I wish them all the best. The fans loved Pav and so did the lads, a greay guy, and we all wish him well.

Now it’s all about Liverpool. It’s always a special trip for me because I made my debut at Anfield back in April, 2005. That seems like a long time ago now!

We managed a fine 2-0 win there at the end of last season and I’m sure this will be a great game, as both teams are playing well. We go there confident and we’ll give everything to get the right result.

Until next time!

John Bostock made his home debut for Sheffield Wednesday and found himself up against Spurs team-mates Dean Parrett and Jon Obika in the Yeovil line-up.

John curled a free-kick just over in the opening exchanges but Yeovil had the better of the first half.

Dean won possession and broke through on goal, squared for Gavin Williams but somehow the ball stayed out.

Then Jon shocked the home faithful with a deft finish to open the scoring for the Glovers. The pair then combined and Jon went close again before the break.

Title-chasing Owls hit back in the second half. Jermaine Johnson hit a cracker of an equaliser, John then set-up a golden chance for Jeda Johnson, who missed the target with a header from his cross. However, the same player then netted a late winner as the Owls came through 2-1.

In the Championship, Adam Smith made his debut for Leeds and played 90 minutes as they beat Bristol City 3-0 at Ashton Gate. He’s pictured celebrating with goalscorer Robert Snodgrass above. Andros Townsend was an unused substitute.

Harry Kane and Ryan Mason both came on as second half substitutes as Millwall lost Saturday’s derby 2-1 against West Ham at Upton Park.

In the Premier League, all four of our loanees played 90 minutes – Steven Caulker as Swansea beat West Brom 2-1, Kyle Naughton in Norwich’s 2-0 win against Bolton, Seb Bassong as Wolves beat QPR 2-1 and Steven Pienaar in Everton’s 1-1 draw at Wigan.

Finally, in the Scottish Cup, Kudus Oyenuga was an unused substitute as St Johnstone secured a replay after a 1-1 draw against Hearts.

It will be another cracker with Alan Pardew’s men flying high in fifth place in the Premier League.

And you could be at White Hart Lane to watch all the action!

To be in with a chance of winning, simply head over to www.twitter.com/thomascooksport follow them and RT their relevant tweet.

You have until 5pm on Wednesday (February to enter and five winners will be picked at random to win a pair of tickets each.

Thomas Cook Sport is the UK’s leading sports tour operator and official travel partner of Tottenham Hotspur, offering Match Breaks to Spurs fans for the 2011/2012 season from £109 per person.

This season, choose the winning tactic and book your 2011/12 match break by visiting www.thomascooksport.com – CLICK HERE – or call the sales team on 0844 800 9900.

You can also find Thomas Cook Sport on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ThomasCookSportUK  where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest competitions, special offers and news.

CHELSEA v SPURS

Premier League, Stamford Bridge – Saturday, March 24

Kick-off: 12.45pm

Allocation: 3,089

Prices: Adults – up to £59; Seniors (Over-65) £25; Juniors (Under-17) £25

One Hotspur Season Ticket Holders can apply online by CLICKING HERE or by submitting an application form, which can be obtained from the Ticket Office, no later than 5.00pm on Friday, February 17.

One Hotspur Bronze / Lilywhite members can apply online by CLICKING HERE or by submitting the away match application form, which can be obtained from the Ticket Office, from 5.00pm on Friday, February 17 and no later than 5pm on Wednesday, February 29.

Loyalty Points: 1