People may say he’s a waste of money and yes he’s not worth £35m but that goal, to knock Everton out, was worth that much. Two (late) goals in two games after he’s finally been given some service will do him the world of good. Let us just hope Kenny doesn’t drop him. Play him for every game left and watch him fly.

As for Everton well, personally, I think if they want to progress and become a force again (as they have so much potential to) then Moyes has to go. He had the chance today to literally destroy us, knock us out of the Cup, sack our manager and leave us next to dead. Instead he stood like a rabbit in the headlights and was solely at fault for how his team played after Carragher (who should never play again - and it kills me to say that) gifted them a goal. Everton should be a major team who at least compete for the Cups year after year but they won’t with Moyes any more.

Anyway… personally hoping Chelsea win tomorrow as wanna see that ponse’s face when we lift the FA Cup in front of him.

Good result for us earlier tonight. Yes West Brom were abysmal, yes we really need to start putting away more of our chances and yes after a promising start Stuart Downing looks a shadow but there were far more positives. Andy Carroll played well and scored again, the partnership between him and Luis Suárez is starting to (slowly) bloom, Charlie Adam was outstanding, Danny Agger and Martin Škrte’s partnership was solid, Lucas was majestic once again in the middle of the field (vital in setting up Carroll’s goal) and Jordan Henderson looks to have put his shaky start behind him, playing very well indeed. Up to fifth in the table and now just a point behind Chelsea who we play in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of Chelsea it was another strange week in other games, Arsenal beating them 5-3 at Stamford Bridge. Although it was nice to see John Terry balls up for the Gunners’ fourth and André Villas-Boas losing again (I really despise him and his “I’m God” attitude) I couldn’t help but laugh at Arsène Wenger and Arsenal fans saying ‘We’re back!’. No, you’re not. You won because Chelsea under AVB are hapless and didn’t bother shutting you down, giving you the time and space to play your game. Just like they did at Old Trafford and just like they’ll (fingers crossed!) do against us. No other big team in this league or any other would do that, neither would most of the ‘littler’ teams. As much as I like them, I can’t see Arsenal qualifying for the Europa League, never mind the European Cup I’m afraid.

First we had the red card for Jack Rodwell. Yes, it wasn’t a red card. To be perfectly honest it wasn’t even a free-kick. Luis Suárez may have overexagerated his fall but the sending off was nothing to do with him, it was the incompetence of referee Martin Atkinson. A few minutes later Marouane Fellaini fouled Lucas a hundred times worse than Rodwell’s “foul” yet it wasn’t even a free-kick. Mad.

Then we had the penalty. Again, I don’t think it was one, seeing as Suárez was heading away from goal. As for the penalty itself it’s been described as a great save by Tim Howard and also a poor one by Dirk Kuyt. I’m more sided to the latter.

With twenty minutes to go we finally got the goal our play had deserved and I was delighted that Andy Carroll was the one to score it. The criticism he’s received from the media (and sections of Kopites) is a disgrace so it was great to see him shut them up, especially as it wasn’t his best performance before then.

Finally we had the new king of Anfield Luis Suárez getting his customary goal after some abysmal defending. It’s worth pointing out that neither goal had anything to do with the sending off, both were down to pathetically poor defending.

Last thing - I’m amazed that twice the stewards did nothing about bottles, coins and lighters being thrown at Craig Bellamy and Suárez. Stupid. Everton deserve any FA fines they have coming for that. Although maybe Everton could pick up all those coins and put it towards their transfer budget for the January Transfer Window? But sod it, we beat the Blue Noses. Again. And it’s only an hour until Doctor Who. Good day.

On Thursday (September 29th) it was thirty years since the most important man in Liverpool FC history passed away. So it was fitting that our first game since was the Merseyside Derby and that our front two - both the sort of players he would have signed - scored.

So only a few weeks into the season comes our second biggest away game, Everton at Goodison Park. And it’s even more poignant today as it’s the first time King Kenny Dalglish will lead us out there since 1991, his last game as our manager before stepping down just a few days later, the strain of Hillsborough finally taking it’s toll on him. The match itself was an epic, with us losing our lead several times in a 4-4 draw.

Today will hopefully be our eighty-sixth win over our neighbours (they’ve won sixty-six, if you’re interested) and I have to say I am a lot more optimistic after seeing our team. Three up front - Dirk Kuyt, Andy Carroll and Luis Suárez - and quality on the bench - Steven Gerrard, Craig Bellamy, Maxi and Jordan Henderson - should see us win, as long as our defence (meaning you, Jamie Carragher) concentrates seeing as sodding Tim Cahill is back.

The days of us both competing at the top of English football may be gone but this match is still the greatest derby in the country (in the whole UK, in my opinion) and will be played at 100mph from the start. I can see at least one red card (more than likely for the Blue Noses), drama, controversy, a Dirk Kuyt brace and a goal for Andy Carroll in a 3-1 win. Fingers crossed.

One player for us who will handle Stoke City better than anyone else is Andy Carroll. Who’s had a quiet week.The stick he’s getting is indeserved and unbelievable. Do people really think if he turned up at Melwood stinking off alcohol then King Kenny would ignore it? He’d rip him a new one. If he’s such a huge alkie then how come the paparazzi have no pictures to prove it? All they have are a handful from the summer when all players enjoy a drink. And then there’s Fabio Cappelo. What sort of idiot has a word in private and then tells the world. Dickhead. Especially with John Terry sat next to him smugly agreeing with everything, forgetting his own pisshead past which is much worse than what people are making out Carroll is. It’s all bollocks.

As for his game contributions, well he is everywhere on the pitch (running less than a metre less than Luis Suárez and Dirk Kuyt do, who people say sweat blood for our club). You’ll see him in the box, wings, midfield helping out his team mates. The long balls to him aren’t his fault - blame Jamie Carragher who seems to have forgotten how to pass a ball since Woy Hodgson arrived last season and now just hoofs it. The big Geordie creates havoc at set pieces, he drags defenders out of position creating space, he has worn out defenders with his running leading to us getting late goals, and he has had a couple of top quality goals wrongly disallowed. The goals will come. It’s time for everyone to get behind this lad. He will be massive for us. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day it clicks for him.

Last point: the only think he has done wrong is going to see sodding Boyzone.

The first half was excellent and we looked really good. Free-flowing, fluid and consistent attacking play. Then the second half showed an alarming collapse when Sunderland realised the idea of the game is to try and score, not just stand around looking gormless. Although John Flanagan’s startling collapse at right back didn’t help. Martin Kelly was warming up all second half, why make him do that then not bring him on? (not that I’m questioning King Kenny, of course)

Phil Dowd, naturally, had to make the game all about him as he failed to give Kieran Richardson the red card he deserved after bringing Luis Suárez down or allow a blatantly onside Andy Carrol goal to stand. If Dowd had done his job properly (how often have football fans said that) the game would have been completely different, even if Suárez’s spot-kick had still gone blazing over the bar. That’s irrelevant though as, to be honest, we didn’t deserve to win with our second half display.

A good Suárez header was put in right in front of us, as was Sebastian Larsson superb volley and at least ten baffling Dowd decisions. Andy Carroll being pulled constantly? No free-kick. Lucas pulling out of a high Lee Cattermole challenge? Sunderland free-kick. Charlie Adam shoves over Cattermole? No Sunderland free-kick. Pathetically inconsistent refereeing from the worst official in the English game.

Still, with Arsenal dropping points, Fabregas and Nasri off, Gervinho red carded (correctly, actually Mr. Wenger) and them having a vital Champions League qualifier against Usinese beforehand, we can be optimistic of a good result at the Emirates, especially if we play as we did in the first half.

Just less than an hour before kick-off I got a phone call asking if I wanted to go to Liverpool’s last pre season game this afternoon against Valencia. Naturally I jumped at the chance. An very intriguing it was, as I found the following…

• Andy Carroll really does have amazing pace when he’s in the mood
• the Glen Johnson “injury” was surely engineered to keep him out if England’s game against the Netherlands on Wednesday?
• it’s nice to see we’re now finally being inventive with our corners
• Stuart Downing will really offer us some terrific no nonsense wing play
• Juan Mata did nowt - I don’t watch much Spanish football so was looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about (with us constantly linked to him) I’m still waiting…
• even when it doesn’t matter referee Martin Atkinson is useless
• Maxi’s in the best form of his career
• as is Dirk Kuyt, but he still has the worst touch of any footballer ever, pro or not
• the Greek - still looking like an extra from 300 - really is shit
• Kenny’s been playing John Flanagan everywhere since he’s come into the first team; right back, left back and today in central midfield. I think the idea is to get him to be more comfortable on the ball, and to be comfortable with both feet
• most importantly, against the best side we’ve played in pre season, we finally kept a clean sheet

Roll on August 13th and Sunderland…

A huge welcome to Charlie Adam who will finally be signing for Liverpool FC tonight but the hard work for him starts now. Yes, it is obvious that King Kenny rates him but unfortunately a few fans don’t. Or to be more precise think that we should have aimed higher. For me he plugs a lot of holes. He is a natural left-footer, is big (6’1”), knows what it is like to play the likes of Wigan on a cold, wet Tuesday night, is good with a dead ball, has a good football brain, will run all day can get “stuck in”, and is a good passer of the ball. Perhaps more importantly he doesn’t seem to pick up a lot of niggling injuries. The only main downside I can see (in the eyes of the naysayers) is that he doesn’t have the attraction of some of the foreign stars that the fans seem to crave; even though most of them had never been heard of on Merseyside until the tabloids started touting them as targets.

The best thing about having him is that we will now finally be a threat at corners and freekicks. Bar a handful, every corner we have had in the past two/three years has been shit. For an amazing footballer, Steven Gerrard can not take a corner. If they don’t hit the first defender then they go helplessly over everybody in the box. It was getting to the point where I thought if we win a corner we should just have given it straight to the opposition for a goal kick as our corners were that bad. Now it’ll be a different story as Adam pings in incredible ball after incredible ball and it will be a dream for Andy Carroll, Luis Suárez and even Gerrard himself who is exceptionally good in the air, not that you’d know it after him hogging the corners or years.

Good luck to him. Let’s all get behind him, hope that he proves a massive success and cross our fingers for a few more quality signings (AS Roma keeper Doni on a free as back-up for Pepe is a steal) and some of the dross (I’m talking about you, Joe Cole, Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen, Milan Jovanović). YNWA.

Jordan Henderson’s imminent signing is a genuine statement of intent by Liverpool FC ahead of what promises to be a busy summer at Anfield.

It is no secret that (King) Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli have plenty of work to do to reshape the Reds squad this summer, and this deal would seem to fit neatly with club owners Fenway Sports Group and their long-term strategy: Sunderland Athletic’s Henderson is young and English, but most importantly talented.

Cynics will suggest that Liverpool are paying an “English premium” but they showed with Andy Carroll in January that they are willing to pay whatever it takes to land their top targets, and the speed and decisiveness with which they have secured Henderson is a hugely positive sign. How often have LFC stalled I’m buying players until preseason or even the season has begun?

And by valuing David N’Gog (above), the makeweight in the deal, at £8m, Dalglish and his team have shown that they too can drive a hard bargain. The Frenchman should depart Anfield with little but fond wishes. He may not have been the man to take Liverpool to ‘the next level’ as such, but he worked hard, scored some important goals (and a absolute beauty against Arsenal) and deserves his chance of first team football in the North East.

Comparing his development at Anfield to that of Ryan Babel, who left for around half the £11m Liverpool paid Ajax for him, it is clear to see which was the smarter piece of business.

As for Henderson himself, well at twenty he clearly has plenty of developing to do, but he also has all the raw materials to be a success at Liverpool. Indeed, he displayed as much with a mightily impressive display against Roy Hodgson’s Reds last September in a 2-2 draw at Anfield. He is composed, athletic, energetic and has the ability to cross and pass the ball with consistent quality. Carroll, in particular, will thrive on his early balls into the penalty area, as he did so successfully at Newcastle with Joey Barton.

Nobhead Steve Bruce was desperate to keep Henderson at the Stadium Of Light, which makes this deal a tiny bit sweeter. Both Manchester’s City and United had expressed an interest, but the youngster’s determination to move to Merseyside and link up with Dalglish shows that Liverpool’s pulling power, despite no European football next season, remains undiminished.

Sadly a few fans online have been whinging about us buying snother central midfielder, saying we don’t need another one. I think we do. Jay Spearing deserved the credit he received at the end of last season, but unfortunately there is no way he is the long term solution. I also can’t see us getting a full season out of Stevie Gerrard anymore, so a young lad with plenty to prove will fit in nicely to the squad.

Kenny has an absolutely massive job to do at Liverpool. It is not as if he just has to add one or two players to an already good squad. He has to reshape all of it and this is a great start.

Blackpool’s Charlie Adam (above) remains a possibility for around £8m remains a possibility (his set prices especially would be of huge benefit to us), AS Roma keeper Doni (Doniéber Alexander Marangon to his Mun) looks like becoming José Reina’s back-up, Valencia’s Juan Mata (below) is being linked with us hourly as is Stewart Downing of Aston Villa, plus we’re also keen on Birmingham City’s scouse central defender Scott Dann and Ipswich Town’s young striker Connor Wickham.

All or maybe none will follow the Wearsider over the next couple of months but either way these are exciting times at L4.