Liverpool face struggling Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium this weekend, where Kenny Dalglish’s men could extend their winning streak against the Trotters in the Premier League to 11 games. Owen Coyle’s side have won just one of their 10 top-flight games at home so far this term, so Reds’ fans will be confident of their own chances of collecting maximum points.
A win could see Liverpool climb back up into fifth spot, but it would be even sweeter for Dalglish if his richly-assembled side managed to score goals and win convincingly. The Merseysiders have found the net on just 24 occasions this campaign – surprisingly one fewer than their upcoming opponents. A good display in front of goal without the suspended Luis Suarez would certainly raise spirits and answer some critics.
Dalglish is likely to shuffle his pack for this fixture. The Scot opted to start with five defenders against Stoke last time out, with Sebastian Coates and Jamie Carragher making rare appearances. Daniel Agger is expected to return as part of a back four. Another change could see Dirk Kuyt, who was selected up-front last weekend, replaced by Andy Carroll.
Despite Carroll’s lack of goals, the Reds have not yet dipped into the transfer market this month and Dalglish insists they are unlikely to do. He said: “We’re expecting a quiet window. Obviously the academy aren’t but we’re expecting a quiet one.” Young Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira is thought to be in the verge of signing for Liverpool, but he will not be ready for first-team action.
But things are not so quiet off the field. Liverpool have announced a £25m-a-year kit supplier deal with Warrior Sports, eclipsing the £23.5m-a-year deal champions Manchester United currently have with Nike. Managing director Ian Ayre said: “We’ve always said we’ll run the football club in a sustainable and proper way and these types of deals underpin everything that happens in terms of investment in the team. The more quality and high-level partners we can attract, and the more deals of this type we can do, the more we’ll have to invest.”
Meanwhile, there have been advancements in terms of planning for a new stadium. Reds’ owners Fenway Sports Group have ditched the designs which had been commissioned by former co-owner Tom Hicks and will instead revert back to Manchester company AFL’s designs from 2003, which is based around a 60,000-seat arena in Stanley Park. However, according to the Daily Mirror, this does not necessarily mean that plans to stay at Anfield have been totally shelved. The decision process is still ongoing and it is unclear when the club will come to a final conclusion.
See what the expert tipsters at OLBG are tipping on Bolton v Liverpool
