Stevie: Suarez is sensational

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard believes Luis Suarez is the best striker he has played alongside, and would love to see Xabi Alonso back at Anfield.



Gerrard, in a Twitter question and answer session for sponsors adidas, picked Suarez ahead of the likes of Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Fernando Torres - all great goalscorers at Anfield - and England team-mate Wayne Rooney.



Asked who is the greatest striker he had played with Gerrard opted for Suarez, who has scored seven of Liverpool's 13 Premier League goals this season and produced a wonder strike against Newcastle on Sunday.



Gerrard also singled out the Uruguay international as the player who messes about most in training - "He's a nuisance!" wrote the 32-year-old.



The Reds captain also revealed, given the opportunity, he would jump at the chance to bring Alonso back to the club.



"Xabi Alonso - best midfielder I've played with, I miss playing with him," he wrote.



The feeling appears to be mutual with the Real Madrid midfielder confident Gerrard, who marked his 600th match for Liverpool at the weekend, would slot seamlessly into Spain's World Cup and European Championship-winning side.



"Absolutely, there's no doubt," said Alonso.



"He could play in any national team in the world because he has so many great qualities.



"He is flexible. He can play at the English pace or he can associate with the ball very well.



"He is a very intelligent player, so he could play anywhere - not just any national team but any club in the world.



"But he has been a one-club man and that's something I really admire."



Alonso believe Gerrard had a significant impact on his career, having moved to Merseyside from Real Sociedad in 2004.



"He was a great influence to me," he told Real Madrid TV in an interview on behalf of Liverpoolfc.com.



"When I arrived at Liverpool, I was 22 and he was the captain, he was the main man at the club.



"For me, he was a reference, the way he behaved with his team-mates and with the supporters as well.



"I learned a lot from him. We are great friends and we still keep in touch.



"He is so inspirational. In the key moments, he has that different thing, that spark that is difficult to define.



"He'll absolutely be remembered as one of the greats. For me he is already one of the greats."



Gerrard and Suarez seem unlikely to make Thursday's Europa League trip to face big-spending Anzi Makhachkala in Moscow.



Although victory in the Russian capital would strengthen the Reds' position at the top of Group A, manager Brendan Rodgers has one eye on Sunday's trip to Chelsea and with Suarez as his only fit senior striker he does not want to risk him.



It means he is likely to field a much-changed side from the one which drew with Newcastle.

Saha desperate for first goal

Louis Saha is determined his first Sunderland goal will be an important one.



The 34-year-old Frenchman heads for former club Everton at the weekend still awaiting his opening strike for the Black Cats.



He does so with Martin O'Neill's men desperately short of confidence and having managed only one Barclays Premier League victory in 17 attempts dating back to March.



However, while desperate to break his duck, Saha will only be happy if his maiden goal in a red and white shirt results in a tangible reward for his team.



He told the Sunderland Echo: "You always work hard for that first goal and the pressure is off when you get it.



"But you want to make sure you get when it's the right moment. You don't want to score when you're 3-0 down and you don't need it."



Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Aston Villa left the Black Cats still searching for just their second league win of the campaign and sliding inexorably down the table.



O'Neill remains confident his side will start to fire soon, but the fact remains they mustered only one shot on target at the weekend, and that from midfielder Lee Cattermole 84 minutes into the game.



Saha said: "You always want to do more and I think the team can do it and as a player, I think I can do more as well.



"When you're drawing many games, you always expect more because we are here to win games. But we are training to improve.



"We have done okay, but the fans can ask more because they see things.



"But football is a difficult job and I really think we are close to winning games."

Fulham eye defender deal

Fulham are keen to tie defender Brede Hangeland down to a new deal before the January transfer window opens.



The Norwegian defender is out of contract at the end of the season and Fulham are eager to resolve the player's future.



Hangeland will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in January if he does not agree new terms at Craven Cottage and Fulham are keen to prevent the 31-year-old from leaving as a free agent at the end of the campaign.



If the west Londoners fail to convince Hangeland to sign a new deal prior to the January transfer window it has been reported they will seek to sell the centre-half, rather than allow him to leave on a free transfer.



Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been credited with an interest in the past but it remains to be seen if the Old Trafford side will step up their interest in the new year.

Ozil talks up Real form

Real Madrid playmaker Mesut Ozil has claimed his side are back to their best again after a sluggish start to the season.



The Santiago Bernabeu side failed to beat Valencia, Getafe and Sevilla earlier in the season, and are currently trailing league leaders Barcelona by eight points.



German international Ozil feels his side have left their problems from August and September behind and are back on track.



"It's true that we didn't start off very well and we lost some points, but now we've regained our self-confidence and we're back on track," Ozil said.



The 24-year-old then looked ahead to Tuesday's Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, and made it clear that Real have set their sights on victory.



"Our objective is always to bag all three points. The match against Dortmund will be a tough one, but we’ll be playing at home and before the fans, who will support us," he said.



"If we put into practice what the coach has told us, we'll certainly get the three points. We're not watching what they're doing. We'll just go out to get those three points."



Real sit second in Group D with six points from three games, one point behind leaders Dortmund.

The top stories from papers and websites - 6 November 2012

• Chelsea are considering moves for Marseille striker Loic Remy and Porto forward Jackson Martinez after being put off by Atletico Madrid's £46m valuation for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao.


• Meanwhile, the Blues are also keeping tabs on Wolfsburg's 20-year-old left-back Ricardo Rodriguez.


• Liverpool are closing in on Schalke's Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is out of contract at the end of the season.


• Manchester United are considering Blackpool winger Tom Ince as a potential replacement for Nani due to uncertainty over the Portugal winger's future at Old Trafford.


• Real Madrid playmaker Xabi Alonso is eyeing a return to the Premier League after a contract stand-off with the Spanish champions.


• Arsenal's Andre Santos has apologised to his team-mates for swapping shirts with Manchester United's Robin van Persie at Old Trafford on Saturday.

• Chelsea players are divided over whether referee Mark Clattenburg actually aimed a racist comment at John Obi Mikel.


• Roma have put Manchester City on alert by admitting they will listen to offers for skipper Daniele de Rossi, 29, who they value at £30m.


• Reading are preparing to end Andrey Arshavin's Arsenal misery by moving for the £15m outcast.


• Andre Santos broke his silence on the Robin van Persie shirt storm to say sorry to Arsenal fans.


• Yaya Toure admits there are regular rows among all the big egos in the Manchester City dressing room.


• New Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy has his eye on 20-year-old Oldham striker Jose Baxter, who has scored six goals this season.

• Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has risked another bust-up with Roberto Mancini after deciding to miss the hectic Christmas programme to be with his new-born child.


• Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have joined the hunt for Watford's 18-year-old central defender Tommie Hoban.


• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has banned Andre Santos from ever swapping his shirt early again.

• Tottenham could move for Liverpool's England striker Andy Carroll - currently on loan at West Ham - in January.


• Lille could be ready to take out-of-favour Liverpool star Joe Cole following a successful loan spell in France last season.


• Fulham are planning contract talks with Norway defender Brede Hangeland, 31, before Christmas in an attempt to prevent him leaving on a free transfer.


• Chelsea stars fear a backlash from referees over their race abuse claims against Mark Clattenburg, who was yesterday removed from the match list for a second week.


• Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton has emerged as the strong favourite to replace Ian Holloway at Blackpool.

• Chelsea officials are angry with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger for weighing in with their opinions on he Mark Clattenburg affair.


• Gareth Barry says that Manchester City's chastened stars are determined to prove boss Roberto Mancini wrong.

• Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who has 18 months left on his contract, has been offered a six-year deal as the Potters attempt to ward off interest from former club Manchester United and Tottenham.


• Gareth Barry claims Manchester City are still fighting to win the Champions League, rather than fighting with each other, despite admitting that the club have been "found out" in this season's competition.

• Roberto Mancini appeared to show the first signs of strain before Manchester City's must-win Champions League tie against Ajax after a rare loss of temper in public.

• Gordon Strachan has emerged as the favourite to take over as Scotland manager after Craig Levein's turbulent three-year spell was ended yesterday.

• Roberto Mancini has angrily demanded respect as the Italian offered an impassioned defence of his tenure as Manchester City manager ahead of tonight's must-win Champions League visit of Ajax.

• Aston Villa star Darren Bent is set to demand talks with manager Paul Lambert over his future as the striker eyes a transfer in January.


• Manchester United have delayed contract talks with Ryan Giggs until the end of the season.

Joleon Lescott and James Milner latest casualties for Manchester City

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has plenty of injury concerns ahead of tomorrow's must-win Champions League match against Ajax at the Etihad Stadium.



City have collected just one point from their opening three games in Group D and are in danger of early elimination for a second successive season.



Mancini is well aware his team must beat Ajax to retain any hope of reaching the knockout stages but the task is made even harder by a host of injuries.



Joleon Lescott and James Milner are the latest additions to a casualty list that already includes David Silva, Maicon, Jack Rodwell and Micah Richards.



Mancini said: "We have this problem with some important players injured but when you have this problem, it is a time that all the players can put more on the pitch. Tomorrow is the last chance for us."



Mancini has reiterated his belief that City's continuing European struggles should be put in the context of the club's relative inexperience on the stage.



It is only the club's second season in the Champions League and, as with last year, they have a particularly tough group with Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid all domestic champions.



Mancini said: "In the Champions League there are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Manchester United that have more experience than us.



"We play Champions League for the second year, probably we need to work more for this."



"We want to show the way we play at Ajax, whether it is at home or away" - Frank de Boer



"This time we again took a difficult group and you need to work hard. When you are in a group with Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Ajax, you can go out. It is possible."



Opposite number Frank de Boer, who saw his side triumph over Mancini's outfit 3-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA a fortnight ago, knows a win will go a long way to taking them into the knockout rounds.



"We want to be in the Champions League after the winter break as well," he said.



"All the teams in this group do, and of course they want to have the nine points out of the three coming matches.



"We will give it a go to try to get a result here. Some of these teams will lose points and we will know who at the end of the match."



City might need to throw caution to the wind but De Boer has no intention of telling his side to sit back to soak up pressure.



The former Holland defender said: "We are not going to throw it open but it is not our way to play defensively.



"We want to show the way we play at Ajax, whether it is at home or away."

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has put Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United on alert after indicating he is ready to return to management, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Stephan El Shaarawy is set for a new contract at AC Milan amid continued interest from Manchester City in the striker.



- Manchester City are ready to join the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United in the race to sign Santos striker Neymar, according to The People.



- Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Willian should only join Arsenal, Chelsea, or Manchester United should he move to the Premier League, according to team-mate Eduardo, who doesn't believe Tottenham are a big enough club for the Brazilian.



- Liverpool are hopeful of signing Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in January for just £6million, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Galatasaray want to sign Joe Cole in loan in January - and are willing to pay the majority of his £100,000 a week wages, writes The Sunday People.



- Emmanuel Adebayor is wanted by Atletico Madrid as he looks for a way out of Tottenham – just 10 weeks after sealing a move to White Hart Lane, writes The Sunday People.



- Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who continues to be linked with a move to Liverpool, insists he was right to snub a move to Premier League champions Manchester City, telling the Daily Mirror: "I remember my agent calling me to tell me that they had come in for me, but I told him straight away that I did not see any point in ­moving to ­Manchester City – and I still don’t. At the end of my career, we will see if I took the right decision."



- Zenit St Petersburg are ready to enter the race for Liverpool target Fernando Amorebieta.



- Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby has brushed aside speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal.



- Marouane Chamakh says he is facing a make-or-break season at Arsenal - and has hinted at a return to former club Bordeaux.



- Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones is ready to make a return to England if he is not given a new deal at the German club.



- Juventus are hoping to persuade Mehdi Benatia to turn down both Chelsea and Barcelona to stay in Italy, according to talkSPORT.



- Aston Villa are already looking at replacements for Darren Bent – and are ready to chase Saint-Etienne striker Pierre Aubameyang, writes The Sunday People.



- Bradford have signed Sunderland defender John Egan on loan until the new year, subject to Football League clearance.



- Roma's sporting director Franco Baldini admits the club will always listen to offers for Daniele De Rossi - but that does not mean they will sell.



- Santos have confirmed their interest in signing Paris Saint Germain midfielder Nene.



- Sky Sports understands Hull City have agreed a deal to re-sign Manchester United starlet Robbie Brady on loan