Rodgers prefers deeper role for Gerrard

Liverpool win 5-3 away at Stoke to move back into Premier League top four

STOKE-ON-TRENT: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has suggested that Steven Gerrard will play out the final years of his club career in a deeper position.

Rodgers was speaking after his team moved up to fourth position in the Premier League, five points behind Manchester City, on the strength of a pulsating 5-3 win at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium on Sunday.

Gerrard has returned to the Liverpool side after a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring problem and has occupied a position in front of the Reds defence.

And Rodgers believes that sitting deep will help get the best out of Gerrard as he enters his final seasons.

“I just feel that he’s someone that fits the profile of that role,” he said. “When you play in that controlling role you need to get on the ball and he gives us great variety in his passing.”

Liverpool pulled into a two-goal lead with a Ryan Shawcross own-goal and a Luis Suarez effort before Stoke’s Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam put the hosts level at half-time.

Gerrard converted a penalty just after the break before Suarez added a fourth from a pass from Daniel Sturridge, who made his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury in November.

Jonathan Walters pulled another goal back for the home side but Suarez laid on a fifth from Sturridge to seal the win.

Pellegrini bridles after bruising City win

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini was more concerned by Newcastle United’s fouls than the foul-mouthed language of their manager Alan Pardew after an incident-packed encounter at St James’ Park.

Goals from Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo continued City’s winning streak in the Premier League, but they paid a high price as Samir Nasri suffered a knee ligament injury that could rule him out for at least a month.

The major talking point of the match was undoubtedly a 34th-minute disallowed goal by Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote and the angry exchanges that followed.

Jones ruled that Yoan Gouffran, clearly standing offside, was interfering with play as he swerved away to let Tiote’s fierce strike veer inside the right-hand post.

Pellegrini had no doubt that Jones was correct.

“I don’t understand Newcastle’s frustration, because it was an offside goal,” he said.

“I was not surprised by the reaction because they are playing at home, but it’s impossible to complain about every decision.”