If I could bring one player back to Anfield it would be Xabi, Gerrard tells fans on Twitter

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard revealed the one former team-mate he would bring back to the club, given the chance, would be Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso.
The England skipper also believes Luis Suarez is the best striker he has played alongside.

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.

Tweet success: Gerrard thanks supporters after answering their questions on social networking site Twitter

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

Top track: Gerrard revealed his favourite pre-match anthem is Dakota, by the Stereophonics

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 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.

Get him back: Gerrard revealed he would love Liverpool to re-sign Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso

'He was a great influence to me,' he told Real Madrid TV in an interview on behalf of Liverpool's official website.
'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.

Simply the best: Gerrard rates Luis Suarez as the finest striker he has played alongside

'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 this week'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.

Chelsea jitters! Players fearing a ref backlash over Mikel race case as Clattenburg stood down

Chelsea stars fear a backlash from referees over their race abuse claims against Mark Clattenburg, who was on Monday removed from the match list for a second week.
Players fear the case could result in unwelcome tension between themselves and officials as they battle for the Barclays Premier League title.
John Mikel Obi’s agent John Shittu flew into London on Monday as the FA’s governance team began taking recorded statements from players.

Out of action: Mark Clattenburg has been stood down from duty again

 

Chelsea’s external legal team were also present after Mikel was asked whether he wanted them to pursue a case against Clattenburg with the FA, as the club prepare for another lengthy spell in the spotlight.

The European champions face Shakhtar Donetsk at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night and have picked up only one point from their last two Premier League matches.

Shittu confirmed he was at Stamford Bridge for the specially-arranged meeting with the FA and Chelsea over the allegations against Clattenburg.

The FA’s head of compliance Jenni Kennedy took statements, but Chelsea are taking no chances after her role in the John Terry affair.

She recorded Terry’s statement in October 2011, but bizarrely only took handwritten notes of Ashley Cole’s evidence, a fact that was criticised by the FA’s independent regulatory commission.

Mikel, who was on Monday nominated for the 2012 African Footballer of the Year award, appears determined to press ahead with the case.

Some Chelsea players fear another year-long investigation into an allegation of racist abuse just weeks after the conclusion of the case involving Terry.

The Chelsea skipper was found not guilty by magistrates in July, but last month he was fined £220,000 by the FA and banned for four games. He returns against Liverpool on Sunday.

Claims: An investigation continues into Clattenburg's dealings with John Mikel Obi

Referees’ chief Mike Riley revealed on Monday that Clattenburg - accused by Chelsea of calling Mikel a ‘monkey’, which the official strenuously denies - is to be interviewed by police investigating the incident at Stamford Bridge.

Riley, who appoints match officials in his role as general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, said: ‘PGMOL was fully prepared to appoint Mark to matches this weekend.

‘However, having discussed this with him, we both consider it is in Mark’s best interests that he has this week away from officiating duties while he prepares to help the FA and the police with their enquiries.’

There is unease in the game that the FIFA official is being judged before all the evidence has been gathered.

Linger: Chelsea want to avoid another long saga, like the John Terry row

Terry continued to play for Chelsea after he was charged by police and the FA with racially insulting Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road on October 23 last year.

Clattenburg’s future in the game is more uncertain and he will be interviewed, under caution, by police.

Chelsea midfielder Ramires claims he heard the alleged ‘monkey’ abuse, which led to the club’s claims two hours after their defeat by Manchester United nine days ago.

The club say they have provided the FA with an ‘information pack’ about the alleged incident, but the game’s governing body are refusing to confirm receipt.

Meanwhile, police have arrested Gavin Kirkham, 28, over racist taunts directed at Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday.

West Brom 2 Southampton 0: Odemwingie double piles pressure on Saints boss Adkins

Peter Odemwingie increased the pressure on Southampton boss Nigel Adkins as his two goals propelled West Brom into fifth spot in the Barclays Premier League.
Adkins' side remain rooted to the foot of the table after a fifth successive away defeat and they have now conceded 28 goals in 10 league matches.
But these are halcyon days for the Baggies and they bounced back from heartbreaking injury time defeats against Manchester City and Newcastle thanks to a goal in each half from Odemwingie.

Peter the Great: Odemwingie was the man of the hour for West Brom

MATCH FACTS

West Brom: Foster, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Yacob, Odemwingie (Fortune 83), Gera, Dorrans (Brunt 65), Long (Lukaku 71).
Subs not used: Myhill, Popov, Rosenberg, Tamas.
Booked: Jones.
Goals: Odemwingie 36, 60.
Southampton: Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Fox (Shaw 82), Schneiderlin, Steven Davis, Ramirez (Mayuka 76), Lallana, Rodriguez (Do Prado 76), Lambert.
Subs not used: Kelvin Davis, Hooiveld, Ward-Prowse, Puncheon.
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)

It was their fifth victory in six home matches and, although not at their best, they still contained too much firepower for the Saints.

Odemwingie and the tireless Shane Long posed plenty of problems up front while Youssouf Mulumbu bossed the midfield department.

Albion fans taunted Adkins, who has led Southampton to successive promotions, with chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning'.

And, although the visitors showed plenty of promise in spells, their leaky defence is undermining their attacking threat.

Southampton axed keeper Artur Boruc who has been the subject of a club investigation after allegedly throwing a water bottle into the crowd during the home league game with Tottenham.

Albion began positively and a fine pass from Odemwingie picked out the run of Long into the Saints box.

But the Baggies leading scorer opted to cut the ball back across the danger area rather than shoot.

Billy Jones became the first player to be yellow carded after 10 minutes for a high challenge which caught the back of Southampton skipper Adam Lallana.

High hopes: Southampton keeper Gazzaniga rises to clear a cross

Rickie Lambert had the first attempt on goal and his low drive from a narrow angle contained plenty of power but was held onto by West Brom keeper Ben Foster.
Albion retaliated and a low shot from Odemwingie took a deflection off Zoltan Gera and flew over the Saints crossbar.
The home side started to look more threatening and it needed a last ditch tackle from Morgan Schneiderlin to deny Long after Jonas Olsson had headed a Graham Dorrans free-kick back across goal.

Eyes on the ball: Jay Rodriguez (left) competes with Youssuf Mulumbu

Odemwingie flashed a low 25 yard shot inches wide in a swift Albion counter-attack after Foster had gathered Lambert's header from a Gaston Ramirez centre.
But the Nigeria international broke the deadlock in controversial fashion in the 36th minute.
The impressive Mulumbu released Odemwingie whose left-footed shot contained plenty of power but took a deflection off Maya Yoshida as it flew past Saints keeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

Swooping to pounce: Odemwingie heads home the second

But TV replays also showed that Odemwingie had appeared to handle the ball in the build-up.
Gazzaniga did well to block a close range effort from Long and Albion appealed in vain for a penalty for handball when Schneiderlin blocked the follow-up attempt from Odemwingie.
Southampton started the second half on the offensive and a shot on the turn from Lambert struck the bar with Foster well beaten.

Under pressure: Adkins could be heading for the exit door at St Mary's

Foster cut out a dangerous cross from Daniel Fox as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.
But after 60 minutes Odemwingie doubled Albion's lead with a clinical finish.
Left-back Liam Ridgewell's long pass found Long who held the ball up, cut inside and floated over an inviting centre which Odemwingie headed home from close range.

Midfield tussle: Morgan Schneiderlin (left) is closed down by West Brom's Argentine midfielder Claudio Yacob

The Baggies could have increased their lead with skipper Chris Brunt volleying just wide at close range from a cross by fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku.
Yoshida headed just wide in a late Southampton rally but Albion held on for a comfortable win.

Boing, boing: The Baggies are up to fifth