I was initially tempted to make last week’s disconsolate column feel like the Dalai Lama’s positive thinking app in comparison with this one.

Robbie Brady looks set for a return to the Premier League after Crystal Palace agreed an initial £9m (€10.5m) fee with Norwich City for the Ireland star.

New Liverpool vice-captain James Milner has had a huge influence on the rest of the squad in the short time since his arrival from Manchester City, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.

James Milner was grateful to “a moment of brilliance” from Philippe Coutinho after Liverpool got their Premier League campaign off to a winning start with a 1-0 win at Stoke on Sunday.

Emre Can, Liverpool’s utility man last season, is determined to nail down a place in midfield for the coming campaign.

Blackburn 0 Liverpool 1: There cannot be many 22-year-old Brazilians who enjoy nights out in Lancashire as much as Philippe Coutinho.

Liverpool 0 Blackburn 0

Liverpool 2 Burnley 0: Jordan Henderson last night emphasised that his desire to be Steven Gerrard’s heir apparent at Liverpool is not restricted to tub-thumping.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits their Europa League exit may yet prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers may have left eight players at home but he remains confident what remains of his squad can get the job done against Besiktas.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Demba Ba’s return to Anfield, 10 months after he ruined the club’s Premier League title dream, will not stir up bad memories.

Lazar Markovic has been handed a four-game ban from European football after he was sent off in the Reds’ final Champions League group game against Basle in December for catching Behrang Safari in the face with a flick of his hand.

Lazar Markovic has been handed a four-game ban from European football.

Liverpool exorcised some demons at Selhurst Park by reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals with an impressive win against Crystal Palace.

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli chose not to celebrate his first Premier League goal for the club but assistant manager Colin Pascoe insists the player was delighted.

Premier League

Liverpool 3 Tottenham 2

Everton v Liverpool: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will run out at Goodison Park for his final Premier League Merseyside derby with a clear message to his Everton detractors: "Bring it on."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists expectations still need to be handled carefully regarding Daniel Sturridge but he was delighted that the fit-again striker is back and scoring.

Liverpool avoided an FA Cup upset at home to Bolton but even on a day of shocks it was not much of an achievement after a toothless display against Championship opponents Bolton.

Capital Cup Semi-Final

Premier League

Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1: Where’s Niall Quinn when you need him?

Chelsea again have outright possession of top spot in the Barclays Premier League following a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

“You saw his quality today – his leadership and his power. He is a fantastic young man."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes the club’s arrivals from last summer are starting to prove their worth after the Reds claimed a 1-0 win at Sunderland.

Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1

Burnley 0 Liverpool 1 Raheem Sterling has slender shoulders but proved himself capable of carrying the burden of Liverpool expectations as his goal was enough for Brendan Rodgers’s side to secure a fortuitous win which keeps their recent revival going and leaves Burnley in the bottom three.

Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2

Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2

Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic looks like he is starting to finally settle into English football after manager Brendan Rodgers urged him to be more aggressive.

Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool are “slowly getting there” after they put their recent misery behind them to beat Bournemouth and seal their place in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup.

Bournemouth 1 Liverpool 3

Bournemouth 1 Liverpool 3

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has pledged to fight to make the rest of the season a success after the blow of an early Champions League exit.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers accepts the seeds of his side’s Champions League exit were sown in October with defeat to main rivals Basle.

Champions League Group B

History, the one thing that seemed to be on Liverpool’s side even in the worst of times, seems finally to have deserted Anfield.

Liverpool 1 Basle 1

Capital One Cup Fourth-Round

Liverpool 2 Swansea 1

Real Madrid showed exactly why they are European champions and how far Liverpool have fallen down the pecking order with a 3-0 victory in a display which oozed class at Anfield.

Basle 1 Liverpool 0