Reds give Suarez plenty to ponder

Liverpool 1 Stoke City 0

Should the truce with Luis Suarez, who is appearing to accept he will not be sold this summer, prove to be lasting, relatively at least, and another attacking midfielder and a centre-back arrive, there are reasons for optimism here.

But any positivity gleaned from winning a game they would have drawn in the past two seasons will evaporate quickly enough if this is the squad that will be tasked with attempting to avoid the exile from the Champions League stretching into a fifth season.