Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Luis Suarez despite the striker's failure to convert one of his myriad chances against Reading.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Luis Suarez despite the striker's failure to convert one of his myriad chances against Reading.

Luis Suarez was guilty of missing a glut of chances against Reading

Suarez, 25, provided the assist for Raheem Sterling's winning goal in the 1-0 victory at Anfield but was guilty of missing several opportunities, with nine of his ten attempts on goal not even hitting the target.

However, Rodgers refused to criticise his forward, insisting that there is nothing wrong with Suarez's strike rate.

"He's not perfect but he has got a great return if you look at his stats, when he was at Ajax and since he has come into here," Rodgers said.

Luis Suarez believes Liverpool's performances will start bringing Premier League

Luis Suarez believes Liverpool's performances will start bringing Premier League victories once they get a change of luck.

Luis Suarez has gained a reputation for simulation

Brendan Rodgers' side are in the bottom three after picking up only two points from their first five league matches. But Suarez is adamant that a lack of fortune has held Liverpool back this season.

The Uruguayan forward has seen two decent penalty appeals rejected in the club's last two league games, collecting a yellow card for diving at Sunderland when John O'Shea appeared to catch him, then getting nothing for Jonny Evans' challenge in last Sunday's home defeat by Manchester United.

Steven Gerrard believes Luis Suarez is being victimised by referees when

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes Luis Suarez is being victimised by referees when the striker is seen going down in the penalty area.

Luis Suarez has gained a reputation for simulation

Suarez, 25, has gained a reputation for simulation since joining Liverpool from Ajax for £23 million in January 2011, and Gerrard feels that stigma is now counting against his team-mate.

The Uruguay international saw appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Mark Halsey after he went down under a challenge from Jonny Evans in the Reds' 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard believes that referee Mark Halsey got the major decisions wrong as Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United

Steven Gerrard believes that referee Mark Halsey got the major decisions wrong as Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard feels hard done by

Jonjo Shelvey was sent off in the first half for a challenge on Jonny Evans, and Luis Suarez had a second-half penalty appeal rejected, before United won the game with a dubious Robin van Persie spot kick.

Defeat has left Liverpool in the bottom three with just two points from five games, but fans chanted their support for manager Brendan Rodgers towards the end.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers complained referee Mark Halsey cost his side the game

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers complained referee Mark Halsey cost his side the game after their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.

Jonjo Shelvey gets his marching orders for a two-footed tackle

• Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United

The Liverpool manager was unhappy with Halsey's decision to dismiss Jonjo Shelvey as well as the award of the penalty that Robin van Persie converted in the 81st minute, saying Luis Suarez should also have been given a spot kick.

And Rodgers felt both sides could have been down to ten men before half-time when Jonny Evans escaped unpunished from the challenge that resulted in Shelvey's departure.

Steven Gerrard has urged Luis Suarez to lead the way ahead of Sunday's

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has urged Luis Suarez to lead the way ahead of Sunday's clash between Liverpool and Manchester United and shake hands with Patrice Evra.

Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra: The infamous non-handshake

Liverpool play their first home match since publication of the report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel - which absolved the club's supporters of any responsibility for the 1989 disaster - against their bitter rivals and there have been pleas all week for both sets of fans to respect each other.

However, with an already emotional afternoon set, it could ignite early as Suarez and Evra will be in spotlight for the pre-match handshakes. The Uruguayan refused to shake Evra's hand when the teams played at Old Trafford in February after he had been found guilty last December by an independent regulatory commission of racially abusing the Frenchman and given an eight-game ban.

Brendan Rodgers is confident Luis Suarez will shake hands with Manchester United

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident Luis Suarez will shake hands with Manchester United defender Patrice Evra ahead of Sunday's emotionally charged match at Anfield.

Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra: The infamous non-handshake

Suarez was handed an eight-match ban by the FA after being found guilty of racially abusing the France international at Anfield last season, and refused to shake Evra's hand when the teams met at Old Trafford on his return.

Sunday's game is Liverpool's first at Anfield since the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel cleared the club's supporters of any role in the deaths of 96 fans during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, with both sides set to pay tribute to the dead and their families prior to kick-off.

Anti-racism campaigner Lord Herman Ouseley

Anti-racism campaigner Lord Herman Ouseley has told ESPN that he would like to see Manchester United and Liverpool instruct Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra to shake hands ahead of their meeting on Sunday.

Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra: The infamous non-handshake

The head of the Kick It Out campaign and FA council member Lord Ouseley wants to see the end of what PFA chief Gordon Taylor likened to a 'mafia feud' after Anton Ferdinand refused to shake the hands of John Terry and Ashley Cole last week.

It comes in the wake of a government report, published on Wednesday, which insists that more can be done to eradicate racism in English football.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill is expected

Manchester United chief executive David Gill is expected to hold talks with Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre in an attempt to calm tensions between fans before the clubs meet in the Premier League next weekend.

Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra: The infamous non-handshake

The build-up to United's visit to Anfield on Sunday has been marred by anti-Liverpool chanting heard at Old Trafford during last Saturday's 4-0 victory over Wigan.

United fan groups were quick to state that the chant of "Always the victims, it's never your fault" was not related to the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool supporters died.

But the airing of the chant, days after an independent report into the 1989 tragedy cleared Liverpool fans of any blame and revealed a huge police cover-up, has caused concern at both clubs.

Luis Suarez has declared that he wants to leave the Patrice Evra race row in the past

Luis Suarez has declared that he wants to leave the Patrice Evra race row in the past and focus on firing Liverpool into the Champions League.

Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra: The infamous non-handshake

Suarez was banned for eight games and fined £40,000 after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing the Manchester United defender during a Premier League game last October.

Having served his ban, Suarez raised tensions further when he refused to shake Evra's hand as the teams lined up before the return fixture at Old Trafford in February.

Suarez subsequently apologised for his part in the handshake row, although continued to declare his innocence of the racism charge.

Jose Enrique will miss Liverpool's Europa League play-off first leg trip to Hearts as manager Brendan Rodgers prepares to field a much-changed side.

Jose Enrique will miss Liverpool's Europa League play-off first leg trip to Hearts as manager Brendan Rodgers prepares to field a much-changed side.


Enrique was unavailable for last Saturday's 3-0 Premier League defeat at West Brom due to a knee injury, which he picked up in training.

The left-back will continue to receive treatment as the club's Melwood training base in the hope that he will be fit to face Manchester City on Sunday.

Captain Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel are also set to sit out the game as Rodgers rests a number of key players.

Brendan Rodgers has urged Luis Suarez to put last season's controversy behind him and "move on" for the benefit of the club.

Brendan Rodgers: Suarez must move on

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has urged Luis Suarez to put last season's controversy behind him and "move on" for the benefit of the club.

GettyImagesLuis Suarez and Patrice Evra: Bad blood between the pair

Since beingness found blameworthy of racially abusing City Unified defender Patrice Evra during a Execute Conference modify at Anfield sunset Oct, Suarez, 25, has been the topic of antagonism from any supporters.

The disceptation was re-ignited in Feb when Suarez seemingly refused Evra's handshake as the teams conducted their tralatitious pre-match acknowledgment in the pass breakfast at Old Trafford.

After fresh accusing Suprasegmental of having too untold cause and blaming Evra for the loser to provoke hands, the guardant then hit out at fans at the Millennium Bowl after they jeered when the contestant was shown on the big select during Uruguay's somebody anthem dormy of their meeting with Squad GB.

Suarez takes swipe ahead of OT return

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has risked reopening old wounds by taking aim at the British media as he readies himself to return to Old Trafford for the first time since his row with Patrice Evra.

GettyImagesLuis Suarez: Bad memories of Old Trafford

• Atkins: Let the Games begin

Lastly period Suarez was maltreated with an eight-game ban after beingness open shamefaced of racially abusing Evra during a skirmish at Anfield in October.

Suarez then came in for critique for imperfection to elicit Evra's extremity in the pass fixture in Feb 2012, sparking writer tilt and star to advance bad estate for the Metropolis bold.

The 25-year-old is a member of the Uruguay aggroup for London 2012, with the Consolidated Arabian Emirates archetypal up for the Southeasterly Land's in Radical A of the Olympic football tourney at Old Trafford on Thursday.