Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson believes that playing at Old Trafford tomorrow afternoon could actually prove beneficial for the Reds, who have not been at their best at home this season.

Despite using the Kop to their advantage to knock Manchester City out of the Carling Cup and Manchester United out of the FA Cup, Liverpool's league form at Anfield has been nothing to rave about.

Liverpool travel to Manchester and Old Trafford to face United for the second time in two weeks in a match that, depending on your resting heart rate, is either mildly exciting or something that's possibly life threatening. There's as much to cover off the pitch as there is on, but for everyone's sanity we'll try to just do the football.

For many, there has been a belief that in order to get the most out of Charlie Adam he must be played as part of a three-man midfield, alongside players who will be able to cover for his shortcomings and in doing so allow him to do what he does best—break down tough opponents and create scoring opportunities.

Liverpool can't continue their hot streak and end up with their eighth home draw of the campaign, failing to take advantage of a Spurs side that were lacking in both personnel and intent. With the success of the past few weeks creating a healthy dose of optimism this one's got to be chalked up as a disappointment, and worrying in that Liverpool yet again failed to capitalize in a match that mostly looked like theirs for the taking.

February kicks off for Liverpool on Monday, with Spurs set to visit Anfield in the first match of another important month. Liverpool will look to carry their momentum from the domestic cup triumphs and a comfortable 3-0 win at Wolves into the match, which hopefully signals a turnaround from a disappointing league stretch to open 2012 that had seen them winless until the final day of January.

Against Wolves, Jordan Henderson only misplaced four of his passes from open play for a completion rate topping 90%. He may not have connected on any of his seven attempted crosses, which does rather drag down his overall numbers, but it is nonetheless an impressive statistic. As for how he achieved such a high completion rate, the answer is a fairly simple one: He kept it simple.

It's been awhile since I trawled through the Guardian chalkboards for interesting items. I know, we all missed it.
I remain convinced that Liverpool changed tact in midfield during the interval. The key seemed to be Spearing, more willing to stay in his own half and shield the defense rather than pressing higher up the pitch and leaving gaps.

Wolverhampton 0
Liverpool 3 Carroll 52′, Bellamy 61′, Kuyt 78′

It was another chance for a struggling club to inject some life into their season by facing a Liverpool side unable to find consistent results against opposition below them in the table. Unlike Liverpool's last opponents Bolton, however, Wolves never really threatened to take control of the match, though it nevertheless seemed to be going down a familiar path for Liverpool for the first fifty minutes as chances were wasted and midfield devolved into an indecisive muddle.

Back down to Earth for Liverpool, as they travel to the West Midlands to face 19th-place Wolverhampton. It's a stark contrast from the action of the past week, facing opposition at the bottom of the table, away from Anfield, and with nothing immediately at stake. And if you've paid attention to Liverpool at all this season, it's cause for concern, with form against the mid- and lower-table sides worlds apart from the displays we've seen the last two times out.

Liverpool 2: Agger 21′, Kuyt 88′
United 1: Park 40′

Liverpool progress past a Manchester side in a cup competition for the second time in four days, this time defeating United on the strength of a late Dirk Kuyt winner. After the nadir at Bolton, it's been a terrific week for Liverpool, first reaching the final of the League Cup with the aggregate win over City, and now fighting through a tense match that was dominated at times by the visitors to get the win in the dying moments.

It has certainly been an eventful week for Liverpool FC and it is far from over just yet as the club prepares for one of the biggest games of its season when Manchester United takes the pitch at Anfield in the FA Cup tomorrow afternoon.

On the pitch, Liverpool have already taken care of another Manchester team earlier in the week, knocking league leaders City out of the Carling Cup 3-2 on aggregate to progress to the final at Wembley.

Liverpool's big week culminates with Manchester United's trip to Anfield in the fourth round of the FA Cup tomorrow, two weeks ahead of their visit to Old Trafford in league. United had the more arduous task in the third round, traveling across town to the Etihad, where they scraped past City in a 3-2 win.

Because knowing the final score makes Joe Hart's heroics far less frustrating. Because Craig Bellamy is fantastic, even if for the final twenty minutes he was on the pitch it was hard not to worry his knees would explode every time he took off. Because the crowd was absolutely phenomenal and we could easily have devoted an entire entry to videos of just that.

Liverpool 2 Gerrard 40′ (pk), Bellamy 74′
Manchester City 2 de Jong 31′, Dzeko 67′

"Would it be a risk to play defensively?" the reporter asked Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool prepared to face Manchester City at Anfield in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals.

A trip to Wembley and Liverpool's first cup final in nearly five years are on the line tomorrow, with Manchester City heading to Anfield for the second leg of the League Cup semi-final. Liverpool have a 1-0 advantage from the first leg after a Steven Gerrard penalty capped a dominant opening spell for Kenny Dalglish's squad, but there's little illusion that they'll be able to coast into the final, with City more than capable of turning the tie over.

Bolton 3: Davies 4′, Reo-Coker 29′, Steinsson 50′
Liverpool 1: Bellamy 37′

Bolton thoroughly dominate Liverpool at the Reebok and coast to a 3-1 victory that boosts them out of the relegation zone. The host's performance was certainly deserving of victory, and Liverpool's was equally deserving of a loss.

Liverpool get back in the swing of things to see out a busy January, heading to the Reebok in hopes of getting three points for only the second time in six matches. As has mostly been the case in league over the past month and a half, they won't face an entirely overwhelming opposition, with Bolton only a point above Wigan in 19th.

As exciting a name for the future as Joao Teixeira might be, most would agree he isn't going to make a difference when it comes to where Liverpool finishes this season. On the other hand, when it comes to just what the biggest shortcoming of this Liverpool squad is—the biggest thing holding them back—very few seem to agree on anything.

In the wake of Saturday's match against Stoke, much was made of the draw representing a complete tactical failure by Kenny Dalglish and Steve Clarke. The key failure in that larger breakdown was meant to be the deployment of three centre backs in a formation nearly identical to the one which had defeated Stoke at Anfield a year earlier, as in the eyes of many those three centre backs represented an overly defensive approach when facing a club with so little attacking intent.

The January transfer window is half way through, and, after the past two windows saw Liverpool one of the most active participants, it's been surprisingly quiet for a side lacking both midfield steel and finishing touch who before the season began set a return to Champions League action as the minimum requirement.

Stoke City head to Anfield currently sitting alone in eighth and unbeaten in their last four. Tony Pulis' side has managed success both domestically and in Europe, as they'll accompany the two Manchester sides in the first knockout round of the Europa League early next month. Liverpool will hope to continue their relative hot streak at home, during which they've scored eight goals in their last two matches at Anfield and finally found a way to finish chances.

Everything about Samir Nasri's look here screams: "TA BOUCHE! I'm worth £4million more than you!" (SNAP to the Maybelline Mascara ads) but even Liverpool's Jordan Henderson must've shrugged it off in their slim 1-0 victory over Man City last night.

For the third time in two months, Liverpool and Manchester City square off, this time in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final. Liverpool's trip to the Eastlands last week ended with the visitors on the wrong end of a 0-3 result that saw City concede most of the possession but take the chances they managed to create.

Somehow the fixture list is even more crowded to start the year, with Liverpool set to play seven matches before the end of January across three different competitions. Manchester City's got the same task, with one already done for the month and six left to play. Just yesterday City fell in the dying moments against Sunderland for just their second loss of the season, while Liverpool got an important home win over Newcastle on Friday to finish off 2011.

Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield in 2011's final match, with both squads barely on the outside looking in at the European places. Tomorrow's guests rode a hot start to the season to the top three, going unbeaten in their first eleven matches and surprising everyone after expectations were low entering the campaign.

It wasn't all bad in the early going for Liverpool. The club was comfortably in the top ten in spite of the various struggles and unanswered questions, and there was a win in the derby over Everton despite Dirk Kuyt's first ever penalty miss for Liverpool to boost spirits. It might not have been the start fans had been hoping for after the way the previous season had ended, but it also wasn't the end of the world.

Liverpool ended 2010-11 in fantastic form, perhaps even convincing those most hopeful that with a tweak here and a winger there a legitimate run at the title wasn't entirely beyond the realm of possibility. With summer signalling that Damien Comolli and Kenny Dalglish were more interested in rebuilding than refining, though, that hope faced up to growing fears about all the that could go wrong with a largely new starting eleven as the season began.

After the wild final day of the January window and a finish to the season that was reason enough for optimism, all eyes turned toward the summer. Even with the relatively disappointing end to the campaign, Liverpool looked to have the opportunity to strengthen a squad that seemed just a few pieces away from truly challenging the league leaders on a consistent basis.

Liverpool: Maxi 53′
Blackburn: Adam (og) 45′

Liverpool drop points again at Anfield, failing convert their late surge into a winning goal against a stubborn Blackburn Rovers side. The return of Steven Gerrard and two late chances got our hopes up, but in the end it was the same frustrating story we've seen from Liverpool so many times in the past year.

It's back to Anfield for Liverpool as they host Blackburn in the penultimate match of 2011. Home victories have been hard to come by for Kenny Dalglish's squad, with only three wins in their eight matches at Anfield. There's no better opposition for remedying that problem than tomorrow's, though, as they'll face a Rovers side that's winless in eight away fixtures and stapled to the bottom of the Premier League table.

In a match in which the build-up was impossible to ignore, Liverpool once again work themselves into a corner, failing to create anything dangerous in a match that they ultimately looked lucky to get a point from. It's always the same story with this iteration of Liverpool looking promising early, create a few clear-cut chances, and then piss it all away with dire football that isn't deserving of three points, let alone one.

Liverpool's brief road swing continues (and wraps up) tomorrow night in Wigan, with the Reds looking to continue a bounce-back after the Fulham loss that's seen them win their last two fairly comfortably despite relatively narrow score lines. Wigan will be in a similar spot after getting points in four of their last five, including an away win at the Hawthorns after faltering badly at home to Arsenal, and, in their last outing, saving a late draw against Chelsea at the DW on Saturday.

Liverpool head back out on the road, visiting the West Midlands in search of their second consecutive win in league. Success away from Anfield has been easier to come by, with Kenny Dalglish's squad winning more at opposition venues than they have at home. Alex McLeish's squad are level on points with Norwich City in ninth and have earned eleven of their nineteen points at Villa Park despite losing two of their last three.

The past three league matches have seen Charlie Adam paired with three different midfield partners, with each new pairing leading to a slight shift in the focus of Adam's game. From a largely offensive effort when paired with Lucas against Manchester City through to a job as the deepest midfielder against Queens Park Rangers, it's meant an interesting—and surprisingly successful—progression.

Liverpool 1: Suarez 47′
QPR 0

Liverpool play well for large spells and endure a late QPR surge to get the result they needed at Anfield, using the one chance they finished to get all three points. The result's obviously most important, particularly on the heels of the disappointment at Craven Cottage earlier in the week.

The last of the newly promoted sides visits Anfield tomorrow, as Neil Warnock's twelfth-placed QPR side look to continue the success experienced by Norwich and Swansea. It's been an up and down campaign so far, but with more than a few promising displays, they'll hope to match their fellow newcomers.

It was a match that Liverpool should have won, if only they'd taken their chances. If only the officials hadn't overturned an offside Luis Suarez goal that wasn't. If only Kevin Friend hadn't given Jay Spearing a questionable red card or if only he had awarded a penalty and not a free-kick when Charlie Adam was felled as he entered the sixteen-yard box.

Fulham 1: Dempsey 85′
Liverpool 0

Same old song and dance for Liverpool with a questionable sending-off and a Pepe Reina error to spice things up, as the hosts get a late winner and the wasteful guests spend most of their possession not finishing chances. Posts were hit, fouls weren't given, upper hand was wasted.

With Lucas out for the rest of the season and Steven Gerrard out until January at the very earliest, Liverpool and Kenny Dalglish face an extended run with their two best midfielders sidelined. The club reacted by recalling Jonjo Shelvey on Wednesday, though few expect he's returning to regular starting minutes at Liverpool despite his success on loan with Blackpool, and even fewer would see him as a direct replacement for Lucas in any case.

Liverpool: Lescott (og) 33′
Manchester City: Kompany 31′

Liverpool prove their mettle but were stifled by Manchester City and Joe Hart, as once again the hosts can't convert the chances that would have won them the match. This one's as much about Hart's impressive ability in goal as it is Liverpool's inability to find the net; both he and Pepe Reina kept their clubs in a match that was plenty entertaining.