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Everybody acknowledges Daniel Sturridge is Liverpool's main goal threat, a striker who, on his day, is arguably the most lethal English forward at present.

It's widely accepted Philippe Coutinho possesses the most creative eye among the Reds squad.

And the recent form of Roberto Firmino has reaffirmed the growing belief he is becoming the one true success of last summer's transfer splurge.

And the amount of minutes the trio have played together for Liverpool?

A big fat zero.

Small wonder, then, that Jurgen Klopp's side have so struggled for goals this season when their most potentially effective attacking triumvirate have been unable to be tried out anywhere other than Melwood.

For once, the timing is pretty good for the Reds boss.

The return of Coutinho and Sturridge wasn't quite enough to keep Liverpool in the FA Cup at West Ham United in midweek, but the difference they made was indisputable.

Whereas in recent weeks the attack has been ponderous, hesitant and predictable, at Upton Park the pace and ingenuity the duo injected was a throwback to two seasons ago.

With hopes of a top-four Premier League finish fast disappearing, priorities are shifting towards the other two remaining cup competitions.

Not least the Europa League, which has now become Liverpool's most likely route back into the Champions League.

The Reds resume on the road to Basel on Thursday with a trip to Augsburg in which, with a rare free date next weekend, Klopp is likely to field a strong team.

Then, following the Anfield return leg a week later, comes the small matter of the Capital One Cup final against Manchester City.









Expecting Sturridge to remain fit for the remainder of the season will be a big ask, with Klopp almost certain to manage the striker's playing time.

However, with Coutinho hopefully over his hamstring problems and Firmino finding his feet in English football, the Reds boss will now have the kind of options he has been denied for much of the first few months of his fledgling reign.

And with Divock Origi also back, the time has come to perhaps take Christian Benteke out of the firing line and work at rebuilding his brittle confidence.

Make no mistake, the Belgian will still be required between now and the end of the season.

Klopp may have been surprised by the fixture workload, but he'd like nothing more than 23 more games in the next three months.

Fan power growing in momentum

Where Liverpool supporters lead, now others are starting to follow.

The protest from Reds fans over the proposed increase in ticket prices prompted Fenway Sports Group into a swift U-turn to instead freeze the cost of season tickets for two years.

And having seen the effect of the demonstration, now supporters of other clubs are taking note.

Leicester fans, unhappy at the late switch of date and kick-off time of today's visit to Arsenal (it was altered barely three weeks ago), are planning to enter the Emirates five minutes after the scheduled noon start.

Gunners supporters are backing the initiative – maybe so they can catch up on some kip for a few moments – although Arsene Wenger would sooner protests take place before and after the game, but not during.

He's missing the point, though.

By demonstrating during the match, Liverpool fans grabbed far more attention than had it occured at other times.

After all, given the huge viewing figures for Premier League matches, there probably isn't a better way to make a point.

There's are few things more jarring for chairmen than the sight of empty seats being beamed across the world.

The great darts switch-off

Thud. Thud. Thud. “26”.

Such feats of poor scoring will no longer be heard late on a January night on the BBC after the broadcaster quietly gave up the rights to BDO World Championship darts.

By announcing they'll instead show the first Champions League of Darts – starring the top eight players of the PDC Order of Merit – it put to bed 38 years of covering the BDO event.

It's enough to make Martin 'Wolfie' Adams howl.

Still, BT Sport will continue to broadcast the BDO shindig. For the three people who remain interested.