Diao gives top four backing

Stoke midfielder Salif Diao has backed Liverpool to finish in the top four even without injured duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

The Senegal international was impressed with the character shown by his former team in Saturday's 1-1 draw following a difficult week.

Diao said: "Liverpool came here as a team that's been hurt and the spotlight was on them. Everyone was looking how they responded after Reading and what's been happening.

"A lot of people were saying 'no Gerrard, no Torres, so it might be easy for us' but that would have been a mistake. We all knew these players coming in would really have something to prove.

"I think they have showed they do not just rely on Torres and Gerrard. I think it's a real possibility that they will finish top four. They have great players to come back and a decent team even without the main men."

Diao added: "They need a little bit of a turn in luck and things to go for them maybe a touch more than they are right now.

"Any other team who'd have come here in their position would have struggled. It would have been easy for them to leave with nothing - they could have cracked under the pressure but I think they responded very well in the circumstances.

"I think Liverpool showed some real courage because we've all seen and heard lots about a crisis, and that can be very difficult when you're a player.

"It can affect players when the crowd are on your back and you can shy away from wanting the ball, but they didn't show any of that.

"You could tell the way the fans are behind them that it also made a big difference.

"It would have been easy for lesser players to have cracked because of what has happened.

"They have come here against a tough side and lesser ones would have struggled, but I think they showed great character and I felt physically they stood up to us too. From what I saw they did really well."

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