From the mirror....
Kenny Dalglish is ready to put his reputation and job on the line by backing his under-fire Liverpool players to deliver next season.
Dalglish insists he and his team are hurting even more than the Anfield fans after five defeats in six Premier League matches.
But the Scot, who has led Liverpool to Carling Cup success and an FA Cup semi-final this season, *insists he has so much faith in his current squad that it will be difficult to find anyone who can *improve it in the summer transfer market.
âThe pessimism is all about results in the league and we want to do better in the league,â said Dalglish.
âWe have to accept the criticism thatâs going to come our way if we arenât winning league matches.
âBut if itâs hurting *anybody, itâs not hurting them as much as it is *hurting the players and staff in here.
âThe most important thing for us is to improve on this season and the *players expect that as well. If someone comes in, they have to be a lot better than what weâve got and that is a huge challenge.
âI donât think there are many people more *committed than the *players we have here. If we donât find someone better than what weâve got, we donât get them. Simple and straightforward as that.â
Dalglish suggested it is a tough task for any club other than Manchester City to find better players, but that will be scant *consolation to Liverpool fans if they do not *compete in the league next season.
Today they face a Toon side growing in power and stature â and eight points ahead of them in the table. Most of Dalglishâs signings have yet to prove their worth but the defiant boss said: âEverythingâs there for this group of players to be *winning matches.
âThey need direction and weâre the ones that need to be giving them direction. But we cannot change our *principles *because thatâs the way weâve been brought up.
âWe might tweak a few things but if you swapped the cup results to league games, weâd be *flying â maybe that would be more satisfactory to everybody else.
âWeâve put the first and second clubs in the League out of the domestic cups. We went on and won one and weâre in the semi of the other. The cups have been good to us.
âBut we need to get *results in the league to take the pressure off. The players are determined to correct it and we want to see the club progress â and I think it has progressed. I am not saying it couldnât be more successful, but I do think it has progressed.â
Kenny Dalglish is ready to put his reputation and job on the line by backing his under-fire Liverpool players to deliver next season.
Dalglish insists he and his team are hurting even more than the Anfield fans after five defeats in six Premier League matches.
But the Scot, who has led Liverpool to Carling Cup success and an FA Cup semi-final this season, *insists he has so much faith in his current squad that it will be difficult to find anyone who can *improve it in the summer transfer market.
âThe pessimism is all about results in the league and we want to do better in the league,â said Dalglish.
âWe have to accept the criticism thatâs going to come our way if we arenât winning league matches.
âBut if itâs hurting *anybody, itâs not hurting them as much as it is *hurting the players and staff in here.
âThe most important thing for us is to improve on this season and the *players expect that as well. If someone comes in, they have to be a lot better than what weâve got and that is a huge challenge.
âI donât think there are many people more *committed than the *players we have here. If we donât find someone better than what weâve got, we donât get them. Simple and straightforward as that.â
Dalglish suggested it is a tough task for any club other than Manchester City to find better players, but that will be scant *consolation to Liverpool fans if they do not *compete in the league next season.
Today they face a Toon side growing in power and stature â and eight points ahead of them in the table. Most of Dalglishâs signings have yet to prove their worth but the defiant boss said: âEverythingâs there for this group of players to be *winning matches.
âThey need direction and weâre the ones that need to be giving them direction. But we cannot change our *principles *because thatâs the way weâve been brought up.
âWe might tweak a few things but if you swapped the cup results to league games, weâd be *flying â maybe that would be more satisfactory to everybody else.
âWeâve put the first and second clubs in the League out of the domestic cups. We went on and won one and weâre in the semi of the other. The cups have been good to us.
âBut we need to get *results in the league to take the pressure off. The players are determined to correct it and we want to see the club progress â and I think it has progressed. I am not saying it couldnât be more successful, but I do think it has progressed.â
