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• Liverpool manager confident supporters will focus on football
• ‘As long as it’s respectful then there won’t be a problem’

Kenny Dalglish has said Liverpool have their “house in order” ahead of the emotive FA Cup tie against Manchester United and that both clubs have done all they can to prevent further controversy arising at Anfield.

The Liverpool manager and his United counterpart, Sir Alex Ferguson, called for supporters to focus solely on football on the eve of the fourth-round match, which comes three months after the Premier League game at Anfield that led to Patrice Evra making a complaint of racist abuse against Luis Suárez and the Uruguay international receiving an eight-match ban as a result.

Suárez is expected to be at Anfield as he serves the penultimate game of his suspension but the United manager refused to discuss whether Evra will start the game, as Mike Phelan, Ferguson’s assistant, has indicated he would. Dalglish described the tension and controversy surrounding the game as “a sideshow”, and believes it will remain secondary to a Cup tie between England’s biggest clubs should Liverpool produce a repeat of their impressive performance against Manchester City in the Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday on and off the pitch.

The Liverpool manager said: “We want the fantastic support we had the other night and there’s no reason to think we’re not going to get that. Anything else is a sideshow for us. We don’t want anyone to lose sight of what it is and we don’t want our supporters to lose sight of how important they are vocally to us. We certainly don’t want the players to lose sight – and I don’t think they will – of the competitiveness in the game. We have to compete and do things properly and it’s the same for the supporters. They have been magnificent throughout our history and I am sure they will continue to do that.

“I’m sure there will be banter going back and forth between both sets of fans and as long as it’s respectful then there won’t be a problem. Not only the people who are involved directly the game, but those writing about the game have a responsibility not to run away from what has happened but to act responsibly and not be imagining things that haven’t happened.”

United have an increased ticket allocation of 5,319 for the Cup meeting and Ferguson is confident there will be no problems at Anfield. “As Steven Gerrard was saying, it’s the responsibility of players to behave properly. That’s what I expect my players to do and also the fans,” the United manager said. “Both sets of fans have got to make sure that we end up talking about the game and nothing else. I’m confident we can just concentrate on the football. We’ve been to Anfield already this season and our fans were terrific.”

Dalglish, Ferguson, Gerrard and Liverpool’s managing director, Ian Ayre, have all appealed for calm this week, while the Liverpool manager uses his notes in the match-day programme to ask that the “atmosphere isn’t tarnished in any way.” The two clubs have liaised closely with the Football Association and Merseyside police in recent weeks and Dalglish believes, that with a worldwide audience looking on, the right example will be set.

“We will. The supporters will,” he insisted. “We have got our house in order and I’m sure along the East Lancs Road they will be saying exactly the same thing. The best thing for everybody to be focused on is the football pitch, and that’s where we want people’s attention to be on.

“If something goes off, then it goes off. If it’s bad news, then there is not much anyone else could have done about it. I don’t think either of the two football clubs can be held responsible if it doesn’t go as well as everybody hopes it will do. On previous evidence, the two sets of fans are becoming more respectful for each other. They won’t be sending Christmas cards to each other, but they are becoming more respectful.”

Dalglish is unconcerned about Wednesday’s semi-final taking its toll on Liverpool three days later. “It is better to play than to train,” he said. Ferguson also believes Liverpool’s passage to Wembley could be a factor in the FA Cup. “They’ve got a great lift,” the United manager said. “They were far better than City on the night and but for Joe Hart it could have been quite a big scoreline. Winning is always important.”

United have not won at Anfield in their last four visits, losing three, but Ferguson admits he and his players should thrive on its intimidating atmosphere. He added: “I think the atmosphere for our games at Anfield is terrific. You work all your life to get to a point where you are challenged like that, or your team is challenged like that. We had a good record at Anfield until about two or three years ago. Since then the results have not been great for us, we have not done as well as we used to do, but you would expect that when you have a rivalry between two great clubs.”

LiverpoolKenny DalglishManchester UnitedFA Cup 2011-12FA CupSir Alex FergusonAndy Hunter
guardian.co.uk

• Liverpool manager critical after abject Premier League defeat
• ‘We have to be honest when we’ve been bad’

The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, has defended his very public criticism of the players after insisting there can be no hiding place from failure. The Scot diverted from his usual stout defence of the squad to lambast their attitude and lack of application in Saturday’s abject 3-1 defeat at struggling Bolton.

“I think what was said had to be said,” Dalglish explained. “It’s a difficult thing to do but I think it was an honest thing to do as well. At the end of the day I don’t think anyone can object to the fact that we never played anything like we’re capable of playing. I don’t think anybody can hide behind a performance like we had on Saturday and I don’t think anyone would try to do that.

“In the past we’ve rightly praised them when they’ve deserved it, we’ve given them plaudits when we’ve done well and we’ve congratulated them for the way they’ve gone about their work. We have to be honest in our appraisal when we’ve been bad as well.

“When you’ve been critical it doesn’t mean to say you’re getting any pleasure from it because at the end of the day we’re all in it together. It’s not the coaching staff and the players, it’s everybody.”

The Premier League leaders, Manchester City, visit Anfield tomorrow as they attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.

“Let’s not be running away with ourselves, let’s make sure we get the hard work done first,” Dalglish told liverpoolfc.tv. “We have a slight advantage, we just need to go into the game and compete.

“It’s not going to be a game that’s going to be anything other than really difficult for us. They got a fantastic result on Sunday against Tottenham [winning 3-2) which keeps them at the top of the league, so I’m sure they’ll be well up for it.

“For us it’s important to do our own job, and if we do that then a bit of luck as well wouldn’t go amiss. Hopefully it will be a fantastic occasion for everyone.”

LiverpoolKenny Dalglish
guardian.co.uk

• Manchester City manager and Liverpool captain argue
• Glen Johnson tackle on Joleon Lescott at issue

Manchester City’s second home defeat in four days ended in acrimony on Wednesday night as Steven Gerrard and Roberto Mancini argued in the tunnel. The Italian had asserted that Glen Johnson should have been sent off in the closing moments of the Carling Cup semi-final.

Gerrard, the Liverpool captain whose first-half penalty secured a 1-0 first-leg lead for Kenny Dalglish’s team, accused the City manager of double standards, for demanding a red card for Johnson having condemned Wayne Rooney for doing likewise before Vincent Kompany was sent off in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.

Kompany’s absence was sorely felt by City as his replacement, Stefan Savic, conceded the decisive penalty with a foul on Daniel Agger. But it was Johnson’s late challenge on Joleon Lescott that provided controversy. The Liverpool defender won the ball with both feet off the floor, leaving the City manager aggrieved that the same letter-of-the-law interpretation that led Chris Foy to dismiss his captain on Sunday – and resulted in a four-game ban for Kompany – was not applied by Lee Mason.

Ironically Kompany, defending himself on Facebook before the game, had asked: “I wonder though if we are now going to see an unprecedented wave of red cards on match days because we sanction ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’?”

Gerrard denied Mancini’s complaints that Johnson’s tackle was more dangerous than the one committed on Nani by the City captain. “I don’t think so. It was a clear winner of the tackle,” said the Liverpool captain. “I’m surprised at Mancini. He had a go at Wayne Rooney last week for trying to get one of his players sent off. Now he’s trying to get one of our players in trouble. I don’t think that’s right.”

Gerrard aired his view directly to Mancini, who said: “It was worse, this tackle was worse. Johnson’s tackle was worse than the one Vinny did against United. Everyone can see this. It was worse. Gerrard came to me and said, ‘You said this.’ Gerrard can say what he wants. No problem. The world is going down because people do not apologise. I make a mistake and I apologise. I say what I think and it is not important what Steven Gerrard and other players say.”

City, having gone unbeaten at home in 2011, have lost twice in cup competitions in four days, with Liverpool becoming the first away team to keep a clean sheet here this season. Dalglish, who said he did not see Johnson’s challenge, said: “We gave two different performances in each half. In the first half we looked a lot more threatening but in the second, after getting the goal advantage, we just battened down the hatches. Not too many teams have come here and not had goals against them, so it’s a fantastic effort by us.

“It wasn’t the prettiest performance, but it didn’t fall short in terms of desire or commitment in any shape or form. Once we got ourselves in front, we were determined not to lose it. We might have a slight advantage with the goal, but there will be nobody jumping through hoops at our place. We’ll just be as professional as we can at our place.”

Mancini bemoaned a lack of cutting edge from a City team who missed the injured David Silva and saw Mario Balotelli limp off with a suspected ankle injury after 39 minutes. The City manager said: “The first half we didn’t play well. After six months that can happen. But in the second half Liverpool did not pass the middle of the pitch. We had chances but didn’t score but we knew before the game it would be difficult.

“It is difficult because we were without three or four players. The result is not right. For me it was a draw. We played two difficult games. I knew that was going to happen. January is going to be an important month but I think in both games we didn’t deserve to lose. The second leg is going to be difficult. Liverpool are favourites because they won 1-0 away.”

Gerrard echoed Dalglish’s view that the semi-final was finely poised for the second leg, at Anfield on 25 January.

“It is good to be back. I feel like a footballer again,” said Gerrard of his second successive start. “It’s games like this I have missed and games like this I have worked to get back so hard for. We defended well from back to front. We were playing one of the big powers in world football. There is no way this game is over yet and it is set up nicely for the game at Anfield.”

Carling Cup 2011-12LiverpoolManchester CitySteven GerrardRoberto ManciniCarling CupAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk